Know What to Do About Your Period
Contents
Steps
- Call your mum. She might have some pads for you to help. If you are at school, you could quietly ask a friend or the school nurse for a pad/tampon.
- Don't panic! Panic can make you work up to make your period longer.
- Distract yourself by thinking of something else or doing something.
- Buy pads/tampons or look into menstrual cups. Then keep them in your purse at ALL TIMES.
- Expect the unexpected. It's okay if your period starts at work/school. Run to the bathroom and put on fresh knickers and a clean tampon/pad.
- Keep track. Have a calendar or log from when it started and ended. Then you know long your next one will be and long until.
- Make sure that you don't run out of pads or tampons for when your next period comes.
Tips
- Never feel ashamed! There is a social taboo around menstruation but it's a completely natural thing. Every girl has it.
- As an emergency measure, even neat and clean tissues could help. You could fold a couple or more and use(depending on the flow and on when you might get your hands on a tampon/pad). However when using tissues, frequent checking, like once an hour, is essential. It must be used as an emergency measure alone. Regular use might result in rashes.
- Getting an app like Pink Pad (or others) is a really helpful way to start monitoring your period, and it even gives you a countdown until your next cycle is about to begin. Your period is like a monthly report card on how your body is doing. If there is a problem with your body, your period may reflect this. Make sure to log in symptoms such tender breasts, cramping or headaches.
- Don't worry if your period is irregular for a a few years after it first starts. Some girls have their first period and don't experience another one for months.
- If you don't have pads, ask your best friend for one.
- For your first period use a pad. But in desperate measures it's okay to use a tampon as long as your parents know.
- If it starts in a shopping centre or somewhere public, just ask a someone if they have any tampons/pads.
Warnings
- Try not to eat as much salty or fatty food or foods with a lot of added sugar such as soda, milk chocolate and candy. Doing this may help with bloating and cramping.
- Prepare for possible symptoms such as cramps, nausea and pain.
- Don't be afraid to talk about it. If you would like, you could even do some research online. There are many YouTube channels dedicated to talking about and helping with periods.
