Shit No One Told Me About My Period

fangirltothefullest:

phinarei:

martee-bee:

angelsaxis:

mskiarafan1:

rootfauna:

I knew the basics before I got it, but I had no clue…

* The blood wouldn’t necessarily be red. When I first got my period, I spent a few min looking at my underwear wondering how I shit myself. I didn’t know the blood could look brown, or be thick.

* That tampons weren’t a good idea yet. I was 10 or 11 when I got my first period and physically smaller than an adult woman. My first attempt at inserting a tampon was very painful and unsuccessful. I wouldn’t use them until I was around 14 or so.

* That when you use pads the blood can get on your bottom and I’d have to occasionally clean off the toilet seat after using it.

* That getting your first period DOES NOT mean you’re fully developed and fully able to bear children. I could have technically gotten pregnant at that age, but I was still a child and pregnancy would have put my life in danger because I was still physically immature.

* That it wouldn’t be regular for another few years.

* That very painful cramping is NOT NORMAL once you reach your 20s and is cause for concern.

* That the blood and tissue you pass can look chunky or stringy and not like blood from a cut.

* That stress can halt your period for months BUT

* That doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant

Feel free to add your own

Relatable

-passing blood clots is completely normal

-that your period may straight up skip a month when you first get it

-and then it’ll happen twice in the same month

-getting your period does NOT automatically make you a woman

Painful cramping isn’t normal in your 20’s? That’s a little concerning, mine have been getting exponentially worse

It is NOT normal. 

I can 100% guarantee you have endometriosis, PCOS, or another hormone problem. If your doctor says it’s normal, DEMAND a second opinion. 

Thinking that it’s normal is how people end up infertile or dead. It’s why so many women under 40 these days are having an almost impossible time either conceiving or preventing conception. Because no one teaches anyone that it’s the sign of trouble that can very seriously hurt you. 

Anyone who has severe cramps, heavy bleeding, or irregular periods after about 19 years old should seek medical advice. None of those are normal. 

If you have skin tags, a hard time losing weight, migraines related to your period, depression that is amplified when menstruating, severe mood swings, sleep disturbances that get worse with menstruation, or any other significant health problem that started with puberty and is worse when hormones are fluctuating you need to be checked. 

None of the things that people relate to women on their periods is actually an example of a healthy woman. It’s an example of people who need one form of treatment or another. 

ALSO: 

Heavy lifting CAN alter the state of your period. If you have thin inner walls like I do and like my grandmother had, if you do too much lifting you might spot and that means you should ABSOLUTELY not be lifting any more. Because if you’re like this and you get pregnant you could lose the baby if you lift too much. Don;t let anyone tell you you’re being overly sensitive or prissy about it either. 

(Please note that the above is also related to bleeding during a non-penetrative-orgasm, wherein you orgasm and spot after). Women with weak inner walls CAN spot if they orgasm too hard (the walls spasm hard enough to create light tears). I would suggest asking your doctor about it because it could be signs of other medical things so please keep that in mind.)

Excessive exercise can alter the frequency of your period, especially if it is sudden or new exercise and your body isn’t used to it. The new bodily stress can cause heavier periods or delayed periods. 

Ass cramps are a thing. If your uterus sits farther back you might get mild cramps in your butt (I am not kidding it’s weird as fuck).

Stress can delay your period. It can bring your period on sooner. It can cause the flow of your period to alter slightly heavier or slightly lighter. It can lengthen or shorten your period. Basically stress is directly tied to your period and it fucking sucks. 

Please note – a “heavy flow” can vary in definition but going through over ten normal-sized pads or tampons in a week (that means that the pads or tampons are COMPLETELY SOAKED) means you probably need to get checked. 

Typically, though not everyone experiences this, the heaviest flow days should be day 1 or day 2 once your period starts to settle. In the beginning it might be all over the place. 

Also, and I find this interesting) because there’s pressure from bloating down there it’s actually apparently quite common to feel horny before and/or during your period.