I’ve spent the better part of fifteen years listening to women describe the intimate details of their monthly cycles. In my time as a health journalist and patient advocate, I’ve sat in sterile clinic waiting rooms that smelled of floor wax and cheap tea, talking to genuinely terrified women. Some were curled in agony, convinced their bodies were broken. Others were oddly proud of the pain, clinging to an old-fashioned idea that a “loud” period meant a highly functional reproductive system.

There’s this persistent, whispered theory that pops up in forums and family gatherings alike. It suggests that if your womb is putting up a fight, it must be “strong”. That somehow, the intensity of your cramps is a direct barometer for your ability to conceive. It’s a seductive thought because it gives meaning to suffering. But after a decade of sifting through the latest clinical and scientific data and talking to leading gynaecologists worldwide, I can tell you that the truth is much more complicated than a simple “yes” or “no”.

The connection between your pain and your ability to have children has been mythologised. We must stop viewing cramps as some scoreboard. To truly comprehend what’s going on, we’ve got to focus on biology, psychology, and the modern world that is dialling up our discomfort.

The Chemistry of the Cramp

To get to the heart of the matter, we have to talk about prostaglandins. These aren’t just fancy medical words; they’re the literal “messengers” of your period. Every month, as your uterine lining prepares to leave, it releases these chemicals.

Their sole purpose is to tell the uterine muscles to contract. It’s a squeeze-and-release mechanic designed to shed the lining.

But here’s the rub. In some people, the body cranks out too much of these chemicals. When the uterus contracts too forcefully, it cuts off circulation and oxygen temporarily to the muscle tissue. That’s the sharp, stabbing pain that makes you reach for the hot water bottle. It’s a biological process, albeit a noisy one.

The crazy part is that this “noise” doesn’t actually tell you how well your ovaries are functioning. It simply tells you how sensitive your uterine lining is at that specific moment.

Decoupling the Symptom from the Score

Here’s a distinction I wish more people understood: period pain is a symptom, not a fertility measurement.

In my years of interviewing specialists, I’ve learned that the reproductive system is made of different “departments.” The department in charge of your period pain (the uterus and its prostaglandin production) is not the same as the one in charge of your egg quality or whether your fallopian tubes are clear.

You could have a perfectly healthy reproductive system and still be doubled over every month. Conversely, some of the most serious obstacles to conception, like silent endometriosis or certain types of polyps, can sometimes be almost entirely painless.

If you’re asking yourself, “Are painful periods a sign of good fertility?” the answer lies in the fact that your body’s volume knob is independent of its actual performance.

Why Your ‘7’ is Someone Else’s ‘3’

I remember two sisters I spoke with years ago. They had nearly identical cycles, yet one would go for a morning run on her Day 1, while the other was literally nauseous with pain. This brings us to a powerful concept: pain tolerance and the nervous system’s “amplifier.”

Pain isn’t just a physical event; it’s an interpreted one. Two women can have the same level of uterine contractions, but their experiences will be worlds apart. Why? Because our brains filter pain through a lens of our current environment.

• Stress Levels: If you’re burnt out, your nervous system is in a state of high alert, making you more sensitive to every twinge.
• Sleep Quality: A few nights of bad sleep can radically lower your pain threshold.
• Anxiety: Being worried about the pain often makes the physical sensation feel more intense.
• Inflammation Sensitivity: What you’ve been eating and how your gut is behaving can dictate how loudly your body reacts to those prostaglandins.

The Myth of the “Strong Womb”

Let’s tackle the elephant in the room. There is a cultural narrative—especially in British culture, where you have the stiff upper lip and all that — that if you are in pain with periods, it means you have a ‘healthy’ or ‘robust’ womb. The idea is that the uterus is “working out” and remaining strong.

Honestly, it’s rubbish. There is no medical exam in the world where pain is equal to fertility. A stronger contraction doesn’t necessarily ease things up for the embryo to implant later. And in fact, if the pain is because of extreme inflammation, it could even turn into a less hospitable environment. This belief is from age-old cultural stories, not modern science. It’s a way to help womenfeel better about suffering, but it is not based on reality.

