Menstruation: How do you feel about it?

[AM]

I have always felt blessed to be a woman, and monthly bleeds has always been a wonderful part of that for me. After having two children, I am even more in awe of my fertile body.

I am aware that not all women feel this way, and I'm curious.

So, do you feel honoured to have monthly cycles, or do you find it an inconvenience, an embarrasment, or anything else?

Have your feelings changed at all since experiencing a pregnancy? Labour? Birth?

Do you remember your feelings when you had your first bleed? Was it positive, or negative? Do you think you would do something special for a daughter who was experiencing her first bleed?

TIA:)

O - usual disclaimer - this is not about right or wrong, simply sharing different experiences of being women.
I love heraing about how we are all different, and percieve things in different ways.:thumbsup:

[FourAngelKisses]

I hate it with a passion. If I could do something to stop them, I would. I've had 2 since having Troy and they have been really heavy on the first 2 days. Heavy as in change my clothes twice in 3hrs heavy.

Yeah they mean I can have kids, but I am done having kids ( :crying: ) so now they serve no purpose. Between the ages of 12 and 19, they served no purpose. Time to get rid of them, I don't want to put up with them for another 15-20yrs or so.


ETA: with my first I was at school, I made do with folded toilet paper until I got home. When I did get home, I spent about an hour bawling my eyes out.

[bekkyboo]

For me, the actually bleeding side isnt an issue. Even more so since converting to cloth - its excitement to use my creations!

As for the cramps, i could do without them... and the mood swings! No thanks!

As for my 1st... My mum was away for work and i had to tell my dad! He has always been great with those kind of things tho.... But i did also have my big sister there.

[AM]

Hey Bekky, do you take Evening primrose Oil capsules?

I used to fall into a blubbering mess every month without fail, and since taking the EPO, life has been a LOT smoother. I take one every day.

[Lastcenturymum]

Haa haa I got my first on Fathers Day!!

After the kids I thought it was a waste of time, but now I kinda see it differently (especially since I learnt to manage them and avoid the cramps, pains clots etc)

As I get closer to them ending I rather would like to hang onto them..better the devil you know that what lies ahead!!

Oh my daughter with her first...took to her bed and couldn't deal with it despite all the preparation. She couldn't handle the sight of blood! Was a drama

[Rainbowbrite]

When I was younger I HATED THEM. I got my first the day my grandmother died :gloomy: I would be in agonising pain, loose clots etc. Couldn't bear to leave my bed for the first 2 days. After trying many pills (for that reason alone) it wasn't so bad. Now I know that was thanks to Endometriosis.

I do understand that they have allowed me to have my gorgeous MJ & belly bub, but its still something I could happily do without :o Its annoying more than anything, especially in summer when we want to take MJ to a pool or something.

I wish I was proud of them, but it was always seen as a pain even by my mum, so its hard to enjoy (if thats possible) them when you are raised to dred them.

[FourAngelKisses]

Its annoying more than anything

When I go shopping, I am out from 8:30am until 3:30pm. I can't even pee when I'm out unless I have my 3yr old watch my 3mth old for me, so no chance in hell of changing a pad in that time.

[MrsDribbleDrawers]

I'm not sure how I feel. As a teenager, I was unduly embarrassed, and I was well prepared by my parents. Mum took me to dinner at the best restaurant in town, just her and me, to celebrate, but I hated "surfboards", and always felt as if people could see through me... which lead to all sorts of unhygenic practices and habits.

When I became pregnant the first time, my whole attitude changed... here was this body, doing what it was supposed to do, and cycles meant that it was still possible to do that. I've also probably been luckier than most, the older I got, the shorter my bleeds became, even without the pill I haven't had a bleed longer than two days for at least ten years (except for the first cycles while still BF'ing, they were hell, three week bleed, three week nothing, for almost three months before it sorted itself out!!)

It won't be long before DD1 is heading down that path, so I hope I'm preparing her enough... and we will have a special celebration, just her and I, too.

[nut]

For me it is a bit of a monthly celebration that I am woman!
Not that I can even remember the last time I had it LOL. Babies and BF are keeping her at bay.:laughing:

[Desertress]

I absolutley and untterly hate mine. I got mine at the age of 12 and for the first 2 days i get almost debilitating cramps. When i went on the pill the cramps got better then they were but still fairly bad. It was also embarassing because i bled very heavily for the first 2 days or so and i have alot or "leakage"problems at school that i could have really done without. I get clots and gushes of blood and am just uncofortable for the whole time i have them.

