how do i know if i’m getting my period?

[lb07]

hi! i’ve posted here before about the fact that i’ve never gotten my period despite being 17 (i went to the doctor recently and kind of got an answer, so this isn’t really about that)

currently, my breasts are slightly hurting and feeling weird, it’s hard to describe it. they aren’t tender they just kinda hurt and feel odd. it got me thinking that my period could be starting somewhat soon? what are some signs i should look out for?

also, i’m quite confused about discharge, i don’t think i have any from what i’ve seen discharge described as. i could just be misunderstanding what discharge is but as far as i know i don’t think i have any. which… is odd

[Andy]

Hi there!

Painful or tender breasts are one of the common symptoms of a coming period, though they can happen at other times when there are some hormonal changes in our bodies, like during puberty or menopause, as well. Other changes some people experience include changes in mood or attention, tiredness, cramps in the abdomen or digestion issues and a whole range of other emotional or physical symptoms. But what’s important to keep in mind that all of these are highly individual and not only vary among people but also through the time. So for example someone might get some symptoms when they first get their period and then completely different ones later and someone might not have almost any at all. Does that make sense?

As for the discharge, that’s also something that varies a lot, some have a lot of it, some very little. But I would say not having any would be quite noticeable as it is very much needed to keep the vagina healthy and clean and no discharge would probably result in some health problems. Also, when most people notice their discharge the most is around ovulation when there’s often more of it. So since you haven’t started menstruating and therefore don’t experience ovulation it might be just that you haven’t yet had enough of it to notice.
To get on the same page, when you say you might be misunderstanding what discharge is, what do you think it is and why do you think you don’t have it?

[lb07]

okay now that i think about it, i do experience discharge it’s just extremely little.

[HannahP]

Hi lb07!

I just want to clarify something — when you say you have very little or no discharge, do you mean that your vagina and vulva feel uncomfortably dry or do you mean that you rarely see discharge on your underwear? If you're experiencing discomfort or it seems like your vagina (the inside part) does not self-lubricate at all, I would say that's something worth bringing up to a doctor. Even though you already got an answer about your period, the doctor could have suggestions for how to minimize discomfort.

If it's more like the latter, that sounds like normal variation to me. A lot of things can influence how much discharge you see, even just the shape of your genitals. And how much there is can really vary between different people or even at different parts of your life.

[lb07]

i rarely see it in my underwear is what i meant. i’ll be honest i’m not all that educated on this kind of stuff so i apologize for the confusion

[Andy]

Hi!

In that case that doesn’t sound like something you should be worried about!

And there’s no need to apologize, providing information on this kind of stuff is exactly what we are here for . So feel free to browse our main site, where you can find a lot about bodies, sexuality or relationships. And if you ever can’t find what you are looking for or are interested in one specific topic, let us know and we can gather some resources or answer any questions for you.