Common questions
Short answers about periods, symptoms, fertility and the Veya app. Where a question deserves more than a few sentences, there’s a link to a fuller guide with its sources.
These answers are general information, not medical advice. If you’re worried about a symptom, talk to a doctor, nurse or pharmacist. If you feel very unwell, are in severe pain or are bleeding heavily, get urgent medical help.
Periods and cycles
How do I count my menstrual cycle?
Count from the first day of one period to the day before the next one starts. The days when you aren’t bleeding are part of the cycle too, so the length is the gap between period starts, not how long you bleed.
How long should my period last?
The NHS says a period can last between 2 and 7 days, usually about 5, and is often heaviest in the first 2 days. If your periods start lasting longer than usual, or bleeding goes on for more than 7 days, it’s worth seeing a GP.
Is it normal for my period to be late?
Late or missed periods are common. Pregnancy, stress and hormonal contraception are among the reasons, so if you could be pregnant, take a pregnancy test first. See a GP if you’ve missed 3 periods in a row, or if a missed period comes with symptoms such as tiredness or weight changes.
Can stress make my period late?
Yes, stress is one of the reasons the NHS gives for late or missed periods. Pregnancy and other causes are possible too, so don’t assume stress explains it. A GP can help if your periods have become irregular, and can offer support with the stress itself.
What does brown blood mean?
Period blood is usually red on the heaviest days and can be pink or brown on lighter days. Bleeding between periods or after sex is different: it should always be checked by a doctor, even though it’s not usually serious.
Symptoms and when to get help
How do I know if my period is too heavy?
Signs include needing to change a pad or tampon every 1 to 2 hours, bleeding for more than 7 days, or bleeding through to your clothes or bedding. The NHS suggests seeing a GP if heavy bleeding is affecting your life or has been happening for some time.
Are large blood clots during my period normal?
Passing clots larger than about 2.5cm, roughly the size of a 10p coin, is one of the NHS signs of heavy periods. Book a GP appointment if heavy periods are affecting your life or have gone on for some time.
Is bad period pain normal?
Some period pain is common. Pain that stops you doing your usual activities is a reason to see a GP. If the pain is severe or worse than usual and painkillers haven’t helped, get urgent medical advice.
What can help with period cramps?
The NHS suggests heat, such as a warm bath or a hot water bottle wrapped in a tea towel on your tummy, gentle exercise like walking, and painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Check the leaflet or ask a pharmacist if you’re not sure a medicine suits you.
Should I get spotting between periods checked?
Yes. Bleeding between periods or after sex should always be checked by a doctor. It’s often not serious, but possible causes include infections and changes to the cervix, so it’s worth finding out.
When should I get urgent help for pain in my lower tummy?
Get urgent medical advice for pelvic pain if you might be pregnant or have unusual vaginal bleeding. Call 999 in the UK, or your local emergency number, if the pain is severe or getting worse, or comes with fainting, difficulty breathing or heavy vaginal bleeding.
Fertility and ovulation
How many days after my period can I get pregnant?
There isn’t a fixed number of days. The NHS explains that pregnancy is possible soon after a period ends, particularly if you ovulate early or have a short cycle, because sperm can survive for several days.
Can I get pregnant on my period?
Yes. Sperm can stay alive in the body for several days after sex, and the timing of ovulation can vary, so having sex only during your period isn’t a reliable way to avoid pregnancy.
What is my fertile window?
It’s the part of your cycle when sex can lead to pregnancy: the days leading up to ovulation and the day itself. Ovulation is when an ovary releases an egg, and sperm can survive for several days beforehand, which is why the window starts before it.
How do I know if I’m ovulating?
Around ovulation, vaginal discharge often becomes thinner and stretchy, a bit like raw egg white. Other signs include a small rise in resting temperature afterwards and a positive ovulation test beforehand, but none of them pinpoints the exact day. See a GP if a change in your discharge worries you.
Contraception and pregnancy tests
Can contraception stop my periods?
Yes. Some hormonal methods, including the contraceptive pill, the injection and the hormonal coil (IUS), can cause missed periods. Pregnancy is still possible with any method, so take a test if you think you might be pregnant.
When should I take a pregnancy test?
Most pregnancy tests can be used from the first day of a missed period. If you don’t know when your next period is due, the NHS says to test at least 21 days after you last had unprotected sex.
What should I do if my contraception failed?
Ask a pharmacist, GP or sexual health clinic about emergency contraception as soon as you can. The options are the emergency pill or a copper IUD, which need to be used within 3 to 5 days of unprotected sex depending on the type, and the sooner the better.
Why is my period late if my pregnancy test is negative?
You may have tested too early, or something else may be delaying your period, such as stress or a change in contraception. If you still think you could be pregnant, test again after a few days, and contact a GP if the second test is negative and your period still hasn’t come.
Will a pregnancy test work if I’m on the pill?
Yes. The hormones in the contraceptive pill don’t stop a pregnancy test working. No method of contraception is completely effective, so if you think you could be pregnant, take a test and follow its instructions.
About the Veya app
What is Veya?
Veya is an app for recording your periods and the things you notice day to day, such as symptoms, mood, energy and sleep. It’s designed to help you look back at your own history, see patterns in your entries and keep useful context together, with modes for trying to conceive, pregnancy, the months after a birth and perimenopause.
