Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
Today we're going to be going over our Menstrual Phase.
Did you know you have strengths (and weaknesses) in each phase of your cycle?
Did you know that there are four phases in your menstrual cycle?
Did you know you can use this knowledge of the phases of your cycle to your advantage?
Enjoy,
Victoria
So, you know how everyone talks about how one of the woes of their period arriving is the acne that comes along with it?
I always thought I was in that camp, acne during my period, but this past year I’ve noticed that I may have been wrong all along.
Does anyone else have better skin during their periods, or is that just me?
I find that the zits show up around ovulation, and that’s when my skin is usually at its ‘worse’ (which really isn’t all that bad usually). I also find that it’s a bit more uneven, dry and all that jazz around ovulation, and that it actually seems to clear up during my period.
I wanted to share this today because before I actually started paying attention to my cycle, and tracking the different things that happen at different points, I used to be one of those people who blamed everything on their period.
For so long my period was responsible for all the negatives that came along with having a menstrual cycle. I knew other stuff was happening in my body for my period to happen each month, but I never gave a second thought to what all those changes were doing.
But ever since I started charting I’ve been much more aware of the little changes and at what point, during my cycle, things actually happen.
And the one I’ve noticed is that I actually have clearer skin during my period than during ovulation. Right now I’m in my ovulatory phase and while my skin is doing pretty good overall, I do have a bit of a break out on my neck, along the hairline. I’m sure this is partially because I’ve been outside a lot, and I think when I use more hair products (like dry shampoo) that can make it break out.
But there are a few other factors beyond where I am in my cycle that play a role in the radiance of my skin.
+ regular exercise — my skin looks best in the summer when I’m running consistently (not to mention sunshine heals everything).
+ sugar — if I’m eating too many sugary things, my face, especially my forehead breaks out (this is why I can’t drink Cuban coffee anymore).
+ processed food — my skin 100% shows this (not to mention it makes my PMS worse).
+ drinking enough water — this is a huge one as well, my skin just overall looks worse when I’m not drinking enough, which is most of the time.
That last one is why I want to do a 30-day water drinking challenge to help kickstart my hydration habits. I’ve settled on the decision that at the bare minimum I want to get in 64 oz (1.8L), which is the recommended 8 glasses a day. But I would love to shoot for 80 oz, which is recommended for my weight.
I also know that being adequately hydrated helps immensely with all other menstrual related happenings, so I’m hoping to see improvements there as well.
I’m not here to brag, even though it kind of feels like that.
I just want to share something positive about my period. So here we go.
My period is very polite in her arrival, and what I mean by this is I never seem to start my period in the middle of the day or the middle of the night.
It always starts first thing in the morning when I go to the bathroom.
It’s like it waits for me to wake up, walk to the bathroom and to sit down to do my business, and then she’s like “Oh hello, good we can begin."
And each time I’m like oh hello, thank you so much for being so patient and freaking polite.
But just because it starts so easy doesn’t mean I don’t have my difficulties with my period.
I still get cramps which require me to plug in my heating pad and take hot baths to soothe.
I still leak and bleed through things, a lot.
I still get tired, and emotional.
But my period is a breeze compared to what it used to be. And I have a few things to thank.
+ Going vegan — I truly believe diet has so much to do with how well your body functions. And I think going vegan played a huge role in lightening up my periods, calming the PMS and all that jazz.
+ Getting off hormonal birth control and learning about my body — Yup, finally understanding how and why my body does different things made life so much easier. I felt empowered by this knowledge.
+ Switching to menstrual cups and period underwear — Getting all the irritants that come with disposable products away from my vagina made everyone involved just so much happier.
So you may be thinking “Screw her and her perfect period” but I’m here to share that even though it’s such a chill period I still have period problems. But also know that it hasn’t always been this easy and that if you have a period you’re not happy with it doesn’t have to be like that.
I’m not saying what worked for me will work for you, or that there’s a right or wrong way to deal with cycle issues. I just want to encourage you to keep searching for your solution because I truly believe it is out there.
What is something you’ve done that’s improved your period or cycle?
I’ve seen a number of people talking about intuitive eating, where you listen to your body and eat what you feel like, not forcing meals if you’re not hungry and just eating what you want.
I’ll always be learning and evolving in this area of life, but I have made great progress over the past few years to just listening to my body.
Who would have ever thought it would have been so difficult to just give your body what it needs?
I’ve talked before about some different strengths and weaknesses we have in each phase of our cycle. And that’s the obvious first step, just recognizing the different phases and acknowledging that you have different needs in each.
I feel like I’ve done a good job this past menstrual phase (period) of really slowing down, and going about my days differently.
Normally, I love getting up early and getting going on my day of work pretty soon after.
But last Monday was the start of a new cycle, and for whatever reason, it hit me fairly hard.
I was exhausted, but not sleeping well, which just snowballs as you know. I was feeling zero motivation for work and frustrated for that lack of spark.
I wanted to stay home and be alone but knew I would feel more inspiration if I went out and worked somewhere public.
So, instead of pushing myself to conform to my normal schedule I decided to create a new one for that week.
I let myself sleep in. I took my mornings slowly, making sure I was eating a breakfast, even if it was something small.
The weather was nice so I made sure I was spending time outside, walking to the coffeeshop or library to work, going on walks in the afternoon, getting a bit of physical movement each day. Even if this meant cutting my work day short I knew that getting outside when it was warm, and moving was going to do for me mentally and physically then forcing myself to stay inside and work.
