Periods 2, Electric Boogaloo.

(I had this one in my drafts for a while now as I was seeking input on menstruation after menopause, but instead I've just decided to post it as it)

I've have had so much input regarding periods that I needed a part two. I'll try not to be too gross this time.
 
With the last post I covered the struggles through a regular period, but now I will be covering a few other issues. I was planning on writing about what periods are like during and after the menopause but I didn't get much input regarding that. I did however get a lot of info on pregnancy periods.... I thought what I went through was bad, but after having a chat with a few friends and family I realised that I was even more naive that I thought. I have it pretty easy. There is a whole new level of horror out there. 

After pregnancy periods

Obviously, this was something that didn't cross my mind because I don't have kids or even plan on having them, but apparently the periods you get after having a baby get much worse. They are heavier, more painful and can last much longer. I googled a little and read that some women can bleed constantly for over a month after having a child. YIKES! 

One friend confessed that before falling pregnant she had difficult periods but once her baby was born it got a hell of a lot worse. She went through 21 sanitary pads in one day. (My average is four a day. So that is terrifying.) Her description of the pain is "like there was a team of people inside her, ripping and chewing their way through the womb, trying to get out". And she said it took a year for them to get back to 'normal'.  

The many misconceptions people have regarding falling pregnant and having children is shocking. People believe that once a girl is pregnant, she won't have a period. This is completely false. Some women still continue to bleed, and can do for the entirety of the pregnancy. I myself have been rather deluded for quite some time. I believed that it wouldn't take long for your body to recover from pregnancy and labour, obviously I'm wrong. It really makes me think, if I consider the amount of women who get knocked up again almost immediately after having a baby, that's not even given the body a chance to get back to normal. 

Also, I was informed that after you have a child, during your first period you probably won't be able to use tampons for a while because they won't stay in due to the stretching. One friend even confessed that she has to go back to the hospital because they didn't stitch her up properly after her perineum tore and she hardly has any skin between the base of her vagina and her anus anymore. 

Mens reaction to periods

This is something bugs the shit out of me. Growing up around guys (at school, in college and at work) they used to treat any girl on their period like a leper. I get that they are just reacting to something they don't have experience with and don't understand, but its the equivalent of us judging them on morning wood and wet dreams. Its completely natural.

And it's not dirty either. The blood that comes out every month is not gross, coagulated blood. I think the stigma with periods is because everyone assumes stuff that comes out of a body is technically waste, period blood gets tarnished with the same brush. 

I'm lucky as I have not had to deal with pig headed guys, but I have heard stories from friends that their male partners have outright refused to purchase anything for them to assist with that time of the month. Some have even gone as far as not allowing the products in their shopping trolleys. The worst story I have been told is that one of my female friends had to sleep on the sofa every month, because her boyfriend feared that she would 'bleed on him in the night'.Thankfully she dumped the shit not soon after.

This is the bullshit some women have to deal with. It's not fair. 

I know not all men are like that, in fact some are really supportive. My ex housemate would always buy me chocolate. He could just tell I needed it.

Birth Control.

Monthly pills, injections, rods.... can sometimes be a blessing, as they help regulate and shorten periods, but can also assist in easing the cramps too. However, they don't work for everyone. 

I have spent years trying various different contraceptive, not just to avoid pregnancy but to help regulate myself, but all my experiences have been horrible. I spent most of my teens and early twenties on Microgynon but that made me bloated and spotty, so I changed to a progesterone-only pill or 'the mini pill' which was great for a while but eventually destroyed my sex drive and gave me migraines. I stopped taking anything for a while but my periods became so erratic I needed to get better control of them, so my doctor put me on Yasmin. This made my breasts get bigger but also made me extremely aggressive, so i had to stop. Last year I thought I'd try going on the Depo Injection (the three month jab) to get rid of my periods altogether, but after one injection I went up three dress sizes, and that freaked me out. I struggle with my weight as it is, I didn't need anything more to cause issues. 

So if you do decide to go on any form of medication to assist, do some research and be prepared for some negative side effects.