periodguide - Tumblr blog

[periodguide]

Do any of you also walk around with your hand on your period bloated tummy like it’s pregnant or is that just me

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New symptom unlockeddd:

Period sweats :(

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weirdcasualfangirl

Wait can you expand??? What do you mean cramps aren't normal?

@weirdcasualfangirl​ yes ty for asking! So I’m not an expert, but I’d love to share what I know in my own experience, researching (most of the time while in a fetal position clutching a heat pad), and what other women and doctors have told me.

It’s a common misconception that period pain is “normal,” partially bc there’s so much lacking in women’s health research, but anything more than slight cramping may be symptoms of something wrong. Just like how other discomforts and ailments are your body telling you something is wrong. Sometimes period pain it can be a symptom resulting from poor lifestyle choices (which I am guilty of lolll), I’ve written other posts on maintaining balance in your body with yin/yang foods, body heat, hydration, proper sleep, etc. Other times it can be a symptom of more serious medical conditions that would require professional medical advice (cysts or endometriosis to name a couple I’ve heard of).

I believe serious period cramps are avoidable if we learn to understand our bodies temperaments more and take care of it better. There are also further treatments available such as holistic herbal medicines or acupuncture which I have been looking into, or some doctors may suggest birth control pills to manage menstrual cycles/cramping (but I have not personally tried yet so I cannot speak for).

Period Cramps Tip #1

Step one is knowing that period cramps, or dysmenorrhea, is not normal (yes, despite what we have been told). Slight cramping during your period is normal, but any pain stronger or more extreme is abnormal and a symptom of something wrong.

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Period Cramp Tip #15

Rest: After you're done taking care of all those things your body is screaming at you to get, if you can, I would recommend lying down in bed under a blanket with a hot water bottle on your tummy and rest, bc cramps are exhausting. Try to relax your body, try to sleep, find the right position, and God bless <3

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Period Cramp Tip #14

Painkillers: I tend to avoid painkillers when I can (bc I’m asian and bc I'm scared of what I’ll do if my body becomes immune to them), but if you do get bad enough cramps (the limit is up to your own judgement whether it’s discomfort, pain, nausea, vomiting, passing out, just inability to get through the day, etc) they are great a way out. Painkillers are great at pain relief ofc, but my doctor has also let me know they also relax your muscles which in fact can be good for your body when it cramps too intensely. But but but do not waste the time of peace and respite the painkillers give you, continue to keep warm and hydrated and fed.

(I’ll prob reblog in the future when I figure out which brands are better to use for period cramps.)

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Period Cramp Tip #13

Noms: You may just want to lay there and let the pain take you rather than take another step, but you gotta eat (pro tip: prep some foods ahead of time if no one else can make you food and you can feel it’s gonna be bad, one reason I love microwaveable canned chili lol). Your body is using energy to go through this process and I find my stomach gets angry extra fast when I don’t feed it enough during my period. Warm and hearty foods are the best for these times. And if you unfortunately get nausea from the period cramp pain, still try to find something that you can stomach and eat some, it can strengthen your body and lessen the cramps. Ofc vomiting is not recommended for the health of your esophagus, but if you must (extreme nausea, like i get, can sometimes be eased by just letting yourself vomit), try to vomit before eating and take a painkiller after a few bites (you shouldn't take painkillers on an empty stomach).

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Period Cramp Tip #12

Water: Drink lots of (hot) water and stay hydrated as you are losing a LOT of blood and need more to flush everything out of your baby box.

Note to self: Water is essential to our bodily functions anyways and we should always be drinking plenty of it even when not doubled over in pain.

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Period Cramp Tip #11

Ohh boy, here we go, ok damage control

Stay warm: Not to sound like a broken record, but again, avoid being cold to avoid cramps. 

Dress warmly (including socks!)

Drink tons of hot water.

Take a hot shower, hot water relaxes your muscles and will soothe your cramps.

Don’t sit on the floor! Remember that heat rises, so the floor is always colder; and nature likes balance, so the heat from your butt is going to transfer to the floor, heat that you need to deal with your period cramps.

