Menstruation, better known as periods

Menstruation, better known as a Period, is the final proof that a girl is becoming a woman. You may have already started having your periods. If you have, you could be a great “buddy” for a friend who has not yet started, by discussing what happens to you each month during your period. If your period has not started yet, you are probably anxious about the subject or concerned that your friends’ periods have started and you have no obvious signs. Remember that not everyone is the same. Our bodies develop at different rates and so menstruation can start anytime between the ages of 8 and 16. Your periods may be a bit irregular at first because your body needs time to fine-tune the menstrual cycle. The loss of menstrual blood and tissue can vary also. Everyone is different so learn about what is normal for you. Some girls get cramps in their abdomen just before and during the first few days of a period. This cramping is usually caused by your body’s response to a hormone called prostaglandin, which cause the muscles in the uterus to contract. The same hormone can also cause you to get a headache before your period. Over the counter pain relievers will help if the pain prevents you from doing your usual activities.

As your period gets closer, it is possible to feel very emotional, moody or even angry. You may even prefer to eat only certain foods, and most likely, crave chocolate. This is called Premenstrual Syndrome or PMS for short. The hormones changing during your cycle cause it, which affects you both physically and mentally. Feeling bloated is due to water retention, but when your period starts, all these symptoms will go away. Certain foods can make the PMS worse, so if you think you are suffering, keep a check on your calendar what foods you think make you feel worse. Supplements such as B6, essential fatty acids and Vitamin E can help to alleviate the symptoms of PMS. If you are badly affected, speak to your doctor about it. Many girls get some spots before their period starts and for a few days into the cycle. It is normal and most girls get them, so don’t let them affect you.

Why do periods happen?

Each month during puberty, special chemicals inside of you, called hormones, cause the body to release an egg from one of the two egg sacks, called ovaries. This is where all of your eggs are stored and usually each month, about 10 to 20 tiny eggs called ova start to ripen but only one or two eggs are released. The egg then travels onwards to the womb via the Fallopian tubes. The womb, also called the Uterus, prepares for the egg by laying down extra tissue and blood vessels, ready to support and nourish the growing foetus. Only if the egg meets sperm released from a boy during sex will it be fertilised and slowly develop over 9 months into a baby. If the egg is not fertilised or implanted, it passes right through and just dissolves. The spiral arteries of the lining created in the womb close off, stopping blood flow to the surface of the lining. The blood pools into "venous lakes" which, once full, burst and with the endometrial lining, forms the menstrual flow, which escapes through the vagina. This is what you experience as your period.

How long do periods last for?

The Menstrual cycle will happen nearly every month except when being pregnant or until there are no more eggs to release, usually between the ages of 45 and 55. The cycle can be as short as every 21 days, or as long as every 35 days. It can last 2 to 3 days or as many as 6 to 7 days. Not all girls are the same, and neither are their periods. Some girls will have very light periods and some read more