I have only just gotten my first one today after not getting one for the last 2 months because of having my impanon out. Before that i didnt bleed at all for the first yr which was great but then i bleed almost constantly with cramping for the next 8 months till i had the implant out. The bleeding stopped almost the next day.

I have to say tho the cramps i have today arnt as bad as what i used to get but they are still not alot of fun and i still have the heavy bleeding.

I know they mean you are fertile and can have children but i wish there was a less imposing way for your body to show you that

[AM]

For me it is a bit of a monthly celebration that I am woman!
Not that I can even remember the last time I had it LOL. Babies and BF are keeping her at bay.:laughing:

Yep, the bf was working well for me too...just this month I am back to my fertile self, so exciting!!!:D

[RoarsomeMum]

My feelings for AF have changed a lot. When I first got it, I hated it.... mess, Inconvenience, and it HURT.... the idea of becomming a Woman was just Ewwwwwwwww..

Long Term TTC made me hate AF even worse.. she was a constant reminder that I was a "Woman" who did not work properly. That bleeding was like a slap in the face, a "Hi Em, Im back, you can have me, but not the bubba I am designed to help you create"

Then, One month.. March actually, she did not come.. Oh my GOD. How I loved her then..

I miss her sometimes :o - I want to say THANK YOU!! I know I will not feel so negative towards her comming back.. It will mean another go at a Brother or Sister for Mace. :hugs: :hugs: :hugs:

[cheezelkat]

I have a love/hate relationship. I love getting it every month to make sure everything is working properly, I love the fact thats its a celebration of womens super powers. But like Bekky, I could live without the cramps and moods.

[JATS]

Hmmmmmm, ttc for 26 cycles, at the moment AF lasts 2 weeks, then I have 7 days of no bleeding before the next AF!

How do I feel about AF? :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[reAllytee]

I really cant complain about mine cause i rarely get cramps or PMS so am very lucky in that regard.

What i do hate though is that my "flow" is never heavy enough to require a full tampon or pad. They only last for 4 days. So i feel its a waste ! May change to reusable after this bub !

[madreader]

I was two weeks away from my 14th birthday when i got my first period and boy did i hate it with a vengence. I was such a tomboy snd it was such a pain in the you know where, cause you just couldnt go and enjoy yourself anymore always wondering when it was going to show up.

Now that i have three kids sometimes it can still be in the you know where buti have learned to live with it, i just hate the little accidents you have in bed sometimes. Yukko.

[jojelu]

my answer to this Q is short ans sweet;

i hate them always have always will!

[OneBabyBoy]

I love getting AF because it means I'm not pregnant.
It always feels like such a relief.

[TyBean]

I hate them with a passion..... Since my very first cycle they have hurt like nothing before!! labour was less painful than them. I spent many cycles lying on the bathroom floor (as it was the biggest ice pack in the house) in tears and agony....

I get mine and I get dizzy spells and I vomit.... I have severe cramps, absolutely horrific headaches... and my mood swings are shocking...

I have tried numerous pill and discovered that my oestrogen levels are 3 times what they are meant to be... and I have literally hundreds of cysts on my ovaries... the pill softened it all a little bit... but it was still yuk...

I can't wait until I have had my 4 kids.... as I am adament I want a hysterectomy so I don't get them anymore!!...

[FourAngelKisses]

I hate them with a passion..... Since my very first cycle they have hurt like nothing before!! labour was less painful than them. I spent many cycles lying on the bathroom floor (as it was the biggest ice pack in the house) in tears and agony....

:hugs:

[AquaDevil78]

I don't hate them , i don't love them. I love how our body's work etc, but just wish we could ovulate, and if not fertilized have nothing happen. The egg can still be dispelled but without the yucky part. Mine are also painful which seems to be getting worse with age. More annoying than anything else. ;)

[ikis84]

I love getting AF because it means I'm not pregnant.
It always feels like such a relief.


Hahha! Yep, ditto... although I missed AF last month, and guess what :bfp:

I like AF more now that I use cloth pads and a cup... still can do without the associated pain though.

[KarniF00l]

Though I don't like AF, I mean who would ?.. but mine are pretty light and last for 3-5 days, I've never had a full 7 day period since day 1. I get slight cramping for 2 days before AF is due but not at all during AF. Reading some of the replies, I guess I'm lucky.