Invest in hot water bottles, microwaveable heating pads, electric blankets, or whatever floats your boat. Just sit there and collect heat into your body. Keep your tummy warm, your back warm, and your feet warm.

Note: This tip is actually about yin & yang balance, so some will need it more than others as some have naturally yin body types and others naturally yang body types.

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Period Cramp Tip #10

Preparation Edition

Exercise: Ok, so ngl I personally am terrible at keeping up with the exercising, but I have heard that light exercise helps relieve cramps, can help with bowel movement (per my last post about the period poops), and apparently is good for your health in general?

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Period Cramp Tip #9

Preparation Edition

Regarding the poops: Unfortunately, period hormones can cause poop issues, so having fiber in your diet and drinking plenty of water can help. Pro tip for constipation, a blended banana and sesame smoothie (maybe do this a couple days before your period) will help clear out your system (like almost immediately so be near a toilet lol).

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Period Cramp Tip #8

Preparation Edition

doTERRA Clarycalm Oil:  Ok I’m only suggesting a product here because its freaking magical. It is pricy but it really works, at least for me and several other women I know, I first received it as a gift from an auntie and it has been a real blessing. You roll on some over your abdomen a day or two ahead of time and it honestly has been game changing for whether I get bad cramps or not, and plus it smells amazing too.

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Period Cramp Tip #7

Preparation Edition

Ginger: Herbal remedies such as drinking hot ginger tea before and during your period makes a huge difference in how bad your cramps are, or sometimes whether or not you even get cramps. Many supermarkets (esp chinese ones) sell instant ginger tea if you don’t know how to make it yourself, the taste will range tho, some people make it way better than others and others... (it’s me, I’m bad at making ginger tea, but it works even if it tastes bad so just gulp it down).

Yin & Yang: I titled the first part of this ginger because it is the best at working wonders for your period cramps but this tip is more about yin and yang. Ginger is a yang food, meaning it has “heating” properties, so it keeps your body warm. You can look up other yang foods to eat closer to your period. You can also look up other yin foods, foods with “cooling” properties, to avoid around your period as well (e.g. cucumbers). Knowing the temperature properties of foods is a good thing to know in general. 

A couple other useful holistic health life tips are how yin foods are good for fighting inflammation (cold sores or biting your tongue are symptoms) and how yang foods are good for if you have poor circulation (cold hands and feet are a sign). The point of yin and yang is balance in your body and health.

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Period Cramp Tip #6

Preparation Edition

Sleep!:  The health of the rest of your body will also affect your menstrual health, as all your health affects each other (check out more about good ol’ holistic medicine) as you just have the one body for now. And having a healthy sleep schedule will improve your overall health, including your menstrual health. Appease the monster and she’ll give you less cramps. 

(As I am on tumblr, I’m sure you can guess that I’m writing this at past 2AM and can take this advice for myself better as well).

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Period Cramp Tip #5

Preparation Edition

Stay warm: Heat relaxes your contracting muscles and is just good for your health and circulation in general. So get your body ready ahead of time and throughout your period by

avoiding cold foods and drinks (especially drinks)

drinking lots of hot water, drinks, or soup

taking hot showers

using a hot water bottle, microwaveable heat pad, or electric blanket

especially on your abdominal area, back, and feet (which have a lot of control over your body temperature)

and just keep yourself warm to the best you can.

This is an important one, especially for those with poor circulation (cold hands and feet sound familiar?) I’ve definitely avoided cramps before just by sleeping with a hot water bottle a couple nights before my period.

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Period Cramp Tip #4

Preparation Edition

Mark down your cycle: I advise using an app as they keep track of your cycle and can predict your next period for you, which is a convenience and a good-to-know in general, but can help you know when to start preparations for your period as well. 

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Period Cramp Tip #3

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” ― Benjamin Franklin

Preparation, preparation, preparation. Get started on preparing your body 2-7 days before your period arrives and then throughout your period.

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Period Cramp Tip #2

There are many ways you can take care of yourself during and a few days ahead of your period that can relieve cramping. 

Sometimes period pain can be due to poor lifestyle choices that can be changed. But other times period pain is due to a more serious medical condition and you should seek professional medical advice. 

And the medical field really needs to step it up on researching the health of anything other than a cis male adult body...