T O P I C R E V I E W
pantas25
Member # 47634
posted 06-29-2010 01:43 AM
I was browsing through a few articles on the site and found this one this one particularly interesting, especially since I recently started Lybrel, the infamous period-supressing BC pill (though it is by no means a magic bullet, I've been spotting/light menstruating since I started it). It got me thinking about everyone else's views on their "monthly gift" and even how guys REALLY feel about it. So basically, what were/have been your general feelings about your period? How have they changed as you've gotten older? And, if you're on the pill, how do you feel about "controlling" your menses, or if you take a continuous pill (like Lybrel), how do you feel about suppressing it altogether? Just thought this could make for some interesting conversation
I.am.a.person
Member # 44734
posted 06-29-2010 02:37 AM
I got my period when I was 12, and I thought it was a drag, or a curse more like. I hated it, really. It seemed to get in the way. I hated the killer cramps (which I still do get sometimes, unfortunately), the bloating, having to change pads often, watching out for leaks (and dealing with stained clothes...), and not being able to talk freely about it when I needed help (my mother and I never talked (and still don't) about that much, or about anything personal for that matter.) It was like this for a couple of years. At some point I guess I made my peace with it. It wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, so there weren't many options besides accepting it. Now, 8 years later, I take it as just something that happens. It's easier to handle because of the many times I've had to, and easier to talk about. It still bothers me when it ruins my plans, when I have to deal with it while on a trip (though few, my experiences with the period while on a trip haven't really been pleasant), or when it arrives just in time for a week of tests in college. On the flip side of everything, it makes me feel stronger sometimes. Because I can still carry on with my day, even on my period. It slows me down a bit, but hey, it doesn't stop me from enjoying stuff. (For example, about 2 days ago, I had leg cramps, but I still enjoyed watching some games from the FIFA World Cup ^^). Very interesting topic, pantas.
pantas25
Member # 47634
posted 07-01-2010 11:40 PM
I remember being SO excited when I got it, because I had older friends who had already had it, and a younger friend who got it in like 4th grade. So the first two or three times I was super pumped about it and I'm like "YEAH I want this ALL the time". Then, of course, the novelty of it wore off and they got heavier and more painful and inconvenient. A couple times I couldn't do anything besides lay in bed. Then I began developing ovarian cysts (not PCOS) that would make me pass out and want to die from the abdominal pain, and nearly landed me in the ER twice. Then it was right to the pill, and I haven't had a legit period in...two years? In all honesty, I've never felt better. My periods when I was on Yaz were somewhat painful, but they lasted a third of the time my normal ones did, plus I loved the predictability. I wouldn't ruin a good pair of underwear due to an unexpected "surprise". I don't have to carry tampons or pads or anything with me or worry about bleeding through my pants. Doing away with my period wasn't so much a "oh this is GROSS" issue so much as it was a quality of life issue. I really just couldn't handle the pain and unpredictability, and eventually, I'm assuming, the PMS (my mom has been talking about going on the Pill despite the fact that she's not sexually active because her PMS is so bad I basically stay out of the house for the whole week). I've been spotting for about three weeks now between ending Nuva and starting Lybrel, and my boyfriend has no issues having sex with the bleeding. But I do have a few nice pairs of underwear I've avoided wearing for that long because I don't want to ruin them- and of course I have some go-to granny panties that are basically for periods only.
Fezzz
Member # 48000
posted 07-25-2010 08:35 PM
I started mine when I was 9 and I'm close to 21 now and when my mother gave me the talk about it as soon as she told me about it, I didn't want it, period... no pun intended I hate all the symptons it gives you, the highly emotional stages, the way it makes me feel drained, unmotivated and so on. I still don't deal with mine well to this day. Bad cramps. For the first couple days I feel like I am going to pass out, for the sheer amount of blood I loose. I hate it.
PinkFloydGirl
Member # 51381
posted 12-27-2010 12:56 PM
I remember being the first of my friends to get it. I hated it. The cramps and stains were bad but to top it off I hung out with (and still do) guys so they couldn't quite relate in the same way
Kawani3792
Member # 48854
posted 01-13-2011 02:21 AM
I was a late developer-I was 15 when I started, and I'd already heard horror stories about it. It was maybe a couple weeks after the end of freshman year, and I remember dreading going back to school because a couple of girls would always ask "So, have you started your period yet?" and I didn't quite have the attitude required to pull off the "Why do you want to know?" response. I hated pads with a vengeance, because I don't shave and I end up feeling really nasty after wearing one. I switched to a fairly decent brand of tampons a few months ago for camp, and I really like them. I want to get a cup, but have problems convincing my parents, so I'm trying to save up money to order one online. I get really bad cramps for the first few days (like, doubled over in bed with a heating pad and a handheld massager, which I found seems to soothe the cramps a little) and I also get stabbing pains when I ovulate. I don't want to go on the pill, because I'm sort of paranoid and don't like health risks, so I just sort of suffer through it.
Karybu
Member # 20094
posted 01-13-2011 01:36 PM
Kawani, have you started your gyn checkups yet? If not, this is a good reason to start going - a good gyn will look into the causes of severe cramps, and won't just prescribe the pill for you to try and make the problem go away.
Kawani3792
Member # 48854
posted 01-20-2011 01:54 AM
Yeah, that would be *another* thing I'm having trouble with my parents about. I mentioned it to my mom at one point, and got a quick little "Well, you don't really want to" bit. I kept saying something, and was told that she felt awkward discussing this with her (18 year old) daughter. (Thank goodness for a decent school sex-ed program and Scarleteen, or I wouldn't know anything. We never had "the talk", obviously) I don't have a license, the nearest clinic that offers free/low-cost exams is nearly two miles away, the nearest clinic is really close but I have no money *at all*...and I can't walk anywhere like I normally would, because I've got a hugely messed-up knee. At this point, I'm pretty sure I tore something important in that knee, so I get to see the doctor about that soon. So yeah, I haven't started regular gyn checkups, or any kind of gyn check ups, and at the rate things are going, I'm sort of resigned to waiting until I get a job/go to college...basically, until I move out and can pay for it myself.
k2tog
Member # 62456
posted 05-03-2011 06:01 PM
My twin sister and I both started the morning of our 13th birthday. I've never really minded it, especially since I made the switch from tampons to a cup. I hardly even notice it now. As for how guys feel about it... I know my boyfriend usually has a general idea of when I'm supposed to start, and he tells me he doesn't think it's gross--he actually thinks the cup is a really great idea.
moonlight bouncing off water
Member # 44338
posted 05-03-2011 08:49 PM
When I was little I couldn't wait to start my period. When I actually got it at 13 I was fairly excited, for a day. I got very tired of pads very quickly and switched to tampons on my second period (I would have during my first period but I was fearful about approaching my mom). I still use pads at night to give my body a break and because I don't want to worry about how long I sleep, but other than that I used solely tampons. Having my period has just become a part of my life. In the same way I need to use toilet paper when I go to the bathroom I need to used tampons when I'm on my period, most times it that unobtrusive. Sometimes I get cramps or I PMS, but I've gotten used to dealing with it.