{"id":8433,"date":"2016-05-10T05:18:09","date_gmt":"2016-05-10T05:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/archive.gabapple.com\/tumblr\/gabapple\/2016\/05\/10\/stuff-that-may-happen-on-your-period-no-one-told\/"},"modified":"2016-05-10T05:18:09","modified_gmt":"2016-05-10T05:18:09","slug":"stuff-that-may-happen-on-your-period-no-one-told","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/archive.gabapple.com\/tumblr\/gabapple\/2016\/05\/10\/stuff-that-may-happen-on-your-period-no-one-told\/","title":{"rendered":"Stuff that may happen on your period no one told you about."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/cassandrashipsit.tumblr.com\/post\/144004535872\">cassandrashipsit<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/aninkyaffair.tumblr.com\/post\/143790771437\">aninkyaffair<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/butterflyinthewell.tumblr.com\/post\/143765357748\">butterflyinthewell<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/hazelcephalopod.tumblr.com\/post\/143764535492\">hazelcephalopod<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/amuseoffyre.tumblr.com\/post\/143729373225\">amuseoffyre<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/valthevaliant.tumblr.com\/post\/143713375400\">valthevaliant<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/mklutz.tumblr.com\/post\/143703736140\">mklutz<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/emmersdrawberry.tumblr.com\/post\/143412552982\">emmersdrawberry<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/trulymightypotato.tumblr.com\/post\/143408750340\">trulymightypotato<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/emmersdrawberry.tumblr.com\/post\/143391012117\">emmersdrawberry<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/xxxkyrareaperxxx.tumblr.com\/post\/143390358693\">xxxkyrareaperxxx<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/princessandthepug.tumblr.com\/post\/143388341122\">princessandthepug<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a class=\"tumblr_blog\" href=\"http:\/\/emmersdrawberry.tumblr.com\/post\/143385942957\">emmersdrawberry<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>So there was a lot of misinformation, and just a huge lack of the nitty gritty stuff, when I was in school and I see a lot of young kids on forums asking if something is normal or worrying about stuff and adults who have wondered their whole lives if other people feel the same on their periods.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s some stuff about periods people might not talk about;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It can smell. But using scented pads isn\u2019t a great idea, the chemicals in the perfume cause irritation. But here\u2019s the thing; vaginas smell. All of them. All the time. <i>Right now<\/i>. YOU notice the smell because it\u2019s literally part of you, but other people don\u2019t. If it\u2019s a <b>foul <\/b>smell and very strong you should speak with a gynecologist, but the average day-to-day odor is normal and doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re dirty.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Diarrhea all day every day.<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Or, alternately, constipation all day every day.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>ALSO alternatively, a healthy mix of <i>both <\/i>sprinkled randomly across the days of your period like too much nutmeg where no one asked nutmeg to be.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Your first period might not look like a period at first. It might look, well, brown, and lead you to other conclusions about what\u2019s going on in your skivvies. Then it might not come again the next month and show up on a totally different week when it does. Mine came like A LOT. It was very heavy and I bled through a pair of jeans in the middle of school it was so heavy. I didn\u2019t know what it was and thought I was bleeding from my butt because my liar teacher said a period would only be a\u00a0\u2018tablespoon\u2019. Tablespoon of lies.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>At some point your probably going to stain the back of the toilet seat with blood. That doesn\u2019t mean your bleeding too much, or that your dirty, but it\u2019s a tid bit of information I wish I knew as a kid so I could have known to look for it when using public restrooms or at friend\u2019s houses.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Period farts.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Having sex on your period isn\u2019t gross or dirty or wrong. Put an old towel down on the bed and have at it.<\/li>\n<li>The feelings you have on your period are entirely valid and not imagined or unimportant because of your period. Whether or not your feelings are heightened by PMS they are still your feelings and should be respected.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0\u2018average\u2019 period is anywhere from 3-10 days with any variation in flow. You shouldn\u2019t be concerned because your period isn\u2019t the same as your friends is, only if it changes from what\u2019s average for you. There isn\u2019t such a thing as a\u00a0\u2018normal period\u2019 you need to fit into.<\/li>\n<li>If you wear a disposable pad there <b>will <\/b>be a point where it\u2019s going to unstick at some corner and when you pull it off it\u2019s going to pull some of your pubic hair with it. This is going to suck. I am very sorry.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>If you wear a tampon there is going to be a point you will squeeze it out of yourself when you use the bathroom. Just change your tampon each time you go. Please listen to me on this.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Swamp butt.<\/li>\n<li>You will get blood stained thighs at some point. It\u2019s going to cake onto your skin and make a mess just everywhere.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The cashier doesn\u2019t care about you buying pads\/tampons\/etc, they just had a guy buy 4 pounds of carrots, a box of Xtra Large ribbed condoms and cherry scented lube. Your pads are not on their radar of things to care about.