Irregular periods?

Posted by owlette08 @owlette08, May 9, 2023

I am 15 years old and have experienced 90 days between my menstrual cycles since they started 8 months ago. Is this typical?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the About Kids & Teens Support Group.

imallears | @imallears | May 10, 2023

@owlette08

Hi,

I don’t know if it’s typical but I had irregular periods all my life up until my use of birth control pills and menopause with no adverse effects. It’s early days for you yet and you may get on a more regular schedule. I would usually go for 2 or 3 months between periods. Occasionally I felt bloated, but was always thin, so it wasn’t that much of a problem. The only thing is it’s unpredictability. I remember as a young mother trying to get pregnant with a second child and mistakenly thinking I was pregnant and a pregnancy test was iffy. This however happened many moons ago and I am 82 now.

I also never had any unusual cramps and kind of considered myself lucky and also when the periods did come they were normal and of routine duration. I remember Doctors saying it will get regular after the first pregnancy but that never happened. I also had no problems getting pregnant but did take birth control after two children which was the only thing that did regulate it at that time.

So I would say not to be concerned if you are not experiencing anything else health wise. A GYN exam may set your mind at ease. You should discuss this with a parent if possible. Things have changed medical wise since my time. All my doctors were male so a Nurse Practitioner who specializes in OB/GYN is the ideal provider for someone your age. That’s the type of provider I see now. They will answer any and all questions and make you feel comfortable.

Hopefully you will get input here from younger members.

FL Mary

Ingegerd Enscoe, Alumni Mentor | @astaingegerdm | May 10, 2023

@owlette08
Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect!
I’m agreeing with @imallears that it’s very normal to be irregular after the onset of your periods. It may take years sometimes before there is a regular pattern.
I also agree that it would be nice for you to discuss this with a female doctor or nurse practitioner. Do you have a school nurse?
To maintain a healthy hormonal status it’s very important to eat a well balanced diet.
Are you an athlete? It’s not unusual for girls who work out a lot and doing sports to have a period start later than usual and also be more irregular.