Is it possible to have a 38 day cycle

The average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days when counting from the first day of one cycle to the first day of the next cycle. Eighty percent of cycles occur within 21 to 45 days. Typically, cycles will last two to seven days. Bleeding can also be a symptom of infection such as endometritis infection of the inner lining of the uterus or pelvic inflammatory disease.

Remember, not all bleeding and irregularity is a cause for concern. For example, it is very common to have irregular bleeding with some contraception methods. Stress and other issues can also cause changes to your cycle from time to time. Also, many women in the 20s and 30s experience painful menstrual cramps.

You can treat cramps with over-the-counter pain relievers or heating pads. Barbie Carpenter worked as a technical writer and editor in the defense industry for six years. She also served as a newspaper feature page editor and nationally syndicated columnist for the Hearst Corp.

Carpenter holds a Bachelor of Science in journalism from the University of Florida and a graduate certificate in professional writing from the University of Central Florida.

Not every woman's menstrual cycle follows the typical day schedule. How to Track Ovulation. When Does Ovulation Occur? When Are You Fertile. Can You Feel Ovulation? During the monthly menstrual cycle, the uterus lining builds up to prepare for pregnancy. If you do not get pregnant, estrogen and progesterone hormone levels begin falling.

Very low levels of estrogen and progesterone tell your body to begin menstruation. Your menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of your period up to the first day of your next period. Your hormone levels estrogen and progesterone usually change throughout the menstrual cycle and can cause menstrual symptoms. The typical menstrual cycle is 28 days long, but each woman is different.

Other women are regular but can only predict the start of their period within a few days. Ovulation is when the ovary releases an egg so it can be fertilized by a sperm in order to make a baby. A woman is most likely to get pregnant if she has sex without birth control in the three days before and up to the day of ovulation since the sperm are already in place and ready to fertilize the egg as soon as it is released.

A few days before you ovulate, your vaginal mucus or discharge changes and becomes more slippery and clear. This type of mucus helps sperm move up into your uterus and into the fallopian tubes where it can fertilize an egg. Some women feel minor cramping on one side of their pelvic area when they ovulate. Some women have other signs of ovulation. Luteinizing hormone LH is a hormone released by your brain that tells the ovary to release an egg called ovulation.

LH levels begin to surge upward about 36 hours before ovulation, so some women and their doctors test for LH levels. LH levels peak about 12 hours before ovulation. Learn more about tracking ovulation to become pregnant. Your cycles may change in different ways as you get older. Often, periods are heavier when you are younger in your teens and usually get lighter in your 20s and 30s. This is normal. Talk to your doctor or nurse if you have menstrual cycles that are longer than 38 days or shorter than 24 days, or if you are worried about your menstrual cycle.

If your periods are regular, tracking them will help you know when you ovulate, when you are most likely to get pregnant, and when to expect your next period to start. If your periods are not regular, tracking them can help you share any problems with your doctor or nurse. If you have period pain or bleeding that causes you to miss school or work , tracking these period symptoms will help you and your doctor or nurse find treatments that work for you.

Severe pain or bleeding that causes you to miss regular activities is not normal and can be treated. You can keep track of your menstrual cycle by marking the day you start your period on a calendar.

After a few months, you can begin to see if your periods are regular or if your cycles are different each month. You can also download apps sometimes for free for your phone to track your periods. Some include features to track your PMS symptoms, energy and activity levels, and more. The average age for a girl in the United States to get her first period is A girl may start her period anytime between 8 and The first period normally starts about two years after breasts first start to develop and pubic hair begins to grow.

Get more information for girls about getting their period at girlshealth. On average, women get a period for about 40 years of their life. Perimenopause, or transition to menopause, may take a few years. During this time, your period may not come regularly. Pregnancy happens if a man's sperm meet and fertilise the egg. Sperm can survive in the fallopian tubes for up to 7 days after sex.

Occasionally, more than 1 egg is released during ovulation. If more than 1 egg is fertilised it can lead to a multiple pregnancy, such as twins. A woman can't get pregnant if ovulation doesn't occur. Some methods of hormonal contraception — such as the combined pill , the contraceptive patch and the contraceptive injection — work by stopping ovulation.

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly when ovulation happens but in most women, it happens around 10 to 16 days before the next period. This might be true for women who have a regular, day cycle, but it won't apply to women whose cycles are shorter or longer.

For more information on fertility awareness, see the FPA guide to natural family planning. Vaginal secretions sometimes called vaginal discharge change during the menstrual cycle. Around the time of ovulation, they become thinner and stretchy, a bit like raw egg white.