Understanding Periods and tips to cope with it

What are periods?

Your period is when you lose a small amount of blood from your vagina. It normally lasts for about 3-8 days and will happen once a month, but it might not always be regular when they first start.

Periods are completely normal, and most girls and people who are biologically female will start their periods during puberty. Lots of people will start their periods around the age of 12, but it could be earlier or later than that.

Some people worry about getting hurt, but periods are safe and losing the blood isn’t something that will hurt you.

If you’re worried about your periods, you can always talk about it.

Why do periods happen?

Periods are part of your menstrual cycle. This is when your body prepares for the possibility of getting pregnant.

Each month one of your ovaries releases an egg. The egg travels down 1 of 2 tubes called fallopian tubes and into your womb.

The lining of your womb thickens for a short while during this time. If the egg is fertilised by sperm, it will stick in this lining and grow. This is how you get pregnant.

If the egg is not fertilised, then the lining of the womb breaks down and passes out of your body through your vagina as a small amount of blood — this is called a period.

How much blood do you lose?

The amount of blood you lose during your period is about 30-70 ml, which is 5 to 12 teaspoons full, although it might seem like a lot more.

Period blood is red but can be pink, brown or black on lighter days. All of these are normal but if you’re worried about anything it’s okay to talk to an adult you trust, like a parent, carer, relative or your school nurse.

If you’re worried about the amount of blood, try this quiz to help you to decide what to do. And if you find that you have very heavy periods, or you have bleeding between periods, you should talk to your doctor.

Irregular periods

Your periods might be irregular when they first start as your body adjusts to the changes in your hormones, meaning they might come more often than you expect or that you might miss one.

This can sometimes make it hard to know when your period will happen so you could keep a sanitary pad or tampon in the zipped section of your bag or in a make-up bag or pencil case in case you need it.

You might miss a period after your first one as your body gets used to the changes. Being ill, not eating and some types of medication can also make your period late.

If you’re worried or your periods don't settle down into a regular pattern, it may help to talk this through with a doctor or nurse.

A period doesn't mean you'll bleed all day. It's normal to stop bleeding for a few hours and then bleed a bit more. Everyone is different and what you experience may be different to what someone else experiences.

Things to know about periods

It's good to be prepared for your period in case it starts unexpectedly.
You might feel confused or embarrassed, but there's nothing to be ashamed of.
Your period will usually come once a month, but it can be irregular when you first start.
You can talk to a relative or another adult you trust about what's going on.

Tips to help with your period

Sometimes you can start your period when you're not expecting to, so it can help to plan ahead.

Keep sanitary products and a change of underwear in a bag, drawer or locker.
Let a teacher you feel comfortable with know in case you need to go to the toilet to change.
Speak to an adult you trust for help with pain or discomfort.
Keep track of your periods with a diary or an app.

Keeping active

It’s okay to exercise and play sports during your period. And gentle exercise can help relieve pain and bloating. You can wear a sanitary pad or tampon as you would normally do. You could try:

yoga or stretching
swimming
walking or jogging.

Make sure that you’re taking breaks when you need to, especially if exercising feels uncomfortable or you’re in pain.

If you want to swim while on your period, a tampon will absorb the blood and won't show through your swimwear. It's important to remember to change the tampon when you have finished swimming. Using a pad will not be as effective because it will absorb water.

Talking about your period

Talking about periods can sometimes feel embarrassing. Remember lots of other people have had periods and have felt the same way.

Try thinking about who you feel most comfortable talking to, it could be a family member, someone at school or an adult you trust. Talking to friends can help too, and we’ve got advice to help you start a conversation.

Some young people have told us that it’s hard talking to a male relative or adult about what’s happening, especially when they don’t have anyone else to talk to. If can help to remember that you only have to say what you’re comfortable with, or to write down questions or things you need for them to read.

Remember, whatever’s happening you can always talk to a Childline counsellor.

PMS, period pain and mood changes

Throughout your period you have different levels of hormones in your body. It's natural to have some side effects from this.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is the name for some of the feelings you might have before your period. It’s sometimes called premenstrual tension or PMT, and lots of people will experience it at some point.

PMS can have a big effect on you, and it’s important to get support if you need it.

Symptoms of PMS

mood swings and getting easily annoyed
crying or feeling sad all of a sudden
not being able to concentrate
feeling really tired
your breasts feeling softer than normal
your stomach feeling really full or bloated
cramping in the stomach area
temporary weight gain
headaches.

Coping with PMS

There are lots of things you can do to cope with PMS.

Take part in gentle exercise, like walking, swimming or yoga.
Use a hot water bottle or have a hot bath.
Ask your parents, carers or the school nurse for advice on taking pain relief.
Try to eat healthily and get plenty of sleep.

If your symptoms are making it hard to live your daily life or they won’t go away, it can help to visit your doctor for advice.

Tampons and other sanitary products

When you have your period you’ll need to use something called a sanitary product to soak up the menstrual blood.

There are lots of different products you can use and you can buy them from supermarkets, pharmacies and some local shops. There’s no age limit on buying sanitary products, and anyone can get them.

If you’re feeling worried, confused or embarrassed about which products to buy, it can help to ask an adult you trust for advice. You could also ask an adult to go with you to help you buy them, especially if you don’t have money yourself.

Whatever sanitary protection you use it’s important to change it regularly throughout the day to keep clean and reduce the risk of leaking.

Here are some common types of sanitary products:

Sanitary towels or pads

Sanitary pads can be very easy to use. These are strips of padding which have a sticky side that you can attach to your underwear to keep them in place.

There are lots of different sizes of sanitary towels, so you can change them depending on how heavy or light your period is. Some have “wings” that attach around your underwear to help keep them in place.

Tampons

These are specially made small tubes of cotton wool which have a string at one end. You put these into your vagina and they soak up the blood before it comes out of your body. The string is to pull it out when you need to change it.

Some tampons have applicators which you might find easier to insert into your vagina. This will be explained on the pack when you buy them or you could ask an adult you trust how to use them.

When you buy tampons read the instruction leaflet in the box which explains how to use them correctly. When a tampon is in the right position you shouldn't be able to feel it, so if it hurts, it’s best to remove it and try to insert a new one.

A tampon can never get stuck or lost inside you and the muscles of your vagina hold it in place. It will expand inside you as it fills with blood so it will look bigger when you take it out.

Always change tampons regularly, every 3 to 6 hours. And never leave a tampon in for more than 8 hours.

Try to alternate tampons with using sanitary pads and use a tampon that matches the blood flow you have, like not using a super absorbency tampon when you have a light period day.

Pantyliners

These are smaller and thinner versions of sanitary towels or pads and are used on days when your period is very light. You can also use these if you have a lot of discharge in between your periods.

Menstrual cups

These are small rubber or silicone cups which can be put inside the vagina to catch the blood. The muscles of the vagina keep them in place so they don't fall out. They're then emptied, washed and used again.

Periods, sex and pregnancy

You can have sex at any time of the month as long as it's something that you and your partner both consent to and feel comfortable with. Some people prefer not to have sex during their period, and that’s okay. It’s your decision what feels right for you.

If you do choose to have sex it’s important to use contraception. There’s still a chance you can get pregnant or catch a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Sperm can live in the body for up to 7 days so it can be possible to get pregnant at any time of the month.

If you use tampons, it's important to remove a tampon before you have sex.

Missed your period?

There are lots of reasons you might have missed your period. Lots of young people have irregular periods when they first start. If you’re sexually active, then it’s possible that you may be pregnant.

If you’ve missed your period, it can help to: