
Period blood loss chart
Peer reviewed by Dr Hayley Willacy, FRCGP Last updated by Danny ChadburnLast updated 30 Oct 2017
Meets Patient’s editorial guidelines
- DownloadDownload
- Share
- Language
- Discussion
- Audio Version
- Add to preferred sources on Google
Using a period blood loss chart helps your doctor to get an idea as to how heavy your period is.
Period blood loss chart for printing off

Each time you change a tampon or towel, place a mark mark in the column against the picture which most closely resembles your tampon or towel. (Some women use tampons, some use towels and some use both when the period is heavy.)
If you have a clot, mark roughly how large it is using different coins as a guide. In the UK for example, the size of a 1p, 2p, or 50p coin can be used.
Flooding means you have blood flow enough to stain your underwear (or worse) despite using a tampon, towel or both. If you have any flooding, place a mark in the flooding section.
The example shows a woman who over one day had five heavily blood-soaked tampons, one moderately blood-soaked tampon, one heavily blood-soaked towel, one moderately blood-soaked towel, and one clot the size of a 50p coin.
Patient picks for Periods and period problems

Women's health
Menstrual cups as safe and effective as pads and tampons
The first ever scientific review of menstrual cups has found that they are safe to use and are as, if not more, effective than other sanitary products.
by Milly Evans

Women's health
Why are more young women losing their periods due to restrictive diets and excessive exercise?
Experts have become alarmed by the increasing number of people losing their periods as a result of restrictive dieting and excessive exercise. There are concerns that this increase in so-called 'functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea' is connected to the content young people consume online.
by Emily Jane Bashforth
About the author

Danny Chadburn
Head of Content
Danny was the previous Head of Content at Patient.
About the reviewerView full bio

Dr Hayley Willacy, FRCGP
General Practitioner, Medical Author
MBChB (1992), DRCOG, DFFP, MRCOG (Part 1) MRCGP (2007), DFSRH (2013), MSc - medical education (2020)
Dr Hayley Willacy was an NHS GP working in northwest England, who retired from clinical practice in 2022 after 30 years.
Article history
The information on this page is peer reviewed by qualified clinicians.
Article also available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, and Swedish.
30 Oct 2017 | Latest version
Join the conversation
Share your thoughts or experiences with others in our patient communities.

Ask, share, connect.
Browse discussions, ask questions, and share experiences across hundreds of health topics.

Feeling unwell?
Assess your symptoms online for free
Sign up to the Patient newsletter
Your weekly dose of clear, trustworthy health advice - written to help you feel informed, confident and in control.
By subscribing you accept our Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. We never sell your data.
More in women's health
- Can menstrual cups help fight period poverty?
- Early breast cancer care
- Free morning-after pill now available at UK pharmacies
- NewGaynor Faye on Hot Flash, menopause - and why midlife women deserve to be seen
- How does your period impact your sleep?
- How to ease your perimenopause symptoms
- How to look after your mental health during your menstrual cycle
- How to support someone during the menopause
- How to talk to your doctor about your vagina
- Is your bra harming your health?
- Menopause - the questions to ask
- Personalised blood test detects return of breast cancer
- Secret shoppers: Are women given the best contraception advice?
- Should vaginal mesh surgery be banned?
- Swap beef for chicken to reduce breast cancer risk, suggests study
- Understanding vaginal cysts
- What it's like to go through the menopause when you have HIV
- What you need to know about testosterone and menopause
- What's the future of contraception?
- Will we ever have a male contraceptive pill?