Menstruation

Since you'll only have a general idea of when your period will arrive, you may want to do some planning. Most girls will use pads for their first period. Your first period will probably be fairly light so Whisper® Ultra Normal would be a good choice of pad. It's a good idea to keep a pad or two hidden in your bag or school locker, so you won't be caught by surprise when your period arrives.If you haven't got a sanitary pad, use some toilet roll or tissues until you manage to get a pad. Ask a friend or a teacher to help you; most schools keep some spare pads for times just like this. Any stains in your underwear will soon wash out with cold water and some soap. How much blood will I lose during my period? The amount of blood in the menstrual cycle fluid varies from woman to woman, and from day to day during the period. A period usually ends quite lightly, with most menstrual fluid lost in the first few days. You lose about 80-85ml of menstrual fluid during your period, although some women do lose a bit more. It may seem like quite a lot but it is isn't as much as much as you think. Your body contains more than 2,500ml of blood so it doesn't miss the little bit you lose during your period and quickly makes up for it. If you feel that your menstrual flow is heavier than this, then I suggest you discuss this with your Doctor. I have missed my period, what should I do? The most common reason for missing a period is pregnancy. If pregnancy is removed as a cause, then there are several other causes to consider. Stress is a major factor in loss of periods, as is hormonal imbalance and other medical problems. Eating disorders and excessive exercise also may be responsible. Excessive exercise has been known to alter menstrual cycles and to even cause a lack of menstruation. I do suggest that you see your Doctor to make sure there is nothing medical that is causing this problem. I want to go swimming but I'm on my period, what should I do? You can definitely swim when you are menstruating as long as you wear a tampon and not a sanitary pad. Tampons collect your menstrual fluid before it leaves your body. If a tampon is worn during swimming you will need to change it before and after you swim. I suffer from menstrual odour, what can I do? You are probably the only one who can smell this odour. When menstrual flow leaves the body and mixes with air it can develop an odour over time. That's why it's important to change your sanitary protection regularly (at least every 4 hours). If you don't already, you may want to consider using tampons. A tampon will collect the menstrual fluid before it leaves your body, therefore may reduce the odour. My periods are heavy, is this normal? If you suffer from heavy menstrual flow and are using the highest absorbency tampon or sanitary pad and still have to change them more often than is recommended(every 4 hours), you should see your Doctor for intervention. We also advise that you keep a menstrual diary to include details of how many heavy days, the kind of product used and how often you needed to change your sanitary protection, and take this with you to the Doctors. Why do I suffer from period pains and how can I ease them? Most women feel some kind of cramps during their period at some point in their lives. You get cramps when your uterus contracts (squeezes) slightly to help get rid of most of its lining. Not all women feel the same level of pain, some women only feel pain occasionally, and some women never feel any pain. That's because all women are different, are so are their periods. Some ways to ease period cramps: Rub your tummy gently with your hand, Soak for a while in a warm bath, Hold a hot water bottle against your tummy, Do some gentle exercise. There are also helpful medications you can get at the chemist. How can I stop my periods? Periods are a sign that your body is working normally therefore you shouldn't try to stop them. With some contraceptives, you can have the added benefit to help reduce pain or very heavy bleeding, but generally this will not entirely stop your periods. There are, however, some contraceptives which can stop periods entirely such as implants, injectibles and specific coils but these are not given to the women for the purpose of stopping the period. They are prescribed by the Doctor because they provide the best personal choice for the individual needing contraception. Your periods usually stop if you are pregnant, and after you have gone through the menopause.