Menstruation is no fun - period. But since it's going to happen (once a month! for several decades!), girls should know what symptoms to expect and how to cope.
What is going on?
Women have two ovaries in their bodies that keep all their eggs. Every month, an egg plops out of an ovary. The uterus, or womb, prepares a cozy home for that egg by creating a lining of thick tissue. When women don’t get pregnant, the egg disappears and the uterus sheds the extra tissue. For most females, all that bleeding amounts to a just couple of tablespoons of blood.
The average time between the first day of each period is 28 days, but the truth is that each person’s menstrual cycle is different. Some girls have a period every 34 days like clockwork, others might go 24 days between periods one time, and 42 the next. It can take a couple of years for cycles to get regular, and sometimes it never happens.
Hormone levels see-saw every time women's menstruation happens. Because of this, many girls also experience the joy of Premenstrual Syndrome or PMS. That can include fun things like pimples, headaches, bloating, cramps, and that infamous nasty mood.
Coping
Being prepared. Girls should keep a few menstrual pads or tampons in their book bag and locker. Once a girl feels her period coming (some people feel crampy and/or bloated; for others, there are no symptoms), she should avoid light or brand new clothes. Embarrassing stains can happen! It’s easy to hide by wrapping a jacket around the waist until the girl can change.
Taming Menstrual Cramps. Exercising all month long can decrease the pain. When a period hits, its fine to take over-the-counter meds like Midol. Should a girl need something stronger, it’s important to ask a doctor about it. Borrowing prescription medicine from friends or family is a bad idea – even if it’s medicine for the same symptoms. When menstrual cramps hit, it can also help to act like a baby: laying on one’s back or side, curling into the fetal position, and pressing a heating pad or hot water bottle against one’s tummy.
Vanishing bloating. Sometimes a girl’s jeans don’t fit quite right (or at all) once a month. This is because the body is retaining water. Strangely, the best way to fight bloating is to drink plenty of water! That way the body won’t feel like it has to hold on to every little drop it gets. Cutting down on salt can help, too.
Ignoring Bad Moods. Instead of making a snappy come-back when a sibling teases, a girl bursts into tears. Or she practically claws her best friend’s eyes out when the friend nods at the wrong guy. It’s important to remember that girls may be a little (ok, a lot!) more sensitive this time of month. Girls should postpone making big decisions like breaking up with a boyfriend until they are feeling better. In the mean time saying things like “I’m sorry, I probably didn’t really mean that,” can help.
Resting! It’s normal to feel tired or sleep poorly when a girl is having her period. Some girls find they need to take a break from their busy schedule to get plenty of rest. Doing yoga or running a warm bath are not only relaxing, they help with the cramps.
Talking about it. Moms, aunts, and older sisters have all been there before, and they can help. Even fathers probably know more about periods than girls realize. If the idea of talking to family is just too embarrassing or a girl is worried something is wrong, she should head to the doctor. When over-the-counter meds don’t help with the pain, or a girl’s menstrual cycle is still very irregular after a few years, or a girl regularly soaks a pad in an hour, let a doctor know.
