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Periods. We can spot them coming to town from a mile away. Over-dramatising, random burst of crying, eating more than your partner. Yes, we all do it.
It's taken me a very long time to come to terms with the fact that having your period is a good thing.
I mean at the time of their stay and before their arrival, I wouldn't necessarily say a good thing, more torture. But you know, it is what it is!
So with periods comes responsibility for your body and hormones. We have several different way's to approach Aunt flow, and we have different 'tools' as such, to deal with her.
Because we all know, periods don't just come and go peacefully, no no, they like to make a big song and dance. Pimples, bloating, fatigue, crying, eating too much chocolate, cramps, crying, irritation, headaches, hot flushes, crying, tender breast, back pain, less desire for er 'fun' in the bedroom, less confidence, sleep changes, difficulty in concentration, crying and oh crying.
On top of all that PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome), you gotta deal with the actual period itself (hashtag #tough). The menstrual cycle is controlled by a bunch of different hormones from the ovaries and the brain. The ovaries contain many eggs, and every cycle, the egg is releases and this is called ovulation.
After all that business, oestrogen and progesterone hormones are released in the premenstrual phase of the cycle to stimulate the lining of the uterus to prepare for a bub, but for majority of young women, we're not quite ready to bake a bun in the oven, so the hormones decline and the period begins and the lining is shed.
This is where good ol' nappy pads and tampons come in handy. (Just remember back in the olden days, they used wet,thick tea towels because they didn't have what we do now!)
I like to stick to what I like, I am a creature of habit after all. So for me, I use U By Kotex regular no wing pads, and the regular tampons. They're so colourful, I always give in.
So back to the periods. We are given a lot of options when it comes to our periods. We have pills, injections, implants, rings, patches, diaphragms, sponges, heck they even made condoms for us gal's!
So with all these options, you'd think you'd be set for life? Right?
Well if you're anything like me...nature is stronger than science. My body hates any type of contraceptive (to be fair, i've only tried three). It literally rejects all that stuff. And that 'stuff' being an artificial period, a chemical substance. But before we walk into something we really dont know that much on, let's just stick to the main type of contraception, the one majority of women choose to turn to because of it's cost and prevention rate.
The contraceptive pill is basically just a little hormone pill that changes the way the body works and prevents pregnancies. The hormones in the pill controls the way the ovaries and the uterus works.
The pill comes in different forms, such as:
- a pill with fixed dose combination
- a pill that varies in doses throughout the cycle
- a pill that contains different types of synthetic oestrogen and progesterone
In other words, its a pill made up from stuff your body doesn't produce naturally.
I think in a way, it's a good thing I didn't force my body to eventually adapt to the pill. I do not believe in putting unnecessary things in my body.
For me, my cycle has always been between 28-32 days long. Ever since I was twelve-year old (how unlucky for lil'ol me!), they have always been quite regular.
Of course sometimes it doesn't always go according to plan (period plan to be correct, hello MonthPal app). Stress can do really awful things to the body, and as a result, it can make our periods go out of whack. So with that in mind, there is ways you can deal with your period cycle and PMS when you are not on the pill.
[ Note: Because the pill regulates your period, you are basically on a structured plan. In short, it isn't a real period, its an artificial period.]
For me, these things have helped regulate my periods and keep PMS to a minimum
- Diet and exercise. Obvious but over-looked. Speak to your doctor about how having a healthy diet and energetic lifestyle can work as a hormone booster, thus increasing the frequency of periods.
- Managing stress. I do this by reading, exercising, stretching, yoga, acupuncture, regular massages and sitting in a steam room.
- Sleeping regularly. Not only is sleep essential for say I don't know, living. BUT it's also the reason our bodies work the way they do! When you are sleeping, your body is working very hard in making sure everything is running smoothly and according to plan, and this means your hormones are getting a good look at to! So make sure you're getting at least 7-8 hours of snooze time per night. No exceptions!
I would highly recommend seeing a gynaecologist to give you some medical options to help regulate your periods.
They can also recommend some over-the-counter medication to help with PMS.
Below is a list of things I use and do whilst on my period, and leading up to it.
- Taking a magnesium and zinc tablet once per day. This is a good way to help relieve cramping, have a better night's sleep and help with calming headaches that periods can sometimes bring on.