Each morning after I made my way to where I was going to work for a bit, I wrote out a to-do list, and focused on the things I had to actually get done for the day. Then if I got those tasks completed, and didn’t feel like working for the rest of the day I didn’t.
There was one day that I was feeling very reflective, thoughtful and curious. And I used that to focus on some research I needed to do instead of pushing myself to do other projects I wasn’t drawn to. This was a way for me to still be productive, but also to listen to what I needed that day.
I always find that my menstrual phase is a great time to reflect on how things went last month, what goals I want to focus on coming up. And it’s always a great idea to come up with ideas for content, projects or things I want to do.
I know I’m very lucky in that I have control over my work days, but there are ways you can support your needs regardless of your lifestyle.
One thing that always helps me is to cut back on how social I am during my period. Instead, I choose to focus on myself, have a little pamper "me" time, and plan meet-ups for the following week when I’ll be wanting to connect with others.
Sleep is always a big thing for me. And while we can’t all sleep in, we can usually tweak our bedtime a little. Whether this is to squeeze in 30 more minutes or sleep or an hour more. I promise this always has such a positive effect for me. And make sure the quality of sleep you’re getting is adequate. If you’re tossing and turning it doesn’t matter how much time you spend in bed. You’re not going to be well rested.
For me this meant taking a homeopathic sleep aid a few nights, and giving myself to wind down with a little meditative music to fall asleep to. I’m very guilty of technology right up until bed time. But I always notice it’s negative effect more during my period. Give yourself an hour or so before bed to disconnect. Maybe this can be when you get ready for bed, take a bath, read a book, meditate, whatever fits into your schedule.
And whenever I focus on taking care of myself during those few days of my period I ways find that I come out of it with so much energy, motivation and spunk for life and work. So, while I feel that frustration during my period of “why can’t I just focus and be productive?!” I always remind myself to give myself those few days and all of that will return soon enough.
This month that meant that the first of my period was pretty rough and I didn’t get much done, the second day was a bit better, but by the third day I was back at it and super productive. I just have to back off for a few days and the results are so worth it for me.
What are ways in which you listen to your body? How do you nurture yourself? What are some of the things you’ve noticed since you’ve taken more of an intuitive approach?
I can’t actually complain about winter. I’ve gotten a pretty big break with our trips so far this year. Those warm trips always make coming back to a cold Iowa a little more bearable.
But what gets me itching for winter to be over more than anything is when we have a really nice day here. When it’s the end of February and nearly 70 degrees out. That’s when I find myself saying “This is what my soul needs!”
You don’t realize how much the weather truly impacts you until you go from having to bundle up just so your skin doesn’t hurt, to being able to go for a walk in just a sweatshirt a week later.
Blue skies, sunshine and warmth, that’s what I crave.
Monday this week I felt pretty meh from the lack of sleep I had, and the start of my period complete with cramping. I posted on Instagram about this wave of melancholy I was feeling that day.
The next day I woke up, fully rested, to blue skies and sunshine. Then to top it all off I found out that it was already above 50, headed towards 60 degrees that day. Sweet baby Jesus get me outside!
And it was amazing, the huge difference I felt between those two days. Granted the start of my period probably had quite a bit to do with Monday (it was nice out too). But I had such a pep in my step walking around during that 66-degree day.
I felt energized, inspired and just really freaking happy.
I will buy winter boots for next winter, I promise, but I just crave that sensation where you close your eyes and tilt your head towards the warmth of the sun. And I swear I can feel it recharging my mental and physical batteries as I do it.
I want to be able to throw open my windows, let in the fresh air and dance around my kitchen while making food. I want to go for walks, runs, bike rides and you know what, I really want to ride my longboard around again.
I want to set up my hammock in the park to read or journal. I want to walk outside in sandals and shorts and feel hot. I want to sweat.
I want to go outside during a warm summer rainstorm. I want to crack my windows open that night to fall asleep to that glorious sound of the rain outside.
I want to go down to visit my sister and go out on walks with her and my little nephew. (I’ve been getting snaps of her and him doing this since it’s been warm this week.) I want to sit out on her back porch with them. (She has a very peaceful house). I want to go down to my parent's house out in the woods and just sit in that silence of being out in nature away from the city.
Gah, there’s so much I want to do when it gets warm, and I really hope I remember this feeling, this desire for spring when spring finally comes.
What’s your favorite season? What’s the one you find yourself looking forward to most? If you can’t tell mine is spring, but then again I’m a spring baby so maybe I’m biased.
I’m on a real winter kick right now.
But I had a bit of a revelation when it occurred to me that winter was an awful lot like our menstrual phase.
When I went to look into it I saw I (obviously) wasn’t the only one who’d made this connection.
I’ve seen beautiful illustrations where the seasons have been linked to the phases of our cycle.
Winter = Menstrual
Spring = Follicular
Summer = Ovulatory
Fall = Luteal
So, seeing as the first day of winter is on its way (December 21st) I thought I would sit down and talk about why I think winter is like the menstrual phase.
+ slow down
If you think about summer it seems like someone is always inviting you to a BBQ, picnic, to go for a bike ride, etc. We’re always trying to get outside, enjoy the weather, and go, go, go.
