When a woman bleeds from her vagina for a few days, this is known as her menstruation or being on her period.
Typically, menstruation happens every 28 days for most women, although it's not uncommon for periods to occur more or less often than this.
A woman’s period will typically last for approximately five days, but it can last for up to seven days or even just two days. The first two days are usually when bleeding is the most intense, the blood flows more and the cramps are more painful.
Menstruation isn’t made of just blood. Mucus and uterine tissues are both present in your menstrual fluid, which might increase the volume of fluid loss. So, while it might look like a lot of blood, it’s not just blood.
A woman loses 20 to 90 millilitres (about one to five tablespoons) of blood each day when she is on her period. At the end of her period, she would have lost 25 tablespoons of blood.
A trusted medical journal, Pubmed suggests that this figure may be closer to 60 millilitres, or about four tablespoons.
Your particular level of blood loss depends on if you are or are not suffering from severe cramping, nausea, or other health issues.
It’s hard to say which amount of blood loss is normal because it changes depending on the woman. Some people may experience periods that are lighter or heavier.