By Robyn Srigley, BA, PTS, CNP, NNCP

 

Periods are confusing. One day you are barely flowin’ and the next you’re changing your tampon every few hours. And don’t even get me started on the cramps and cravings! What gives? Well, depending on the colour and level of flow we superwomen are experiencing, there could be any number of things going on. Decode the mystery below.

How heavy is your flow

 

 

(check out the full infographic, here)

 

Light Flow
This could be one of two things. Either you’re near the beginning or the end of your regular period, or you’re not having a true period at all and are just spotting. So how do you tell the difference? READ MORE… »

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Move over toxic tampons. Take a hike, sweaty pads. There’s a new player in town and it looks like she’s here to stay – 12 hours at a time. It seems women are going crazy for the menstrual cup, a reusable, bell-shaped silicone device inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual blood, and they’re taking it to the web with countless YouTube videos, blog posts and tweets praising its benefits. So what’s all this commotion about?

 

menstrual cup revolutionThroughout its surprisingly long history (early versions of the menstrual cup were patented as far back as in 1932!), the menstrual cup has not been a popular option for period care. Despite several attempts to launch the product in mass markets over the years, it was never able to compete with disposable tampons and sanitary pads. Although it is still a foreign concept to most women, the menstrual cup is slowly claiming its place in mainstream markets. It is no longer a mysterious apparatus only found in natural health stores; the product is now available in some major drugstores and can be easily bought online. An increasing selection of brands is also popping up worldwide: from Lunette, to Mooncup, Meluna, Yuuki, Fleurcup, Sckoon, Ruby, Femmecup and The DivaCup – to name but few.

 

Diva International Inc., the makers of The DivaCup, one of North America’s most popular menstrual cup brands with over 1 million cups sold to date, have definitely noticed the new trend. For the past 10 years, DivaCup International’s sales have been growing at double digit rates. “In the past ten years we have received great enthusiasm and acceptance around The DivaCup in both natural health and more recently, mainstream markets,” says a spokesperson for The DivaCup.

 

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Say it again Last fall I had a conversation about menstruation with my then two-year-old daughter. I didn’t want to; I was forced. Some were amused by its content. Some inspired. Just the other night, the topic of periods came up again. Because I was having mine, and once again my daughter saw the string between my legs. What is a Period, MommyThe conversation started off exactly like the first time, but ended up going in a different, more detailed direction… “Somefeen in your butt, Mommy.” “We had this conversation before, honey. Do you remember? There is nothing in my butt. It’s in my vagina, and it’s called a tampon.” A look of recognition came across her face, and she nodded as if to say she remembered. And then she was quiet for a moment. I thought I was getting off easy this time. But… READ MORE… »

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For many young girls, one of the most deeply rooted menstruation fears is to rise up from their desk at school only to have accidentally leaked all over their clothes – for everyone in their class to see. While this fear is diminished with time and experience, it is an absolutely normal and natural feeling for most girls who are menstruating to worry while they are at school. READ MORE… »

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 By Suzan Hutchinson

 

Amy Elifritz was age 20, menstruating and using tampons, when she came down with what appeared to be the flu.  She died four days later from Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).  After Amy’s death, her mother, Lisa, founded You ARE Loved, a nonprofit that raises awareness about tampon related Toxic Shock Syndrome and provides factual menstrual information.

Since launching the You ARE Loved website, we have received and posted several stories of girls and young women who developed tampon related TSS in recent years: Sarah and Brittany, both age 15 – Alex, age 16 – Katelyn, 17 – Amanda, 19 – Lauren, 20 – Nikki, who died of TSS at 21 – Shenikwa, a college student – Heather, a new mom….

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by Nicole Jardim I used to be that girl who dreaded my period AND the week before my period. It would begin with the ridiculous sugar cravings (yes the kind where eating a whole chocolate cake would be just fine), then the bloating would start (probably because of the whole chocolate cake), and it would culminate in the worst cramps ever (think the kind of cramps that make you throw up and want to pass out). And then I’d get my period! That was my life for many years and I felt like I had no control over my body or what was happening to it every month. Approximately 75% of women struggle with similar issues every single month so I’m sure you can relate. Eventually I figured out that I do have control – I have control over the food that I eat and how I live my life. Who knew!? I have learned over the years that every bite you take counts when it comes to how your body functions and how you want to feel physically and emotionally.  I have also learned that the main cause of PMS is an underlying hormonal imbalance in which your estrogen levels increase while your progesterone levels decrease. This is known as estrogen dominance. READ MORE… »

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