Period Symptoms And Pain
When your childs period is coming, they might have a range of physical symptoms, including sore breasts, pimples and greasy hair. Your child might also have a sore tummy, feel sick or have diarrhoea.
Period pain and these associated symptoms are common. If your child gets a sore tummy, back or legs before or during their period, your child could try:
- taking pain medication
- putting a hot water bottle on their lower stomach
- walking or other light exercise
- eating smaller meals more often
- resting and relaxing, particularly with their legs elevated, or lying on one side with knees bent
- lightly massaging the lower stomach
- having warm drinks like hot milk or herbal tea.
Very painful periods are common, as are symptoms like nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. But if your child has period pain that disrupts everyday activities, they should see their GP. Hormone treatments that regulate periods or even turn them off for a while are safe and very effective.
Track Other Symptoms To Better Understand Your Body
The period tracker is also useful to track other symptoms such as cramping, PMS signs, spotting between periods, light-flow and heavy-flow days, or even increased vaginal discharge during ovulation. Charting this information will give you a defined menstrual pattern, which will enable you to tell when something feels wrong.
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Working To Improve Menstrual Health And Hygiene Management For Young Women And Girls
“I want to know what to do when I get my first period and what changes to expect during puberty so I feel prepared, assured and confident to manage them.
I want to know if it is dangerous if I miss a period and if irregular periods are abnormal so I can stop being anxious.”
Girls have important questions about their health, and every day more and more are searching online for answers. When the information they’re looking for relates to menstruation still an all-too-common taboo, despite its natural, monthly occurrence for 1.8 billion women and girls there’s a clear need for a trustworthy digital solution that helps inform and empower its users.
Enter Oky: the first period tracking app co-created with girls, for girls.
Oky provides girls with information about their periods in fun, creative and positive ways, delivered straight into their hands through the tools they use every day mobile phones. Available as an Android app, Okys features include individualized cycle trackers and calendars, tips, and menstruation information. Oky also has some more unconventional features that are girl-centered and engaging through Okys gamified design, girls can personalize the app, select and unlock their own avatars and play menstrual health quizzes. And unlike other period trackers, which are largely tailored to Western adult women and provide information that can be gender-stereotyping or focused on fertility, Oky is:
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What Will It Look Like
If a period is made of bloody fluid, you would expect it to look like blood, right? Well, sometimes period flow can look thinner or thicker than ânormalâ blood. First periods sometimes show up as a thick dark âsmearâ in your underwear. Dark? Yep, the color can definitely be different than you expect, ranging from deep red, to maroon, brown or even black. That happens because blood changes color over time. Sometimes your period blood has been waiting in your uterus or vagina for a while before it comes out, so it isnât the color of âfreshâ blood like youâd see if you cut your skin . The color doesnât mean anything about your health, so just know that if you see brown stuff in your underwear , itâs probably your period.
Frequently Asked Questions Expand All
If these problems do not go away after treatment or if you cannot go to school or do your normal activities, you should talk to your doctor.
Amenorrhea means not having a period. It is normal for some girls not to start their periods until age 16 years. But you should see your doctor if you have not started your period by age 15 years. You also should see your doctor if you have started your period but it then stops for more than 3 months.
If you are bleeding so much that you need to change your pad or tampon every 12 hours or if your period lasts for more than 7 days, you should see your doctor. See your doctor right away if you are light-headed, dizzy, or have a racing pulse.
You should tell your doctor if your periods are usually regular but then become irregular for several months. You also should see your doctor if your period comes more often than every 21 days or less often than every 45 days.
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As You Wait For Your First Period You May Have Lots Of Questions About What Will Happen What Will It Feel Like What Do I Need To Do To Prepare How Do I Use A Tampon
Getting your first period is an important milestone in a young womans life. It signals the beginning of a long phase of life that you may be fertile. This means that if you have sexual contact, you might get pregnant. While you may have learned about menstruation in school, you probably have questions about what to expect. This section is designed to provide you with all the information you need as you approach getting your period for the first time.
Explore Your First Period:
View Detailed Information About Your Periods And Menstrual Cycle
When your healthcare provider asks, âWhen was your last period?â you can simply grab your phone and tap on the calendar icon to show them your last periods in the calendar. You can also see a list of your past cycles, and your cycle averages by going to the Analysis screen .
On the right side of the screen, you can see a summary of how long your cycles have been. Period days for each cycle are shown in red, the estimated ovulation day is indicated with a star, and if youâve tracked PMS those days are shown in blue.
This section of the Clue app also shows your typical cycle length , your typical period length , and the typical cycle length variation
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Tracking Menstruation: How It Helps Your Reproductive Health
Knowing your cycle length is beneficial for a number of reasons. For women trying to conceive, understanding the timing of your cycle is valuable for determining the time you are most likely to get pregnant.
Women are considered fertile when an egg has been released from the ovaries and is able to be joined by a mans sperm. Because of how long both the egg and the sperm survive inside a womans fallopian tubes, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology says you can become pregnant if you have sex anywhere from five days before ovulation until one day after.
Generally, ovulation is said to occur about 14 days before the start of your next menstrual period. But every woman and every cycle are different. Knowing when you might really be ovulating and having intercourse around that time can enhance your odds of getting pregnant.
