Back to the Basics Series: Know Your Enemy Part. 1

May 25, 2018 3 min read

"INFO: The team previously at hannahpad Canada launched their own new brand, illum! These blog posts have been written when we used to run hannahpad Canada. All information is still relevant and everything is the same! We simply changed the brand that we offer. "

Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated PART.Ⅰ

: Who are you & Why do you come?

“Congratulations!”

This is what I heard from my mom when I first had my period. Although I didn’t even realize why she was so happy for me, she called my dad right away to have a party. He bought a cake on his way home, and we celebrated my first period together that night. However, as a grown-up woman who has had period every month for more than a decade, it’s just an “unwanted, monthly guest” in my life. I even should be prepared to have it. What a contradiction! What is period and what makes myself and tons of women on earth so annoyed every month?

Menstruation, so-called period, is a vaginal bleeding that occurs as a part of woman’s monthly cycle. Our body prepares for pregnancy every month, but if no pregnancy occurs, the womb begins to shed its lining. This is Period. The menstrual blood contains blood and tissue from the inside of the womb, and it is discharged from the body through the vagina. Periods usually last three to five days and start between at the age of 11 and 14, and will continue until menopause at about age of 51. I think my mom was happy for my period since it was a kind of an evidence which meant I grew up and became a “woman” from being a “little baby girl”.

menstrual phase

I was little bit flustered but mostly excited for the new experience until I figured out the negative sides of having a period. Mood swings and food cravingsbefore menstruation, mood swings and fatigueduring menstruation and of course, the cramps. Common symptoms of menstruation include abdominal or pelvic cramping, lower back pain, bloating and sore breasts, headache, irritability and mood swings. Nowadays these are called Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), and it affects many women of childbearing age. A woman may become angry, depressed, anxious or she may cry out of the blue before and/or during the period. Although the researchers can’t pinpoint what exactly causes the roller coaster of emotions, they believe these are related to the rise and fall of hormones, specifically estrogen, throughout the cycle. In addition, it is normal to have mild cramps during period due to uterine contractions - when the muscle (the uterine is a muscle) tightens and relaxes allowing blood to pass out from your body.

Premenstrual Syndrome

Menstrual flow, symptoms and the level of pain range from mild to severe, and it varies in individuals. Although it is natural to have cramps and discomforts during period, there might be other reasons for your symptoms if they are not relieved with over-the-counter medication. When severe pain occurs, make sure to visit your doctor soon.

Some say the symptoms of menstruation can be controlled and treated with simple changes in daily lives. I have my own tricks to deal with the unwanted guest, and I believe many other women have their own tricks as well. If so, then what can we do? Please share your own remedies!

Bananas to relieve cramps

Preview of Our little secret:
Just some of the things you need to get through your period. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Reusable cloth pads to make yourself more comfortable.
A cup of tea: raspberry for cramps, chasteberry for tender breasts. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Bananas to relieve cramps
Blueberries to offset the symptoms of low estrogen