From The Confessional: Menstruation Is a Natural Part of Life, But It's Not Fun at All

I recently had “the talk” with my daughter, covering everything from periods to puberty and sex. What stunned her the most? The frequency of periods. When I explained that she’d experience this every month for many years, her expression turned to horror. “It happens EVERY MONTH?!” she asked in disbelief.

Yep, it sure does. Lucky us, right? sighs In that moment, I reflected on all the experiences she might encounter on her journey with menstruation. Would she get caught off guard at school? Would she suffer from terrible cramps like I did at her age? Or would she forget she was wearing a mini-pad and jump into the pool at a party where her crush was present, only to watch in embarrassment as it floated to the surface (yep, I did that)? Or perhaps she’d experience the joy of getting it on her sleeping bag during a sleepover (also happened to me)?

Regardless of her experiences, I knew it was essential to prepare her as best as I could. So, we dove into discussions about pads, tampons, cramps, and all the anatomy involved. I made it clear she could come to me with any questions at any time.

Because while periods are a part of life, they really do suck. Here are some confessions from those who’ve been navigating this journey for years and likely have many more years ahead, because having a uterus is just so much fun.

I would love for my partner to experience a heavy period along with some serious digestive issues. Add in cramps and exhaustion, yet life doesn’t stop.
I wish my partner could just once understand the misery I feel the days leading up to my period. Maybe then he would stop with the guilt trips about intimacy.
When my family doesn’t grasp my utter exhaustion on the first two days of my period, I wish I could show them the clots I pass just to get the point across.
One of the toughest aspects of menstruating is that our families often don’t understand how awful we really feel. Please, stop asking us for favors and just let us be.
I’m feeling drained today because my period is on its way, and I just want to crawl into bed and do nothing.

Menstruation can drain us. It can make us feel unable to work or spend time with loved ones, and sometimes our partners pick up the slack.

The cramps? Oh, they can be excruciating. They often start when we’re young and follow us throughout our lives. You might think by our 40s, we’d have a handle on it, but no. That’s when perimenopause kicks in, and periods may become even worse!

And let’s not forget the random surprises, like getting your period right before a gynecological appointment or dealing with unexpected hair growth. Seriously, what else is our body going to throw at us?

Despite all of this, there are moments of unexpected hormonal urges. Right before my period, I feel incredibly frisky, almost like I’m in heat. It’s a strange juxtaposition to the misery that follows.

Of course, I didn’t share all the gritty details with my daughter; she’ll learn some of it as she goes. But I think it’s important to prepare her with the basics—like the differences between tampons and pads and the magic of a heating pad. And if she ever faces an unexpected chin hair on her first day, I hope I’m there to guide her through it.

If you’re interested in more insights on home insemination, check out this blog post, where we dive into similar challenges.