Getting your period for the first time is one of those moments when you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing. I remember this day so vividly because I was looking SO forward to it for a very different reason. I was preparing to leave that afternoon for my first big trip away from my parents. Not only was I going away without them, I was going to a different country on a different continent for an entire month! My Grandparents were already in Ireland waiting for me to arrive and my Aunt was flying with me. I was so mortified that I had to deal with this on my own -I wouldn’t talk to anyone about it. My mom loaded up my luggage with what seemed like every size pad READ MORE… »
I hope my story will be informational and helpful to all women who suffer from Endometriosis.
Since I first started my menstrual cycle at just 11yrs old, it was just awful. I had horribly heavy cycles and would get very sick and missed school because of it. My cycles were never on time and usually a week or more late. I lived with it because I was told that my heavy flow and everything was just heredity. Little did I know it was going to wind up being Endometriosis.
I was diagnosed at 22yrs old with Endometriosis which was a year after I had my daughter who is my second child. I went into pre term labor at 28 wks and it was the scariest point in my life, but fortunately the doctors stopped the labor and I was put on all kinds of things so I could carry her to full term. Apparently, I already had endometriosis at that time and never knew it because I was so used to the painful menstrual cycles and pain in general.
Then one day I was in constant horrible pain on my right side specifically. After going to my regular doctor and ruling out UTI and Bladder infection she recommended I see my OB. That’s where the diagnosis that would change my life began.
By Jessica Drummond, MPT, CCN, CHC
Isn’t it funny that God designed moms to hit menopause just as their daughters are hitting puberty. (Well, actually, I guess we’ve designed it that way, since now many of us are having our children well into our perimenopausal years. But, wait… My grandmother had her last child at 40. So, I don’t know who to blame!)
Think about that for a moment.
Just when you’re feeling even worse about your body, the perimenopausal belly fat, the sagging well-past-breastfeeding breasts, the bits of gray hair, the middle aged acne, all combined with the fatigue that comes from raising tweens and burning the candle at both ends for the last 3 decades, it’s your job to combat 6000 negative media messages everyday about the unattainable perfect female body! Ugh. READ MORE… »
As with many girls, I’m sure, the first few years of having your menstrual cycle can be very tortuous. You’re getting used to the pains, the pads, and the predicting. I like to consider myself a fast learner, so I had the changing pads and pain relief down to a science. My main issue was trying to track my cycle and knowing exactly when I was going to start my period. I was in the 6th grade, and my teacher was known all around school for throwing the biggest classroom parties for every holiday you could think of. At the time I had a crush on a guy and prayed the whole week that he’d ask me to dance with him. I planned my outfit including my favorite top and light-washed jeans. I wasn’t feeling any pain and had my period earlier in the month, so I thought everything was fine and dandy. Little did I know, my period wanted to make its own little appearance at the party. I was at the snack table with my best friend setting READ MORE… »
By Tara B. – Faith Confessions
The day started out great we all woke up got ready and went to breakfast. Our cabin was known for not putting in too much effort when getting ready. While the other girl’s rooms were filled with fumes of hair spray and their mirrors were prime real estate our routine consisted of rolling out of bed, throwing our hair in a ponytail, and heading out. Sweats were ok, but not because I didn’t care but because the Seniors and Juniors wore them. Don’t get me wrong while I wanted the bow in my hair and wished I had a different lip gloss for every day of the week that just was not the style and habit of my bunk mates.
I was so thrilled to be in the same cabin as Ashley, Sarah and Erica. They were older and so comfortable in their skin. The did not seem to need anyone’s approval and made sure the younger girls knew it too. It was my second visit to camp with them and I was in aww that it was “cool” to be Christian and sing and be loud and proud about it. The girls did their best to make the underclass man feel welcome and accepted. Continually they told us about the shaving cream fight and how wonderful and fun it was. The day was epic at camp and we tried to stay together and have each other’s backs. Being it was held outside and we were in the mountains safety was key and our counselors made it clear we needed to keep an eye out for each other and make sure that everyone stayed safe and no one got hurt.
