Irregular Periods

So what is an irregular period? It's pretty straightforward; it means a period that doesn't follow your regular schedule. This could be a month when you miss your period, or a period that comes only two weeks after your last one, or anything along those lines. You can check out my post from last week for a schedule of how your period normally works. An irregular period can happen for a number of reasons; some of them are no big deal and some could cause a big problem. Let's look at some of these possibilities.

1. It's been less than a year since your first period.
This is not really anything to worry about. It just means your body hasn't figured out its cycle yet.

2. You are exercising too much. Check out Anna's post on periods and exercise for more information about this.

3. You are pregnant or breastfeeding.  Then your body knows you already have a baby, so it doesn't need to prepare you to get pregnant, so your period stops. This is not something to worry about.

4. You have an eating disorder or you have lost or gained a significant amount of weight in a short period of time. In this situation, the missed period is just a side effect and you should really be worried about your eating disorder instead.

5. You are taking birth control medicines. This could mess up your cycle in the long run, so use caution before taking birth control pills (although I wouldn't recommend taking them at all if it's not absolutely necessary.)

6. You are under a lot of emotional stress. This one doesn't happen as much as the others, but it's a good thing to know.

These are the most common reasons for you to miss your period. If you're having periods more than once a month and it's been more than a year since your first period, talk to your doctor. This could mean you have a problem with your uterus. However, that's pretty rare, so don't panic. I hope these helped!

Continue reading →

Tips for dealing with cramps.

Hey, I'm Corina and I’m here to help you with perhaps the most unpleasant aspect of periods- the cramps. Now, some of you lucky people don’t experience these cramps. But trust me they hurt. For those of you who are unlucky enough to be crippled from pain once a month, below are some tips for reducing the cramping.

Pay attention to what you eat while on your period. 
Yes, it might be extremely tempting to whatever the heck you want and stuff yourself with comfort foods in order to get over this horrible time, but in the long run it’s important to watch what you’re putting into your body. Try to consciously choose fruits and vegetables over salty or fatty foods. For many people, cutting dairy intake can help reduce your pain as well. Drink lots of water.
Eat chocolate.
Yes, chocolate can help with cramping. While most chocolate does contain sugar, which is something you should stay way from whilst on your period, it also contains magnesium. Magnesium is a nutrient that gets greatly depleted during this time of the month and thus it's important you replenish your supply. So go ahead, eat some chocolate. Just be careful with how much sugar you're taking in and also the amount of dairy contained in the kind of chocolate you're having. Try to stick to dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate.
Utilize pain killers.
If you are lucky enough to have access to pain killers, use them! When you feel the discomfort coming on, take a pill. However, pay attention to the serving amounts on the package and also the way your body reacts tot the medicine. If you don't have access to pain killers (like me), well then I sympathize with you.
Sleep.
Sleeping will not only take your mind off the cramps, it will relax your body so they go away. Sometimes drifting off to sleep while pain pulses in your stomach is hard, but most of the time you'll wake up feeling much better.
Exercise.
Yeah, dragging yourself off your bed and going for a jog around your neighborhood is the last thing you feel like doing when you feel your thighs start aching with pain. But walking or doing yoga can greatly reduce your cramps and make you feel a lot better. Getting exercise will also help you to drift off to sleep while you have cramps because you'll be more tired.
Use heating pads.
As was said in an earlier post, heating pads are a great resource. If you don't have a heating pad, trying using a hot water bottle instead. Even pressing a warm cup of tea against the area can help. I usually curl up around my mom if she's sitting on her bed reading and use her as a heating pad. Hey, it works. I also sometimes use a laptop as a heating pad. If you have nothing else, dipping a wash cloth in hot water and laying on your bare stomach can help.
Take a hot bath or shower.
Taking a hot bath or shower can relax and calm your body and thus reduce cramping. When you take a bath, tampons can be a good idea as you don't want to be sitting in a pool of your own blood. Try filling up a bath tub until your abdominal area is just submerged and then laying a towel on top of it. This can traps the heat and feels nice and soothing.
Wear loose clothing.
Wearing clothing that doesn't put pressure on your abdominal area can help. Don't wear something with a tight waist band or belt. Dresses can help in this aspect.
Utilize your pet if you possess one.
Cats or other small animals can help reduce cramping. Having them sit across the area where you have cramps, making sure their calm. A cat's purr will relax your muscles and the heat from their body will help rid of the cramps.
Drink tea.
Hot tea is a great way to rid yourself of cramps. Raspberry leaf tea is a period experiencing human's best friend and I mean it. That stuff is amazing. Brew yourself a cup and sip it slowly.
Most important, relax.
Just relax. Put on a pair of earphones and get lost in the music. Pick up a favorite book and revisit the story. Lay down and try to sleep. Don't stress over things and try to simplify even your most ordinary activities. Try to stick to doing what you enjoy and pampering your body for this week.

I hope this helps you with surviving that time of the month. Always remember: This too shall pass.

Continue reading →

Blood, sweat, and tears: How exercise affects your period

You've been exercising for weeks.  You feel good, and ready to take on the world (or, you know, the next game/meet.  Same thing).
...You're also set to start bleeding any day now.
If you've just recently started exercising, the truth in the matter is that you're probably going to notice a bigger difference in your cycle than someone who has always been active, simply because for the latter the type of cyclical changes exercise causes are routine, so I'll start there first.
You burn a lot of calories and energy exercising, and your body uses up a lot of nutrients.  In your period, you also lose nutrients.  If you don't compensate and eat more calories during the day, this can cause a condition called amenorrhea, where your period stops.  (Note: If you've just started your period in the past year or two, skipping a month here and there is normal.  I'm talking long term or skipping your period after it's been regular for awhile).  Thankfully, amenorrhea does not cause serious long-term effects if treated quickly and can be easily amended by increasing you caloric intake and decreasing the length or intensity of your exercise.
If you're exercising more, you're probably also drinking more water (or at least, you should be!).  This can help get rid of the acne caused by your hormones going nuts and can also help with cramps.  And, in my experience, the more water I drink, the shorter my period is- about 5-6 days instead of 7.  This isn't scientifically backed up by anything and even if it was I couldn't guarantee it'll work for you, but hey, the less blood the better!
Besides water, exercise itself can also help with cramps.  It increases the bloodflow to your uterus.  So grab that water bottle, lace up your shoes, and go take over the world your favorite sport!

Continue reading →