Should I feel awkward talking about this subject? 'No'. Do I still feel a little bit cringe pressing the 'publish' button? Absolutely. That's why I'm doing my bit on the internet to drop the absolutely ridiculous stigma around the way our bodies prepare for babies. Accompanied by some unflattering pics of me eating pizza, making myself even more bloated.
This post was inspired by the Melon's podcast bought to us by Freya lingerie, they always feature great guests and talk about real life stuff. As promised this blog is not going to hold back when it comes to life, women and the world, no matter how awkward it feels to type.
'YES I'M A GIRL AND YES I HAVE PERIODS.'
Top: Topshop Trousers: Old Zara
I titled this girl and not woman because I started my period when I was just that a girl. At 13 years old, I felt half womanly and half suuuuuper awkward as I called my mum to the bathroom to let her know that adulthood was upon me.
I am one of the unlucky females with excruciating period pains. I have touched on this before in my 'Painful and heavy period hacks' post. Spending my whole school day in the medical room and staying home for the next 1-2 days became the norm for me in secondary school. I recall crying, screaming for my mum in the middle of the night, not being able to physically get out of my bed, laying and rolling on the floor in many positions because it was cold, throwing up, getting migraines and living off of Feminax in my teenage years. Yes it was hell.
Imagine all of this to be able to one day hopefully bring beautiful humans into this world with a man, for teenage boys to laugh and think periods are hilarious, joyous.
Do you know what still bothers me until this day, the 'Ah, they can't be that bad' and 'I think I just handle pain better than you' types of people. NO HUN, I AM LITERALLY ON DEATHS DOORS. I know it's not a pain threshold thing because I generally handle pain quite well.
Birth control has probably saved my life in more ways than one. I'm a huge advocate for the implant because A. no unplanned babies as of yet B. no crazy period pains and C. completely irregular periods, I'm talking every 3 months and it is a dream come true. In terms of birth control you need to find what works for your body because everyone is different.
A friend once told me an about an experience with a teenage-man making her feel uncomfortable about accidentally leaving some blood in the toilet when it didn't flush properly abroad. What a small small boy you are. As humans we have a responsibility to teach the younger generation especially boys, what periods are, why we have them and that it isn't ok to make a girl feel uncomfortable about something she cannot control about her body.
It is lovely when our body gives us a little heads up in the form of sensitive heavy boobs, bloating and spots but that's not always the case. I have been surprised by a cheeky period on more than one occasion and if I was ever made to feel uncomfortable about it by a man, they would be cancelled. In the podcast they mentioned that how a man reacts to periods is the difference between a man and a boy and boy oh boy that could not be more true.
Now I couldn't write this and not mention how us girls navigate during that time of the month. I don't have a sweet tooth but PMS is a real thing. It's half of like a mental thing 'GiRlz e4t Sw33t StuFf on Dere P3ri0d', and I'm like 'Ok, good to know, off to my local sweet shop I go'. Is that an excuse or a real craving? It's kind of like how my sister became moody literally on her 13th birthday and my mum swears she read a book on how teenagers are supposed to be moody because she lived up to that like no other.
I don't think I'm THAT moody when I am on my period but I have my moments. Who else can relate to wanting to strangle someone the minute they suggest that your bad mood is down to your period? This is all hypothetical of course guys, this is a blog of positivity, rainbows and definitely no stigmas. I wish that I could bake a cake made out of rainbows and smiles and we'd all eat it and be happy...
'SHE DOESN'T EVEN GO HERE!'
Sorry, I HAD to.
•••
So yeah guys, rule 101 - if you happen to be reading this trying to understand your girl and her period, if you think her mood swings may be somewhat related to her TOTM. Do not, I repeat do not mention it.
As a newbie to periods I had a a couple of horrifying leakage incidents, I wanted the ground to swallow me up whole and I then realised I would never ever let that happen to me again. I am the person who has 25 extra tampons in her purse handing them out proudly in the ladies toilets. All of us majorly mature ladies have no problem with discussing our periods with each-other, it kind of bonds us in a way, it's the guys who make it weird. However there is still something awkward about the idea of talking to a man who isn't my dad about the fact that I have a period, or the fact that I am on one or the fact that I am buying tampons because duh, period.
I was at the train station a while back and I looked down and my tampon was on the floor next to me. I picked it up SO quickly and walked away hoping that no one had noticed. I would've preferred to just leave it there and pretend it wasn't mine but then someone might have seen me do that and I would be replaying that moment in my head for years to come.
So the things I want you guys to take away from this post is that it is OK to be a woman and it is OK to talk about our bodies and to embrace them. I want to encourage us all not too feel uncomfortable in any way, shape or form about our periods. I don't mean to sound cliché but yes our bodies are a temple that can literally carry and birth humans. But let's start birthing humans who respect women's bodies and everything they can do.
Say it with me,
YES I'M A GIRL AND YES I HAVE PERIODS,
unless you're not a girl and you do not have periods, in which case you may go on about your day good Sir.
And the next time a male, your boss, your dad, a colleague whoever... questions why you are feeling ill, calling in sick or going to the bathroom often just look them dead in the face and say
'I AM ON MY PERIOD!'
Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
Love, Shay.
Location: Princess Andriana Resort and Spa, Rhodes, Greece.
