When Did You Get Your First Period?
I was in town doing the shopping when I got my first period. I thought I was just sick, and really needed the toilet!
Where Were You When Your First Period Started?
I was thirteen, almost 14, when I got my first period. I'd been feeling sick all day, cramping stomach as if I were constipated, and running a temperature, so I thought I was sick.
We were at the shops a town over from where we lived, and felt like I really needed the toilet urgently.
I went to the public toilets (which shows how sick I was feeling as I hate public toilets, and always have) thinking I was going to throw up. I washed my face with cold water from taps, which was a great relief, then went to the toilets. As soon as I sat down- whoomph! Blood everywhere!
Although I knew what a period was, in a round about sort of way, it didn't really connect in my brain what was happening for a few minutes.
After I cleaned up, I pulled my mum aside and told her. Unfortunately she was in a bad mood and wasn't very good about it, and so when we got home I grabbed one of my mother's tampons that were kept in the bathroom, read the instructions and stuck it in- then spent the rest of the day in my room miserable because I felt sick, and mum had made me feel awful about it all. This is a bad way to be made to feel, at a time when you're feeling sick and emotional and don't really understand why: if someone makes you feel bad about your first period, just remember, they aren't in your body, and are not feeling what you feel.
I didn't like the tampons, so the next day I bought a few different packs of pads at a pharmacy and tried them out until I found the most comfy ones for me. Because I didn't really know what I needed, I asked a lady staff member for assistance. She was extremely helpful and gave me some really good advice.
I was extremely shy about asking at first, but I figured if I didn't ask I'd never know, and forced myself to be confident about it. Then I discovered it was nowhere near as big a deal as I'd built it up in my mind!
Your first period is a significant step to becoming a woman- it seems weird, but I think you should celebrate yourself at this time- you might feel crampy and miserable, but you've reached an important milestone in your life. Cherish it!
Lessons Learned
- Don't let other people make you feel bad about having your period. It's normal, natural and means you are becoming an adult.
- Do tell someone, if you need a pad or tampon, but don't be nervous about buying your own.
- When buying pads, get more than you need in case you get caught short- especially at the beginning of your period, it's hard to tell how heavy or long your period will be. Avoid tampons until you know how much you bleed, then choose the lowest suitable absorbency.
- A hot water bottle or heat pack helps cramping.
