Here for You

All about the Menstrual Cycle

from: http://www.sexualityandu.ca/teens/life-3.aspx

If you’re here because you just started having your period, congratulations! If you’re here because you haven’t started your period yet but you know it’s coming and you want to find out more, welcome! And if you’re here because you’re a guy and you want to find out more about what is happening to women’s bodies you’ve come to the right place.

Menstruation is a natural and normal part of becoming a woman. You have probably noticed many of the physical and emotional changes that young women go through as part of puberty (including breast development and new hair in new places!) Menstruation is one of the last signs that a young girl is turning into a woman.

It is good to learn all you can about the menstrual cycle, how to manage your period, how to take care of cramps, and other physical or emotional changes that go along with your cycle, and how to recognize what’s normal and what might be a sign that you should see your doctor or other health-care professional.

Your menstrual cycle doesn’t have to be a mystery, a secret, or a pain. Read on to learn more!

Taking Care of Business

When you have your period, you need to use something to absorb and dispose of the blood. You have a lot of choices about what to use – pads, tampons, cups, or sponges. Many girls use more than just one product depending on how active they are, their flow, and how comfortable they are with their bodies. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice or help from your mother or another woman you trust and are comfortable with.

Most girls start with pads, because they are the easiest to learn to use and you don’t have to put something in your vagina. Some products are disposable (you just throw them out when you change them), others like the menstrual cup are reusable (you wash and reuse them, good for the environment!). Read below to find out what might be best for you.

What are my choices for managing menstrual bleeding?

Whatever you choose, remember to change or empty it regularly. Leaving any product in place for a long time allows bacteria to grow and can cause infection. Most products come with instructions that tell you how often to change it and how to use it.

Pads: Pads come in many different sizes and thicknesses. You wear a pad inside your underwear. It absorbs the blood that flows out of your vagina and protects your clothes. Some women wear a pad as a backup for a tampon or other methods so they don’t have to worry about leaks. Many use pads at night.

Pads can be disposable (made of soft absorbent paper – they usually have a sticky backing that you peel off and then attach to your underwear) or reusable (made of cloth).

You can find disposable pads in almost any store, including the corner store! There are so many different varieties that you might want to try a few. Some women keep different kinds and sizes on hand for different situations. For example, they use a panti-liner (a thin pad) on days when they have a small amount of bleeding or spotting, and they use larger pads when they have heavier bleeding or at night when they are sleeping.

You can dispose of pads by wrapping them in toilet paper and putting them in the garbage. Pads should NOT go in the toilet.

Reusable cloth pads are made of cotton. Some you leave in place and change the liners, others you change completely. They come with Velcro or snap closures that let you attach them to your underwear. When you change a cloth pad, you replace it with a new one and soak the old one in cold water before washing it. This helps remove the blood stains. You can keep a small plastic bag with you for used cloth pads.

You cannot wear a pad while swimming.

Tampons: Tampons are about the size and shape of a finger. You place the tampon in your vagina (some come with a cardboard applicator) so that the string on the end is hanging out. The tampon expands and absorbs your menstrual blood. When it is full you pull it out by the string and throw it away.

Tampons can be small or large, slender or thick. From “slender” to “super,” you can pick the size that matches your flow. If you have just started getting your period you might want to start with the slender size.

Tampons are disposable and come with important instructions about how to use them and how often to change them. Read these instructions! When you first try to insert a tampon it helps if you are in a room that gives you lots of space and privacy. A mirror can be helpful too! It might take a couple of tries before you get the hang of it. When you put the tampon in your vagina it helps if you squat or stand with one foot up on the toilet seat or other ledge. This helps open up your vagina. You can use a mirror to help you find your vaginal opening and it’s a good idea to feel around with your fingers. It’s really important to place the tampon in your vagina, not your anus (the hole between your buttocks).