This doesn’t mean we completely stop living in the winter, but it changes does it? It calms down, there’s not that same urgency.
It’s the perfect time to get together with friends and family, sit around and have a glass of something or share a meal. To reconnect and have a good laugh.
+ rest
Bears hibernate in the winter, but humans don’t. And while I’m not promoting a sedentary lifestyle it’s definitely a good time to get your beauty rest.
While I go to bed by 10 p.m. most nights regardless of the season I know plenty of people who have fun-filled nights that last early into the morning.
This doesn’t mean you can’t go out and have a good time but maybe make an effort to get your eight hours during the colder months.
+ reflect
We’re naturally more reflective during our periods, and I think the same is true in the winter. I’ve had some profound mental and emotional journeys within myself curled up on the couch, under some twinkly lights and a mug of something hot or a glass of something red.
Winter is the perfect time to get back into journaling. So, grab yours, dust it off and just sit down with a pen each day.
+ renew
Picture the caterpillar in its cocoon. Think of the feeling of complete refreshment when you come out of a really nourishing menstrual phase.
This is a time I like to focus on self-care. And yes, I pamper the heck out of myself. I’m talking Epsom salt baths, face masks, manicures, pedicures, hydration, eating my plants, all things to nourish myself so I came come out of it as one spectacular butterfly!
I plan on going about this winter just as if it were my menstrual phase, and I’m really excited to see how it differs come spring from years past.
[We’re a week and a half out from the next session of my Chart Your Cycle course which just so happens to start the day before the first day of winter. Learning how to chart was one of the most brilliant things I could do for myself, and I encourage anyone interested in connecting to their body and their cycle in a new way to give it a go!]
The week before my last period I had a moment of “oh crap”. And that was because I realized I was most likely going to still have my period during my marathon that weekend.
Why hadn’t I realized that before?
Well, when I originally did my calculations I was supposed to just have finished up my period when it came time for the race.
But because my Sept/Oct cycle was longer than normal (30 days instead of 26) the rest of my cycles had all been shifted back 3-4 days.
Thankfully, my cycle was back to “normal" and I had a 26-day cycle, with my period starting on November 9th, and the last day of my period ended up being the day I ran, which was perfect.
No need to worry about changing out my cup or leaking while running.
But I wanted to share my game plan if I would have had a heavier day during my run.
+ Use menstrual cup, which I did anyway. This would be my top tip. It would have been a pain to fit in tampons even though I had a little pouch on my hydration belt. With a cup, you don’t need anything extra. Just pull it out, dump it and put it back in.
+ Wear your best, most “I’ve got you covered", pair of period underwear. Even though I knew it was one of my last days of my period I wasn’t going to mess around. My period has a way of doing mysterious things when I run. I grabbed my “thickest” pair of Modibodi underwear, which could have supported me through a heavy day without a cup.
+ Don't wear anything too tight around your waist. Not sure about you but I find I bloat and cramp when I’m wearing tight things around my uterus during my period. Thankfully the pair of Michael’s thick tights I ended up wearing fitting me nicely but not nearly as tight as my normal pair.
+ Have a water bottle with you to clean off your hands if needed. Regardless of if you’re on your period or not you’re going to have to use porta potties on the run. If you need to rinse out your cup or your hands before using the hand sanitizer that’s where a water bottle comes in super handy. I had two on my race belt, and while I just drank out of them, I could have used them to spray off my hands (into the toilet).
+ Go with it. The last thing you need to be worrying about when you’re getting through those miles is leaking. So go prepared, wear dark pants, and say, Well I’ve done all that I can and then just focus on the run.
Has anyone ran a race on their period, what was your strategy, and what advice do you have?
Also, we're two and a half weeks out from the next session of Chart Your Cycle! S,o if you're ready to learn how to use the sympto-thermal method in all of it's greatness, grab you spot today!
There’s no one size fits all approach to diet and menstruation. Different foods react differently person to person. And it takes a little trial and error to find your sweet spot.
I started educating myself about nutrition my last year of college. I was having a lot of digestive issues, where I almost constantly had a stomach ache, that got worse after I ate, not to mention I would get quite bloated as well as only have a single bowel movement a week. Yeah, not good.
Through education as well as adding and subtracting different things from my diet I have found I feel my absolute best with a balanced diet of whole plant based foods. The less processed I eat, the better I feel.
Not only has this revolutionized how I feel, but also has shined through in my menstrual cycle as well.
I’m no where near perfect, and there are a million different ways to be “vegan” and unhealthy. And so I can tell you there’s a huge difference between a period where I focus on staying hydrated, avoiding sugar and processed foods and jam-packing my diet with as many fruits and veggies (mostly veggies) as possible, and a period where I’m eating processed foods, breads, pastas, sugars, etc.
My diet definitely changes with the seasons (as it should due to what plants are available and in season) but you can adapt a whole foods plant based diet to any season.
While we usually crave comfort food in the winter as well as on our periods there are so many incredible “healthy” options. I love to make giant batches of veggie soup in the winter. I try to limit my coffee intake around my period as well as the amount of sugar I'm consuming. We all hit a wall whether it’s cold and gloomy out, or if we’re going to be starting our periods. I do my best to listen to my body instead of forcing it through the day jacking myself up on coffee.