:hugs: LilTandMe

[javalava]

The pain for me i like... its weird... i guess cos its a pain that doesnt mean something is wrong. Bit like labour pain.

But the bleeding is just annoying and messy.

[~Emmylou~]

I've always had really positive feelings about it.
I remember when I first got it I was soooo excited because I knew it meant I could have babies (not that I was planning any :laughing: )

I suppose it's been easy too because I never have any pain, or problems with mine. They've always been regular as clockwork, 5 days long, no cramps. Never had any issues so I 've been lucky.

Now that I'm finished having babies though I guess I'll find it more of an inconvenience when it eventually comes back.

I'm expecting her soon since DS has cut down his feeds a bit of late :rolleyes:

[blessedmummy]

mine are ok, since taking the pill they are alot lighter and last only about 3days which is great!!!:thumbsup:
before that they were a bit yucky feeling and lasted about 4days, first day being the heaviest with having to change every few hours. i got them first when i was 11 (turning 12 that year) thank goodness i got them at home, cause i bawled my eyes out wondering what the heck was goin on with me! i thought it ruined my life forever! :o

[TyBean]

:hugs:


:hugs: LilTandMe

Aww thank you so much girls!! :hugs: :hugs:

[Beany]

I hate them.

I hate the pain for the first day.

I hate having fluids coming out of me with no control.

I hate the red stains on my bed sheet when it arrives early.

I hate the smell. Yes it has a smell and I hate it.

I hate having to go and change pads every couple of hours.

I hate that the pads slip and leave a sticky smelly yucky mess on my knickers sometimes.

I hate the breath taking cramps in the last day or two.

I hate the migraine I get a few days before it starts and lasts for a week.

Love the benefits hate the thing itself. Hate them. Hate them hate them hate them.

[lanna]

I got mine when I was 9 and didnt know what it was or meant. My mum said "its something girls get" and shoved a surfboard in my hands and that was it!!!!!
So I pretended that it didnt have it and the consequences of that were totally embarrassing:o. It wasnt until I had sex education 2 years later at school that I understood what it was all about.

Now everytime I get it I cry, I always have. I hate it with a vengance and I think that 22 years of it is long enough. I have had my children and with DH's vasectomy done with we wont be having anymore.

I hate the mess, I hate the back pain and the clots -discusting- and I still hate the doctors that just told you to get over it - its one of those things you have to live with!!!!!!! They never understood.
I have very bad pain with ovulation, it cripples me and i can not stand up straight. So its not just the period for me its the whole darned process!

Hysterectomy now please!!!!!

[Funkychicken]

I got mine when I was 9 and didnt know what it was or meant. My mum said "its something girls get" and shoved a surfboard in my hands and that was it!!!!!
So I pretended that it didnt have it and the consequences of that were totally embarrassing:o. It wasnt until I had sex education 2 years later at school that I understood what it was all about.

Now everytime I get it I cry, I always have. I hate it with a vengance and I think that 22 years of it is long enough. I have had my children and with DH's vasectomy done with we wont be having anymore.

I hate the mess, I hate the back pain and the clots -discusting- and I still hate the doctors that just told you to get over it - its one of those things you have to live with!!!!!!! They never understood.
I have very bad pain with ovulation, it cripples me and i can not stand up straight. So its not just the period for me its the whole darned process!

Hysterectomy now please!!!!!
I am so sorry to hear this is the way your mother dealt with it. I had a friend at school whose mum responded very similarly and it was really difficult for her. :hugs:

[ikis84]

Lanna, I know what it's like for it to be embarrasing - I got my first period on my 10th birthday - my step mother sang around the house (in front of all the men too) "Living in a period world, and I am a period girl" a la maddonna material girl style!!

Needless to say, that I just stole pads from my sisters than ask my stepmother for some!

[Lillynix]

Although I don't love AF, and could easily do without the hassle, I take happiness in the fact that my cycles are regular and that I can fall pregnant without medical intervention. For that, I will be forever grateful.

I was about 13 the first time I got AF, I knew what it was, what it was all about etc. I had been having mild cramps but couldn't figure out why, then later than night, there she was. I simply wen to my mum, said "meh, got my period, where are the pads?" that was it, it was really a non-issue for me.