You need to get comfortable with your body before you use a tampon. If you have difficulty inserting the tampon, ask a parent or another woman you trust for help. If you still can’t insert it, check with your doctor.

You can wear a tampon when you swim or when you are doing other physical activities.

When you change a tampon, you should wrap it up in toilet paper and put it in the garbage. Some people do flush tampons down the toilet, but this doesn’t always work and the last thing you want is to overflow a toilet with a used tampon.

Tampons should be changed every 4 hours during the daytime. This helps prevent leaking and infection. Tampons can be used overnight for up to 8 hours.

With tampons, there is a small risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome [link to SOGC section on TSS] (TSS). This is a serious and life-threatening syndrome. You can reduce your chances of getting TSS by changing your tampon regularly.

Toxic Shock Syndrome is caused by a toxin (a poisonous substance) that builds up in your system.

Signs of TSS include:

• sudden high fever
• nausea and vomiting
• diarrhea
• headache
• generalized aches and pains
• dizziness and feeling faint (especially when rising from a lying or sitting position)
• disorientation (confusion)
• a rash like a sunburn on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet
• extremely low blood pressure, rapid weak pulse (shock)

If you have any of these symptoms, see a doctor immediately.

Cups: A cup [link to SOGC Q&A on cups] is a small plastic cup-shaped container. To insert a cup you just squeeze its sides and slide it into your vagina. It sits over the opening of your cervix and it collects the blood that is flowing out. It can be worn for up to 12 hours at a time, depending on your menstrual flow. When you remove the cup, you empty it (into the toilet), wash it with warm water and soap, rinse it and put it back in your vagina. It can also be sterilized by boiling it in water for 2–5 minutes. The cup has been approved by Health Canada since 2002.

Like tampons, it’s a good idea to get comfortable with your body first. Or you could try using a cup or a tampon as a way to get familiar with your body!

There are a variety of cups available (both reusable and disposable):

• The Keeper™ is made of rubber and can be used by women who are not allergic to latex.
• The DivaCup™ is made of silicone, so it can be used even by women who are allergic to latex.
• Instead® is a disposable cup.

Sponges: A natural sea sponge can be placed into your vagina to absorb the blood. You must take it out and rinse it at least every 3 hours. And you must boil it before and at the end of your cycle for at least 5 minutes to remove any bacteria.

How do I choose?

With so many menstrual products available, how do you choose? A pad is a good place to start. It’s simple to use and you can take your time getting comfortable with the way your body works (and what it feels like) before you start using something that you have to put in your vagina. But if you are very active and you love to swim, it might be a good idea to try tampons or a cup.

Many girls and women use a combination of products – tampons or a cup and pads, pads at night time, different sizes of pads and (or) tampons during different times of their period.

You are the expert on your body and your comfort level, but don’t be afraid to experiment and find out what works for you. To help you decide you might want to consider:

• what your flow is like during the day and at night
• how the amount of bleeding changes from the beginning to the end of your period
• how familiar and comfortable you are with your vagina
• which products you think you would be most comfortable using
• how much you travel or are away from home
• how active you are (swimming, biking, dancing, or other physical activities)
• your willingness and comfort washing and reusing products that have menstrual blood in them
• what is convenient for your lifestyle

It is always handy to keep a supply both on hand at home, and in your purse or knapsack. If you are sexually active, you also have to remember that it is possible to get pregnant if you have sex during your period.

What other options are there?

Some girls, even after a year of having their period, are still very irregular or have an extremely heavy flow or very painful periods. A doctor can help you find out why this is happening. For some girls hormonal birth control helps to regulate their cycles and makes them lighter and less crampy. You don’t have to be sexually active to use hormonal birth control. Talk to your doctor or health-care professional to find out if this might be a good choice for you.

Cramps, Pimples and PMS

You might notice physical or emotional changes around the time that you get your period. Some changes happen just before you get your period (premenstrual), some happen with your period (such as cramps). This is normal and it has to do with the hormones that are running through your body and controlling your cycle.