What the Pain Isn’t Telling You

We often try to read our cramps like tea leaves, but pain is a terrible detective. It won’t give you the answers you’re looking for.

• It does NOT confirm ovulation: You can have a very painful bleed without ever releasing an egg.
• It does NOT guarantee hormonal balance: You could be in agony and still have an oestrogen-progesterone imbalance.
• It does NOT predict egg quality: The health of your eggs is determined by genetics, age, and lifestyle, not by how much your uterus squeezes.

The “Hidden Normal” vs. The “Visible Abnormal”

So, how do you know when to worry? I’ve developed a unique framework for my readers to help distinguish between “standard” discomfort and something that needs a doctor’s eye.

Pain that is often still normal:

• It only really hits on Day 1 or Day 2.
• It’s relieved by basic, over-the-counter painkillers.
• Your cycle is regular and predictable.
• The pain hasn’t changed much since you were a teenager.

Pain that deserves a professional’s attention:

• It’s getting progressively worse every year.
• You feel pain outside of your period or during sex.
• The pain is paired with a delay in getting pregnant (usually over 6-12 months of trying).
• It’s so severe that it radiates down your legs or stops you from working entirely.

Modern Life: The Volume Knob

We can’t ignore the world we live in. In 2026, our lifestyles are essentially designed to make period pain worse. I’ve noticed a huge spike in complaints from women who spend 10 hours a day at a desk. Poor posture leads to pelvic floor tension, which restricts blood flow and makes cramps feel more “stuck” and intense.

Then there’s the “wired and tired” factor. Constant screen exposure and the blue light from our phones disrupt our sleep, which, as we discussed, makes us more sensitive to pain. Add in a diet high in caffeine and processed sugar—both of which are inflammatory—and you’ve got a recipe for a very loud period.

It’s All About the Trend

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the hundreds of doctors I’ve interviewed, it’s that they care more about changes over time than the pain itself.

If you’ve always had painful periods, that’s your baseline. But if your periods were always easy and suddenly, at age 28, you’re in total agony, that’s a red flag. A stable cycle is usually a good sign, even if it’s an uncomfortable one. A cycle that starts jumping around or pain that shifts from “achiness” to “sharp stabs” is your body’s way of asking for help.

A Final Thought on Trusting Your Body

Are painful periods a sign of good fertility? Not really. But they aren’t necessarily a sign of bad fertility either. Context matters far more than intensity.

And if you’re having a rough time, don’t “tough it out” just because someone said that’s how things roll. If your period is affecting your ability to live your life, it’s worth looking into—regardless of whether you want children or not. You should be able to live without being a hostage to your calendar once a month.

A human note on your health —If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your cycle, please don’t suffer in silence. Your pain is real, and it deserves to be heard by a professional who doesn’t just dismiss it as “part of being a woman.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Can I still be fertile if I have very easy, painless periods?

A. Absolutely. Most super-fertile women have “silent” periods. The lack of pain just means your body produces fewer prostaglandins or you have a higher pain threshold.

Q. Does Ibuprofen affect my chances of getting pregnant? 

A. It’s fine to use for a couple of days during your period to help manage pain. But some research indicates that high doses of NSAIDs around the ovulation period could disrupt the release of the egg, so keep an eye on timing.

Q. Is it true that having a baby cures period pain? 

A. No, it’s not proven. For some women, their periods are much easier after giving birth because the cervix has stretched, and for others, it remains just as difficult.

Q. Should I track my pain? 

A. Yes! I always recommend keeping a “symptom diary” for three months. It’s the best way to show a doctor the pattern and prove that your pain isn’t just a one-off event.

Q. Can stress actually make my cramps hurt more? 

A. Yes, 100%. Stress increases the sensitivity of your nervous system. When you’re stressed, your body is essentially “shouting” signals that would usually be a “whisper.”

Have you noticed your pain changing as your life gets busier, or are you still dealing with the same cramps you had at sixteen?