What Should I Expect For My Period?
♥ Almost every girl and every mother wonders when this event will take place. Some teenagers/preteens may find it to be an exciting, frightening, intriguing, and/or a drudging time.
♥ A period can look like many things to many different people. It can show up as one red dot, a long stringy cord of blood, mixed with creamy white discharge and swirls of different colored cords, a blob (clot) that can be the size of a pea and big as kiwi (fruit).
♥ The colors can very from very bright red which is fresh shedding from your uterus filled with blood and tissue, as the days progress the color can or will start to turn darker & darker, burgundy, brown, and then even black. As blood & scent ages, the color gets darker and the scent can be no scent, a faint odour, to a much more intense & noticeable sour smell.
♥ The period itself can last a few hours up to 7-10 days. Everyone is different and will have their own routine and schedule. Along with the period, is uterine contractions, cramps. They can be mildly unnoticeable to bedridden discomfort.
How Can I Prepare For My Period To Come?
♥ First, order your first period kit from Kotex at the following link:
http://www.kotex.com/na/FirstPeriodKit.aspx
http://www.dotgirlproducts.com/
♥ Then you want to print off a blank calendar for the next few months. You can decorate the calendar so it's not so boring or so it blends into your room, binder, or notebook.
2009 Calendar PDF Style 1
♥ Almost every girl and every mother wonders when this event will take place. Some teenagers/preteens may find it to be an exciting, frightening, intriguing, and/or a drudging time.
♥ A period can look like many things to many different people. It can show up as one red dot, a long stringy cord of blood, mixed with creamy white discharge and swirls of different colored cords, a blob (clot) that can be the size of a pea and big as kiwi (fruit).
♥ The colors can very from very bright red which is fresh shedding from your uterus filled with blood and tissue, as the days progress the color can or will start to turn darker & darker, burgundy, brown, and then even black. As blood & scent ages, the color gets darker and the scent can be no scent, a faint odour, to a much more intense & noticeable sour smell.
♥ The period itself can last a few hours up to 7-10 days. Everyone is different and will have their own routine and schedule. Along with the period, is uterine contractions, cramps. They can be mildly unnoticeable to bedridden discomfort.
How Can I Prepare For My Period To Come?
♥ First, order your first period kit from Kotex at the following link:
http://www.kotex.com/na/FirstPeriodKit.aspx
http://www.dotgirlproducts.com/
♥ Then you want to print off a blank calendar for the next few months. You can decorate the calendar so it's not so boring or so it blends into your room, binder, or notebook.
2009 Calendar PDF Style 1
What Do I Record on the Calendar?
♥ You will want to create a legend of symbols to represent various symptoms that will arise as your body matures and prepares for your period. I usually use colors and three simple symbols ~ circle, square, and triangle.
What Changes Should I Expect?
♥ Emotions ~ Anger, Bawling, Irritable, Mellow, Rage, Sadness, Screaming, Weepy
♥ Physical ~ Larger, Heavier, Taller, Hair Growth in Underarms & Pubic Area, Abdominal & Intestinal Cramps, White Creamy Discharge, Spotting, Mixed Discharge with White/Red Cords/Stringy, Tender Breasts (hurt, irritated, or itchy), Uterine Discharge for Monthly Cycle.
♥ Psychological ~ Self Image, Relationships With Others, Moods, Sexuality and Future Outlook both Emotional & Relational
♥ Each time my daughter had an emotional outburst we recorded a coloured circle on the calendar. These feelings included anger, rage, & screaming as a red circle, bawling, crying, tearing, & weeping as a blue circle, and impatientience, irritability, sarcastic & disagree ability as a green circle. They are all symptoms of your hormones and will affect all your relationships and social groups.
♥ Each time my daughter needed to use a pantie liner on her underwear for discharge, we used coloured triangle on the calendar. Your vagina will start to discharge a milky, white, & sticky substance as discharge. You can record this as a blue triangle. This is your body’s natural cleansing system which also controls odor.
♥ As your body continues maturing and even more changes are recorded then you may begin to experience some mild abdominal cramping as the muscles in the uterus practice for your period. You can use a 'red square' for menstrual cramping.
♥ Intestinal cramps can occur a week before your period, a few days before and during your period. Several girls will be able to gage their period by when their bodies completely eliminate their bowels through a regular void or diarrhea. You can record the intestinal cramps with an orange square. Not everyone will experience a change in their bowel function, but some others will.
♥ Tender Breasts are probably the first symptom, you'll experience. They can become quite sensitive in different clothes, athletic outfit, & swimming suits. Even just trying to get to sleep can be bothersome. Each breast will develop on their own so don't be surprised if one side is bigger than the other or more developed than the other. As adults, it's completely normal to have one breast larger than the other regardless what the other girls' says.
When Can I Officially Say I've Started My Period?
♥ If you experience any creamy white spotting, mixed with pink, red, brown, burgundy, &/or black with blobs, cords & strings, you can record this with an black triangle. I would consider this your first period, but many would call it just discharge.
