I knew the basics before I got it, but I had no clue…
* The blood wouldn’t necessarily be red. When I first got my period, I spent a few min looking at my underwear wondering how I shit myself. I didn’t know the blood could look brown, or be thick.
* That tampons weren’t a good idea yet. I was 10 or 11 when I got my first period and physically smaller than an adult woman. My first attempt at inserting a tampon was very painful and unsuccessful. I wouldn’t use them until I was around 14 or so.
* That when you use pads the blood can get on your bottom and I’d have to occasionally clean off the toilet seat after using it.
* That getting your first period DOES NOT mean you’re fully developed and fully able to bear children. I could have technically gotten pregnant at that age, but I was still a child and pregnancy would have put my life in danger because I was still physically immature.
* That it wouldn’t be regular for another few years.
* That very painful cramping is NOT NORMAL once you reach your 20s and is cause for concern.
* That the blood and tissue you pass can look chunky or stringy and not like blood from a cut.
* That stress can halt your period for months BUT
* That doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant
Feel free to add your own
Relatable
-passing blood clots is completely normal
-that your period may straight up skip a month when you first get it
-and then it’ll happen twice in the same month
-getting your period does NOT automatically make you a woman
Painful cramping isn’t normal in your 20’s? That’s a little concerning, mine have been getting exponentially worse
It is NOT normal.
I can 100% guarantee you have endometriosis, PCOS, or another hormone problem. If your doctor says it’s normal, DEMAND a second opinion.
Thinking that it’s normal is how people end up infertile or dead. It’s why so many women under 40 these days are having an almost impossible time either conceiving or preventing conception. Because no one teaches anyone that it’s the sign of trouble that can very seriously hurt you.
Anyone who has severe cramps, heavy bleeding, or irregular periods after about 19 years old should seek medical advice. None of those are normal.
If you have skin tags, a hard time losing weight, migraines related to your period, depression that is amplified when menstruating, severe mood swings, sleep disturbances that get worse with menstruation, or any other significant health problem that started with puberty and is worse when hormones are fluctuating you need to be checked.
None of the things that people relate to women on their periods is actually an example of a healthy woman. It’s an example of people who need one form of treatment or another.
Do NOT go to a general doctor. Find a women’s health center. Obgyn doctors. ASK SPECIFICALLY FOR A FEMALE DOCTOR. (Also helps with creating a demand for female doctors, win-win)
And if the doctor you do see tried to write you off as “nothing” or “its normal”? Politely insist for another doctor. People forget: you are paying them for a service. If you believe the doctor is not taking you or your problems seriously, ASK FOR ANOTHER DOCTOR. Specifically, “Do you have another doctor on staff who is more experienced with female health”. It is WELL within your right to change doctors as you see fit – you owe no loyalty to one specific doctor if they aren’t meeting your needs.
most of my followers are male but this is good info for you to learn and share with your lady friends/girlfriends who may not have been taught this stuff.
Additional tips for folks who may be experiencing some of these symptoms:
- If a doctor’s only suggestion is just to “lose weight”, find another doctor. If that’s not an option, at least ask “what other treatment would you recommend if I were thin?” and push for that. Even if you can lose weight safely, it won’t happen overnight. (And if you have certain disorders, it may be difficult to lose weight at all.)
- If a doctor’s suggestion is just “birth control”, you try that for a few months and it doesn’t help, let them know and ask if there’s another type you can try. There are multiple formulations of birth control, and not all mixes are for everyone. ALSO:
- Ask if there is other bloodwork you should consider (and other endocrine issues to rule out)
- Above all else: if a doctor won’t work with you to manage symptoms that are disrupting your life, FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR
One thing I have personally experienced is that because so much research has historically been done on cis male bodies, doctors do not always know how diseases interact with a woman’s period. Also, because we stuff “women’s health” into a separate OBGYN box, doctors may also treat your menstrual cycle in a vacuum. The monthly hormone cycle does not exist in a vacuum. It interacts with (and is interacted upon) by other parts of the body.
Similarly, there are mental health symptoms which are exacerbated by (or even caused by) endocrine/reproductive dysfunction. Before I had treatment for my particular issue, I alternately experienced violent mood swings and “fogs” that caused me to have difficulty learning and communicating. Turned out it was endocrine dysfunction. Within two weeks of receiving proper treatment, those mental illness symptoms vanished. It also cleared up the problems I’d been having with menstruation, which had not responded well to any form of birth control. My OBGYN had been trying to solve the wrong problem.
Focus on your symptoms and the quality of life you want.
You deserve care.
GREAT stuff^^^
There’s (stupid) historical reasons why most M.D.s and Family Doctors are poorly educated on women’s health. It’s a fact though. SO!
It’s important to take your health and wellbeing into your own hands. YOU are the expert on your own body- it’s yours- you’ve lived with it your whole life!
“The monthly hormone cycle does not exist in a vacuum. It interacts with (and is interacted upon) by other parts of the body.”
Shit No One Told Me About My Period
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