- Hot water bottle, or as I like to say 'love for my tummy'. There is no better feeling in the world than having a warm hot water bottle, or a heat pack, on your lower stomach when you have horrible pains down there. It helps soothes the tummy and control them cramps! Yes!
- Sip on calming tea, and put down the coffee. No caffeine! If you're an addict for coffee like myself, than try and restrict yourself to one mug a day. Caffeine can irritate the stomach and cause stress on the body.
- Eat your fats! And no I don't mean McDonalds and Krispy Creams... I mean omega-rich salmon, avocado and mix nuts! Foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help significantly reduce discomfort during the menstrual cycle.
- Drink water
- Do big belly breaths before you go to sleep
- Do some light exercise such as stretching, yoga and light walking.
- Cry on the boyfriends shoulder and eat chocolate. (hashtag #truth)
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xx Vanessa
So with all these options, you'd think you'd be set for life? Right?
Well if you're anything like me...nature is stronger than science. My body hates any type of contraceptive (to be fair, i've only tried three). It literally rejects all that stuff. And that 'stuff' being an artificial period, a chemical substance. But before we walk into something we really dont know that much on, let's just stick to the main type of contraception, the one majority of women choose to turn to because of it's cost and prevention rate.
The contraceptive pill is basically just a little hormone pill that changes the way the body works and prevents pregnancies. The hormones in the pill controls the way the ovaries and the uterus works.
The pill comes in different forms, such as:
- a pill with fixed dose combination
- a pill that varies in doses throughout the cycle
- a pill that contains different types of synthetic oestrogen and progesterone
In other words, its a pill made up from stuff your body doesn't produce naturally.
I think in a way, it's a good thing I didn't force my body to eventually adapt to the pill. I do not believe in putting unnecessary things in my body.
For me, my cycle has always been between 28-32 days long. Ever since I was twelve-year old (how unlucky for lil'ol me!), they have always been quite regular.
Of course sometimes it doesn't always go according to plan (period plan to be correct, hello MonthPal app). Stress can do really awful things to the body, and as a result, it can make our periods go out of whack. So with that in mind, there is ways you can deal with your period cycle and PMS when you are not on the pill.
[ Note: Because the pill regulates your period, you are basically on a structured plan. In short, it isn't a real period, its an artificial period.]
For me, these things have helped regulate my periods and keep PMS to a minimum
- Diet and exercise. Obvious but over-looked. Speak to your doctor about how having a healthy diet and energetic lifestyle can work as a hormone booster, thus increasing the frequency of periods.
- Managing stress. I do this by reading, exercising, stretching, yoga, acupuncture, regular massages and sitting in a steam room.
- Sleeping regularly. Not only is sleep essential for say I don't know, living. BUT it's also the reason our bodies work the way they do! When you are sleeping, your body is working very hard in making sure everything is running smoothly and according to plan, and this means your hormones are getting a good look at to! So make sure you're getting at least 7-8 hours of snooze time per night. No exceptions!
I would highly recommend seeing a gynaecologist to give you some medical options to help regulate your periods.
They can also recommend some over-the-counter medication to help with PMS.
Below is a list of things I use and do whilst on my period, and leading up to it.
- Taking a magnesium and zinc tablet once per day. This is a good way to help relieve cramping, have a better night's sleep and help with calming headaches that periods can sometimes bring on.
- Hot water bottle, or as I like to say 'love for my tummy'. There is no better feeling in the world than having a warm hot water bottle, or a heat pack, on your lower stomach when you have horrible pains down there. It helps soothes the tummy and control them cramps! Yes!
- Sip on calming tea, and put down the coffee. No caffeine! If you're an addict for coffee like myself, than try and restrict yourself to one mug a day. Caffeine can irritate the stomach and cause stress on the body.
- Eat your fats! And no I don't mean McDonalds and Krispy Creams... I mean omega-rich salmon, avocado and mix nuts! Foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help significantly reduce discomfort during the menstrual cycle.
- Drink water
- Do big belly breaths before you go to sleep
- Do some light exercise such as stretching, yoga and light walking.
- Cry on the boyfriends shoulder and eat chocolate. (hashtag #truth)
xx Vanessa
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