Just before you get your period
(during the premenstrual phase)

Physical symptoms may include:

• weight gain or bloating
• acne
• tender breasts
• pain in the abdomen, back or legs (a day or two before menstruation starts)
• less energy

Emotional symptoms may include feeling:

• hyper and full of energy
• tired
• moody
• anxious
• short-tempered
• depressed
• clumsy

Some girls experience symptoms during this phase of the menstrual cycle that are:

• strong enough to get in the way of their daily lives, and
• happen at the same time with every menstrual cycle.

This might be a sign of PMS (premenstrual syndrome). If you think that you might have PMS talk to your doctor.

During your period (menstruation or bleeding):

Physical symptoms may include:

• cramps (also called dysmenorrhea)
• nausea
• tiredness
• diarrhea or constipation

Emotional symptoms may include feeling:

• short-tempered
• tired

Cramps

Almost every girl has cramps during the first few days of their period, but the amount of cramping is different from person to person and may change as you get older.

What causes cramps?

You get cramps (called dysmenorrhea) during menstruation because your uterus is contracting to help shed the lining that is not longer needed. Prostoglandins (which are hormone-like substances) make the uterus contract and affect the size of the blood vessels.

What can I do about cramps?

• Talk to your mom or other female relatives or friends. Find out what they do for cramps.
• Exercise. This helps improve the blood flow and produces pain-fighting endorphins.
• Eat a healthy diet and avoid caffeine.
• Apply heat to your abdomen with a heating pad or a hot water bottle. You can also take a hot bath.
• Give yourself a gentle massage.
• Lie on your side and bring your knees up to your chest.
• If you have vaginal pain with cramps, try using a pad instead of a tampon or a cup.
• Use over-the-counter pain relief like those containing ibuprofen (like Motin, Advil, Ibuprofen). These NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) lower the level of prostaglandin.
• If your cramps are really bad and you feel like throwing up and none of the other measure work talk your doctor about stronger prescription medications, such as Naprosyn®, Anaprox®, Ponstan®.
• Hormonal birth control can also make your periods more regular, less heavy and less painful. Some women choose a form of birth control that makes their periods less frequent (Seasonale ™) or that may stop their periods completely (Depo-Provera®, Mirena®) while they are on the medication.

Take Care of Yourself

Staying healthy, eating a healthy diet, reducing stress and getting enough exercise will make it easier for you to handle the changes that go along with your menstrual cycle. But if any of your symptoms get worse or begin to interfere with your daily life, talk to your doctor. If you are not sure whether your own personal pattern has changed, keep a menstrual calendar [link to calendar]. This might help you prepare for changes that come with the different phases of your cycle or give you enough information to talk to your doctor.

PMS

Lots of people talk about PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) and blame it for many of the symptoms that women have just before and during their period. Moody? Blame it on PMS. Tired? Blame it on PMS. While many women have premenstrual symptoms, not all have PMS.

What is PMS?

PMS is a severe set of symptoms that occur just before a woman’s period starts. It is quite common and affects four out of every 10 women. There are no tests that can diagnose PMS and there is no one symptom that is unique to PMS. All women have probably experienced, at one time or another, some of the symptoms that go along with PMS.

However, in order to be diagnosed with PMS a woman must have certain symptoms during the premenstrual phase of her cycle. These symptoms must be bad enough to interfere with her daily life and must be felt for at least 3 consecutive cycles.

What are the symptoms?

Some of the symptoms of PMS are experienced by almost every woman at some point in her life. They include:

• depression
• angry outbursts
• irritability
• anxiety
• confusion
• withdrawal from people
• breast tenderness
• bloating
• headache
• swelling of extremities (fingers, hands, feet)

If you think you have PMS, you should keep a log of your symptoms, their severity and their pattern of occurrence. Make an appointment with your doctor or health-care professional and you can work together to rule out any possible underlying condition (other than PMS) and to manage your symptoms and find some relief.