Will it be available on iOS and Android?
Yes, Veya is coming to iOS and Android. We haven’t confirmed a release date or device requirements yet.
Is the app available yet?
Not yet. Veya is pre-launch, and the preview on this site uses sample data to show planned features. Joining the waitlist only works once the signup service is open and confirms your email.
What can I track?
Planned logging includes period days and flow, symptoms, moods, energy, sleep, discharge, sex and notes, plus pregnancy and ovulation tests, basal temperature, weight and water. You’ll also be able to keep track of medicines and supplements, the pill, ring, patch or injection, activity minutes and, after a birth, feeds and nappies. You choose what to record. Nothing has to be filled in.
Are predictions guaranteed?
No. Period and fertile windows are estimates based on what you’ve logged, and dates can change. Veya doesn’t diagnose conditions, confirm ovulation, guarantee pregnancy or work as contraception.
Can I use it without trying to conceive?
Yes. Understanding your cycle is a mode of its own, and the fertility and pregnancy views are optional. You don’t need a pregnancy goal to want a useful record of your periods.
What happens to the information I enter?
In the app, what you log is designed to stay in a local database on your phone, with no account needed. Cloud features (community, partner sharing, backup) only run if you turn them on. You’ll be able to download all of it or delete everything. Veya has no ads and doesn’t sell data. The demo on this website uses sample entries, keeps changes only in memory and clears them on reset or reload.
Will there be a paid plan?
No. Every feature is planned to be free for everyone, with no paywall and no premium tier. If you’d like to, you’ll be able to support Veya with an optional pay-what-you-want contribution through the App Store or Google Play. It unlocks nothing extra.
Is Veya a form of contraception?
No. Veya’s fertile-window estimates are not contraception and there are no “safe days” in it. If you want to avoid pregnancy, talk to a doctor, nurse, pharmacist or sexual health service about a method that suits you.
Can Veya tell me if something is wrong?
No. Veya is being built to help you record and look back at what you notice, not to diagnose conditions. A pattern in your entries can be a useful thing to bring to an appointment, but only a clinician can assess what it means.
Does Veya work if my periods are irregular?
Yes, you can log whatever happens. Estimates are less certain when cycle lengths vary, so Veya is designed to show them as ranges and label them clearly as estimates. Irregular periods are worth mentioning to a GP, especially if your pattern has changed.
Will I need an account?
No. Veya is designed to work anonymously, with what you log stored in a local database on your phone. If you want to move your record to a new phone through cloud backup, you can choose to link a Google account on Android or use Sign in with Apple on iOS. Veya receives only the email address, to recognise the account, and your cycle data isn’t shared with Google or Apple.
Will Veya show ads or sell my data?
No. Veya has no ads and doesn’t sell data.
Can I download or delete my data?
Yes, that’s planned. You’ll be able to export everything at any time as one JSON file, with your periods, every entry and note, medicines, reminders and settings, and restore it into Veya on another phone without an account. A CSV copy for spreadsheets is planned too, and you’ll be able to delete everything.
How does pay-what-you-want work?
It’s optional support for people who want to give something. You’ll be able to choose a monthly contribution (planned at $0.99, $1.99, $2.99, $4.99 or $9.99, with $2.99 suggested) or a one-time gift ($2.99, $9.99 or $24.99) through the App Store or Google Play. Those are US dollar amounts; the stores show their own local prices. Supporting unlocks nothing, because every feature is free, and you can cancel a monthly contribution at any time from your store subscriptions.
Can I share my records with a doctor or partner?
Both are planned. A doctor summary PDF brings your cycles, recorded patterns and medicines to an appointment, with versions for pregnancy and after a birth. Partner sharing uses a private code to share a short summary, and stops when you turn it off. Neither is required to use Veya.
Which languages will Veya support?
Eight languages are planned: English, Spanish, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Arabic, Simplified Chinese and Hindi, the same as this website. The library guides are in all eight. We’ll confirm the languages when Veya is released.
Will Veya support pregnancy, postpartum or perimenopause?
Yes. Pregnancy, after a birth and perimenopause are modes of their own, alongside cycle tracking and trying to conceive. Pregnancy mode has week-by-week guidance and When to get help; after a birth has recovery notes, a weekly mood check and feeds and nappies; perimenopause has symptom and treatment tracking. All are planned for launch.
Does Veya tell me when to get help?
Yes, in plain words. In pregnancy and after a birth, When to get help lists the signs to act on, sorted by how urgent they are, with the numbers for where you get care (the UK, the US or elsewhere) and your own care contacts as one-tap calls. Every library guide has a when-to-get-help section too. Veya doesn’t assess your symptoms: if you’re worried, call.
Will Veya tell me how much of a medicine to take?
No. Veya keeps track of what you take and when, with an optional reminder, but it never suggests a dose. Doses come from your doctor, midwife or pharmacist, and you shouldn’t stop a prescribed medicine without checking with them first.
Where the health answers come from
The answers about periods, symptoms, fertility and pregnancy tests are based on these NHS pages. Each linked guide lists its own sources in full.
Can’t find your question? Browse the Learn library, or see Veya support for questions about the website preview and waitlist.