However, in that first year, before taking the pill, I would get THE most excrutiating cramps to the point I was in bed, in agony for an hour the day she made her appearance, and she would last anywhere between 1 -3 weeks, so off I went, on the pill, the cramps stopped and I had a 5day cycle.

For me, I much prefer AF since having DD, the only reason being, since having DD they are alot shorter, lasting only 3 days, 2 days heavy, 1 day spotting.

[tootiredtosleep]

Hate it, but always relived I am not pregnant.

[Lucan]

Na, i feel ripped off. The only good thing is the fact we can fall pregnant. None of this empowering ****

[RosssSarah]

I hate AF! The pains and everything to go with it! I suffer from very bad stomach cramps! :( not good!

[studyingECS]

it doesnt bother me at all now, but the first couple of years i hated it, it took me a while to get "comfortable" if that makes sense, it was such a big issue at the start but now it doesnt fase me

[ButterflyMama]

I actually find them liberating and extremely powerful.

I'm a woman. I'm bleeding because I'm fertile. I can grow life inside of me.

I think that's pretty fantastic. :yes:

[vanillabean]

I find them inconvenient to be honest. I am on the pill and skip them2-3 months in a row to avoid the hormonal migraine that I get for a week when I stop the pill. I have that migraine now:banghead:

[Lirael]

Na, i feel ripped off. The only good thing is the fact we can fall pregnant. None of this empowering ****


same:yes: well not ripped off so much. but the other stuff.

[SassyMummy]

When I first got mine, I was 11. I was already growing breasts and had pubic hair... and I felt like I was the only one (I pretty much was with the people I knew) going through that at that age. I cried when I first got them. Well, after I admitted it anyway.

I had little blood spots on my knickers and tried to wash it off before I put them in the wash so Mum didn't know. Well, obviously she figured it out when she had soaking wet knickers with little little blood stains on them... and asked me about it. I just cried. It was horrible.

Well, now I don't cry, but I can't say I like them much more. I was kinda glad when I was in high school at a lot of my friends were getting them, dealing with puberty, when I'd already been through that a few years before. I kinda did a bit of eye-rolling at the things they said... I guess because I was so past that stage. So that was kinda good.

I'd rather not have my period... but I'm glad I do at times. Means I can have babies... well... moreso than if I didn't have them anyway.

[Shanaynay]

I used to hate hate hate it! Icky and gross!

But now I use cloth pads and it's exciting to get so I can use all my pretty pads :D
Thought I guess the novelty will wear off after a while!

I'm weird, huh? :p

[tigerchick]

I HATE THEM I HATE THEM I HATE THEM :thumbsdown: I GOT THEM WHEN I WAS 10 NOW ALMOST 29 I LOVED BEING PG AS YOU DONT GET THEM FOR SO LONG I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A THRID CHILD BUT DP DOSE NOT WANT ANY MORE :eek:

[Lastcenturymum]

I used to hate hate hate it! Icky and gross!

But now I use cloth pads and it's exciting to get so I can use all my pretty pads :D
Thought I guess the novelty will wear off after a while!

I'm weird, huh? :p


Cloth pads???? What the?? Is this just an environmental reason?

My mother and Grandmother used to use cloth strips pinned in their knickers. Hence the expression 'got my rags'

I cant believe it - seems like a backward move, please don't be offened, I'm just really surprised. Would love and explanation. PM me if you like :yes:

[Ana Gram]

Hate it. I would actually like my reproductive organs removed.

[SalTheGal]

Cloth pads???? What the?? Is this just an environmental reason?

My mother and Grandmother used to use cloth strips pinned in their knickers. Hence the expression 'got my rags'

I cant believe it - seems like a backward move, please don't be offened, I'm just really surprised. Would love and explanation. PM me if you like :yes:

Take a look here: http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=361

Same deal as for using cloth nappies!!

[mama2cierra]

i like having it, it cleanses my body from all the months woes and worries. I just hate the cramps. And im always a much happier , relaxed and nicer person once AF has arrived. :D

[Nowhere]

i have never thought about it at such depth of what some of you have, i hate it such an inconvenience, i find nothing about it impowering

[neostudded]

I hate it, with a passion!!

I feel so dirty, it makes me feel ill I shower myself constanly, I cant stand dealing with feeling so gross! I feel so stressed when its 'that time of the month' that I just want to stay at home.

