PERIODS

 

Some girls have short periods (they last about 3 days) but others have longer ones (maybe up to a week).  Your pattern will usually stay the same once your periods get regular (after about 6 to 12 months).  If your period suddenly gets shorter or longer, there may be a health problem. Have a talk with your doctor.

Periods are part of a female’s life and need not stop anyone from carrying on her usual activities.

Moodswings

Some girls and women have PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome – sometimes called PMT or Pre-Menstrual Tension) that may cause them to have mood swings during their periods. When they have PMS they may feel certain emotions like feeling tired or tense, weepy, irritable, easily upset, headaches, and bloated or tummy full of air.

Not everyone has all these symptoms, and some girls do not have any. Sometimes girls find they have a lot more energy just before their period starts.

These feelings usually do not last for more than a day or so, but if they become bothersome you may have a talk to your mother or your doctor because there are some things you can do which can make a difference to how you feel.

Period pain(cramps)

Many girls get cramping pains in their tummy around the beginning of some of their periods. However, not all girls get them. Often the cramps start before you begin to lose blood.

A heat bag or hot water bottle on the tummy may help to ease cramps. Try relaxation exercises as well as just doing your usual exercise. This might be enough to help. You may also take medications that really help ease cramping.

Pimples

Some people develop pimples when their period is due. It is because their skin gets oilier.

How often do periods come?

Normally, girls have period every 28 days. At first your periods may not be regular, but after a while if you mark the dates on a calendar you should be able to work out when your period is due. It may not be every 28 days, but it is often somewhere between 21 days and about 35 days. It varies quite a bit with different people, and some girls and women never get really regular periods.

Periods can become irregular for many reasons. It may include:

  • Stress
  • Weight Loss
  • Weight Gain
  • Over-Training for Sport or Fitness
  • Dieting

Always prepare a pad or tampons whenever your period is near its due. Your period is a natural process so there’s nothing you have to be embarrassed about.

What is vaginal discharge?

All the tubes in your body are lined with slippery fluid called mucus. When a girl is almost ready to start menstruating, the amount of mucus in her vagina increases. This happens because hormone levels are changing.

The discharge (discharge means something is pushed out) can vary between being a thin sticky fluid to being a thick sticky jelly. Either is perfectly normal at different times in a girl’s menstrual cycle. Normal discharge can be clear or whitish in color and has a slight smell. If there is itching, burning, a color change or a strong smell this could mean that there is an infection in the vagina and it is time to see a doctor.

Some women can tell when they are ovulating (when an egg comes out of the ovary and goes into the fallopian tube) because they have more discharge and it becomes stickier.

You don’t have to do anything other than your usual daily shower or bath to keep this area clean. Using deodorants or body sprays can cause problems and soreness.

Why can you get pregnant after you start menstruating? 

When menstruation starts, so does ovulation. This means that an egg leaves the ovary and travels down one of the fallopian tubes if it meets some sperm the egg may be fertilized and may grow into a baby. This can only happen if the female has have unprotected sex with a male.

Light or heavy periods

Your period may be light (a small flow of blood that lasts a couple of days) or heavy (a bigger flow of blood that soaks your pad more quickly or lasts longer).  Sometimes your period can be heavy for the first day or two and then it becomes light till it finishes.

When do periods stop?

Women stop getting periods when they are pregnant and when they reach menopause. Menopause (say men-o-paws) just means that menstruation stops. It doesn’t stop dead but is a gradual process, where periods become less frequent until they stop altogether, usually around the ages of 45-55. Stress, going on a strict diet, very heavy exercise and illness can also stop periods for a while.

 

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