Heavy Menstrual Bleeding: What’s Normal?

It is well known that menstrual cycles can be stressful and painful – especially when a young person first starts their period. Most people learn from their family members about what to expect and how to be as comfortable as possible during menstrual cycles.  

But what if your family’s “normal” isn’t normal at all? Margo D’Agostino had excessively heavy menstrual bleeding for years – including some symptoms, that in hindsight, were quite alarming. But her mom had the same experience, so they together decided it must be normal. Spoiler, it wasn’t normal – Margo has a bleeding disorder called Von Willebrand’s disease, that other members of her family likely have too.  

On the podcast today, Margo and Dr. Maria Carter Febres, a pediatric hematologist, join us to talk about bleeding disorders and Margo’s journey to find answers about her health. We talk about typical menstruation experiences, the importance of normalizing conversations about monthly cycles and what to do if something doesn’t seem quite right with your own or your child’s health.