Shortening menses
31 July, 2014
Question:I was wondering if there are any known ways to shorten the length of a period? I usually bleed for six days, but this time I would really like to stop by five days, in order to avoid mikvah night clashing with the night I am scheduled to be flying abroad.
Thanks for the great work you do on this site!
Answer:Unfortunately, shortening the period is not easily accomplished. In some cases, adjustments in diet or general health may make a difference, but not in the very short term such as you seek.
Sometimes, a woman can get a hefsek taharah earlier by soaking in the bath shortly beforehand. Bedikot, including the hefsek taharah, need not be completely clear. In this case, you should bring any color that is not clearly red to a rav for evaluation, on the chance that you can save yourself the extra day. The same goes for stains, which are subject to leniencies based on color and size even during the clean days.
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