Every month the uterus dutifully prepares its lining in the hope of receiving a very special guest – the fertilised egg. If the visitor doesn’t arrive, the uterus has to divest itself of the lining, so that it can do the same thing all over again the next month. It’s what we ladies know as ‘menstrual cycle’ or ‘periods’ As though bleeding from the vagina 5 days a month, every month for 30-40 years of one’s life isn’t enough – periods can be accompanied by a whole lot of other woes as well.
‘I’ll be back’
Arriving unexpectedly
How many times have we been forced to cancel or change plans because the dreaded ‘red spot’ has been spotted? We even schedule our lives around a period that may or may not happen when it is supposed to. Often, we aren’t even carrying our tampons, pads or cups to prevent staining. Our period arriving unexpectedly or having irregular periods can often end up being our worst nightmare.
The downpour
We all may feel like we know our periods intimately. However, there are days where we may not bleed much at all and some days where we bleed like a tap.The good days are a breeze, the bad days cab be super difficult to get through. Periods were not nicknamed Auntie Flo for no reason. You begin to wonder where it’s all coming from and if it will ever stop. And if you’re unprepared for the flood then you may feel the need to change plans or change clothes which ends up becoming highly chaotic.
Scent of a woman
Many women are conscious of their odour while they are on their period. They are often nervous to come within close proximity of others and dread the idea of ‘stinking’. However, we do not realise that this odour that wafts up our nostrils during our period, is not recognised by others around.
Help me make it through the night
Elvis Presley may have needed just a ribbon from the hair to make it through the night, but a woman on her period needs something much more substantial. Sleepless nights can get worse due to the fear of Auntie Flo oozing and trickling through one’s pads to get comfy on the sheets.
‘Don’t ruin my favourite sheets’
Don’t be rash
There’s diaper rash, panty rash, rash caused by prickly heat and reckless drivers who attempt to make their way rashly on the roads. But the possible worst rash of all is the one caused by a sanitary pad irritating your skin with every move you make. By the time the rash from the previous cycle heals, the next month rolls around and it’s time for the next rash and so on. This causes a lot of discomfort to pretty much most of the women out there.
There’s little we can do to avoid periods during our fertile years. So, let’s embrace it and ignore the period cramps with friends like dark chocolate, hot water bag and Nua.