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The Red Waterfall: Periods

This is for anyone who gets a period. Even if you don't personally get a period, this post can be helpful if you have a family member, friends, and/or partner that does.

It's not something to be shy and embarrassed of. But because periods are kinda taboo in our society. (Why? I don't know.) So I decided to compile a list of tips for dealing with periods, what to keep on your person, period products, etc.

Tips

1. Tracking

Tracking when your period will be can be so extremely helpful. If you don't have a regular period, tracking can, quite frankly, be a pain in the ass. But, by tracking you can find some hints from your body that you may be getting a visit from the red waterfall soon. There's all kinds of apps you can download that will help you track too. So all you have to do is input symptoms and/or moods, alongside with when you actually get your period. Just search up "period tracker" in the app store on your phone or whatever. There's a lot of free options that will work great. I personally use one called Period Tracker. It allows me to input data from previous cycles, add symptoms (I can create my own symptom options), add moods (I can add my own mood options), add my weight and temperature, track medication (like painkillers or birth control), ovulation, etc. It will also allow you to track when you've been sexually active (you can turn this setting off if you're not comfortable with it). On top of all that, it will predict when you'll get your next period from the data you've entered. There's 2 options for this. One is to let the app use an average of all the previous cycle lengths (it needs at least 3 months to do this). The other option is for you to manually set it, so if you want to say it's every 28 days, you can set it that way. (Personally, I just let it use the average of previous cycles.) There's all kinds of apps like this one available out there, so be sure to check them out and find one that you like.

2. Sleep

There are some studies that show that when you're close or on your period you actually sleep worse. I can believe it. Sleep is good for you in general, especially getting enough. But take some extra time (like an hour or so) to make sure you're getting enough sleep. Your body is shedding the lining of an organ. Give it a break by resting. (Besides, who doesn't like sleeping?)

3. Stains

It's inevitable that you'll eventually stain something. It's nothing to get embarrassed about. It happens. You don't have to throw away your underwear though or worry that the stain will never come out. Just take a little bit of liquid detergent and cold water. Rub the detergent on the stain, and let it soak in cold water for about 30 minutes. Then just wash the clothes or sheets or whatever as you normally would. Make sure it's cold water though, because hot or warm water will set the stain. If you don't have liquid detergent because you use laundry pods or something, you can use a bit of hydrogen peroxide and cold water. Even baking soda can replace detergent in this equation.

4. Cramps

Cramps can be the absolute worst thing. I should know. I used to get cramps so bad that I would spend my time throwing up from them. There's a few things that can help alleviate the cramps. (This is a trial and error because what works for one person may not work for another.)

- Heating pad

- Exercise (even a short walk around the block can help)

- Cutting caffeine (Caffeine isn't that good for us anyway. It could actually be making your cramps worse.)

- Cutting salt

- Painkillers (It doesn't have to be tailored for period pains either. Generic Tylenol can work just as well.)

- Sleep (If you can manage to fall asleep, just sleep, or try to sleep, through them.)

- Water (Upping your water intake is a good thing to do in general. It certainly can help when there's blood coming out of you.)