Menstruation is one of the scariest and uncomfortable times in a girl’s life, especially the starters. Therefore your girls must get the proper education of how this particular time of the month works so they can be comfortable through it all.
What is Menstruation?
Menstruation is a woman’s monthly bleeding, often called your “period.” When you menstruate, your body discards the monthly buildup of the lining of your uterus (womb). Menstrual blood plus tissue flow from your uterus through the small opening in your cervix and pass out of your body through your vagina.
A menstrual cycle begins with the first day of your period, or menstruation, and starts over again when the next period begins. Throughout a monthly menstrual cycle, your body makes different amounts of chemicals called hormones to prepare for pregnancy. These changing hormone levels can cause menstrual symptoms. In addition, menstrual cycles often change as a woman gets older. A regular cycle lasts between 24 and 38 days.
A girl may start her period anytime between 8 and 15, but the average age is 12 years. The first period typically begins about two years after breasts first develop and pubic hair begins to grow. Therefore, the age at which your mother started her period can help predict yours.
A girl should see her doctor if, She starts her period before age 8. She has not had her first period by age 15, or she has not had her first period within three years of breast growth.
For emphasis, we have some girls who start their menstrual cycle journey as early as eight years old, so it’s essential we equip them way ahead of time, so it doesn’t catch them unawares. You can read about the signs of puberty here.
My experience.
I saw my first period at the age of 12, and it wasn’t such a pleasant experience. I woke up happy as usual and ready to continue exploring the new secondary school (middle school) environment. Everything was terrific during school. As soon as school ended, my friends and I made our way to the cab station to get a ride to our after-school lesson. As soon as I sat down at the back seat of the cab, I knew something was up as I could feel I was wet down there. So many thoughts were running through my mind, and I could feel the whole world crashing down on me. My instinct told me it was my period because my friends who started before I already shared their story with me, but I still had the basic knowledge of how it works. I prayed so hard it should take forever to get to our stop, but that prayer was short-lived as the cab came to a halt, and the driver told us it was time to come down. All of my friends hurried down, and I was taking forever to alight while pretending I was looking for my pencil that dropped earlier. Then, one of my closest friends got back inside the cab, trying to help look for the pencil. I seized the opportunity when she bent close to me to whisper in her ears, “I think I’m stained,” almost close to tears. She whispered back to me not to worry, took off her sweater, and told me to wrap it around my waist. My helpless and teary eyes quickly turned hopeful. I got off the cab and even managed to wipe the seat as I got down. Thankfully, my after-school class was very close to my home. So instead of joining the after-school class, I just continued home. I told my mom all that had happened, and that was when the tough talk began. This experience, I will never forget. It is one of the reasons I’m passionate about girls and always striving to make sure we do better. There is always room to better and for improvement.
Here are some top tips to use when educating your daughter about menstruation.
- The menstrual cycle is complex and controlled by many different glands and the hormones that these glands produce.
- The four phases of the menstrual cycle are menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal phase.
- Common menstrual problems include heavy or painful periods and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
- Sanitary pads or tampons are used to absorb the menstrual flow. Both pads and tampons need to be changed regularly (at least every four hours).
- Always have an emergency pack of sanitary pads/tampons in your backpack or handbag.
- Topnotch Hygiene is a must.
- A tampons should not be worn for more than 8 hours because of the risk of toxic shock syndrme (TSS).
- Menstrual cup may only need to be rinsed once or twice a day.
- Period panties (underwear with washable menstrual pads sewn in) can usually last about a day, depending on the style and your flow. (These are new and can be combined with either he sanitary pads/ tampons on your heavy days).
- You can keep track of your menstrual cycle by marking the day you start your period on a calendar or you can download an app on the app store on your phone. After a few months, you can begin to see if your periods are regular or if your cycles are different each month.
- If you have PMS (premenstrual syndrome), you may have any or all of the following symptoms: Mood swings, Lack of interest in usual activities, Tiredness, Breast pain, Bloating, Headaches, Food craving, Trouble focusing
- 100 percent self care is recommended before, during and after your period.
- Wash as much as your body needs it.
- Wash and sanitize your hands before and after a sanitary product change.
I recommend natural and organic sanitary products; my daughter and I are content after researching and testing. We also put together a beautiful period subscription box called LUSHGIRLBOX.
The lushgirlbox is a box that many girls worldwide will look forward to receiving as we bring self-care to afore for your dear girls. So sign up here to join the waitlist for the Lushgirlbox. Moms and daughters, you are in for some treat and pampering.
Sources:
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/menstrual-cycle.com
www.Womenshealth.gov/menstrual-cycle/your-menstrual-cycle.com