♥ The period can vary in size, shape and form. You could have a drop off blood on a pantie liner, full of mixed discharge, or dark colored strings of it. The first time your period comes, you many not even be aware of it. It may not be on your underwear but as you wipe yourself from going to the bathroom. You will notice it on the toilet paper or lines and particles floating in the toilet.
♥ Finally, when your body has fully matured and your eggs are ready to be released, you'll experience uterine discharge as your period for one monthly cycle. This will need more than a pantie liner to contain and to keep from staining your underwear and pants. You may require several changes throughout the day with maxi/mini pads or tampons. This can be recorded with a red triangle.
♥ Each person will develop their own personal symptoms: rage, depression, negative, bloating (retaining water), voiding diarrhea day before, headaches, achy back, achy body, sibling rage, sweating, anxiety, fatigue, cold sweats, fainting, sadness, cramps, nausea, etc. These can also be a symptoms to record under a symbol that personal to you.
♥ When you first start out with your menstrual cycle, don't be alarmed for the first couple years if your period is completely irregular, missing, or incredibly heavy. It'll take awhile for your body to completely balance out the hormonal changes taking place.
What Products Should I Use?
♥ There's nothing more overwhelming than standing in front of the Feminine Hygiene Products isl. It's good to stand there and really take a look at the products and all the differences in these products for future use. It's best to kick the giggles and embarrassment right away because it's just like buying Kleenex and you don't want to pick up the wrong thing or you'll be caught off guard.
♥ Each company, I apologize for not listing them all, pretty much has a website set up especially for teens, adults, etc. and I'll provide their links for you to check out on your own or with your girlfriends.
http://girlspace.kotex.com/index.jspa by Kotex
http://www.beinggirl.com/en_US/home.jsp by Always
http://www.tampax.com/home.php by Tampax
http://www.softcup.com/ by Soft Cup
http://www.seventeen.com by Seventeen Magazine
http://www.menstruation-info.com/ About Menstruation
How Do I Insert A Tampon?
♥ I do not recommend tampons for teenagers because there is a medical risk for Toxic Shock Syndrome. TSS happens when the natural bacteria within the vagina is triggered by the high absorbancy tampon, but they're still not sure why? You should not ever sleep with a tampon inside the vagina and switch to pads during the nighttime to be safe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm_xYcKTrxQ
♥ Each different type of tampon has a different way of preparing it from the wrapper and in the way it gets inserted into the vagina.
♥ Most directions will say that teenagers will find bending their knees and squatting as the easiest position to insert the tampon, however, if you place one foot up on the toilet and then squat there is more of an opening space for you to insert the tampon.
♥ It can be a good idea to have Vaseline (Petroleum Jelly) handy to dip the tip of the tampon in and up the sides. This provides a little bit of lubrication allowing the tampon to slip in much easier.
♥ Make sure it is completely in before you pull the plunger part out. If it's not all the way in, you will feel like it's sticking out or a pinching pain where your vagina, tampon and inseam all meet up.
http://www.tampaxcanada.ca/ca_en/about_cardboard.php?menu=insert&sub=cardboard
http://www.tampaxcanada.ca/ca_en/about_pearl.php?menu=insert&sub=pearl
http://www.tampaxcanada.ca/ca_en/about_compak.php?menu=insert&sub=compak
How Do I Insert The Keeper? Instead Soft Cup? Diva Cup?
♥ One of the latest inventions for women is becoming the most raved about product since the tampon. Unlike the tampon, the Soft Cup can hold twice as much as a tampon and doesn't have to be changed until bedtime. The are no leaks, no accidents, and no worries. It can even be worn during intercourse.
This is the ideal product for anyone concerned for the environment as its completely washable and reusable.
http://www.softcup.com/product/softcup_directions.php
http://www.divacup.com/en/home/faqs/
http://www.keeper.com/
What Do I Do About Menstrual Cramps? Pain Control?
♥ You want to discuss with your mom and/or dad about pain control in the event you have cramps. You will want to have either Midol or Pamprin for teens on hand, an auto shut-off electric heating pad, hot water bottle and/or microwavable bean bag for the cramps.
The Allay Patch is the newest in pain control for menstrual cramps. This is a patch that you stick against your abdomen. It is battery operated to release micro chipped pulses throughout. Tiny electrical pulses surge through your pain.
http://allaypatch.com/ For a 30 Day Trial Register On Line
♥ Bedtime can be a blessing or a curse depending on how your body responds to lying down with menstrual cramps. Many find that by taking their choice of pain medication, a heating pad and then hugging a pillow or big stuff animal against their tummy in the fetal position eases the pain. This tends to relieve back pain associated with that time of the month, as well as, the cramps themselves.
http://www.thermacare.com/products-menstrual.aspx
♥ Therma care pads can be worn up to 8 hours each day and provide adequate heat to the abdomen. Never sleep with a Thermacare pad on as chemical burns could result. These are great to help you get through the day at school, sports, errands and/or work.
http://www.pamprin.com/
♥ Pamprin is available in All Day, Cramps Maximum Strength, & Multi-Symptom.
http://www.midol.com/
♥ Midol is available in Cramps; Body Aches, Extended Relief, Menstrual Complete, & Teen Formula.
