By Softcup
The menstrual cycle and menstruation are often not well understood by many women, even though dealing with it is something they are faced with on a regular basis.
The average menstrual cycle is 28 days long, but just as all women are different, so are our periods. Normal cycles can range anywhere from 21 to 35 days in adults and from 21 to 45 days in young teens.
Many women may have irregular or heavy periods, making their periods unpredictable or otherwise difficult. Many women with irregular or heavy periods manage them with menstrual cups, which are safe to use right before you start your period, which can be especially beneficial if your period is not quite as predictable as you’d like it to be.
The menstrual cycle timing described below is based off of the average 28-day cycle. If your menstrual cycle is a bit shorter or longer, the timing of certain occurrences in your cycle may vary.
By Heather Schweich
I honestly can’t remember a time after I started my period when I wasn’t aware on some level of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).
My mom was not a tampon user; they made her nauseated and feel horrible when she tried them in high school/college, so when I started menstruating she got me pads, just like her. Well, lower absorbency, but you get the idea.
The problem was that I was a ballet dancer. #1 Pads = not cool. #2 They would never stay in place. So I asked her to let me get some tampons.
She did, and I’m not sure if it was the box insert, a news story, or word of mouth but TSS was a huge concern for her. I didn’t really get the seriousness of it, but I knew enough that I was willing to go along with her guidelines: use natural fiber (cotton) tampons – don’t use a higher absorbency than I needed – use pads at night.
Camping with a menstrual cup, scary or sensible?
Expecting to start my period the day we were scheduled to leave for our camping trip I was “prepared” and decided to bring my DivaCup with me. I’ve never enjoyed the inconvenience my period has caused during a camping trip, the extra concern of being somewhere I could change my tampon or the early morning wake up calls from aunt flo. There’s nothing like waking up with that startling feeling of needing to rush to the bathroom, to be challenged with crawling out of the sleeping bag, bundling up in warm clothes, climbing out of the tent, to only have to walk who knows how far to the nearest bathroom in fear of a LEAK!
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Photo via Pexels
Many people think that living a healthy lifestyle is unaffordable. And while it’s true that healthy options can be expensive, it doesn’t have to be this way. You don’t need much to enjoy good health. In fact, by reducing the amount of money spent on processed foods, chemical cleaning products, greasy takeout, and unnecessary household items, you’ll save money and support your health at the same time!
We parents all remember what it’s like to be a teen, but the world that today’s teens are living in is very different from just a generation ago. Changes in appearance are a natural part of growing up, yet the pressure teens feel to fit in and look a certain way goes right along with these changes. This is something all teens have to deal with, but we as parents can make a big difference in how our teens view themselves. Here are some tips, courtesy of Be Prepared Period.
Talk About Media Messages
By Allison Woods
Menstruation is a biological function that regularly occurs in every woman’s life, which is why it should be discussed more often. The process occurs during a greater part of a woman’s life, starting from their pre-adolescence until the late middle age. A girl’s curiosity regarding this monthly cycle can even start at an earlier age, as previously discussed in one of our articles regarding periods.
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Getting your period is a big deal. It’s a sign of your body growing and changing as you continue
to become a young woman. You may be excited that you’re going through puberty. You may
also be nervous about what it will feel like or what you should do when it starts.
We’ve all been there. All of these emotions you may be feeling are normal. And it’s completely
acceptable to have questions about it too.
Amber is just like you. She couldn’t wait to get her period, but was also freaking out a little!
Today, she has been getting her period for over a year. We’ve asked her some questions that
might help you to know what to expect when your period arrives:
Simply put, period poverty is the “inadequate access to menstrual hygiene tools and educations, including but not limited to sanitary products, washing facilities, and waste management,” as defined by the American Medical Women’s Association
While it may sound like a simple problem, in reality, period poverty isn’t the result of any single one factor. It is rather the outcome from a multitude of factors that adversely affect those who can least afford period products, and a spotty patchwork of scant resources trying desperately to address the problem. For that reason, period poverty can manifest itself in a variety of ways. For example, a lack of access to sanitary products could be due to an inability to afford them, an inability to find a retailer who can supply them or even just a lack of knowledge on where to look for them. Conversely, for the individual experiencing poverty, the choice between affording food, shelter and other necessities may make it impossible to afford sanitary products.
A period without the need for heavy medication?
That used to be unthinkable to me.
For about 17 years, I relied heavily on OTC medications to help me manage my period pain, and even with medicine, there were many times where the pain was so intense for the first couple of days, I couldn’t physically function. READ MORE… »