Things I wish I knew before I got my first period.
- zubechiugwu
- Apr 23, 2024
- 5 min read
For one, I can boldly say I was a green horn entering this menstruation era, I had little to no knowledge on what this phase of my life would bring, and I didn't even know where to source my information from, in my defense, there wasn't so much information about it growing up. The first time I had come across the term 'menstruation' was during break time in primary school, where half of the class -mostly boys- did not hide the dissatisfaction of their break time being used for educational rendezvous, while the other half -mostly females- were excited to hear something that is peculiar to their gender. To be sincere, the boys had more fun during break time as most of the sporting activities were male dominated -not my feminist side threatening to be revealed here-.
However, for both parties, neither of us came back excited by the talk, most girls were mortified and even more so for the boys, I on the other hand understood nothing and questioned how the thin piece of cotton could hold so much blood for 8hours. I had watched an advert on TV a couple of times, but instead of blood they had used a blue fluid and that was all I thought it was used for -holding fluid-.
Fast forward to the first day I saw my period, at first, I didn't understand what was going on. Secretly I had imagined and waited for this day and while I was expecting a pool of blood, I was met with little drops of blood -so much for the dramatic effect-. At the end of the day my mum had confirmed that it was in fact blood, alongside with the bleeding that continued for the next 3 to 5 days.
You would think 10 years from then there would be a remarkable difference in the dispensation of such information among women and teenagers especially, but somehow, we are still not there yet. So here are a few things I wish I knew before seeing my period for the first time. If you are a mom or a prospective mom, do well to share this information with your daughters at an early age to prevent articles like this from being published a second time -if you catch my drift-.
5 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE GETTING MY FIRST PERIOD
All forms of menstrual hygiene products are safe- I don't know if it was just me or if there was anyone else, but I once heard growing up that tampons could cause you to lose your virginity, followed by how painful it was to insert, and then how it could go up into your vaginal canal and get stuck, requiring you to carry out a sort of surgery, so automatically that was a no-no for me. Also, people felt that menstrual sponge or period pants were unhealthy, as a sort of bacterial build up could occur. While I would agree that I am a menstrual pad type of girl, I would say my options were limited to just the one. Exposing the girl child to each of this product and educating her on how it's used provides her with much more information and allows her to choose the one she is more comfortable with.
How to attach menstrual pads- even as my options were limited, I still had no idea how it worked. Sad to say, the first time I saw a menstrual pad was the very first day I used it. As much as the prices of things may be on the high side, setting aside a strip of pad, tampon etc. to illustrate how to use these products can be very helpful to the girl child. Most girls I knew got their first periods at boarding school, and for those with no prior knowledge on how to attach or use these products, they had to rely on their fellow students, a matron or teacher. This activity could also serve as a bonding experience with mothers and daughters or siblings.
The use of pain medications is Ok- yes, I admit to the fact that I naively made fun of people who relied on pain medications to pull through their periods, mostly because I had a painless menstruation or at least bearable and thought that it applied to all people. To keep things brief, if you need one, do not hesitate to go to a nearby pharmacy to get an over-the-counter pain relief. However, do not exaggerate the pain to cause the use of stronger medications as this could cause dependency or tolerance.
It is not a taboo to get stained- your ability to get or not get stained doesn't determine your level of personal hygiene. I would beat myself up anytime I found myself in that situation and I just thought I wasn't keeping proper hygiene. If you are a younger girl reading this, 'hey, even adults get stained too', not all periods come with a predictable amount of flow. Sometimes what we eat might induce more blood flow and sometimes the position we sit, or sleep might cause us to get stained. However, try putting on dark dresses, pants or skirts while having your period, especially during the first few months to a year of seeing your period. PS: I still do that sometimes even as I am older.
Learn to change your pads regularly- in a bid to cut cost, sometimes I kept my pad on for 12 hours or maybe more. Somehow, I thought it doesn't need to be changed till it was full as the commercial Ad had insinuated, while in truth it's just plain nasty to walk around with stale blood stuck to your panties. This not only produces a foul odor but could cause rashes and even infections.
In truth, I am an advocate that pads should be given to all girl child and women for free or at least at a subsidized price. Many women and girls have resulted to the use of rags and other forms of clothing that are unsanitary and unhealthy due to the cost of things. It is my dream someday to reach as many women as I can and supply them with menstrual hygiene products as well as other necessary menstrual tools.
Although this is one writer's point of view, feel free to drop any other thing you wished you knew before you started having your periods. Also, for the younger ladies and teenagers who are yet to start or just started seeing their periods, you can forward any questions or confusions through the email attached to this post or in the comment section.
Don't forget to like and share if you found this piece insightful. Although life has been hectic, it is always a pleasure to write these articles and impart as much knowledge and guidance as I can. Until next time, do have a lovely day ahead!!!
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