How To-45: "How to Deal With Your Period"

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Have a hard time when that time of the month comes? Here are some tips to help you become less stressed when your "friend" comes!

Steps

1. Always keep a pad/tampon/etc. with you. Even if it's not that time of the month, you should still carry it with you just in case.
   
2. Try plain ibuprofen first, if you have cramps. If ibuprofen doesn't work, try Pamprin, Midol, next time. If it still doesn't work, put a heating pad or hot water bottle on the painful spots, take a bath, or exercise. It might help to cut down on the amount of sugar and salt you eat. Also, you can try lying on your back on the floor with your legs elevated on the couch - it forces your uterine muscles to relax and is a natural pain reliever after ten or fifteen minutes.
   
3. Try to keep track of how long you have your period, when it started and ends, how heavy it is, etc. If your period lasts longer than 1 week to 10 days, consult your gynecologist.
   
4. Take a day off! Relieve all that stress.
   
5. Get plenty of rest and eat healthfully. It will keep your body in balance, and you won't feel as bad. Be careful not to change your diet completely, as it will create more complications.
   
6. Warn people you are close to ahead of time, if you are moody so they can prepare and take caution. Part of maturing into womanhood, though, is learning to manage your moods. If you experience severe mood swings, tell your doctor -you may need some help with an imbalance.
   
7. Wear comfortable clothes. Most women would prefer not to wear uncomfortable clothing while having their period. Wear some sweat pants and a sweatshirt or anything else that feels comfortable, but don't make it too obvious. You can just wear black pants and keep a jacket around in case you stain your pants. When that happens, you can just tie it around your waist.
   
8. Try not to stress out! Stress can affect your flow and/or your cycle. Relax for a little bit and don't worry about it. Other women have to go through the same thing, so you're not the only one!
   
9. If you have to change for gym in school, wear red, black or brown underwear. People will be less likely to notice you have your period. Also, try changing your pad before gym and try to wear pads without wings. It will be much harder for girls to tell that you have your period if you're wearing a pad without wings. Try changing your pants or shorts wearing a long t-shirt, if you prefer.
   

Tips

• Try different combinations of pads and tampons. For example, try a light tampon and a pantyliner when your flow isn't so heavy, or try a larger sized tampon with a pantyliner for heavy flows.
  
• If a certain size of tampon doesn't fit, don't force it! Try a different size.
  
• Don't change your diet when you are about to have or you do have your period.
  
• Don't pig out! You may desperately want to, but high doses of sugar and salt may cause severe cramps.
  
• Wear darker pants/shorts and panties during your period so if you do happen to leak it won't be as noticeable.
  
• Try not wearing skirts or dresses during your period, unless you are absolutely sure your flow is light. You don't want a leak happening.
  
• Wear older panties (known as "period panties") during your period.
  
• Do shower regularly during your period.
  
• Carry around a small purse with your tampon/pad. You don't want to keep them in a pencil case because people are likely to go through them.
  
• Feminax is a good painkiller.

Warnings

• If you feel nausea, headaches, hot flashes, or fatigue while using a tampon, take the tampon out and replace it with a pad to prevent TSS (toxic shock syndrome) and see your doctor.
  
• If you don't change your pad/tampon regularly you might smell an unpleasant odor. Change it regularly.
  
• Read the labels on any medications you take, even over-the-counter ones, especially if you are sensitive to any medications. Many of those formulated for periods have multiple ingredients in them, so if plain ibuprofen works for you, stick with that.
  
• If you wear tampons, at least one day of your period should be without one and wear a pad. It's better for you that way.
  

Things You'll Need

. Tampons/Pads/Pantiliners/Menstrual Cup/etc. of your choice
. Ibuprofen, Pamprin, Midol, etc.

Related wikiHows

• How to Swim when You Are on Your Period
  
• How to Tell Your Mom About Your Period
  
• How to Have a Relatively Accident Free Period
  
• How to Celebrate Your Daughter's First Period
  
• How to Survive Your Period when You Live With All Guys
  
• How to Tell a Friend You Have Started Your Period
  
• How to Stop Your Mom from Telling Everyone You Got Your Period
  
• How to Get Through PMS
  
• How to Reduce Menstrual Cramps
  

Sources and Citations

• Monthly Challenges: Your Period and You from iEmily.com
  
• Getting Your Period from girlshealth.gov
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Deal With Your Period. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Wikipedia article on "Menstrual Cycle", "Premenstrual syndrome" and "Dysmenorrhoea (Difficult Menstruation)":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menses

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premenstrual_syndrome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysmenorrhea

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