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Washing Your Junk:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>When you shower (if you want a bath i\u2019d shower before hand or dont wash in the bath itself and shower after to get clean) remember you are not actually washing <i>inside <\/i>of your vagina, you\u2019re washing the skin <i>around <\/i>it (labia, clitoris, all those good bits). Using a soft wash cloth with either very mild unscented soap or just warm water. \u00a0Seriously, stop putting washing products inside yourself; You do not need to wash the inside of your vagina and doing so can cause infections. Unless given products by your doctor there is no need to douche or use creams or wipes or other stuff like that. They\u2019re lies sold to you to make you think you smell bad.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0You know how your parents said\u00a0\u2018wipe front to back\u2019?Same with washing, you don\u2019t want to drag butt germs all over your vagina. Don\u2019t do it.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Some people find that trimming, or shaving, their pubic hair helps them control odor, or makes wearing sanitary products more comfortable, but it isn\u2019t required and is personal preference with different individuals. <b>There is no health benefit to shaving or trimming your pubic hair and it will not make you cleaner than if you didn\u2019t shave.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li>Wearing light breathable cotton undies during your period will help eliminate odor and not give you swamp butt. Especially in the summer.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Washing after sex is a great idea and not just because it\u2019s romantic. If you\u2019ve ever had period sex before you will k n o w but if you have not I am going to just ask you to take my word for it and plan a shower afterwards.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Feel free to tack on other stuff if you want. Tell me all your period secrets.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Also: keep in mind that what\u2019s coming out isn\u2019t <i>just<\/i>\u00a0blood. It\u2019s also uterine lining. It\u2019s not going to smell like blood and it\u2019s common, especially when it\u2019s heavy, that there will be clots and chunks. These are normal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You should NOT be experiencing debilitating pain. Cramping, bloating, and general discomfort are expected but shouldn\u2019t be severe. If your period is causing you nausea or vomiting, dizziness, fainting spells, blacking out, or any other severe symptoms that interfere with your day to day life PLEASE reach out to a doctor.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>I think <a class=\"tumblelog\" href=\"https:\/\/tmblr.co\/m3sXMTp1Bf1oUGYM5ZxFagQ\">@rattlecat<\/a> made an awesome post about Always infinity pads being way better than regular pads for anyone that suffers heavy flows or prefers pads to other period methods<\/p>\n<p>Pads have the curse of feeling like you are wearing a diaper so this may help people that cannot use anything but pads<\/p>\n<p>(I\u2019m on mobile or I\u2019d find it and link directly. Sorry!)\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I am a fan of\u00a0\u2018U by Kotex\u2019 and the ever famous Always Infinity, both of which are often on the cheaper end of the price range and frequently on sale. \u00a0I have never had an issue bleeding through either and even during times I\u2019ve been unable to change them for way too long (dont judge me it was a road trip) the pad stayed in place the whole time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On a side note, you can find free samples from just about any pad\/tampon company website. I got a pad, tampon, and panty liner trial pack (all in one pack!) from Kotex that I keep in the glove box.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>If you\u2019re one of the people that needs to reach out to a doctor, be warned that they may not believe you, especially if you\u2019re under 20. (The number of times I\u2019ve been told I\u2019m overreacting or that it\u2019s normal for things to be\u00a0\u201cweird\u201d in the first few years of periods or that I\u2019m making stuff up is alarmingly high \u2013 I still don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on because of it, and I\u2019ve been trying for years.) Be prepared to fight for it. Find a gynecologist if your default doctor won\u2019t listen to you. Just find out what\u2019s going on and do what you need to to help improve things.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>I want to put it out there for young people who may not be used to making their own doctor appointments; you do not need to be referred by your primary physician to make an appointment with a specialist like a gynecologist. You don\u2019t need to do anything other than make the appointment, your primary doesn\u2019t have to be part of that process if you don\u2019t trust them or they aren\u2019t helping you.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>If you _don\u2019t_ get your period regularly, or if you get it 4-6 times a year only, see a doctor &#8211; you may have an endocrin disorder. Also you can try period panties or menstrual cups &#8211; find a solution that works for you!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Adding to this because I nearly died: If you go a long time without having a period, say like, 6 months, IMMEDIATELY go see a doctor. If the lining of your uterus doesn\u2019t shed and just sits there, it cause be a precursor for uterine cancer. Everybody thinks that going to see a OBGYN is super icky and gross but you know what, it literally saved my life. <\/p>\n<p>And my OBGYN, after letting me tell my story and freaking out, said, \u201cokay, this may seem like it\u2019s weird to you, but I literally see this every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Also, if you have any of the above problems, especially pain, and your doctor tries to dismiss them as \u201clady troubles\u201d and tells you to take paracetomol or painkillers and deal with it, don\u2019t let them overrule and dismiss you you. If it\u2019s that bad, kick up a fuss and make them listen. Take a list of symptoms. Keep a diary of incidents. Make sure they know exactly how bad it is and when. Make it so they won\u2019t try and dismiss it as just period pain.