If you don't like discussing girl stuff, then click off now. I've never been one to shy away from period talk, pretty much everyone I see knows when I've got my period because I complain about it so much. I think it comes from attending an all girls school, where it was perfectly normal to shout down a corridor to ask for a tampon, or to lie across all the desks during your lunch break because it helped with cramps. I think that's the same reason why I don't think twice about hoicking up my tights in public. At least I've stopped rolling up my skirt, hey.
I've struggled with severe period pain right from the get-go, and not just cramps either. I'm the girl that gets cramps, backache, splitting headaches, yo-yo moodswings, upset stomachs, dizziness and, more recently, extreme projectile vomiting. Nice right? Every time my period comes around I'm knocked for six, I've lost count of the amount of days I've spent miserable in bed with my hot water bottle, unable to do anything except have a good old cry.
About a year ago, I had an 'enough is enough' moment and decided I needed to find a way to stop losing a week each month to my period, and I figure that some of these tips might help you guys too!
- Speak to your doctor. I was actually put on the contraceptive pill back when I was about 13, to help with my chronic period pain and acne too. I went back to my doctor and told him all about what I was experiencing, and he was actually horrified that I hadn't gone to him sooner. I think sometimes there's this stigma that women should just 'get on with it' when they're on their periods, but it's important to remember that just because all women have periods, doesn't mean that everyone has the same period. I discussed a range of options with my doctor (after he refused to just 'rip my uterus out' even though I begged), and we decided to start tricycling my pill. Now essentially this works in three ways for me. Firstly, it means I only have a period once every ten weeks instead of four, meaning the horrors are less frequent. Secondly, the splitting headaches I was suffering are a common side effect for women on the pill, it occurs as a withdrawal symptom from the hormones during your pill free week. Because I now have a pill free week less often, I don't really get headaches, and not nearly as bad when I do, because my body has more of a reserve. And thirdly, tricycling is recognised as helping to reduce symptoms of PMS as well as anxiety and depression, because your hormone levels are more stable. There are a lot of people out there who claim tricycling is dangerous, but having discussed it at length with my doctor, and doing a lot of research on my own, I simply don't believe that. It all stems from the past where hormone levels in the Pill were much higher than they are today, and in fact there are studies that state that taking regular breaks from the pill 'might be more harmful than the relatively steady-state situation that is maintained during sustained use'. I found this article really useful, but if you have questions it's worth chatting with your GP.
- Watch what you eat or drink. This is a pretty straightforward one, but it makes such a difference. When my period roles around my gut instinct is to consume all the carbs, sugars and fats I can find within a four mile radius, but that was making me feel so much worse, and definitely not helping with the sickness either. I try and pick foods that satisfy my cravings but aren't full of crap either. I generally crave heavy comfort food, so try to opt for more complex carbs options, and healthier sugars and fats. I quite often go for jacket potatoes topped with something like chilli or tuna, or cottage pie, made with sweet potato mash instead of normal. I like to treat myself to all my favourite fruits too, for breakfast and to snack on throughout the day, I normally go for watermelon, strawberries, mango and cherries. That satisfies my sugar cravings! Avocados are notoriously good for cramps too, so I go for guacamole as a naughty treat. Think about your drinks too, I found that fizzy drinks, alcohol and coffee were making me sluggish, and not helping with my mood swings either, so now I try to stick to water as much as possible, and I reach for the Teapigs Green Tea with Mint if I fancy something warm. That tea is great because the green tea stops my feeling bloated and gives me energy, whilst the mint settles my stomach. I like to add a squeeze of agave too to feed the sugar monster inside of me.
- Stop eating dairy products. I am allergic to dairy so I skip out all the time, but trust me, you'll notice a difference if you at least cut back throughout your period. Essentially, cows milk is pumped full of hormones and when you are hormonal, it's the last thing you need. Consumption of dairy is heavily linked to breakouts, mood swings and that sluggish, bloated feeling, so cut back as much as you can!
- Get stretching. I have a severe dislike for those women (do they actually exist or only in adverts for sanitary towels?!) who claim exercise helps them feel better when they've got cramps. Bollocks. The last thing I want to do when I've got my period is attend a spin class or run a marathon, not least because I'd probably pass out from a combination of blood loss and severe physical exertion. However, there's something to be said for rolling out a yoga mat in the comfort of your own home, and having a bit of a stretch. I like to do a sun salutation routine that was part of a Body Balance class a few years ago (it was always my favourite), and then I just sit and stretch out my legs and arms with basic stretches from my dancing days. Nothing intensely physical, or even enough to break a sweat, but it gets the blood moving and helps with backache and cramps too.
- Vitamin B Complex. I have my mum to thank for this one! Since I've been taking these (one a day at breakfast) I (and my boyfriend) find the irritability I'm used to at the beginning of my period is nowhere to be seen! It also helps reduce the intensity of pain as well as the length of your period, score! It works by producing good prostaglandins, which widen and relax the blood vessels, easing the pain and duration of periods!
And when all else fails, bubble baths, because bubble baths fix everything!
I hope this helps some of you, if you have any tips for dealing with your period, do let me know!
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