A Period Drama: Part 3 Other Facts and Fictions
By Chava Kuchar
Join us for some more FAQ’s
About Water and Periods;
Is it OK to have a bath or shower when I have my period?
Yes, cleanliness and hygiene is always incredibly important, but especially so at this stage where your body is flushing out unwanted materials.
Can I swim on my period?
Yes you can. First of all, because you want to, but also because you can swim whilst on you period without concern of leaking. Regarding the leakage factor, they say the difference in pressure between the clothing and thicker membrane of the blood and the water prevents your body leaking so you can swim without any devices like tampons or menstrual cups or the like, but you can also use them to if you want to.
Blood Loss, moods and more;
How much blood do I lose during my period?
Most girls lose about 1/4 cup of menstrual fluid during their periods (mostly in the first few days). Not to worry, though — your body makes up for it*.
* It always helps though to have a diet high in Iron and Folate to help balance your Iron levels and prevent Anemia (iron deficiency) and excessive lethargy.
What color should my period be?
People tend to fixate on any little change in blood color but you needn’t worry. Bright red generally means you are currently or recently bleeding and the browner shades means it's been sitting around for a while (in the vagina). Think shades of a bleeding skin sore, the older it is the darker it gets.
Is it normal that I feel grumpy a sad when I am menstruating?
Outside of significant hormonal shifts, PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) is still a mystery but it can start anywhere from a week or a couple days before your period and last well into your period. come the breakouts, sluggishness, cravings, bloating, and mood swings. Sound familiar? Every woman is different, but for many, PMS is a fact of life.
But doctors don’t know exactly why that is. It seems to be a mix of hormone changes during your menstrual cycle, chemical changes in the brain, and other emotional issues you might have, such as depression, that can make PMS worse or you may have a more serious condition called PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) and then you should seek medical attention to help manage your condition.
What’s a period poop?
I should be grateful that this generation discusses everything with as much casualness as I would describe my walk to the shops, but if I hear another influencer uninhibitedly talk about their period poop again I may just…I don’t know, but it’s very annoying. However, it is a thing, it has always been a common side effect of menstruation, just an undiscussed- poo oriented- taboo one. But basically the science is that the progesterone induced cramping muscles that contract the uterine walls (to emulate birth expelling unused blood or a baby) also act to contract the walls of the bowel giving us the feeling that we need to poo often. So, basically your cramps call for the expelling of all unnecessary waste from you body- such fun!
