blood clot before period

[lycheefan]

hi! i had a super tiny red blood clot while wiping today, and my period is supposed to come in a few days. i can be relatively sure this is just premenstrual bleeding, right? and if that does occur, how many days before a period arrives could it happen? thank you

[Elise]

Hi there lycheefan, yes, that does sound like your period is starting with some light spotting this month, which is a normal experience for many people who menstruate. Spotting can start at different times depending on the person and also can change due to hormonal fluctuations from month to month, which can make our periods from their usual flow, timing etc. As well as day-to-day things like stress, activity levels etc. this can often happen if you are in the early months of starting a new kind of hormonal birth control.

You can read more about this, and how the menstrual cycle works here: On the Rag: A Guide to Menstruation