We at Be Prepared. Period. are super excited to announce the newest member of the team, Danielle, our new Community Outreach Intern!
Danielle joins us as a 21-year-old college student from New York who’s studying Business Administration – due to graduate this May.
Sharing a common goal of wanting to help others, she joins us to help spread the word about the resources we offer to women and girls. Resources to not only prepare girls and parents for puberty (and menarche), but to improve menstrual health among all women.
Danielle also recognizes the need for open menstrual communication as she shares her own first period story:
“As I reflect back on all the things that have happened over the school years I remember my first period.
I am extremely close with my mom, so talking about my period and what was going to happen before it actually happened was a major topic around 11-12 years old. It was nice to not be blind sided by my period. Of course at 12 years old getting ready for school, going to the bathroom and realizing I got my period was blind siding. But, the multiple conversations I had with my mom about it made the whole situation easier. I went into her room told her I got my period, she gave me a hug and cried and said her little girl was growing up. She handed me a pad, showed me how to use it. She then handed me a little brown bag to put into my purse with pads in it, told me to change it every few hours and I was on my way to school.
But, the best part of the whole thing was the amount of phone calls I got later. Nothing in my family is territory for too much information, so all my aunts and cousins called me and said welcome to the period club, and that I was finally a “big girl”. And getting my period also meant I was old enough to get a second hole in my ears so that sounded like a plus to me. Being open about it made the whole thing not traumatizing.”
So, what do you say BPPeeps, will you help us give Danielle a warm welcome? – comment below with your welcome message.
Did Danielle’s story take you down memory lane to your own first period story, or maybe another memorable menstrual event? Stop by our Share Your Story page and contribute your story!