Period Talk (You know...that kind of period)

    It's that time of the month. Mother Nature is making her rounds, bringing with her heavy bleeding, cramping, headaches, exhaustion and an insatiable appetite for anything sweet. To top all that off, my Mom made pizza and my salty cravings are hitting an all time high as well. The annual celebration of my body rewarding me for not being pregnant has come and will be gone by the end of the week. Getting your period can be a misery, but getting it when you have to go into work on a Sunday just adds to a new level of "Why God??" Then I got home, showered and actually feel quite pleasant (until tonight comes. I tend to bleed heavier when I'm asleep).

    In all my time on Blogger (8 years this year), I don't think I've read a post about menstruation from any of the people I follow. It's not really a taboo subject in society anymore. And while periods can well and truly suck, I don't think that complaining about them really does anyone any good at all. Menstruation is the one of the biological factors that unites all women together; our bodies simply functioning as God created us to be. It's a young girls natural transition into womanhood. And lets not lie, there's quite a double standard when it comes to attitudes about the monthly cycle.

     Women whine, moan, cry and feel absolute despair with the onset of menstruation. Yet, will rejoice when it announces that there won't be a new addition 9 months down the road. And I'm primarily referring to cases when they allowed irresponsibility to take hold instead of moral common sense. Certainly not in cases of rape, where a woman was victimized and had no choice.

(And lets be honest, the idea of 'accidental pregnancy' is practically laughable and shouldn't even be a term at all. If you have sex, there's a 50% you'll get pregnant. Science and fact.)

    I started my period when I was very young. I had just turned 10 and at the point in my life, I certainly wasn't ready, but nature thought otherwise. My first several years were miserable though. My cramps especially were so terrible, I was almost ill. Then when I was diagnosed with epilepsy and put on medication, my periods were shorter because the medicine was a partial birth control. I still get heavy bleeding and horrible cramping, but thankfully it's over in 24 hours. I usually don't have very bad mood swings, but I'm tired all the time and I tend to get bad headaches. All in all, I think I fare better than a lot of other women out there. 

     I'm a very organized person. When I get frustrated I start cleaning and putting things into order. Knowing that there is a system and a way to keep to that system is satisfying for me. For a long time, I was completely unorganized when it came to the planning of my periods. I had a tracker of course, but all my products were shoved in my drawers and I could barely reach them. Or I would be completely out of products and would have to borrow from my sisters.

    I finally took the initiative to create a period or hygiene basket. I keep it close by and when I notice I'm getting low on products, I buy and restock before my period hits.

     The basic feminine products including Summer's Eve wipes for those nauseating menstruation smells. I highly recommend those wipes too. They smell wonderful and you do feel clean afterwards. I also keep a set of disposable razors and an extra toothbrush (you're suppose to get a new toothbrush every three months). I keep this hygiene basket on my shelf and I'm able to just grab a pad and the wipes without having to dig through my closet or my drawers. Keeping my razors in there as well has been helpful too.

     Now onto the portable period pack. Way back when I was still a teen, I was reading the Lily Series and in one of the books, they hit on the topic of getting your period. It was suggested that all girl's carry a portable period pack with them. Ever since I read that book, I've always kept one with me.

     Pretty much the same as the hygiene basket, but just kept in a convenient makeup bag that can be carried in your purse. And it's definitely a lot easier and less conspicuous to take a little period pack with you to the bathroom, then having to risk explaining why you're taking your purse. This cute pack (from Wal-Mart in case you were wondering) is about the size of my hand, but I can fit a great deal into it. I keep a medicine case fill with ibuprofen that usually helps with he cramping and headaches and a couple of the Summer's Eve travel wipes. That's all you pretty much need when you're away from home. 

     And it's also great to have when helping someone else. Women supporting women : )

     Mother nature can be cruel and heartless at times, but we are what we are. Menstruation is the one factor that all women can truly be on the same page. We all understand the sickness, the misery, the attitude changes and the constant question "Are you on your period?" when we are remotely angry about anything. Accept it, love it and never regret and never be ashamed of being created as a woman.