“Periods, menses, menstruation, that time of the month, dates or red alert. You can call it whatever you want, but you can’t ignore it!”
Teenage life in movies and series is quite fun, isn’t it? It must have created a few scenarios in your mind that include sneaking out in the night, parties, getting into relationships, feeling of being a brat, and whatnot. Well, to be realistic, you can do most of these things. Yippee!
However, the reel life skips one crucial part of being a teenager, especially a teenage girl, i.e., Menstruation. It is not easy being a teenage girl. Because once your period starts, it’ll come every month and will stick with you like glue till you enter the age group of 45 to 55.
In fact, if we include some maths in this article, an American woman spends around ten years menstruating (skipping the non-menstruation days). That means approximately 3,500 to 3,600 days of bleeding. Woah! Now that’s a lot of time.
Nonetheless, the good thing is that you don’t have to worry about it. Why? Because it is your body’s natural phenomenon, and you’ll get used to it within a few weeks. However, you must know the answers to some of the questions regarding periods that might be clouding your mind.
So, without any further ado, let’s talk periods!
About Menstruation:
Periods can be irregular in starting
It is not essential that you’ll start getting regular period dates. You see, even if you are mentally prepared for it, for your body, it is something new. When you start having menses, your body’s reproductive system starts to change as well as the hormones. These hormones help keep the menstruation cycle going.
However, sometimes due to stress, change in lifestyle, sickness or exercising can also affect the hormones. Thus, your date might get delayed. It is absolutely normal. However, if you skip more than two dates, you should see a doctor.
It is ok to have heavy/light periods.
The body of every person is different both in appearance and internally. Diet, genetics, lifestyle, and environment has a direct impact on menses. It is like an unresolved mystery. That’s why some girls get heavy flow, with cramps, and that lasts up to 7 days. In contrast, some girls have a light, painless flow that lasts for 2-3 days (you can use the term god’s favorite for them). But the point is that it is natural, so you can’t really do anything about it.
But, in case your periods are heavy and last more than seven days, you must pay a visit to the doctor.
Missing period doesn’t really mean that you are pregnant.
If you are in a relationship and are sexually active, missing a date becomes a big deal. Why? The reason is that in such situations, missing dates only symbolizes one thing, i.e., “Pregnancy.” But is it the truth? The answer is maybe and maybe not. As we have already mentioned above, women can skip their dates due to numerous reasons. Getting pregnant is just one of those reasons and not the only reason.
So, before you stress yourself out or reach any conclusion, you should take a pregnancy test and visit the gynecologist.
About Menstruation Products:
Periods pants are actually effective
Long gone are the days when girls could only use sanitary pads. Things have changed quite a lot in the past few years. And now, you have several more options for period products such as cups, tampons, and period pants. Yes! Period pants are on the list. Because believe it or not, they can make your life so much more convenient.
In fact, they are incredible. You don’t have to worry about leaks, odor, or any sticky feelings. However, if you are worried about- how to wash period pants properly? You need not worry about that as well. You can simply rinse them underwater (don’t soak) and wash them in the machine. In simple terms, it can make your life “Easy peasy lemon squeezy!”
Tampons do not cause TSS
TSS, also known as toxic shock syndrome, is a rare bacterial infection. And just as rare are the chances of you getting one with tampons. Nonetheless, precautions are always better than cure. That’s the reason why, if you use tampons, you need to remove them every 4 hours. Besides that, you should try tinner tampons. The mantra here is simple, the more you pay attention to your hygiene, the less are the chances of you getting infected.
Avoiding caffeine can help with cramps.
The one and the only worse part about the menses is cramps. No matter how long it has been since you started getting your menses, getting used to the pain is never easy. That’s why you need to make a few changes in your lifestyle to reduce the pain. You can use a heating pad to ease the pain. But that is an instant solution, and what if you don’t have one with you?
To avoid such situations, you should stay hydrated and reduce your caffeine intake. Moreover, caffeine also affects luteinizing hormones that affect the menstrual cycle. So, you should reduce its consumption.
Related: HOW TO USE ESSENTIAL OIL TO HANDLE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS?
About PMS:
Yes, PMS is the real phenomenon
Last but not least, we’ll talk about PMS, also known as“Premenstrual syndrome.” To explain it in simple terms, it’d be mood swings. Some people believe that PMSing is not a real phenomenon, but various scientific studies have proven them wrong. Although the mood changes in every girl are different, some crave sweets, while others might like cheese. Similarly, some girls get emotionally sensitive and cry a lot, while some get easily irritated.
Moreover, these mood swings are not even fixed. So, you either have to deal with them every month or pray that you become God’s favorite.
To sum it all up!
These are some of the topics that generally occupied a lot of thoughts of teenage girls. But now that you have read this article, we hope that your questions have been answered. Nonetheless, as your body is different from others, you can try, explore your comfort zone and moods.