[ButterflyMama]

I'm looking forward to using my cloth pads and my cup, too! :yes:

[studyingECS]

yeh i have to agree with others i dont find it empowering at all, its annoying but it doesnt mean anything to me.

[little mermaid]

my answer to this Q is short ans sweet;

i hate them always have always will!

You and me both!!!!! Absolutely nothing enjoyable about them!!!

[RedPanda]

They're just a fact of life. I don't celebrate it, nor do I hate it. I get my period and I'm grateful that I'm regular for TTC purposes, but that's where the "love" of it ends.

[Ali80]

I absolutely hate them! I got my first period when I was 10 and Mum thought it was a big celebration of becoming a woman...All it has really meant for me is years of pain. I was diagnosed with Endometriosis last year after suffering heavy bleeds, clotting, severe cramps, fainting and vomiting.

If I had never had another one again I would be ecstatic!

[MamaSage]

Love my meses. It is a part of my natural bodily functions so I may as well embrace it! I feel connected to the earth, to my fellow women sisters. I like the fact that my body feels cleansed and fresh and ready for a new month, it washes away the remnants of whatever has been happening int he previous 4 weeks or so. I cannot wait until my cycle comes back! Breastfeeding keeps it away for the time being.:D

[Anna07]

The only thing i can say bout them is that i hate them and can't wait for them to be over.

Before DD.. i was curled up in bed for 5 days.. took days off work for them and missed school becaus eof them. They're sooooo painful, it can be unbearable !

[SugarBlossom]

I love that they are part of being a woman.

My last one started a day before DS's 2nd birthday and felt so special and honered that my body is so in sync.

Also ditto what Carlia said....sooooo cleansing and refreshing

(also keeps DP away!:geek: :laughing: )

Call me crazy...i don't mind moon time at all:D

[kristi001]

Ummm...

Not a Big Fan myself! :no:

But Meh there Just another one of those "Special things" You have to go through when Your a women..

Like labour Marriage and then death...

All as Painful as the Other :D ;)

[SugarBlossom]

Just been reading through the posts....and holy cow!!:eek: a LOT of you hate your AF!!

WHat are the reasons, why feel dirty? and ill? and totally grossed out?

Honestly...I think you need [text removed by moderator] realise its part of you and totally natural. AND we can have children because of it.

Our reproductive organs are waaaay prettier that mens!

How could you hate it for those reasons?

[studyingECS]

Just been reading through the posts....and holy cow!!:eek: a LOT of you hate your AF!!

WHat are the reasons, why feel dirty? and ill? and totally grossed out?

Honestly...I think you need to [text removed by moderator] realise its part of you and totally natural. AND we can have children because of it.

Our reproductive organs are waaaay prettier that mens!

How could you hate it for those reasons?

i hate how hirendously(sp) painful it can be, it makes me feel gross, yeah its natural but doesnt mean i have to like it:)

[Harlequin]

They're just a fact of life. I don't celebrate it, nor do I hate it. I get my period and I'm grateful that I'm regular for TTC purposes, but that's where the "love" of it ends.


That pretty much sums up how I feel, though it is rather inconvenient that mine like to last 7 days.

I haven't had my period since having Ava so it will be interesting to see how they change now that im on Depo Ralovera. My sister says hers hardly exist but she gets some horrid period pains since being on the depo. Ugh.




Honestly...I think you need to [text removed by moderator] realise its part of you and totally natural. AND we can have children because of it.

There are many reasons people might hate having their period.
The obvious one being that blood flows from ones vagina and that can be incredibly inconvenient at times.

A more medical reason could be dysmenorrhea. I have no idea if I spelt that correctly.

[pookiesossige]

I don't dread them, they don't bother me that much.
As long as I am on The Pill, I don't get the awful, debilitating pain with them, so all is ok.

But I loved going without them for so long (pg, b/f, pg, b/f, implanon) I'd like to say bye to them for good- I'm sure I'd have no regrets!

I wasn't too fussed about my first one. I was in year 9, 14 years old and I just went to the admin office and asked for a tampon. Was a bit excited, told mum at home, she was happy for me. I had plenty of sample packs of tampons to use for ages. Mum used these whopping big super sized ones, they freaked me out so never went near them :eek: :laughing:

[Anna07]

That pretty much sums up how I feel, though it is rather inconvenient that mine like to last 7 days.

