Should the questioner consider this entire period as menstruation, or should she consider the first eight days as menstruation and anything beyond that as استِحاضة (non-menstrual bleeding), knowing that she does not see dryness or the white discharge (al-Qassah al-Bayda’) until 12-14 days after the start of brown and yellow discharges?

The menstrual habit may increase or decrease. The brownish and yellowish discharges before menstrual bleeding are not considered menstruation by some scholars, while others consider them menstruation as long as they are connected to it, and this is the view of the majority of scholars. As for the brownish and yellowish discharges after the cessation of menstrual bleeding and before dryness, they are part of menstruation until purity is achieved by seeing the white discharge (al-qassah al-bayḍā’) or dryness. If the blood is red before or after the usual menstruation and does not exceed 15 days, then it is menstruation.