What Do I Need To Do To Prepare For My First Period
There is nothing in particular you need to do to prepare for your first period, besides having feminine hygiene products and over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen on hand. If you happen to get your period with no access to menstrual products, toilet paper will work in an emergency. If you get your first period at school, your teacher or school nurse will have a pantiliner or pad on hand.
There are a variety of menstrual products available to you:
Disposable pads
These absorbent pads have an adhesive backing that sticks to the inside of your underwear. They are available in different lengths and absorbencies, and some have adhesive wings that wrap around the sides of your underwear. Disposable pads should be changed every 4-6 hours and are thrown out after a single use.
Pantiliners
These are small, thin, disposable absorbent pads that can be used on their own on days of light flow. They can also be used in combination with a tampon, in case of leaks or discharge.
Reusable pads
These are usually made of cotton, bamboo, or other natural absorbent fibres, and are often available at health food stores. They can be washed with detergent and reused. Some have velcro tabs to secure them around your underwear.
Tampons
Menstrual cup
Breast Pain And Swelling
Do you experience increased pain in your breast before your period starts? Do you notice your breasts are slightly larger before your period?
Before period, some women may experience breast pain and swelling. This is a sign of period coming soon. Some women may have a lump in their breast that disappears after period starts.
Changes in the breast before your period is due to the effect of hormones. Hormones Estrogen and progesterone, will cause your ducts to enlarge and your glands to swell.
In women with a 28-day menstrual cycle, breast tenderness usually occurs 4 days before period .
What to do?
- Drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen can ease your breast pain
- If your breast pain is persistent, you should talk to your doctor
How To Use Menstrual Period Calculator
It is quite simple 3 step process to calculate your next period and your menstrual cycle using MomJunction period calculator. Also, download customised menstrual calender for year.
- Enter the first day of your last menstrual period.
- Enter the average length of the menstrual cycle.
- Average duration of the last period.
Once you share all the above information,period calculator will share your following menstrual date for a year, fertility calendar, ovulation phase, fertile phase and estimated due date.
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Q What To Expect From Momjunctions Period Calendar
MomJunctions period calendar requires you to input the date of your last menstrual period date to calculate your monthly period. The date here refers to the starting date of the last period cycle, not the ending one.
The second input requires you to give the average length of time between your periods. Since the term varies from person to person, its not wise to assume the figure. You must be as accurate as possible to determine your most fertile days if you are planning to conceive.
Once youve shared the inputs, the period calculator will show you the result. It wont just give you a heads up on your next period start date for the next 12 cycles, but will tell you about your most fertile days and if you are late for your period cycle. Even if your period is delayed, you will know the next expected date of your period. This way, you can keep a track of the length of your menstrual cycle and the number of days it lasted.
Disclaimer:The period calculator provides the approximate dates by considering your regular menstrual cycle. If your menstrual cycles are irregular, the tool may have trouble pinpointing your day of ovulation or period. While period calculators are not 100% accurate, the menstrual cycle is still a very useful tool. MomJunction is not responsible for any associated deviations, failures or liabilities.
Do you have any question about the period calculator, menstrual cycle or any other related topic? Ask us in the comment section below!
Thinking About Going Hormone
We hope you learned to look out for some of the key signs your period is coming! Besides learning about period symptoms, there are many advantages to choosing a non-hormonal birth control option. From wanting to avoid side-effects to wanting to get to know your bodys natural cycle, what motivates you to go hormone-free is highly individual. Natural Cycles is designed to be with you every step of your fertility journey and can also be used to plan pregnancy if and when you want to start a family. Ready to get started?
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Warm Bath And Coverings
One of the most popular methods of mild acceleration of the menstrual cycle. Not only that can relax you and applies part of PMS symptoms, but also, the heat relaxes the abdominal muscles, and thus stimulates the blood flow from the uterus. In the same way, act a warm compress, which is applied to a stomach region.
Mild Abdominal Or Pelvic Cramps
Mild abdominal or pelvic cramps can be experienced prior to menstruation by some and are a result of the uterine lining destabilizing, releasing prostaglandins and preparing to shed, and the uterus itself contracting in response to the decrease in hormone production from the corpus luteum.
Cramps due to a menstrual disorder are called dysmenorrhea and can be either primary or secondary . If cramps are severe, worsening, or affecting the quality of life, this is never normal, and an evaluation with a gynecologist or other qualified reproductive health provider should occur.
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Who Is This Quiz For
The quiz is designed for girls aged over the age of 8 years who have not yet started their periods, but who have started to show some signs of puberty. It consists of seven simple questions relating to changes in your body that might indicate your period is on its way.
Each time you select an answer you will be given some information about the symptoms you are experiencing and what they might mean and, at the end, your result will give you an indication of whether your first period might be on its way.
Quiz: When will I get my first period?
How To Know That Your First Period Is Coming
This article was co-authored by Laura Marusinec, MD. Dr. Marusinec is a board certified Pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, where she is on the Clinical Practice Council. She received her M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Medicine in 1995 and completed her residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Pediatrics in 1998. She is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the Society for Pediatric Urgent Care.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 60 testimonials and 91% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 619,773 times.
Getting your first period can be exciting and scary! Your first period means that you are becoming a woman, and this happens at a different time for every girl. While there’s no way to know exactly when you will get your first period, there are a few signs that you can start looking out for.