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Potential Downsides To Using Period
Some privacy advocates have raised concerns about all the data you input in a period tracker and the potential for that data to be misused.
Consumer Reports notes that period-tracking apps gather a lot of intimate information about your sex life, whether you are trying to have a baby, if you engage in unprotected sex, have experienced a miscarriage, are approaching menopause that could potentially be sold to third parties for marketing or other purposes.
Having your personal health information out there may have serious repercussions, Consumer Reports cautions, such as whether and how much you pay for life insurance, or whether your employer discriminates against you.
If an app lets you opt out of sharing your data , always do so, Consumer Reports says.
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Practical Preparation For Periods
Your child will need a supply of sanitary pads, period-proof underpants, tampons and/or a menstrual cup.
Before your child gets their first period, its a good idea to show your child:
- what pads, period-proof underpants, tampons and cups look like
- how to use pads, period-proof underpants, tampons and cups
- how to dispose of pads and tampons, or rinse period-proof underpants
- how to clean a menstrual cup.
You might want to suggest your child carries pads, underpants, tampons or a cup. For example, they could keep some in a small bag in their school bag and sports bag.
Pads, underpants, tampons or a menstrual cup? Its probably easier for your child to start with pads or period-proof underpants before they try tampons or a menstrual cup.
Your child can use tampons and cups at any age, but it can take some time and practice to get used to them.
When your child is first starting with tampons or a menstrual cup, it might help to practise between periods, to get used to inserting and removing them. For tampons it can help to put a bit of lubricant or petroleum jelly on the tip of a tampon so it slides in more easily, or use water as a lubricant for a menstrual cup. Looking at diagrams of the slope and shape of the vagina can also help, as can using a mirror while practising.
Being comfortable with using tampons or a menstrual cup can be a big help in these busy and active years.
How Do I Test My Cervical Mucus
Watching the changes in the amount and consistency of your cervical mucus can help you understand your cycle. Heres how it works: check your secretions before and after urinating by wiping with toilet paper. Alternatively you can insert a clean finger into your vagina to obtain a sample of mucus. Observe the consistency of the mucus, and use this chart to identify where you are in your cycle. Your mucus can be cloudy, white, yellowish, or clear. It can have either a sticky or stretchy consistency. Use your thumb and forefinger to see if the mucus stretches.
| Cycle timing | |
| No noticeable mucus | Not fertile |
You are most fertile on the days when you have abundant, stretchy mucus. This is not a foolproof method to prevent pregnancy.
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Your Daughters First Period: Help Them Be Ready
Many women probably remember when and where they got their first period. A lot of us probably also wish wed been a little more prepared.
If your daughter is approaching their first period, how can you help them be ready without embarrassing them — and yourself? Make an action plan so youre both ready.
Confront concerns. Your daughter is probably wondering what her period will feel like, how long it will last, and how she can take care of herself each month. Let her know that asking questions is OK, says pediatrician Cara Natterson, MD.
You can start with the basics: Explain that their first few periods will most likely be light, and they might not be regular in the beginning. The blood might be red, brown, or even blackish, and they should change their pad every 4 to 6 hours.
Dads, if this topic is outside your comfort zone, ask an older daughter or female relative to bring it up. Your daughter might be just as uncomfortable talking with you about their period as you are.
Make a period kit. Many girls fear theyll get their first period at school or when theyre away from home. To help your daughter feel ready, buy a small zippered pouch and stock it with a couple of teen-size sanitary pads and a clean pair of underwear, Natterson says. Tell your daughter to keep the pouch with them at all times, and keep one with you, too, just in case.
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See a doctor sooner if:
How To Check The Date For Your Next And Last Period
To check the dates from your Apple Watch, open the Cycle Tracking app, then scroll down to Period Prediction or Last Menstrual Period.
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The Basics: How To Get Started Tracking Your Period
In this article weâll talk about the features in the Clue app, but you can use this info with almost any tracking app.
When you open your app, youâll be asked a series of questions about your period and birth control type. Answer the questions as best you can, but donât worry if you donât remember the exact date of your last period. The Clue app will fine-tune your predictions as you continue to track.
If you want to change your birth control options in the future, you can do so by going to your profile in the Clue menu.
Track your period, PMS, cravings, and more in the Clue app.
How Does My Menstrual Cycle Change As I Get Older
Your cycles may change in different ways as you get older. Often, periods are heavier when you are younger and usually get lighter in your 20s and 30s. This is normal.
- For a few years after your first period, menstrual cycles longer than 38 days are common. Girls usually get more regular cycles within three years of starting their periods. If longer or irregular cycles last beyond that, see your doctor or nurse to rule out a health problem, such as polycystic ovary syndrome .5
- In your 20s and 30s, your cycles are usually regular and can last anywhere from 24 to 38 days.
- In your 40s, as your body starts the transition to menopause, your cycles might become irregular. Your menstrual periods might stop for a month or a few months and then start again. They also might be shorter or last longer than usual, or be lighter or heavier than normal.
Talk to your doctor or nurse if you have menstrual cycles that are longer than 38 days or shorter than 24 days, or if you are worried about your menstrual cycle.
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