Nishmat's Women’s Health and HalachaIn memory of Chaya Mirel bat R' Avraham

  • Hebrew
  • English
  • Espnaol
  • Francais
  • donate
Menu

26-day veset kavua

26 May, 2019

Question:

First, thank you so much for this invaluable site!

I have just established a regular cycle for perhaps the first time. I have had three consecutive 26 day (interval) cycles all beginning in the same onah. Am I correct in understanding that even if this pattern becomes uprooted, if I should then have one 26 day interval I then go back to only anticipating 26 day intervals again?

Also, I am 43 years old and although I am still menstruating regularly my cycles seem to be shorter (26 days). Is this considered normal and is there anything proactive I should be doing to lengthen my cycles?


Answer:

Yes, you now have a veset kavua for a 26-day interval. if you have three consecutive cycles without bleeding on day 26, you will stop observing that veset. But as long as you do not establish a different veset kavua, if you later do have bleeding on day 26, then the veset kavua is immediately re-activated. That interval returns to being your only onat veset (unless or until there is a change).

It is very common for women’s cycles to change in their early to mid forties. Often, the cycle shortens gradually over time and then slowly lengthens until it stops altogether. The process often takes years.

Since this is a normal phenomenon, taking action is not indicated on a medical level unless your physician advises it. Experientially, it can be challenging to live with a shorter cycle. Some women seek medical intervention for this reason, which is often effective. Others pursue alternative treatments or adjust their diets to try to lengthen their cycles. Others just wait it out and make their best effort to adjust.

It is particularly important at this stage to review the laws of stains (as by reading our article here). You and your husband might also wish to consider if there are stringencies you have practiced which might not be as well suited to a shorter cycle and seek advice with any questions.

We wish you good health as you go through this transition.


This internet service does not preclude, override or replace the psak of any rabbinical authority. It is the responsibility of the questioner to inform us of any previous consultation or ruling. As even slight variation in circumstances may have Halachic consequences, views expressed concerning one case may not be applied to other, seemingly similar cases. All health and health-related information contained within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is intended to be general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for consulting with your health care professional. The advice is intended to offer a basis for individuals to discuss their medical condition with their health care provider but not individual advice. Although every effort is made to ensure that the material within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is accurate and timely, it is provided for the convenience of the Web site user but should not be considered official. Advice for actual medical practice should be obtained from a licensed health care professional. For further questions or comments:  The Nishmat Women's Health and Halacha Site is a public service of Nishmat, The Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women. This project and others like it are made possible by contributions from people like you. If you have benefited from the service, and wish to enable us to help others, click here to donate.

Users of Internet filtering services: This site discusses sensitive subjects that some services filter without visual indication. A page that appears 100% complete might actually be missing critical Jewish-law or medical information. To ensure that you view the pages accurately, ask the filtering service to whitelist all pages under yoatzot.org.

Accessibility Toolbar