is this what happens when ur on ur period?

[Ferney]

I have been on contraception since my early teens. Obviously not during pregnancy and i went back on it 6 weeks after bubs was born.

Therefore i cannot remember what it actually feels like when i am due to get my period or when i am on my period.

The last 2 months i have come off contraception as we are TTC #2

I have had 2 short light periods in that time.
Both times just before i get my period all i want to do is sleep and EAT! I feel bloated and fat.
When i am on my period i feel dizzy and frail. I dont want to leave the house incase i may faint. I get headaches for the whole time im on my period.
Sometimes when im out or just at home i need to stop and sit down with a sweet drink or eat something because i feel dizzy and tired. It's completely out of my norm!

As soon as my period ends im back to normal and feel fine.
Then i start to feel tired again about a week before my period is due, its a viscoius cycle and it's annoying!
Is this just normal stuff that happens around the time you get a period?

[sweetseven]

I'm afraid different women are effected differently. However, I would suggest talking to your doctor. It could be as simple as needing an iron supplement.

[felicita]

I get the need to eat before a period, but since I don't want to eat much/anything on the first day due to period pain it sorts itself out. I use the urge to eat as a symptom of upcoming AF when I've been too lazy to record dates.

Bloated feeling is normal for many people.
You might even be able to sense a change in your uterus (for me the internal sensation starts feeling a bit more squishy/squelchy) right before AF.

But the extent of dizziness and tiredness makes me also wonder if your iron is low or borderline so that it drops low around AF.

The brain isn't happy if it misses out on oxygen or sugar. The headache may indicate your brain isn't happy. Since you can't do a heap about the oxygen if iron is low, the sweet drink to "fix" sugar may be your body's second guess.
Or the dizziness could be your body's physical response to pain - whether the pain is consciously bothering you or not.
But I'd get iron checked first because it's something you can do something about if it's the culprit.