Avoiding sugar and grabbing something refreshing like some fruit as a snack is a great afternoon pick me up. Getting outside to run some errands or get a bit of exercise are other great options to get that pep back in your step for the rest of the day. But then there are those days (and I have at least one a month) where the only answer is a 30 - 60 minute nap (guilt free).
Obviously, if you work in a more traditional job a nap during the work day might be out of the question, but maybe a quick cat nap when you get home and before you start your evening activities is the solution for you. Or maybe it's staying in that evening and having a low key date with yourself on the couch.
You have to listen to your body around your period. Make sure you are eating enough, drinking enough and moving enough throughout the day.
Some of my favorite meal/snack options:
+ noodles and veggies
+ rice and veggies
+ a big, hefty salad (yes that’s a thing)
+ veggie soup
+ fruit like clementines or grapes
+ bagel with hummus
+ oatmeal (I'm currently burnt out on this but it's an option worth including)
+ smoothie (if it’s warm out or I’ve worked out)
+ chickpea toast/sandwich (avocados are gone for the winter, and this is the next best thing)
I say this all the time and I’ll say it again, pay attention to what you’re eating and how it makes you feel afterwords. Screw counting calories, if you’re focused on eating as many whole foods as you can, then there’s no worry about calories.
What are some of your favorite plant based meals for the colder season?
If you're curious to learn more about your cycle, hop on over to my Chart Your Cycle course and sign up for the next session.
It was last year that I started my excursion into period underwear. It all began with a single pair of Thinx, which was quickly followed by five more. I was hooked.
They replaced awful disposable panty liners for me, which irritated my poor lady bits and also created a lot of waste.
I use them as backup for when I use a cup, as well as by themselves on days I have a light flow or spotting, aka didn’t need a cup.
But after a few months of use I started noticing some discoloration in the crotch, almost as if they were getting bleached at the center most point of period collection. (TMI? Sorry, not sorry)
I’m not quite sure what is causing this. Possibly it’s that I use a dryer and don’t hang them out to air dry.
I’ve also noticed that the ones with lace have started to fray, the elastic bindings popping out every which way.
It’s because of all of this that I am in search of some new period underwear. Thinx has dominated the market (good for them) but I’m ready to expand my horizons when it comes to period underwear, spreading the love and support of my monthly flow.
Some would suggest giving reusable pads a go, which I have and need to (again), but at the moment I would much prefer period underwear.
So, after a little bit of research, here are my contenders, feel free to weigh in with your thoughts:
+ LunaPads - the MAIA Bikini + Hipster ($31.99-$34.99)
Comparable in price, and I like that there's no lace to fray. Plus you can adjust your absorbency as needed. Plus I've heard good things about their reusable pads so I have high hopes for these.
+ Modibodi - the Classic Bikini ($24.50-$27.50)
I like the coverage of this one. They look simple, comfortable and effective. Not to mention they're $10 cheaper than some of the others.
+ Knixwear - Leak-Proof Bikini ($25)
Can you notice a theme here. I like simple, no frills, comfort when it comes to underwear for my period. I also appreciate these are more inexpensive as well. These would be good for cup back up.
+ Dear Kate - Jackie Hipster Mini + Nellie Hipster Full ($36-$38)
A bit more on the pricy side. They look like fancier period underwear, but I've heard good things about them. They have different absorbencies depending on what you're using them for.
+ Panty Prop - Propkini + Propster ($19.99)
The cheapest on this list. They are once again no frills. They come in various colors as well.
What are your favorite reusable menstrual products? Because right now mine are the combo of period underwear and a menstrual cup. And I'm itching to try some of these on this list.
While there are MANY period products I have yet to try out, I’ve still had my fair share of variety and use over the past few years. Today I wanted to take you through the progression of my period products, and share my thoughts on them now.
Disposable pads (various sizes)
This is where it all began — stealing pads from my older sister’s stash because I didn’t want to tell anyone I had gotten my period. I used these for a few months before working up the courage to try out tampons.
Pads are a good place to start, but they’re pretty limiting when it comes to activities like swimming. Not to mention I found them bulky and uncomfortable, much like wearing a diaper.
Needless to say I was more than ready to use tampons when the time came.
Cardboard applicator tampon
Yup. I’m including my one failed attempt at using one of these monstrosities. This was in high school at a wrestling tournament, and of course I was never prepared for my period when it showed up. I had asked around for a pad and this all I could find.
Let’s just say it didn’t help that I didn’t know where my vagina was at this point, or how to put a tampon in, so as you can imagine how well that went — I ended up tossing the tampon and wadding up some toilet paper in my underwear.
Plastic applicator tampon
These were my product of choice for many years. I used various brands, my favorite being the Platex Sports.
I went a number of months not understanding how tampons “worked”, and recall listening to a friend explain through a bathroom door to another friend how to put one in. And with that information I gave them a whirl the next time my period came...
The first time I tried to put one in I only put it in about half way before pulling the trigger and pushing it in, which meant that the tampon was literally only halfway into my vagina. Uncomfortable and I knew I had done it wrong.
Problem was, I couldn’t get it out. You’ll understand this if you’ve ever tried to pull out a dry tampon.
I had to fill up my bathtub with a few inches of water, squat down low enough for the tampon to make contact with the water, and was able to pull out the saturated tampon.
Finally got one in correctly a few days later, but then couldn’t get it out, no matter how hard I pulled. I brought a friend into the bathroom to reassure me that it wasn’t stuck.
