How to Calculate Your Menstrual Cycle (2024)

How to Calculate Your Menstrual Cycle (1)How to Calculate Your Menstrual Cycle (2)

Knowing when you’re going to get your period is pretty helpful.

Maybe you’re planning a day at the beach. Maybe you have a sleepover with friends coming up. Or maybe you just want to know when to stash some extra Always Ultra in your bag, so you’re not caught off guard by your monthly flow.

Knowing how to calculate your menstrual cycle is easy and can give you a peace of mind.

So, here’s how to do it.

In order to calculate your menstrual cycle, you’ll need to learn how to track your cycle.

Don’t worry. It’s pretty simple. All you need to do is mark down when your period started on a calendar for a few months in order to figure out how to count your period cycle days and to calculate the average length of your menstrual cycle.

How to Calculate Your Menstrual Cycle (6)How to Calculate Your Menstrual Cycle (7)

How to Calculate Your Menstrual Cycle (8)

How to count the days in your menstrual cycle

Here’s how it works. Mark the first day of your period on the calendar. The first day of your period is Day 1 of your menstrual cycle. Starting on the first day of your period, start counting.

The day before your next period is the last day of your menstrual cycle. That’s when you stop counting. That’s how many days you had in your menstrual cycle that month. For instance, if you got your period on June 5 and your next period came on July 2, your cycle length was 27 days that month.

How to Calculate Your Menstrual Cycle (9)How to Calculate Your Menstrual Cycle (10)

How to Calculate Your Menstrual Cycle (11)

Calculating your average menstrual cycle length

If you do this for a few months, you’ll know how to count your period cycle days and you’ll be able to figure out your average cycle length.

Do this by adding up the number of days in each cycle. Then divide this number by the number of cycles (aka the number of times you’ve had your period) since counting. This will give you the average number of days between each period, or your average cycle length.

How to Calculate Your Menstrual Cycle (12)How to Calculate Your Menstrual Cycle (13)

How to Calculate Your Menstrual Cycle (14)

How to know when your next period is due

Now, figuring out when your next period will come is easy as pie. Starting on the first day of your last period, just count out the average number of days between your periods (aka your average cycle length that you calculated) and that gives you the projected start date of your next period.

Voila! Now you know how to calculate your cycle. Calculating your period isn’t an exact science but knowing how to calculate your menstrual cycle will give you a good approximation of when your period will come.

Your period may not come regularly. In fact, when you first start menstruating, it’s totally normal for your period to be irregular. It may take up to a year or two for your body to get into a regular pattern so keep on tracking.

Did all this make you a little cross-eyed? Don’t worry. You can read up more about this on always.com, so check online and use the period calendar on our website. Knowing how to calculate your__ menstrual cycle__ is a big help for being prepared and confident around your period.

Now that you know how to calculate your cycle, you may want to stock up on Always Ultra pads before you think your period will start. They have an absorbent core that turns liquid into gel – and gel can’t leak – so you’ll feel confident and protected on your period. Stash some in your bag or locker so you’ll always be prepared.
How to Calculate Your Menstrual Cycle (2024)

FAQs

How to Calculate Your Menstrual Cycle? ›

The first day of a menstrual cycle is the first day of your period, and the last day is the day before the bleeding starts. The average time between these two events is 28 days, but each woman is different and this time period can be shorter or longer. For most women, it falls between 25 and 30 days.

How to calculate menstrual cycle correctly? ›

Begin on day one of your period and count the number of days until your next period, which is day one of your next cycle. Track for 3 months and add the total number of days. Divide that number by three and you'll have your average cycle length. Ovulation normally occurs 12-16 days prior to your period.

How do I calculate my cycle count? ›

The first day of your period is Day 1 of your menstrual cycle. Starting on the first day of your period, start counting. The day before your next period is the last day of your menstrual cycle. That's when you stop counting.

How many days after my period am I fertile? ›

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly when ovulation happens, but in most women it happens around 10 to 16 days before the next period. Women who have a regular, 28-day cycle are likely to be fertile around day 14 of their menstrual cycle, but this won't apply to women whose cycles are shorter or longer.

How do you calculate longest and shortest menstrual cycle? ›

Since the length of your cycle can vary slightly from month to month, it's best to keep track for a few months. Once you have an average, subtract 18 days from the length of your shortest cycle. This is the first day you're likely to be fertile. Next, subtract 11 days from the length of your longest cycle.

How do I calculate how many days my period is? ›

You can calculate your period by first determining the average length of your cycle. Keep a count of the number of days between your period for the last few cycles. Then add up the total number of days and divide it by the number of cycles. This gives you the average number of days in your period.

What is the formula for calculating your period? ›

If we know the velocity and wavelength of the wave before, then it is easy to find out the frequency by the above formulae f = ν λ . after calculation of the frequency we can measure the time period using T = 2 π ω = 1 f .

When are you least likely to get pregnant? ›

Therefore, it is also possible to get pregnant in the 2 days after ovulation, but this is less likely. As a result, there are around 21 days in the menstrual cycle on which pregnancy is less likely. The days before and during menstruation are the least fertile days of the menstrual cycle.

What are the unsafe days to get pregnant? ›

When is the safe period to have sex and avoid pregnancy? Assuming a woman menstruates for 28 days, 14 day will be the middle of the cycle during which she theoretically ovulates. As the sperms stay alive for 5 days inside the woman's body, unprotected sex must be avoided from 9th day.

Can you get pregnant when you're not ovulating? ›

Remember, you can get pregnant right after your period, even if you're not yet ovulating. That's because sperm can live up to five days if it's trapped in fertile cervical mucus—so introducing sperm in the days leading up to ovulation can increase your chances of conceiving.

How do Amish deal with periods? ›

I think the level of integration with the modern world varies community to community (some Amish communities are more insular than others) but the most conservative of them will probably use the same methods women used for hundreds of years — wrapping themselves with strips of material, or wrapping their shift/ ...

How do you calculate safe days for not getting pregnant? ›

Method of calculating the date of safe sex

To predict the first day of conception (when you might get pregnant) in your current cycle: Find the shortest cycle in your previous record. Subtract 18 from the total number of days in that cycle. Count that number from day 1 of your current cycle and mark that day with an X.

How do I know if I am fertile enough to get pregnant? ›

Each month for 6 months, note when your period begins and ends. Then look for your shortest cycle and your longest one during this time. Subtract 18 days from the shortest cycle and 11 days from the longest one. These numbers tell you the time frame when you're most likely to conceive, called your fertile window.

How do you calculate when I should get my period? ›

In a 28-day cycle, ovulation typically occurs on day 14. To calculate your period, you'll need to count the days in between your last few periods. Start counting on the first day of your period and stop counting on the day before your next period.

How do you calculate your normal cycle time? ›

So the simplest way to measure the cycle time of an assignment is to count the number of days it spends being worked on. In other words, if you start a task on the 15th of April and complete it on the 25th of April, then the cycle time is 10 days.

Why has my cycle changed from 28 days to 31? ›

It can be caused by a variety of factors such as stress, hormonal changes, or even lifestyle changes like dietary shifts and exercise routines. If you're concerned about why your period cycle changed from 28 days to 31 days, the best thing to do is talk to your doctor.

How do you calculate your safe period and menstrual cycle? ›

Standard Days method
  1. Count the days in your menstrual cycle, starting with the first day of your period as day 1. ...
  2. On days 1-7, you're not considered to be fertile and can have unprotected sex, though you may have menstrual bleeding on those days.
  3. On days 8-19, you're considered to be fertile.
Mar 7, 2023

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