♥ It's really important to read each box to see which one covers the majority of your symptoms of discomfort. I find these work the best for multi-symptoms, but everybody is different and will have their own preferred type. You will notice in the medicinal ingredients varying from Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Acetacylic Acid & Methocarbomal (Muscle Relaxant).
♥ Ibuprofen is an non-steroidal anti-inflammatory & pain killer that is widely used for cramps & backache. It comes in a variety of brand names: Advil, Celebrex, Generic Ibuprofen, & Motrin.
♥ Acetaminophen is a painkiller used for headaches and cramps. It comes in a variety of brand names: Anacin, Excedrin, Tylenol, & Vanquish.
♥ Acetacylic Acid is one of the oldest painkiller used for backaches, headaches and cramps. It comes in a variety of brand names: Aspirin, Bufferin, Ecotrin, Halfprin, Robaxacil
♥ It is vital that you learn the 'Chemical Names' for these medications, so that you do not exceed the recommended daily dosages in error by taking one of each brand in the same medicinal family at the same time. It is okay to combine or mix up the pills as long as you stick to the recommended 'daily' dosage for each medicinal family.
♥ It is also important that you take it this medication with food because they are all very hard on your tummy. If you just can't eat anything, then take this with a full glass of milk. Always drink a full glass of fluids when taking medications to help your stomach acid dissolve and absorb the medication quickly into your system
How Will I know When My Next Period Is Due?
♥ Once you establish a routine and you can see that there is approximately 20-30 days in between the episodes. You can count 28 days on the first day you have a period or mixed discharge. This will let you know the approximate time for the next cycle to begin and you won't be caught off guard; although, we all have had several accident stories to share.
♥ Several of the feminine hygiene websites have online calendars for you to plug in the dates and it'll calculate when your next period should be due.
http://www.kotex.com/na/Calculator.aspx
♥ I have included a link to an awesome website for every necessary chart you could possibly need by CHART JUNGLE.
http://www.chartjungle.com/health/timeofmonthchartdetails.html
http://www.chartjungle.com/health/timeofmonthchart.html
What Do I Always Need To Carry In My Purse?
♥ Always carry pantie liners in your purse to use them for the watery white discharge to prevent an odor and from pinching you. It's best to always be prepared. You should be prepared with a pantie liner, mini pad, & two dosages of your painkiller of choice for back-up. You may also think about having a back-up in your school locker, cheerleader/sports/swimming bag, gym locker, & car.
What Do I Do If I Still Don't Get My Period By 16 Years of Age?
♥ If you haven't received your period by 16 years of age, you should already discussed with him/her about your options to get it started for you. This usually means starting the birth control pill to get your hormones going, balanced, and regular. You may want to talk to your doctor around 14 years of age if you still do not have it.
How Does Weight Affect My Period?
♥ Your weight is vital for your hormones. If you do not maintain the minimum amount of fat in your belly, there is no place for the estrogen to sit and activate. Many girls who starve themselves lose their periods and suffer many other ailments, as well.
♥ If your body mass index is under 17.1, then you are underweight and need to increase your calories and discuss this with a doctor. This link will help you enter your age, weight in pounds and height in inches.
http://www.girlshealth.gov/nutrition/weight/bmi_calc.cfm
How Do I Stay Pro-Active In My Personal Hygiene?
♥ Lastly, if you don't have a diary, no worries, but think about a work book for yourself ~ a journal. Write down your goals, accomplishments, frustrations, solutions, fears, overcoming obstacles, etc.
♥ Print off articles, letters, websites and add them to a binder with section dividers. You can decorate it up ~ add some bling if you like. Print off photos of your face, your hair, your hands, your feet, your elbows, etc. It's your personal collection.
♥ Check out some teen websites for some interesting articles on topics that interest you and others. http://www.teengrowth.com/index.cfm?action=info&category=body
♥ You may want to put your collection of ideas on a website, blog or youtube. Be creative. There are no boundaries.
♥ If the links don't work by clicking on them and directing you directly to the right page, then copy and paste it into your browser and enter. It will then take you directly there, feel free to print off one copy of the information for yourself and your binder.
Please don't plagerize my material. If you would like to copy and paste information from my site, I would ask that you donate a minimum amount $2.50 USD along with a message with your name/email letting me know what you are using my blog for. A donation is not necessary, but very much appreciated.
♥ Print off articles, letters, websites and add them to a binder with section dividers. You can decorate it up ~ add some bling if you like. Print off photos of your face, your hair, your hands, your feet, your elbows, etc. It's your personal collection.
♥ Check out some teen websites for some interesting articles on topics that interest you and others. http://www.teengrowth.com/index.cfm?action=info&category=body
♥ You may want to put your collection of ideas on a website, blog or youtube. Be creative. There are no boundaries.
♥ If the links don't work by clicking on them and directing you directly to the right page, then copy and paste it into your browser and enter. It will then take you directly there, feel free to print off one copy of the information for yourself and your binder.
Please don't plagerize my material. If you would like to copy and paste information from my site, I would ask that you donate a minimum amount $2.50 USD along with a message with your name/email letting me know what you are using my blog for. A donation is not necessary, but very much appreciated.
God Bless. <><
