What does the colour of your menstrual blood mean?

Periods are a hecking complicated biological process. Not only does it take into account your vagina and your uterus, but also your brain and your hormones. And let's be real, mother uterus is very very sensitive. The moment you sleep is a little off or your diet isn't the greatest, your menstrual health is about to be in trouble. But a lot of times, the troubles are a little unnoticeable to laymen (or laywomen?!). Here's how you can figure out what is going wrong, and that too, by the colour of your blood.

Bright Red- YAY you're as good as it gets. Bright red blood and a steady flow is indicative of good reproductive health. To make sure, your period should start moderate, have the heaviest flow by day 2 and taper off by the end.

Dark Red or Maroon- The deep colour may simply mean that the blood has been sitting in the uterus for a while but hasn’t oxidized to the point of turning brown. SO again, you're good, sweety.

Maroon-ish brown- If the colour of the blood resembles to these on the very first day of your period, it might signal towards low progesterone, a reproductive hormone secreted by the body. It is also a sign of old blood. The blood has had time to oxidize, which is why it’s changed hues from the standard red.

Black or grey- This is where you might want to call a doctor and book a consultation as soon as possible. While there is a good possibility it's just a scare, its better to say on the safer side and get checked. Grey blood, specifically can be a sign of Bacterial vaginosis (Bacterial overgrowth in the vagina). Other signs to confirm this may include fever, pain, itching and foul odour.

Pink or Orange- While this isn't something alarming, it does mean that there is some stuff that you need to rectify.

1. Fix that diet, honey! Eat healthy. Try incorporating more foods that are good for sexual and vaginal wellness. Also, not to forget your veggies

2. Fix your sleep schedule. Your sleep is just as necessary for your uterus, as it is for your skin or your brain!

3. Stress! One of the main reasons of pink blood is low estrogen- which means you're either anaemic or you might have anxiety! Either way, get some relaxation, sister :)

Is it okay to have your period blood change colour during your period? Yes, absolutely. The day you start bleeding, the blood is fresh and has a steady flow and by the last day, your tank gets empty XD

Is it okay for your blood to change colour in-between cycles? Yes. If the colour is not black or grey, it is totally fine for your blood to change colour. This might happen due to lifestyle change, any hormonal birth control, eating habits and stress.

So the key to healthy menstruation literally lies in 3 things- good food, good sleep and a no-stress policy :)