I haven't had my period since having Ava so it will be interesting to see how they change now that im on Depo Ralovera. My sister says hers hardly exist but she gets some horrid period pains since being on the depo. Ugh.

May i ask.. what is Depo Ralovera ?

[Harlequin]

May i ask.. what is Depo Ralovera ?

I'm pretty sure its the same as depo provera. Just a different name for the contraceptive injection :)

[Anna07]

Ahhh ok.. thanks.

[Tam-I-Am]

I hate them.

I hate the pain for the first day.

I hate having fluids coming out of me with no control.

I hate the red stains on my bed sheet when it arrives early.

I hate the smell. Yes it has a smell and I hate it.

I hate having to go and change pads every couple of hours.

I hate that the pads slip and leave a sticky smelly yucky mess on my knickers sometimes.

I hate the breath taking cramps in the last day or two.

I hate the migraine I get a few days before it starts and lasts for a week.

Love the benefits hate the thing itself. Hate them. Hate them hate them hate them.

Yep - that about sums it up for me - especially the SMELL - its disgusting and it makes me want to vomit everytime I smell it. I actually think its the pads I use - but if I use other brands, they pill. I think I'm switching to cloth, because I seriously cannot stand the smell of them.

Oh, and I get the pains in the first two days - not the last - but they have me stuck on the toilet a lot of the time.

I wish we could just decide when we're having babies, flick the 'on' switch for fertility, and then switch it off again when we're done.

[BoyzMummy]

:o I got my first on Mother's Day 1994, I was 10 about to turn 11. My Mum was in the bathroom putting on 'her face' when I walked in grabbed a pad out of the drawer. Just as I was entering my room my Mum came to ask what I needed the pad for. I simply told her that I had gotten my period. Well, I mother starting screaming and jumping for joy!!!! What the???!!! Anyway the family was coming over for lunch and she told everyone, including my Dad, Grandfathers and Uncles. I was so embarressed. :o

The first year was irregular but after the second year of being in hospital every month I was diagnosed with endometriosis. I was so embarressed about being examined constantly and just by everyone knowing that I had them.

I now don't mind having my period because it reminds me that my body is doing what it needs to produce my beautiful children. The only thing I hate now is the pain, luckily the endometriosis has improved since having the kids. :smiliedance:

[MamaSage]

Has anyone else found that after having babies their cycles regulateds a lot? Obviously I am not on the pill, but after having my daughter three years ago my cycle settles into a textbook 28 day pattern, with predictable ovulation on day 13 or 14. It was great! The flow was not nearly as heavy either, and I rarely experience any cramping. Anyone else had anything similar?

[Ana Gram]

No, in fact my cramping has gotten worse despite doctors assuring me that they would disappear if I had a child.

[Tam-I-Am]

Mine hasn't gotten any worse - but neither has it gotten any better. It still causes horrific pain, clotting, diarrhoea and sometimes vomitting. Its really not a nice time in my life....and it happens once a month *sigh*

(hugs Chelle - :hugs: - for a fellow sufferer!)

[Beany]

Mine has become heavier in flow but the same regarding pain and other annoyances.

[AM]

Yep! I used to have massive cramps every month, but after 2 kids, no pain at all:yelclap:

In fact I feel yuck the day before, and when i actually start to bleed it is a definite clensing releasing feeling, and i am full of energy.

[Lirael]

TMI possibly

this is why I hate mine

bleed(red heavy) for a week minimum
get REALLY horrendous cramps for at least 2 days in the start where i can barely breathe
get constipated, then the runs
get shooting pains through my nether regions(so bad that I have to pant throught them like labour)when i go to toilet
VERY heavy flow the entire first week that tapers to regular then brown goo for a week after that(so roughly 2 weeks all up)
are almost NEVER regular anymore
make me nauseous yet starving(for fatty food I cant tolerate)
headaches
extreme moodiness
nightmares/lack of sleep
the smell, the fact i go through an overnight pad every hour(so cost as well), leaking almost EVERY day

so yep I can have babies but I would rather NOT have periods. thanks very much mother nature :rolleyes:

[Lila]

after 3 kids i can say-
all it is is excruciating pain.
it´s gotten worse after this last one and to be honest i wouldn´t mind it to stop...
i am over it!

[nats]

I miss mine :(
LMP was 20th December 2005! I never appreciated my cycle when I had it and now it's gone.