Overview of Periods

Getting your period is a totally healthy, normal part of your life cycle. Your first period, or menstruation, will start some time between age 9 and 18. Don't worry if you haven't gotten your's yet.every body develops at a different speed.

Periods are a sign that your body is now physically mature enough to have a baby. The blood comes from the lining of your uterus after it has prepared for the implantation of an egg. This is what happens when you get pregnant. If you are pregnant, you will not menstruate again until after you give birth. You'll likely get your period for about 40 years, until your body runs out of its supply of eggs. When your body runs out of eggs, there is no more need for you to have your period, and you will be too old to have children. This is called menopause.

If you have had sex recently and you go a month without getting your period, this may be a sign that you are pregnant. Or it could happen because you're really underweight or have a medical problem.

You should get your period every 24 to 35 days or so. The time frame is different for everyone because all bodies are so different. When you're older, you'll probably be able to predict the start of your periods to the exact day, but as a teenager they may not be so predictable.

The first day of your menstrual cycle is the first day you start "bleeding", and the last day of your cycle is about a month later, on the day before you get your next period. The length of your cycle will not always be the same, so don't worry if it's not always 28 days.

It's normal to get cramps and other symptoms before and during your period. Usually they are annoying but harmless, but for some women they can be really painful. Here are a few things you can try to deal with them:

• Stay away from salty foods. They cause your body to hold water, adding to the "bloating" feeling you may get before your period begins.
• Use a hot water bottle on your stomach or back if you experience cramps or aches.
• Try using simple over-the-counter remedies like ibuprofen (sold as Advil® or Motrin IB®), but remember to follow the directions carefully. If your symptoms are serious, a doctor can prescribe stronger medication, like Naprosyn®, Anaprox®, Ponstan®, Motrin® or Vioxx®.
• Exercise and sleep are also important. They keep your mind and body healthy, and should make you feel better.
• If none of these things work for you, don't hesitate to speak to your doctor. There are a lot of medicines and treatments available to help you, and there's no reason to suffer.

To avoid staining your clothing, you will need to wear a sanitary pad, a tampon, or a combination of the two. It's important to choose the right absorbency so that there is no leakage. You may find that you will have to change your pad or tampon every 4 hours or so. Because the tampon is worn inside the body, it is important to change it regularly because of a very rare but serious condition called Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). It is caused by a common bacteria that lives on everyone's skin. Doctors believe that because blood is a breeding ground for these bacteria, leaving a tampon in too long causes the bacteria to grow excessively. When this happens there is an EXTREMELY SMALL chance that you may develop a sudden high fever and achy body, and become very weak. Serious side effects follow, and it can even cause death. Remember, this is extremely rare and if you change your tampons regularly they are very safe - in fact, about 100 million women across the globe use them!

But the moral of the story? Change your tampon every 4-8 hours! If you are removing a tampon, and after 4-8 hours the white fibre is still showing, you still should change it. You might want to try a lower absorbency. When using a tampon overnight for up to eight hours, insert a fresh one right before you go to sleep, using the lowest absorbency needed, and remove it right when you wake up. (Read below for absorbency answers).

Tampons are simple to use, but women tend to have a lot of questions when they first start using them. Many girls ask if they're still a virgin if they use a tampon but have never had sex. The answer is yes.nothing but sex will make you lose your virginity. Some girls want to know if inserting a tampon will hurt. The answer is simple.if used correctly, a tampon won't hurt you, although they may be a little uncomfortable the first couple of times you use one, especially if you're a little bit nervous or tense. The best advice is to follow the steps written on the instruction sheet in the tampon box. There are usually pictures to help make it clear.

When deciding on the level of absorbency to use, the best thing to do is to get to know your cycle a bit first. You'll find that a slim tampon on lighter days will do the trick, while on your heavier days a super tampon is best.