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This may or may not be helpful, but I\u2019m going to write it anyway. More about period sex.:<\/p>\n<p>1. I have heard that\u00a0\u201cthe flow\u201d can slow down if your aroused, and in my experience this seems to have some accuracy (there will probably still be some blood though, put down a towel and all parties should wash after)<\/p>\n<p>2. In my experience, during ones period ones clit and vulva and vagina may be much more sensitive. That could be really nice or really not nice<\/p>\n<p>3. Period sex can help with cramps, a lot<\/p>\n<p>4. It could be really uncomfortable if you are constipated<\/p>\n<p>5. Seriously, put down a towel, or something.<\/p>\n<p>On cramps:<\/p>\n<p>1. See number 3 above<\/p>\n<p>2. Tylenol and ibprofen<\/p>\n<p>3. There are period yoga videos on youtube, which can be very nice (there\u2019s one where it just tells you to lay down like you are doing sit ups) (FYI there might be a lot more flow while you do this)<\/p>\n<p>4. You can make a heating pad. Look it up<\/p>\n<p>5. Walk and move, it could help. Or exercise (like in number three)<\/p>\n<p>and finally: If you want to lay on the couch and watch sappy movies (I like watching really crappy Sci-Fi movies, Dune was boring thoug), and eat chocolate and junk food, and possbily cry. It happens, no shame in it. Oh also please drink lots of tea and water. There is PMS tea which tastes like cinnamon and that can be nice -possibly cinnamon helps in general, I don\u2019t remember, but don\u2019t just eat cinnamon.<\/p>\n<p>**if you eat cinnamon you will wish you had not, a lot.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>PS I tried to keep this gender neutral, I\u2019m sorry if I failed. OK BYE. *smile face*<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>If you\u2019re autistic, be ready for the changes in hormones to have a ton of effects on you.<\/p>\n<p>Dyspraxia may get worse or seem better.<\/p>\n<p>Proprioception may disappear or seem too intense.<\/p>\n<p>You may notice increased aggression in yourself.<\/p>\n<p>It may take less stimulation than usual to send you into a meltdown or shutdown.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re hypersensitive, everything is too loud, big and close.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re hyposensitive, nothing will be big, loud or close enough.<\/p>\n<p>Thinking patterns may get convoluted.<\/p>\n<p>You might experience extreme hyperfocus or find yourself unable to focus.<\/p>\n<p>Everyday tasks you do a lot may seem harder or easier.<\/p>\n<p>You might notice more self-injurious behaviors (SIB) in yourself if you have those behaviors. Some people may only get SIB during menstruation.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re verbal, you may find it harder to speak clearly or go nonverbal a lot. Keeping your thoughts together to talk can also seem harder.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re nonverbal you may find your other forms of communication are more difficult or they may get easier.<\/p>\n<p>For everyone: The armpit sweat that feels like slime\u2026\u2018nuff said!<\/p>\n<p>You might sweat way more easily than usual.<\/p>\n<p>Hot flashes happen, too, as well as increased reactions to temperature changes.<\/p>\n<p>Your appetite may increase. Menstruating burns calories and your body is telling you to replace them. I think that\u2019s mainly why people get food cravings during menstruation.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>If you have a connective tissue disorder your joints will most likely become more unstable in the 5 days leading up to your cycle and the few days afterwards. This is because your body has produced more progesterone and that hormone loosens up our joints. People without a CTD may experience joint laxity at this point in their cycle, but ours is far more pronounced because of our already lax connective tissues. <\/p>\n<p>Expect more frequent subluxations and dislocations at this point in your cycle. There\u2019s not much you can do to prevent it beyond taking extra care and maybe using tape or bracing. Most doctors won\u2019t mention this either when you\u2019re first diagnosed with a CTD, mine never did.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Some really good stuff here for period havers. I apologize if any of the comments were cis-sexist, I tried to cut off any reblogs that got blatant, but I still don\u2019t always recognize it when I see it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>cassandrashipsit: aninkyaffair: butterflyinthewell: hazelcephalopod: amuseoffyre: valthevaliant: mklutz: emmersdrawberry: trulymightypotato: emmersdrawberry: xxxkyrareaperxxx: princessandthepug: emmersdrawberry: So there was a lot of misinformation, and just a huge lack of the nitty gritty stuff, when I was in school and I see a lot of young kids on forums asking if something is normal or worrying about stuff and &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/archive.gabapple.com\/tumblr\/gabapple\/2016\/05\/10\/stuff-that-may-happen-on-your-period-no-one-told\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Stuff that may happen on your period no one told you about.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3232,3112,3231,852],"class_list":["post-8433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-and-stuff-that-i-really-wish-id-known-when-i-was-younger","tag-period","tag-sorry-this-is-just-really-useful","tag-tmi","without-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/archive.gabapple.com\/tumblr\/gabapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/archive.gabapple.com\/tumblr\/gabapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/archive.gabapple.com\/tumblr\/gabapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/archive.gabapple.com\/tumblr\/gabapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/archive.gabapple.com\/tumblr\/gabapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8433"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/archive.gabapple.com\/tumblr\/gabapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8433\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/archive.gabapple.com\/tumblr\/gabapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/archive.gabapple.com\/tumblr\/gabapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/archive.gabapple.com\/tumblr\/gabapple\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}