Let’s Discuss Periods: Cycles, Symptoms and Everything Else

Some people get lucky with no pains or stresses at all. Some can’t move from their beds for the whole five days. But all women, for almost 30 years of their lives, have to deal with the good and bad of periods every month from the time they hit puberty. A range of Indian women in their thirties based around the world talk about their period symptoms, self-care routines, and support systems – making you realise that whether you’re having terrible cramps or those few days are a breeze, you’re definitely not alone in your menstruation journey.

About my cycle: My usual period length is about seven to eight days. My period has always been just very comfortable, like any other day, but the flow has definitely increased after my pregnancy. Luckily, it’s still pain-free. My worst period symptoms: Honestly haven’t experienced anything bad so far. It’s hardly made any difference if I’m on my period or not with everyday activities.

Self-care during my periods: I usually rest more and just listening to my body. A little bit of junk food helps too!

Family/friendly support: I get a lot of help from my family and of course my husband gives me loads of cuddles. They even help with things around the house and taking care of our baby boy. Friends are always there and ever ready to lend an ear if I need to vent or am feeling a little low.

What I wish more people would understand about periods: That it isn’t taboo. It’s not dirty or some silly curse that makes us ‘impure’. Please talk about it with your sons, husbands and brothers too. We need to educate ourselves to help get us women through these days. And sometimes all we need is for you to just be there when we need it.

About my cycle: My usual cycle is about 27-28 days, with my period lasting about five days. My periods have usually been consistent, but I would say age has changed my cycle – I bleed for maybe four days now, versus five or six until a few years ago. I think the only time I’ve had a major variation in cycle (with my period being delayed) is when I’ve had a morning-after pill on a couple of occasions.

My worst period symptoms: I usually experience mild, sporadic cramping a week or ten days before my periods are expected and it can get uncomfortable at times because it feels like a lot of heaviness accompanied by uneasy bloating. It comes in waves for a spell of 3-4 days and then vanishes. I don’t feel the need for medication; I subscribe to the “it’ll pass” philosophy, and it usually does.

Self-care during my periods: I feel especially cold and low the day prior to when I start bleeding, but in terms of self-care, I don’t do much. I just layer up and slap on socks if I’m cold and I tank up on coffee to stay warm. I bleed heavily on the first two days, and I guess the blood loss makes it tough for my body to retain heat.

Family/friendly support: My spouse will take over a fair share of the house chores on the first couple of days when I experience heavy bleeding. Even if I bleed heavily, it doesn’t debilitate me physically or mentally, so I don’t feel the need for help as such.

What I wish more people would understand about periods: That it varies vastly from person to person and that every woman experiences hormonal imbalances differently. I also wish people would stop dismissing a woman’s mood swings as PMS. It may well be, but it’s not funny – it just shows their insensitivity. Hormonal imbalances can really mess with emotions and the whole “Are you PMSing?” quip every time a woman is being moody is overdone and unnecessary.

About my cycle: My usual cycle is 31 days, and my period lasts about four days. It's changed many times; due to PCOS it was very erratic but it regulated after I lost weight. It went through many changes after pregnancy and breastfeeding too. I had mild to moderate bleeding pre-pregnancy and now it’s moderate to heavy. My period is definitely impacted by my exercise and eating habits, stress and travel.

My worst period symptoms: One of my worst PMS symptoms was a full-blown panic attack – I was crying on the bathroom floor because of something silly my toddler did and I was miserable for several minutes. I take medication for migraines or pains if they're unbearable, but nothing more. I’ve never felt the need to see a doctor for any of my symptoms, but extensive online research and speaking to my girlfriends made me aware that a lot changes after childbirth. ** Self-care during my periods:** I’ve found regular exercise throughout the month really improves the way I deal with those four days. I also try to meditate to help regulate my emotions. An overload of chores really makes that time horrible for me so I ensure I have some frozen meals on hand and I cut myself some slack if I need some extra wine or chocolate to get through.

Family/friendly support: As a stay-at-home mother of a toddler, it's hard to get much support. But I consciously try to be open about my feelings and symptoms with my son, so he grows up with a healthy EQ and empathy for menstruating people. My spouse will do whatever I need him to but I have to explicitly ask, and I usually don't, because I hate feeling dependent on top of being in pain and emotionally vulnerable at that time.

What I wish more people would understand about periods: I wish men would sense what’s happening and pull a little extra weight without asking their partners if it’s “that time of the month”. Being asked makes it sound almost like an accusation for behaviour they deem unreasonable.

About my cycle: My cycle is usually 28 days and my period lasts for about four days. When I first started menstruating, I had pain-free periods. The painful ones have started in the last seven to eight years. Due to hormonal imbalances in my mid-twenties, I was on period medication for my inconsistent and painful periods. After I stopped the medication, my period has been fairly regular but it’s been medium to heavy flow and quite painful. I suppose it’s due to age, stress and lifestyle changes.

My worst period symptoms: My entire body feels drained and I feel like energy is being sucked out of every part of my body. I experience a lot of pain in my neck and lower back and feel exceptionally stiff, especially in the mornings or at night. My legs and joints hurt, and I have tender breasts during the first and second day of my period. I usually get period migraines too, and this makes me feel grumpy and irritable as well. Sometimes when I have to be at work, I resort to taking painkillers, but otherwise I just let the pain pass.

Self-care during my periods: I try to stay to myself as much as possible so I don’t get triggered by others and land up arguing or getting more upset than I already am. I push myself to go for walks or do yoga. I crave a lot of sugar so I usually binge on dark chocolates. Massages help too so I indulge in those once in a while!

Family/friendly support: My mother just stays out of my way and we’ve figured that that works best. My friends also know when to step away and give me my space. I’ve recently started telling those at home not to expect much from me physically during my periods and to leave me alone.

What I wish more people would understand about periods: That the emotional, mental and physical turmoil that goes on inside our bodies is hard enough to deal with. I wish more people would bear with our irrational moods because we feel things at extremes in these times due to the hormonal fluctuations. Some TLC works great too!