AP you shoulda made a poll :shame: :yes: :D

[~Kimba~]

I have always felt blessed to be a woman, and monthly bleeds has always been a wonderful part of that for me. After having two children, I am even more in awe of my fertile body.

I am aware that not all women feel this way, and I'm curious.

So, do you feel honoured to have monthly cycles, or do you find it an inconvenience, an embarrasment, or anything else?

I suppose I used to find it inconvenient more than anything. I actually used to skip the inactive pills when taking oral contraception so that I could skip my period. The bleeding never really bothered me that much, and I never had bad cramping or heavy bleeding, but I always got really bad PMS and fluid retention 5 days beforehand, and hated that bloated 'uncomfortable in my skin, self-loathing' feeling that heralds the start of my period.


Have your feelings changed at all since experiencing a pregnancy? Labour? Birth?

Yes! My period just came back yesterday for the first time since having my first child 9 months ago. And I do feel kind of blessed and emotional about it. Glad to know that I'm still fertile, amazed at the potential for new life - this blood could have been the beginnings of a new placenta, had I been TTC! It means I can start charting again and get in tune with my cycles which is sort of exciting.

Also I stopped BFing a month ago and I was really missing the strong feelings of 'femaleness' while breastfeeding and being pregnant over the past 18 months...feeling almost redundant! So having my period return kind of has that same 'female' feeling - hard to explain, but it's nice. I'm also glad my body is working the way it should be, and that I can (hopefully) conceive and carry another child soon.

I expected my first period post-partum to be heavy and painful esp after having an emerg c-section, but apart from a really heavy/ congested/ bloated/ headachy/ cranky/ tired feeling for a few days beforehand, it hasn't been painful, actually there's hardly any cramping (and when there is, I'm glad to feel my uterus working, because I miss the sensations of pregnancy and breastfeeding, does that make sense?). My flow is heavy and red and looks really healthy and alive, and I feel really good now that it's started, much more energetic and relaxed.


Do you remember your feelings when you had your first bleed? Was it positive, or negative?

Mine was quite late, I was about 15, all my friends had had theirs for ages and I was feeling a bit left behind. I was quite excited and proud when it started and felt almost like it should have been more momentuous and 'celebrated', but in my family it was hush hush and not something you'd celebrate like a birthday or something LOL. There were also a lot of mixed feelings of shame, and I remember being constantly fearful I'd leak and bleed all over my school uniform.


Do you think you would do something special for a daughter who was experiencing her first bleed?

Absolutely!!! if I have a daughter one day, I'd like to mark the occasion and have some sort of celebration of her 'coming of age' and womanhood, even if it's just the two of us doing something girly together.

[Angelmist♥]

Mine hasn't gotten any worse - but neither has it gotten any better. It still causes horrific pain, clotting, diarrhoea and sometimes vomitting. Its really not a nice time in my life....and it happens once a month *sigh*

(hugs Chelle - :hugs: - for a fellow sufferer!)

That's exactly how mine are:( Hate them, hate them, hate them. I'd have a hysterectomy if they'd let me.

I get emotional, headaches, crippling pain where I don't even want to get out of bed, vomitting at times, diarrhoea, clotting, snappy and at times so low I contemplate suicide:crying:

While I'm glad so many of you think it's empowering, please don't bag us for not liking ours!

[mama2cierra]

I remember way back before Cierra came along i used to get cramps soo bad that if i was driving my car i couldnt concentrate and was in pain so bad, that I had to pull over for a while....then in between pangs id drive as quick as I could to the pharmacy to pick up some naprogesic.

Since Cierra has been born I have only menstruated probably 5 times. AF never arrived while i was BF and on minipill. I went off the minipill for a while towards the end of when i was BF and then it came. No where near as painful and noticable. Then I decided to have implanon inserted and have been getting my periods every 4 months .

The other day I went to dr. and got my implanon removed. I am really excited about it coz I will get back to my old natural self again. All these extra hormones that were swimming around my body were doing awful things to my personality, moods, appetite, skin, relationships...etc etc.

:fingerscrossed: my periods arent as full on as they used to be.

[borntobemummy]

because I used to have PCOS, getting AF is exciting and signals fertility, so I see it as a good thing.

[alicesmum]

My flow is heavy and red and looks really healthy and alive...

