You know when we get our first period, I’m not sure if we truly understand what we really need to be prepared for for the rest of our lives. We get that it’s some big biological event that carries meaning–maturity, “womanhood,” etc–but we’re not really prepared for the other truths that come
with it. You know, likecramps, anxiety about having your period during a vacation, everywhere…we really don’t know what’s coming until it comes, which can be a nasty, menstruation induced surprise.
As we have more and more periods, we slowly figure out how best to take care of ourselves when Aunt Flo is in town: We know exactly what days require the extra strength pain killers, we stop believing period myths (no, your period doesn’t stop in water), and we learn how to remove those blood stains like they never even happened. But still, even after having dozens and dozens of periods, we can all still use a bit of a reality check.
Below are 6 cold truths about your period that you need to know:
1. You’ve Got To Deal With It
The fact is that unless you’re taking some fancy birth control that stops your periods entirely, you’re going to have to deal with periods 12 times a year, every year, until you’re in your fifties. So, in that time you can either continue to think that menstruation is disgusting and ruins your life like clockwork, or you can try to have a better approach to it. Don’t be afraid to talk about your period with your partner, take those period stains in stride, prepare yourself with plenty of pain killer.
2. Your Period Might Just Get Worse Over Time, Not Better
If you think that the early years of having your period are probably the worst, and they get better over time…uh, that’s not guarenteed. At all. It’s not like your body gets tired of giving you killer cramps. If you’re like me or many of my friends, your periods might start to become more challenging as time moves on. Honestly, our periods change in different ways over time, so don’t expect things to get better or stay the same.
3. Your Period Will Probably Start When Your Mom Or Another Female Family Member Started Theirs
Are you reading this and wondering where the hell your period is, because you haven’t gotten it yet? Thank your mom for that. Oh, and if you got it early, thank you mom for that, too! Your period is largely determined by when your mom or another female relative close to you (a sister, an aunt) had her’s.
4. You’re Going To Keep Staining Your Undies, Bed, Etc
So, you’ve finally realized that sleeping on your back makes your bed more prone to period stains. Congrats, you’ve learned to sleep on your stomach during that time of the month…but don’t start getting cocky. Period stains happen to the best of us, even those of us who think that we’ve finally figured out ways to thwart them. We’re only human, and menstrual blood can be super unpredictable. Don’t beat yourself up too much about the occasional stain, it’s really not the end of the world, and every who menstruates deals with ’em. Yes, even the people you least expect have period stained undies.
5. Having Irregular Periods Isn’t A Relief
A friend of mine once started getting her periods super infrequently. I was concerned, but she was jazzed. I mean, it’s hard to see why she wouldn’t be.She didn’t have to worry about having her period so often. But heads up, irregular periods aren’t necessarily something to rejoice. They could be indications of hidden health problems, malnutrition, or even fertility issues. If your periods are irregular, definitely hit up your doctor and find out whats up. It might be nothing, but it could be something.
6. Your Period Isn’t As Heavy As You Think It Is
So many people think that their period is heavy, so they try to find ways to make it lighter (um, “healthier” for a week isn’t going to dramatically change your period flow, hun). The fact is that a heavy period is technically one that soaks through an entire pad or tampon within an hour. If that’s the case, talk to your doctor. If it’s not, you’re just annoyed that you don’t have a period that just needs a pantyliner. Hey, most of us aren’t ones who can boast about ultra light periods, so deal with it.
