My Period Just Started What Should I Do
If youve started your period and dont have something to use for the blood, try not to worry. You can fashion a temporary pad out of toilet paper to hold things over until youre able to get a proper pad or tampon.
Heres how:
If youre at school, you may consider asking your teacher or nurse for a pad or tampon. Theyve been asked before trust us.
Your first period may only last a couple of days. Your first period . .
It may take a couple of months for your period to settle into a regular schedule and consistency.
Once it does, your period may last anywhere from two to seven days each month.
Although a persons first few periods are often light bringing a few spots of red-brown blood throughout the week you may have a heavier flow.
Your monthly period will follow a more consistent pattern once your hormones stabilize.
Heavier bleeding isnt necessarily cause for concern. But if you feel like youre losing too much blood, tell your guardian or talk to the school nurse.
You should also tell a trusted adult if you:
How Often Will I Get My Period
This depends. The average person gets their period every 28 days. But, ironically, most women dont have average periods. You could start your period every 21 days or every 35 days, depending on your body. Remember, though, that during the first 2 years you have your period, it may be irregular. This is completely normal!
How Do I Know If My Period Is Coming
Some people get signs that their periods are coming like bloating, pimples, sore breasts, and feeling emotional. Many people get cramps in their belly, lower back, or legs before their period. These symptoms are called PMS. Not everybody has signs that their periods are about to start. And sometimes the signs change month-to-month. As you get older, it usually gets easier to tell when your period is coming.
Many people mark the days they have their period on their calendar or on an app. Keeping track of your periods will help you know when your next period is coming. It can also tell you if your period is late or early. Its really common to have periods that dont come at the exact same time every month especially when youre a teenager.
Keeping a tampon, period underwear, or a pad in your bag can help you be prepared for your period, no matter when it shows up. If you start your period and don’t have a tampon or pad, you can ask a parent, friend, teacher, or the school nurse for a tampon or a pad. Some bathrooms also have vending machines where you can buy a tampon or pad. If youre REALLY stuck somewhere without a tampon or pad, you can fold up a bunch of toilet paper or a clean sock or washcloth and put it in your underwear to soak up the blood.
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When Will I Get My Period
Most girls start getting signs of their first period and start menstruating between 11 and 14 years old, but it could happen any time between age eight and 16. Remember that everyone is different, so a normal age for your friends might not be the same for you. Youll have periods until youre around 50 years old when you start something called the menopause. Thats when your body stops menstruating and cant have children any more.
Why Do Period Poops Hurt
There are several reasons why passing a bowel movement may hurt during your period. These include:
- Constipation: prostaglandins and progesterone can make you constipated. If you are experiencing hard and dry stools during your period, they may be painful to pass.
- Menstrual cramps: you might experience a flare in menstrual pain when straining to pass a bowel movement.
- Pain sensitivity: During your period, you are more sensitive to pain. So you may experience more pain and have a heightened awareness of it.
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How Much Am I Supposed To Bleed
Everyone is different. Some people have heavy periods, while some only bleed a little. The average woman only releases about 2-3 tablespoons of blood every period. Sometimes, your period may be heavier at first and get lighter towards the end. If you have a heavy flow that soaks through your pad every hour for several hours, you should see a doctor.
Why Women Have Periods
During each period, the inner lining of your uterus is shed through the vagina, the passage that connects your inner reproductive organs to your outer sex organs or genitals. This lining is mostly blood and other tissues that have been building up since your last period.
The purpose of this blood is to provide nutrients for a fertilized egg if you were to become pregnant. While girls start having their periods early in their lives, most don’t decide to start a family until they’ve already been having their periods for many years. Most women stop having periods when they are between 45 and 55 years old. This is called menopause.
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What Are The First Period Signs And Symptoms
Everyones first period experience is different. Some people get their first period before theyve even learned what a period is. Others wait years to get their period and wonder when it will finally arrive. You may feel a bit more tired that day, and may also experience some more intense moods. If you have mood changes around your period, dont sweat it! This is a common symptom of our hormones changing. These strong emotions are linked with our menstrual cycle, and it can be helpful to remember that these strong feelings dont always last. Getting your period is part of puberty. There are other signs of puberty that you may see before your period, but that you will also continue to see after your first period.
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Can I Get Pregnant
The short answer? Yes. Pregnancy is possible anytime semen comes into contact with the vagina.
Although the onset of menstruation is widely regarded as the start of your reproductive years, its possible to become pregnant before youve had a period.
It all comes down to your hormones. In some cases, your body may begin to release ovulation-causing hormones long before it triggers the start of menstruation.
And when you do begin menstruation, its possible to get pregnant if you have sex during your period. It ultimately comes down to where you are in your menstrual cycle.
Talk to a trusted adult or reach out to your healthcare provider if:
- You havent started your period by age 15.
- Youve had your period for about two years and it isnt regular.
- You experience bleeding between your periods.
- You experience severe pain that prevents you from completing daily activities.
- Your bleeding is so heavy that you have to change your pad or tampon every one to two hours.
- Your periods last longer than seven days.
If you call to make an appointment, tell the person whos scheduling it that youre having problems with your period.
They may ask you to write down details about:
- when your most recent period started
- when your most recent period ended
- when you first noticed your irregular bleeding or other symptoms
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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 Use A Tampon
Inserting a tampon for the first time can be a bit of a challenge. Its hard to know exactly how to position your body and at what angle to put the tampon in. After a few tries, you will figure out what works best for you. Its best to use slender size tampons when you are learning. If you arent exactly sure where your vaginal opening is, use a mirror to have a look at your vulva .
To insert a tampon that has an applicator:
To insert a tampon without an applicator:
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Do Transgender Guys Get A Period
Not everybody who gets a period identifies as a girl or woman. Transgender men and genderqueer people who have uteruses, vaginas, fallopian tubes, and ovaries also get their periods.
Having a period can be a stressful experience for some trans folks because it’s a reminder that their bodies dont match their true gender identity this discomfort and anxiety is sometimes called gender dysphoria. Other trans people might not be too bothered by their periods. Either reaction is normal and okay.
Sometimes trans people who havent reached puberty yet take hormones to prevent all of the gendered body changes that happen during puberty, including periods. And people who already get periods can use certain types of birth control that help lighten or stop their periods. Hormone replacement therapy, like taking testosterone, may also stop your period.
If you start taking testosterone, your period will go away. But this is reversible if you stop taking testosterone, your period will come back. There can be some changes in your menstrual cycle before it stops for good. Periods get lighter and shorter over time, or come when you dont expect it. You may have spotting or cramping every once in a while until you stop getting your period, and sometimes even after it seems to have stopped this is normal. Testosterone injections make your periods go away faster than testosterone cream.
How Might My Period Be Different Postpartum
When you do start your period again, chances are the first period after delivery wont be like your periods before you got pregnant. Your body is once again adjusting to menstruation. You may experience some of the following differences:
- cramping that might be stronger or lighter than usual
- flow that seems to stop and start
- increased pain
- irregular cycle lengths
The first period after your pregnancy may be heavier than youre used to. It might also be accompanied by more intense cramping, due to an increased amount of uterine lining that needs to be shed. As you continue your cycle, these changes will likely decrease. In rare cases, complications such as thyroid problems or adenomyosis can cause heavy bleeding after pregnancy. Adenomyosis is a thickening of the uterine wall.
Women who had endometriosis before pregnancy might actually have lighter periods after giving birth. Light periods can also be caused by two rare conditions, Asherman syndrome and Sheehan syndrome. Asherman syndrome leads to scar tissue in the uterus. Sheehan syndrome is caused by damage to your pituitary gland, which may be the result of severe blood loss.
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You Can Typically Get Back On Birth Control Six To Eight Weeks Post
Getting back to birth control really depends on you and what birth control you were on before getting pregnant. But its entirely possible that after lochia ends, you could bounce right back and get pregnant again within the first couple of months of giving birthwhether you plan to or not.
If thats not something youre trying to do, talk with your ob-gyn about birth control options. “We typically start birth control six to eight weeks after delivery,” says Dr. Phillips, “but depending on the patient, we may initiate birth control immediately postpartum.” Its entirely individualized to the patientyou have to decide what works for you, whether or not you want to use hormonal birth control, and how youd like to space out births if you want more children.
Its important to have a thorough conversation with your health care provider about postpartum birth control, because it will affect your menstrual cycle and may change your bleeding patterns, too, Dr. Phillips adds.