Like most people, I can't say I jump for joy in that first 24 hours when the bleeding is heavy and the pain is bad and my mood is crappy, but there is also a feeling of relief about being in good health when the flow is as described by Kimbaleo above. I do like that part of it. :yes:

[Cinta]

To sum it all up in short - I hate periods.

They're annoying, an inconvenience. When I'm not pregnant they have always been quite regular. I would have it for a couple of days heavy, then a couple of days quite light, so not too bad but still hate them lol. On the first couple of days I feel all crampy and blah! I know I should feel honoured to have them and be a women, and I am grateful that I am able to have kids but if I never had another period I would be happy lol! (But I still want another bub after Brenton!)

I got my first one when I was 12, and to be honest I didn't really know all that much about it. I wish it had been explained a little better to me.
I hated the worry of leaking onto school uniforms, or if I was staying at a friends place.



One of the many plusses of being preggie, no periods! Hehe :D

[neostudded]

Tam-I-Am, I HATE the smell to I was going to say that but didnt want to gross people out.I might add that I think the pads with perfumes make the smell worser...That is one reason I want to use cloth pads.I get my period so heavy I cant ever get it without leaking everywhere to.It comes out in huge clots & makes me weak & pale for loosing so much blood.

[Beany]

There are pads with PERFUME?!

:barf:

[red crayon]

after reading these posts, i realise how lucky i am to have a cycle that doesn't cause me any problems. my period has always been light, although irregular. it doesn't worry me at all when it comes. i'm not bothered by it - it's just a part of being a woman.

[Tam-I-Am]

There are pads with PERFUME?!

:barf:

Not perfume as such - the Carefree Stayfree ones have "odour eating" technology....which STINKS to high heaven. It really makes me want to vomit....

I think I'm switching to cloth too!

Neo - you need to take an iron and a vitamin C supplement....Sounds like you're getting a touch of iron deficient anemia. Its actually fairly easily fixed.

[Beany]

The thing that is preventing me from making the switch to cloth is the idea of handling (literally) that smell. And the clots.

[LittleBoysRock]

It definetly makes me feel like a woman but it is VERY painful since having DS (can only imagine what it will be like after DS#2 is born....)

[Mischief]

The thing that is preventing me from making the switch to cloth is the idea of handling (literally) that smell. And the clots.
Yes me too! I just couldnt cope with that..... I have enough of a time trying to cope with disposible pads. :(

[neostudded]

Thanks for that Tam-I-Am but I have so much red meat & I take so much of iron & vitamin c, I dont know what to do.
there is one 1 day I bleed so bad I change a maternity pad every 25 minutes, I set an alarm before I go to sleep to wake me in 4 hours so I can change.

I often wake up in blood I stay in my room because I dont want people to see.I clean up as much as I can I want to get the blood off, but cant.I have OCD & find It hard thinking about anything else I always panic when Iam in this situation.

I worry about using my pillows & blankets because I dont want blood on them.I basically sleep on towels & dont use my blanket, I make my DP sleep on another bed so he doesnt wake up with it on him to.

[Tam-I-Am]

Sounds awful Neo :hugs: No wonder really it makes you iron deficient if its that heavy!

After you have your bubba go and ask at the chemist about "Fefol" - its an iron and vitamin B supplement, ultra high-dose but slow release. I find if I take one of those a week - I'm pretty good.

Make sure you take it with a vit c supplement too

[neostudded]

Thanks Tam-I-Am I dont see the harm in taking more Iron & seeing what happens, I should start now before I give!!

birth does heavy af mean heavier loss?:confused:

[Lirael]

well to be honest you should check with your doctor cause it can be harmful to take too much iron. better to be safe than sorry.

[Mischief]

Neo - I used to get the same as you - Once your bubba arrives you might find your periods are better as far as bleeding goes.

I now only have one really bad day, like you described, and after that its much better!

[neostudded]

Oh I hope so :fingerscrossed:

[BlueButterfly]

I HATE AF!

It sucks big time.

Some of you might be fine with it, but I do not like crying and being curled up in foetal position on the floor with violent pains!

Once I have kids, I might value it more, but right now...Im in severe pain. This is so not worth it. I envy those you dont have pain :(

[Tam-I-Am]

well to be honest you should check with your doctor cause it can be harmful to take too much iron. better to be safe than sorry.

I absolutely agree!

It CAN actually be harmful to take too much iron - it is possible to overdose on it, and the consequences can be really nasty. So yes, you should check with your GP. :)