Once again, I hadn’t waited long enough before trying to pull it out and it was still too dry.
Problem with these were that I never had them when I started my period. Bad planning on my part. So I had half used boxes all over the place.
When I studied abroad in Thailand I had to pack five months worth of tampons because I didn’t know if they would have my brand there.
I was constantly worried of TSS, I had heard horror stories of moldy tampons and such over the years. And on two separate occasions I unknowingly put in two tampons. (Long story).
Eventually I wanted to try something else that would create less waste and was made out of less harmful materials.
Disposable panty liners
I used these in combination with tampons and my menstrual cup at first because no matter what “internal” product I use I leak a little so I need back up. I got fed up with them because they created a lot of waste and they irritated my poor lady bits.
Reusable Pads
I got a few of these from a friend when I was at my facilitator training in 2014. While I love the concept of them I found that they were too bulky and didn’t stay in place for me. I’m also very impressed with the girls that can get the stains out of theirs.
I want to give these another try in the future because I know they work so well for so many girls and women.
I think these are a great alternative to disposable pads for those starting off with their periods.
Menstrual Cups
When I first heard that such a thing existed I thought, how the hell is that supposed to go into your vagina!?
— Lunette Cup was my first, and I think it’s a great starter cup. It was a nice size (comes in 2 sizes). I gave myself three cycles to get the hang of it, and then it became second nature. There was slight discoloration after use, but not bad, and I don’t care about that.
— RubyCup came next. I got far too excited to try different types of cups. This is my current favorite, with Lunette in a close second. Flexible, but structured enough to pop open. I love that for every cup you buy they send a cup to a girl in need. The most discoloration I’ve had, but I use it the most, and I don’t really mind it. Plus I was able to get rid of most of it with a good scrubbing.
— Mooncup/MCUK. I wanted to try this one because one of my best friends uses this cup. It’s one of the more affordable cups. But I was’t a huge fan of the rim of this cup. And it’s quite firm, which some people prefer, but I like a little more flex in my cup.
— OrganicCup is similar in firmness to the Lunette cup, folds up to a similar size to the RubyCup (small). I need to test this one out more, but I like it.
Reusable Sponge
I first heard about this one when I was reading “Wild”. She uses one while hiking the PCT. I got two of these at the same time that I got my reusable pads. I joke that they are "nature’s tampon" because they work in much of the same way. It’s actually quite easy and comfortable to put in, you just have to wet it, squeeze out the water, and push it in like a tampon. You’ll just want to make sure you put a piece of string or something through it because I struggled quite a bit getting this out the first time (when I had no string in). Just imagine taking a tampon out without the string. There’s quite a bit of digging involved, which resulted in me having to get into the bathtub to pull it out because it was making a bit of a mess. I think these are a great option for those lighter days.
Period Underwear
I got these to replace my need for panty liners, which was great since I didn’t enjoy those or the reusable pads. I’ve only used the Thinx brand, but I’m in search of new brands to try out (I’ll talk about this soon on the blog). I find period underwear incredibly secure and comfortable. I use them as back up for my cup, and on their own on light/spotting days. Mine are starting to get some discoloration in the crotch as well as some fraying of the elastics. But this could be because I throw them in the dryer instead of hang drying them.
Phew, Ok, that’s what I’ve tried over the years. Any recommendations or products I’ve totally missed out on?
I remember the time I used to look at my period’s imminent arrival with a certain sense of dread, an “oh no, this again” sort of outlook.
So, it’s incredible to be in a place where I actually look forward to my period. And I’ll tell you why.
You period is a fresh start.
Now I know there are PUH-LEN-TEE of women who would disagree.
And I get it. Periods can suck. They can come at inconvenient times, cause of lot of pain and suffering, and make some god awful messes.
I’m not here to tell you that changing your perspective can heal your horrible periods. That requires a bit more work. BUT changing your outlook is part of that journey.
Let’s say you don’t have end of the world periods. Today is for you.
I was having a great conversation with one of my “students" recently, and she mentioned how she looked forward to her period.
She explained it like hitting a restart button on everything.
And I couldn’t agree more.
There’s always this big sigh of relief when I start bleeding, almost as if my body is giving me permission to just take a much needed "slow out” (It’s like a time out, but with out actually stopping everything. Just moving at a more conscious pace.)
And since the dawn of time there’s also a few, "Phew, I’m not pregnant” sighs of relief.
It’s like a brand new year, or the start to a new week.
Later this month I’m going to talk about my love for Mondays, and I think it’s very much the same thing.
If you’re a morning person it’s quite similar to waking up to a brand new day ahead of you.
It’s like, no matter what happened yesterday, last week, month or year this is a clean slate.
Your period (along with the rest of these moments) is a great time to just let go of all that baggage you’ve been carrying around up to that point.
Let it go. Shed a few layers. And enjoy that effortless lightness that follows.
Now, you may think I’m a total loon.
Someone who likes mornings, Monday and getting her periods?
A few years ago I would have rolled my eyes and gagged a little if I heard some peppy young thing spouting all this.
But these are the moments that all but beg for us to hit that reset button.
And I realized as she said all this that I viewed it the same exact way.
When my period is on its way I always slow down, step back from life and assess a few things. How’s it all going? What’s working? What can I let go of? What can I do to improve this next month?
I take a deep breath and kind of re-up on all of my goals, redrafting them for the month ahead.
