Females: Your Period / Question
Published: December 8, 2008
Dear TeenHealthFX,
Hi, I am 14 year old girl. I am really tired of having my period be a bad thing. So how can I make being a woman a fun and exiting ritual. What are some simple things I can do to make the period something to look forward to? A lot of my friends are asking this same question, so thankyou very much. :)!
Signed: How Can I Make My Period Something To Look Forward To?
Dear How Can I Make My Period Something To Look Forward To?,
FX is unsure how many women actually look forward to getting their period each month and feel excited about it. We think that more women focus on making menstruation tolerable and something that will not interfere with day-to-day life.
To help make your period manageable so it doesn’t limit your activities, consider the following:
- If you experience cramps try the following to ease the discomfort: exercise, rest, soak in a hot bath, use of an over-the-counter pain reliever (your pharmacist or doctor can recommend a good product), or use of a heating pad.
- Be prepared. Carry a pad and/or tampon on you at all times. That way if your period comes unexpectedly, you won’t have to alter your plans because you were caught off-guard and unprepared, and you can continue to do whatever you were doing.
- Speak to your mom, doctor, school nurse, or pharmacist about the products best for you – whether you should use tampons or pads, and what types of tampons are pads are best for the different stages or your period. Having a product that you feel comfortable with and that works the best for you will help to keep your period from slowing you down.
- Try to keep yourself engaged in activities when you are menstruating so you don’t have tons of downtime where you will focus heavily on your period.
If you do want to do something so that you have a positive association with your period, you could always come up with a treat for yourself for when you get your period. This might include getting a manicure, throwing a facial party with friends, going to see a movie, or anything else that would feel like a fun treat. That way rather than focusing solely on your period coming, you could also focus on the fun event or thing you get to do because it’s that “time of the month.”
If you find that your period is very irregular, that you have significant pain associated with your period, or you are having any other concerns about how you period is effecting your physical or emotional well-being, speak with your primary care physician or an adolescent medicine specialist. If you don't have a doctor and live in northern
Signed: TeenHealthFX
Less than 33% of teens with depression get help, yet 80% of teens with depression can be successfully treated if they seek help from a doctor or therapist.