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Your Birth Control Warns You
If youre using Natural Cycles as birth control, youll get regular updates about the changes happening in your cycle, including when your period is due. NC° Birth Control has two parts: an app and a thermometer. The app learns the pattern of your cycle based on the readings from the basal body thermometer. Its possible to measure ovulation with temperature readings and thats how Natural Cycles can identify where you are in your cycle. So as well as learning the signs your period is coming through noticing changes in your body, youll get in-app updates too!
Did you know that if youre using hormonal birth control you dont really get periods? Instead, methods like the birth control pill often cause a certain type of spotting called a withdrawal bleed. Since you dont ovulate on hormonal birth control, this isnt technically a period, but rather a symptom of changing hormone levels.
When Do Periods Stop
Periods stop temporarily while a woman is pregnant, as well as stopping permanently after the menopause. The menopause usually occurs when a woman is in her late 40s to mid-50s. Periods will either become less and less frequent over a few months, or may suddenly stop.Some symptoms of menopause are hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, increased anxiety and problems with memory and concentration.
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What To Do When You Get Your Period
Before you start getting periods it is good to be prepared for when it eventually comes. Hopefully you will have an opportunity to talk with your mother or sister or someone else in your family who can help you to prepare. Meanwhile here are some tips for when you do start bleeding.
- Use sanitary products like a pad, tampon or panty liner to absorb the bleeding. Pads and liners are longs strips of cotton that you stick to your underwear. Tampons are thin cylinders of dense cotton attached to a string that you put inside your vagina. Pads, liners and tampons come in different shapes and sizes but all of them need to be changed every four to six hours to stop leakage. You can use a tampon whenever you want, you don’t have to wait until you start having sex before a tampon will go in. It may be a little hard to get it in to begin with, but you will get used to it very quickly.
- Keep a period kit somewhere handy. This is because you might get your period unexpectedly or forget its due. Keeping some painkillers, sanitary products and a spare pair of underpants in your bag, at school or at work can be a lifesaver.
- Enjoy life as much as possible. Its safe and often possible to do all the things you would normally do. Its also okay to have sex when you have your period, but if youre using a tampon youll need to take it out first.
Related information
Ask Your Mom About Their Menstrual Cycle
Studies show that some people get their first menses at about the same age as their moms. So, one way to predict the time of your cycle is by asking your mom about their initial bleeding.
But do not forget that menstruation is like height. You might know the affecting factors, but you will never be able to guess the outcome accurately.
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Is A Cycle Always 28 Days
The average cycle is 28 days but, for some women, it is as short as 21 days, for others it is as long as 35 days. When you first start having periods, it can also take a while before your periods develop a regular pattern. Your cycle also changes as you get older.
Your menstruation cycle stops temporarily when you are pregnant. Breastfeeding also affects your cycle. At the end of menopause, your cycle stops permanently.
Mood Changes Before And During Periods
Many people will experience mood changes just before or during the first few days of their periods. These changes can include being a bit irritable or more sensitive, or feeling angry, anxious or even depressed.
This can be hard for your child and the rest of the family to cope with. Giving your child a bit more privacy and space around this time can make it easier for everyone, without making a big deal about it.
If your childs mood changes are upsetting or disrupting their everyday life, they might like to see a health professional, like the GP.
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Abnormal Signs And Symptoms
Although PMS symptoms are far from fun, theyll likely remain mild enough not to interfere with your day-to-day life in any major way. If you find yourself experiencing severe cramps, aches, fatigue, or any other symptoms that get in the way of things like work, school, or social plans, it may be time to consider visiting a doctor.
Severe mood swings that dip into panic attacks or suicidal thoughts are also important symptoms to address with a healthcare professional.
If you have severe symptoms, you may have premenstrual dysphoric disorder . This is a more severe form of PMS. A doctors care may be the best treatment.
If you have severe migraines, you may also benefit from seeing your doctor. Underlying health issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome or endometriosis, might also make PMS more severe, requiring a doctors help.
Tips On Controlling Pms
- Eat complex carbohydrates , fiber, and protein. Cut back on sugar and fat.
- Avoid salt for the last few days before your period to reduce bloating and fluid retention.
- Cut back on caffeine to feel less tense and irritable and to ease breast soreness.
- Cut out alcohol. Drinking it before your period can make you feel more depressed.
- Try eating up to 6 small meals a day instead of 3 larger ones.
- Get aerobic exercise. Work out up to 30 minutes, 4 to 6 times a week.
- Get plenty of sleepabout 8 hours a night.
- Keep to a regular schedule of meals, bedtime, and exercise.
- Try to schedule stressful events for the week after your period.
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How To Track Your Menses
A lot of period calendar apps and websites are designed for a detailed insight into tracking your periods and calculating your menstrual cycle. Itâs as simple as inserting your period start date, and the app will do the rest. You could explore our period tracker that also marks symptoms before and during your period as well, for a better understanding of your menstrual cycle calendar.
Well, now you know itâs not just important but also simple to calculate when your period is on its way.An irregular cycle may indicate a hormonal or a thyroid issue, diabetes, liver function problems, irritable bowel syndrome, or any other health conditions. On the other hand, calculating your menstrual cycle can help you calculate your ovulation days. One late, early, or missed period isn’t necessarily cause for alarm, but if the menstrual irregularity is coupled with other symptoms, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor.