In my younger years, menstruation was never something I put a lot of thought into. I’ve been fortunate to have never really had any menstrual issues. I did not start at an extremely early age, I don’t experience debilitating cramps nor do I have an extremely “heavy” flow. My period or “flow” has always seemed “normal.”

 

In talking with many women about their first periods, I’ve begun to consider myself quite fortunate. I don’t have any memorable stories of starting at summer camp or being caught off guard at such an age I didn’t understand what was happening. It was actually quite the opposite, a very lackluster story.

The only thing truly memorable for me was turning 15 and feeling that I may never start my period. Many feelings I felt then, are the opposite of what a large number of girls feel today. With most of my friends having already started their periods, I was left feeling embarrassed that I had not started. As I heard my friends talk about their periods, I thought to myself, “What is wrong with me, am I ever going to start?” I was not comfortable sharing with my friends that I had not yet, joined “the club.”

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One time while I was on my period while in college and on a 2 mile midnight run with my boyfriend (so I could take my mind of my cramps)…the lining of my pantishield happened to separate from its covering, and started slowly but surely crawling up the back of my underwear. This was rather embarrassing, but we were in the middle of a residential area and there was no logical place to escape this situation gracefully.  I frantically looked around for a garbage can, but there were none in sight. So I let him get in front of me,  surreptitiously stuck my hand into the back of my pants, pulled it out… and pitched it into some shrubbery, all without breaking stride. lol!

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I was at my cousin’s house for Thanksgiving, and I was feeling crampy and gross, so I went to the bathroom thinking it was my normal stomach issues.

I didn’t notice the stain right away because my underwear was folded weird.

The moment I saw the stain, I was in disbelief. It was dark brown and splotchy. I had always wanted my period really bad, so this was incredible. I sorta panicked, even though I had known what to do since I was nine.

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Have you heard the saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?” Well if my mom was old and a dog (she’d kill me if I actually compared her to that), I would definitely be able to claim this as a true fact.
Why?
Because after almost a full menstrual lifetime of using tampons I got my mom to not only try, but to fall in love with menstrual cups! Since my own menstrual cup journey happened nearly at the same time, I thought it would be helpful to hear a brief backstory…
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Is there anything more powerful than the two words, “Me too”? It’s such a seemingly simple sentence, but it holds amazing power to connect people despite their differences. There are many reasons for this, but when it comes down to it, connecting with other people just makes you feel good.
As women, it is so important that we share our stories out loud. So often, we let our busy schedules, our lives, or even our shame separate us from other people. Let’s put a stop to the fear that keeps us from sharing. We’re here to tell you:
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The day before I got my period I noticed a small brown stain in my pantyliner. I shrugged it off thinking it was probably just the light playing tricks on my eyes.

The next day I was talking to my friends about periods and I felt squirmish as my undies felt more wet than usual. After the end of the period I went to the bathroom thinking it was just extra discharge. Then I saw the brown streak and flipped. It was a rusty brown red color and it covered my entire crotch. I stared at it for like 5 minutes and my friend came in to check in on me. She found out laughed and handed me a pad.

My mom picked me up early that day and I stayed home for 5 days. Weirdly, my first period only lasted for like 2 days. So not too dramatic I guess. Great thing is that I don’t get cramps I just get moody and hungry around that time of the month. READ MORE… »

I got my period on the first day of high school (junior high for those in the US). This is both awesome, because in many ways both starting high school and getting your period signal a passageway to adulthood, and terrible because the factors had conspired against me to make it a hellish experience.

A few days before I was due to start high school my family was returning from a holiday when our car broke down about 5 hours away from home. This meant that my parents had to stay in the town but sent my sister and I home with an Aunty where we were to stay until my parents could come home.

Unfortunately the fact that my mother was stuck 5 hours away meant that a few of the ‘Brodie starts school’ errands that she was planning to run on our return couldn’t happen. These included: READ MORE… »

My first time was different than I imagined it. I had been waiting for it to begin. I thought I would feel it or something and I had been getting worried and anxious. When it came it was in the afternoon. I went to the toilet and my panties where covered in blood, so I went to my room and put a pad on a new set of pants, then carried on with the day. I have a heavy period and right now find tampons uncomfortable but I’m learning by myself because my mum and dad split up and i live with my dad so he knows nothing.     RELATED ARTICLE: How to Insert a Tampon

What comes to mind when you hear the title, The Hormone Diva?

Is it a sassy expert filled with knowledge about hormones? If so, you couldn’t be more right! Robyn Srigley is just that. As a PMS coach and holistic nutritionist she is full of facts and humor to make learning about hormones simple and fun!

Robyn SrigleyOver the past year, we have had the honor to work with Robyn on a shared mission – a mission to help educate ladies, leading them on a journey to improved menstrual health and better periods.

Like the diva that she is, you can find her sharing her expertise all throughout BPP – in our PeriodTalk Q &A Forum, our co-hosted webinar (Learn to Ditch Your PMS Cravings with 4 Simple Tricks) as well as the following articles:

Why Is My Period Irregular? (and infographic)
Know Your Flow
Top 5 Natural Remedies for Menstrual Cramps
My Period is a Pain in the Boob!

As a regular contributor at Be Prepared. Period., we thought it about time we give Robyn the introduction she deserves.

When asked to share a little about herself and the work she is doing, Robyn says…

I am fiercely committed to guiding women to achieve vibrant health, pain-free periods and balanced moods so they can finally regain control of their hormones, cycles and LIFE. With experience working with amazing clients with similar worries and concerns and guiding them to achieve remarkable success, my mission and commitment is to replace your anxieties with JOY, to open possibility in your life and to have a positive impact on the next generation. READ MORE… »

It was summer 2002, right around my 11th birthday. I had gone to my dad’s house for a weekend visit and ended up getting my first period on the Friday night.

I asked my mom to come pick me up on the Saturday because my dad and his wife were just not prepared to be helpful. Periods, sexual health, etc. type topics (or any type topics, really!) have never been uncomfortable or unwelcome at my mom’s house, so when I got home, my stepdad greeted me with a loud “So I hear you’re a woman now!”, a huge smile, and a hug.

My mom generally didn’t use tampons, so her friend came by with a small box because we all planned on going swimming. They both sort of talked me through inserting it properly and comfortably from the other side of the bathroom door, and then we just went about our day! Apart from not being in the most ideal location at first, I know a lot of girls who have experienced worse! Not a bad first time! READ MORE… »