5 Things Beginners Need to Know About Periods

5 Things Beginners Need to Know About Periods

Menstruation/periods aren’t often a particularly hot topic of conversation, given the taboo associated with it and the regressive mindset of people about the same. Regardless, the truth is, it’s something that all girls need to deal with and therefore need to know the facts! 

It's important to understand that periods aren’t anything bad or scary and they don’t always have to be inconvenient. It surely is difficult to get the knack of it when it first hits you, but knowing certain essential things about it will prepare you to deal with it like a pro without getting apprehensive or aghast by its appearance.

Let’s get you through 5 important facts related to periods, that every beginner or even someone who hasn’t hit menarche yet, need to know.

The female reproductive system is quite amazing and complicated. The ovaries begin to release sex hormones when a girl hits puberty. These perform a lot of functions including reproduction. The hormone estrogen begins to rise in the body triggering the release of an egg that travels along your fallopian tube and makes contact with a sperm to get fertilized and cause pregnancy. Another hormone, progesterone, then rises to prepare the womb for an egg to implant and grow.

However, if the egg doesn’t become fertilised these sex hormones abort mission and start to fall. The rapid decline in these hormones causes the lining of your womb to shed and this is what we call your period. The lining is shed and the blood comes out through your vagina over a course of a few days and this happens regularly each month for a healthy woman.

    2. At what age does period start?

The average age for periods in the earlier days was around 13-16 years. However, girls nowadays may start their period at around 12 years or as early as 8 years old. This will vary from person to person, so it is normal if one doesn’t get periods till the age of 16. But if it goes beyond this age, it is worth paying a visit to a doctor to find out the reason for this. There might be certain signs and symptoms that you can look out for that suggest that your periods might be on their way.

   3. How much blood is lost during periods?

While seeing and feeling yourself bleeding can be quite scary, it’s not as bad as you might think. The average blood loss during a cycle is not more than 30-40ml – that’s only 1 - 3 tablespoons over the course of 4 -5 days! Although some girls may experience slightly heavier periods, it is usually nothing to worry about, but you can visit a doctor if you feel they really are very heavy. 

Generally, your period will be heaviest in the first few days and then start to tail off. You can adjust the type of sanitary products you are using to suit. If you are worried about the leakage, you can go for sanitary pads brands that manufacture long pads for extra flow coverage.

 4. How to prepare for a period and deal with pain and other symptoms?

Sanitary pads are the basic thing one needs for periods and should be kept ready in supplies always. Mostly the pads available in the market are disposable absorbent pads that attach to your pants and soak up the blood you lose. If disposable sanitary pads are uncomfortable, one may also go for Tampons or menstrual cups which are inserted into the vagina where they sit and absorb the blood from your period. 

Talking about the pain, it is common to get some cramp during periods due to muscle contraction caused by shedding of the womb. The heavier your period, the worse the cramps. Apply a hot water bottle onto the pain area or have herbal teas or painkillers to reduce the pain. You might also get other symptoms like mood swings or sore breasts which are common.

5.  What to do if the period starts but then stops again?

Irregular periods are normal too, especially during the early years of menarche. The average period cycle varies from 28-45 days. Some cycles may be shorter, longer or they can vary from month to month. Generally, after several months your body gets into a better routine and they become more regular. However, if irregular periods still occur there may be a hormonal imbalance in the body. Some other reasons for periods to stop suddenly include- pregnancy, being under or overweight and stress. Always see a doctor if your periods stop without a particular reason.

Dealing with periods can be an uncomfortable experience but it should always be kept in mind that they are very useful for a proper and healthy functioning of a female body. They are nothing dirty, but a divine force that gives a woman the power to bring a new life into this world! 

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