And I promise if you take this perspective on your coming periods you’ll see nothing but positive results. When I first heard about some of these concepts, just being aware of them was enough for changes to start taking place without any real effort from myself.
But now that I have put in a conscious effort I am pleasantly surprised month after month.
Simply put, free bleeding is viewed as one of a few things. From training your cervix to hold in your menstrual blood, much like your bladder, until you can go and empty it (Is this really possible!?) Others believe it means just not using anything to absorb/collect your menstrual flow. And some think it simply means not using a tampon, cup, sponge or anything else inserted into your vagina to collect your flow, but that using period underwear or cloth pads still falls within the realm of "free bleeding".
I hadn’t really thought much about the term, nor heard much until I began looking into it myself.
Not using any sort of menstrual product has been around longer than you or me has existed, and long before any sanitary products hit the shelves. And there are millions of women “free bleeding” today. Why?
Let’s think about it for a second. Something that some clown somewhere passed off as some hyper-feminist disgusting bullshit is something that millions of women deal with every single month because they don’t have access to feminine hygiene products. Girls stop going to school for that week every month because they don’t have anything to “manage” their periods and being that managing is a “must” in so many cultures they are left to fall behind in school and in life, one period at a time.
Other women, with access to products, do it because it’s more comfortable for them.
I like looking at “free-bleeding” as a mindset. You can use whatever products feel most comfortable for you, but do it in a way where you’re allowing your body to bleed. You don’t feel guilty or ashamed. If you leak it’s no big deal. Take blogger, Kelly Jo’s word on it:
"More of a mindset than it is an action, the idea is...letting ourselves bleed. No judgement, no worries about messiness or cleanliness. Just letting it happen...This might look different for different menstruators. We are always, technically, “letting” ourselves bleed...But how often do we take a second, or a few, or a whole menstrual cycle, to mentally let our body do it’s thing. And appreciate it for what it does"
By discovering period underwear I was able to free-bleed in a sense on my lighter days, and not worrying about having to go and empty my cup was a freeing thing.
"The fact that I happened to be bleeding didn’t interfere with anything that I did; if anything, it felt great not having a foreign object inside my body to staunch the bleeding, plus my cramps were significantly lighter."
— Kayla Goggin, blogger, XOJane article
There is quite an adjustment to sensation when using only reusable pads or period underwear, or nothing at all. So many of us have grown so accustomed to no sensation at all, other than that telling you it was time to change, before you leaked everywhere.
It didn’t take me long after getting my period for the first time to muster up the courage to learn how to use a tampon because I just really disliked disposable pads. They were bulky, uncomfortable and felt entirely untrustable. So, a few months into my menstrual journey I learned how to put in a tampon, and I continued to do that from the age of 15 to the age of 24. Then I discovered menstrual cups, which were a game changer, and my preferred method of product still to this day. But not too long into my cup journey I also discovered period underwear. I had tried reusable pads but they didn’t feel secure enough, but these underwear felt like they had my back.
But then something awesome happened. I stopped using my cups as often. Don’t get me wrong, I love them oh so much more than tampons. But I discovered that I could just get by with the period underwear for my light days, and even my medium light days. There is really only a day or two that I need my cup.
"But gushing blood into my underwear felt like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute.” — Lane Moore, Cosmopolitan article
That quote puts it perfectly. What an odd, terrifying, “oh crap, oh crap, oh crap” moment it is when you feel a sizable amount release into whatever barrier lay in your underwear.
I had to learn to trust my period underwear, and to relearn the sensation of when they were full rather than clenching anytime I felt blood flow out of me.
I guess I had never really heard about women free bleeding before looking into it myself. Beyond women not having access to products of course. But the more I looked into it the more I discovered people’s outrage and disgust with it. Which I find bit funny, obviously. Every story I read about a personal account of free bleeding seemed to be contained to their own home, or where they would just use dark underwear on their light days. Or women using cloth pads and period underwear. And I can’t help but thinking, what’s the problem with that?
“No Uterus, No Opinion”
Another polite period in the books!
I have really been enjoying my periods these past few years. And that’s saying something considering how far I’m come. I used to have 9 day, heavy, painful, emotional periods.
This month she came in without any mess or fuss. No spotting, minimal cramping, and no irritability.
I made it through the week with almost no leaking, minus a little mishap with my pajama bottoms. I wore my cup and period underwear for about three days, and just the period underwear for the rest. All in all it probably lasted 5 days with one light-medium day, two days of light flow, and two days of very light flow/spotting.
As usual, I allowed myself to sleep in while I was bleeding. My body always quietly begs me to let her sleep just a little longer. And I’ve gotten so much better over the past few years to listening, and allowing myself to, without the guilt.
This month I had much more energy than normal on my period. And I felt so much more social than usual, which I took advantage of but didn’t abuse.
I felt very reflective and creative. I made the most out of that and sat down and planned out my 2017 goals. I looked back at my 2016 goals and then I planned out my personal and professional goals for this year.
One day I just had this burst of creativity so I grabbed some old magazines, a box our of the recycling bin, and I sat down and made a inspiration/mood/dream board.
Overall, it was an awesome period. If you would have told me five years ago that I would one day love my periods, and be excited to get them, I would have told you that you were crazy. But here I am, loving every aspect of my cycle.
It doesn’t always happen but it happens 99% of the time.
Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night because you had too much water, or whatever, to drink before bed? As toddlers we wet the bed every now and then as we were being potty trained, learning to recognize the signals our bodies were giving us to tell us that we needed to go to the bathroom.
So, we wake up to go to the bathroom instead of wetting the bed, but have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and just knew that you were on the verge of leaking? (blood, I’m talking about period blood here)
Almost every month it happens, usually just one night, that heavy day of my period.
I’ll just wake up on my own, and head on into the bathroom to empty out my cup, and it’s always super full, on the verge of leaking. And maybe it’s just me, but how freakin’ cool is that?
And hey, there’s always that time every now and then when I don’t wake up, and leak out and all over my bed. It happens, but more often than not I wake up knowing I need to change.
Another interesting occurrence is how I always start my period in the morning, first thing after I get out of bed and go to the bathroom. It’s always started like that. And even if I don’t look at the temperature on my thermometer before going I just “know” it’s going to come. I can feel it.
I know I’m not alone in thinking these little quirks of having a period are absolutely fascinating. What is it about your period that interests you? I challenge you to take a moment to think about it, write it down or just say it out loud to no one in particular.
There’s a Nike ad that says “Don’t Make a Resolution, Make Yourself”.
And I have to let you in on a little secret, I have never made a New Years Resolution.
I don’t believe in them. I don't think they work. They just seem destined to fail. Well, go really well for a month or two, and then fail.
I think you should be constantly striving to better yourself throughout the year, not just once a year.
And this got me thinking.
Most women have no idea that their menstrual cycle provides them with the perfect structure for monthly “resolutions”.
It’s true.
I’ve talked about the four different phases before — menstrual, follicular, ovulatory and luteal.
But if you are able to listen to your body, you already have a built in system for monthly reflection, goal setting, and execution.
The book that inspired this thought — “The Optimized Woman”.
So, during your period you’re best at doing some internal thinking and reflection, letting go and rethinking your goals.
Next comes the follicular phase when you should set your goals for the month after reflecting on the previous month during your period. Then once you set a goal, really look into HOW you are going to achieve that goal. What are the tangible steps each day that you can take to help you succeed? You will be focused and able to have clear, concentrated thinking as well as more energy.
After that is the ovulatory phase. I view this as the social phase. You’re going to be great at getting out there and making the connections and building the relationships that are going to help you achieve those goals. You are also going to be more productive and relatable, not to mention this is the most confident time of your cycle.
The final phase before the cycle begins again is your luteal phase. You will feel more inspired, creative and able to problem solve issues that arise. Use this phase to brainstorm new ideas and solutions for the future and upcoming month. What did you struggle with during the month, and how can you solve that or fix it in the future?
I have heard the menstrual cycle described as having your own built in life-coach. And who doesn’t want one of those? Hell, people pay big bucks for them, and do you know why? Because they’re worth it.
So, give your own personal coach a go, why don’t you.
I write a lot about periods. Some say I share a few too many details about my period. Like last month, when I shared a story of how I bled through a few pairs of pants, yet still keep a positive attitude about my period.
I've bled through underwear, multiple pairs of pants, onto my bedding, through my bedding and into the mattress, on chairs, but I still love my period.
I'm a bit of a freak, I know
But you’ll be happy to know that I at least didn’t bleed onto my bed this past month.
However, I think I did still make my way through three pair of pants (at different times throughout the day), and one high top chair (thankfully the chair was black wood, and easily wiped off).
But do you know what I did accomplish this past cycle? I did a great job of listening to my body, that's what.
I stopped allowing myself regular naps after I graduated from college, but I always find myself really craving a nap here or there during my period.
And this past period I let myself take at least one nap. I mean, it was only 15 minutes, but that was a big thing for me.
Something about stopping what I’m doing in the middle of the day to allow myself to lay down makes me feel guilty.
Over the past few years, as I’ve learned about my body I’ve learned you HAVE to let yourself slow down during your period. It makes it SO MUCH BETTER. When you listen and just do what your body is telling you through each phase period life is so much easier, and much more pleasant.
This combined with getting off the pill, changing my diet and switching to reusable menstrual products has not only changed my actual period, but has changed how I feel about it.
I highly recommend trying this out.
And then when you do bleed through your favorite pair of jeans or onto your white sheets, you aren’t angry and hateful towards your period. You’re forgiving and understanding.
What are you tricks when it comes to getting along with your period?
There is a lot of talk about getting rid of your period, whether that’s taking a certain form of birth control or skipping the placebo/“fake period" week of the form you are taking.
And I get why there are so many women out there that want to make it go away. But today I wanted to share why I can’t imagine giving up my period, and not having it anymore.
You see, I used to hate my period just as much as the next girl.
Before I had it, I wanted it to come. I begged it to come, worrying that I was some infertile freak who was different from her friends.
But it wasn’t long after I finally got it (hooray!) that I was quickly sucked into the culture of hating it, complaining about it, and thinking it was oh so unfair that I had to deal with this thing every month and boys didn’t.
It wasn’t until I quit the pill, started learning about, and practicing FAM, and finally got my real cycle back that I started to, dare I say, fall in love with my period.
So, here are 10 reasons why I can’t imagine giving it up:
+ My period is such a good indicator of my health — mental and physical. Seriously, your period and menstrual cycle is like a canary in a goldmine.
+ My period reminds me to take some time each month to slow down and reflect, which is much needed in today's culture of go go go.