The similarities between puberty and menopause are vast. Think about it. Teens who are reaching puberty deal with acne, fluctuating hormones, body shape changes, irregular menses, growing pains and fatigue. Similarly, women going through peri-menopause or menopause are sometimes afflicted with mood swings, joint aches, the inability to concentrate, skin eruptions and mind-numbing exhaustion.
As women wait longer to have children, their menopause is more often coinciding with the onset of puberty in their children. The question, then becomes who just slammed the door and began sobbing? was it mother or daughter?
Coinciding hormonal transitions can result in tiresome bickering and cause extra strain on the entire family. While it’s difficult to achieve complete serenity in a house where hormones are colliding, there are measures that can be taken by both mother and daughter to ease tension. The following are a good place to start:
I’d say I was pretty young when I first started my period. I was only 8 years old, turning 9 in about two months. I remember the day vividly. I spent the day upstairs on New Year’s Eve while family and friends were over. I wasn’t in the mood to be bothered with everyone laughing and talking unnecessarily loud at all. I had been in a cranky mood all month and didn’t know why. In the midst of watching Purple Rain (my favorite movie), eating everything in sight, and crying before the sad part even happened, I had to go to the bathroom REALLY bad. I went, and as I wiped, I saw this “red stuff” on the toilet paper and some in my underwear. Being the naïve little girl I was, I simply thought it was fruit juice and went on about my day (yes, fruit juice – don’t judge me). After the movie finished, READ MORE… »
Say good-bye to those pesky blood stains while saying hello at next month’s tweet chat!
Not only do we have a great new topic planned for our January 11 chat (Menopause & Puberty: A Dangerous Combo, featuring special guest @BodyScienceMed) we have a great new giveaway to go with it thanks to our wonderful sponsor Ruby’s Red Wash. To help promote the chat and encourage participation we’ll be giving away a unique gift pack – a full size bottle of Ruby’s Red Wash PLUS a travel size bottle decked out in holiday style!
Not just for panties – check out all the great ways to use Ruby’s Red Wash:
1. Removal of menstrual stains from underwear
2. Erases period stains from clothing and other fabrics
3. Terrific for washing and cleaning cloth menstrual pads
4. Perfect for removing menstrual stains from mattresses
5. Works wonderfully as an all-around stain remover for anyone with children. (Removes blood stains from clothing produced by falls or scrapes. Also, removes other “biological” stains such as vomit or diaper stains.)
It even dissolves dried, set-in blood. Quite simply, any girl or woman who bleeds or has a period ever needs Ruby’s Red Wash. You are never too young or too old to make your life easier with RRW!
“I was asked to test this product, and I’ve been using it for more than a year. I can tell you – it works on underwear, sheets, clothes, everything! I can’t live without it!” – Lindsay
December 14th, mark your calendar!
We are hosting a special tweet chat featuring some very special guests. And to help promote the chat, Days For Girls has generously given us one of their awesome hoodies to give away to one lucky participant.
What makes December’s chat different?
December brings a time of giving and that’s exactly what our special guests Days for Girls , You ARE Loved & Pads4Girls do…GIVE.
Their time, passion and commitment to improving the lives of others can be seen by all the fantastic things they are doing. From providing sustainable products to those in the developing world to literally saving countless lives by spreading awareness of the dangers found in products that millions of women use everyday.
So please, join us and learn more about what these wonderful organizations are doing to make a positive impact for not only the lives of women but the world!
You Are Loved exists because tampon related Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is killing young women.
In June, 2010, a 20 year old college student became ill with what was at first assumed to be the flu. This student, Amy Elifritz, died a few days later because she developed TSS while menstruating and using tampons.
Amy’s mother, Lisa, founded You ARE Loved, a non-profit organization devoted to raising awareness about tampon related Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).
The #1 reason teens and young women prefer tampons is so no one will see, smell, or know. READ MORE… »
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