+ It connects me to the greater female population. As soon as I say I’m in the business of talking about periods, women will shuffle up to me to ask about anything from menstrual cups to sharing their birth control experience.
+ I wouldn’t get to try out fun period products. Cups, sponges, reusable pads, period underwear, fertility computers. Whoosh, out the window! No more of those.
+ My cycle gives me a boost of motivation, energy and "social-ness” around ovulation. Seriously, I feel like a superhero that can take on the world.
+ I wouldn’t be as creative or as inspired. I know because I used to be there. It was called college, and there I was scraping along doing just above the bare minimum, lost in a world of wondering what to do with my life.
+ FemmeHead, which is a huge part of my life, wouldn’t be a thing. What would I do with my days?!
+ I wouldn’t have been able to heal my body image issues if I hadn’t gotten my real period back. Because I didn't let myself realize I had them in the first place.
+ There would be no more mittelschmerz! One of my favorite words, and how excited I imagine pregnant women feel with their baby kicks (probably not quite that excited, but I do get a real rush of “cool!” when it happens).
+ I feel bad for guys because they don’t get to experience the different phases of a cycle, and they can’t grow a tiny human from scratch inside of them. And without my period and my cycle, I wouldn’t get to either.
In the end, we all have our reasons for loving or hating our periods. But today I challenge you to start taking a different perspective on your cycle. Especially if you’ve been brought up in a culture, like me, where there is so much embarrassment and anger surrounding our periods.
It was probably a year ago that I read The Red Tent, and if you haven’t read this book, just go do it already. In fact, I kind of want to reread it.
If you go searching for information about menstrual huts you often find stories about oppressive cultures and their traditions, but I like to look towards Native American moon lodges for inspiration.
There is this incredible respect for menstruating women in most Native American cultures, and amazing respect for women in general.
Some believe that women are purifying themselves during this time, not dirty and impure as many believe, and that women are the embodiment of a holy person during their period.
Women are believed to be more spiritually powerful and in tune during their period, and often consulted by others for advice.
Moon time is a time for women to come together in these special lodges, a time to be able to let go of their responsibilities, to come together with other bleeding women, share stories, gossip and give advice, to support one another, and to rest.
There is a legend I have seen a few times about why women menstruate.
A long time ago, women were considered powerful in that they held in a lot of their family emotions, their joy and happiness but also their sadness and sorrow. They were the life-force of the family. However, sometimes that would become exhausting.
So one day, the woman went to nature to try to find help and yelled out because the burden was too much. A Raven heard her and went to see her, asking her why she was crying. The woman stated she was overwhelmed with the burdens of her family. She loved her family but no longer could take everything in anymore. Raven said that he understood her pain and went to ask Grandmother Ocean for help. Grandmother Ocean offered to wash away the pain of the women who would come to her but that she could not help those farther away. So she went to ask for help from her sister, Grandmother Moon.
So Grandmother Moon said that she represented the feminine power and would send the waters of Grandmother Ocean into the women so her power would reach them. Once every moon cycle, Grandmother Ocean shall come into the women and purify them. And she did just that. Every month, there is thus a time when the women embody the power of Grandmother Moon and are cleansed by the waters of Grandmother Ocean.
Imagine being able to step away from life’s responsibilities for even a day to give your body, mind and soul what it needs?
There’s nothing I like more than getting together with other women and talking about menstrual related things, so a red tent is basically my dream scenario.
Would you ever go to a red tent? Or have you ever?
If you’re anything like me, I used to fight my period and cycle with all my might. And hey, maybe you still do? That a ok. It's pretty hard to change something you're not aware of.
So, today I want to dig into two different recent situations, where my body was telling me things because of my menstrual cycle, and how I have listened, haven’t listened, and the outcome because of that.
I am currently a few days away from starting my period, and it’s always around this time that my body, and sometimes mind, starts to slow down. I don’t have quite as much energy, and I definitely don’t have that social spark that I get around ovulation.
My solution to this, that has worked very well for me, has been to work entirely from home (i.e. my kitchen counter and living room). I avoid networking, presenting ideas or proposals to others, and just about everything that falls within that social window.
I have allowed my body and mind to move at a pace it functions best at, and I have been pleasantly surprised with my motivation and productivity. I have gotten more done in this past week than I have in the past month.
Now, another example where I didn’t listen so clearly and tried to push past what my body/mind wanted —
This time last month was two weeks before the ol’ wedding, meaning I had my period the week before the big "I do".
I am much more emotional (not necessarily a bad thing) and I have much less patience. Normally, these two differences don’t effect me too much because I'm usually better at adjusting to it.
But with the stress, families coming into town, and non-stop, last minute running around, my mind and emotions were a bit fried. But I didn’t listen to my body because I didn’t think I had time to, and let’s just say I cried alone more than once from some small disagreement, decision that had to be made, or just because I was feeling uber stressed (and I was upset that I was feeling that way).
Now, I obviously couldn’t have ignore my responsibilities those two weeks and hid in my apartment, but I could have taken a few more moments for myself.
This month, I am fully prepared for, and welcoming of my period. I’ve been doing a lot of self-reflection, practicing mindfulness and gratitude, and the end of my luteal phase and beginning of my menstrual phase are the perfect time to do all of these things.
When was a time you can remember that you listened to your body when it was telling you to slow down, or maybe a time you didn’t?
