How do you feel about your menstrual period? (Positives and Negatives)

[MissGarbo]

Is it "The Curse" to you? Are there any good things about it?

In general it's not something I look forward to, other than the slight relief at being sure I'm not pregnant. It's painful and messy. Also there's one day where I often feel really angry about things and that's very uncomfortable and sometimes scary. But I also sometimes feel more alive, in tune with what's going on in my life, even get special insight into something. And for whatever it means I feel womanly (which feels good). The part I like most is the feeling more alive, perhaps connected to the cosmos or something spiritual like that.

It is "part of me," and I try to accept what comes with it rather than see it as completely negative and just wait for it to be over. But usually I say and think only negative things about it.

Others?

[Louise Rebecca]

I think the positive thing about it for me is that it makes me feel more 'womanly', sounds silly but I'd feel lost without it.
Obviously the main negative thing is the pain and mood swings. And also the general feeling of uncleanliness, no matter how much you wash during.

[zoebird]

i love getting my period.

it's part of the blood mysteries, the ritual that comes after the initiation. in my mind, there are three blood initiations--menarche, pregnancy/birth, and menopause. these bring a woman through three cycles/aspects of the blood mysteries, and each phase is potent in different ways.

the monthly (or however often) ritual of blood via menstruation is a powerful time for a woman spiritually.

for many women, this aspect is lost in the shame, pain, upset, etc of the process. it's also lost because we have to work, etc, instead of taking our time out and going to retreat (which is what traditional cultures do and did).

for those women who do retreat--at least partially--during the time, the menstrual period is a powerful time of magic and self knowledge. there is much to be gained through studying and experiencing the blood initiations and rites.

for me, menstruation has always been a powerful experience at every level of being. I enjoy it physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Even if i have discomforts, or it's messy, or whatever--i enjoy it immensely.

i'm currently on route to my second blood initiation--birth. i'm 9.5 weeks pregnant and quite happy to head toward my next initiation. I also look forward to the return of the blood ritual.

to me, the whole process is sacred.

[eggplant]

I remember when I first started menstruating when I was 11 years old. When I realized what it was, I had this moment of complete elation without even understanding why. That was quickly followed by apprehension and fear. None of my friends had gotten their's yet, and I realized this new development was going to be a pain in the ass. For years after that I didn't like my period. It just seemed like an embarrassing annoyance.

Now, thinking back to my initial elation, I realize that that was my true feeling about it that was altered by the fact that in our society menstruation is something to be hidden and embarrassed about. Women don't feel that they can openly carry tampons/pads around. Those items must be hidden until you're alone in a bathroom stall. And God forbid you should have an "accident" and blood should appear on your clothing. It would be the ultimate embarrassment. This is all pretty unfortunate.

These days I love my period. At age 38 and wanting to get pregnant soon, it indicates to me that I'm still fertile. I've always had a very regular period, and this makes me feel healthy. Of course I could understand some women not liking it if they get horrible cramps or other painful symptoms, but I only get mild cramps. To me it's a nice part of being aware of my body and what it's doing and what it's capable of. I now understand my instinctual joyful reaction when I was 11 years old, and I feel I've recaptured that to some extent now. I may not be elated every time, but I feel glad.

[Serenstar]

I hate it. :brood: HATE IT!

I've always had problems with my periods.. I even went 7 months without having a period at all.
My periods are either 2 weeks long and really heavy or only 3 days and really light. My last two periods were both two weeks long and there was only a week between them. :brood:
As for the cramps.... Pretty much tried every single non-prescription painkiller and none have worked.
Went to the doctors when I was 14 (now 16, started at 11) and she sent me off to have an ultrasound to see if my ovarys were OK. Apparently, they were and that was it. Just told to carry on with painkillers... :brood:
I sometimes have to miss days off college when I'm on my period... Not good :no:

Periods :gun: :brood:

[Qwerks]

It used to be a "WOOHOO NOT PREGNANT!" celebration, but then I met someone with 3 kids and she said she never missed a period. So I asked my mum about that and she confirmed that a few of her friends had also kept menstruating for a few months into their pregnancies. So I freaked out and went door to door to all the doctors in the area until I found one who would give me a tubal.

Now it's just an answer to "why do I want to eat cookies and sleep all day?" and a bit of a nuisance. Although it is kind of nice to have a monthly indicator that something is working properly.

[Iria]

I don't really have much of an opinion about it. It's just there.

I was excited the first time I got it and it still makes me feel feminine, I guess, but if I think of it at all it's usually as a minor annoyance. My period gives me a lot of intestinal trouble, which can be horrible. I also have to deal with two weeks of cramps and other pains, which means about half my month is dealing with period symptoms. If I'm having a bad period, I definitely notice and gripe about it. If I'm having an okay one, then it's just what it is. I'm like "Oh, there's my period, right on time. Glad it's working right."

[RetroHousewife]

I sort of feel like now that I am done having kids, I should be done having periods too. I wish it worked that way. I find it uncomfortable, and have issues with all manner of products designed for it. Maybe I will feel differently after the Diva Cup I ordered arrives. Otherwise, I just don't like it.

On the other hand, the birth control pills that make you menstruate 4 times a year, or whatever, scare the crud out of me. I feel like altering this natural cycle will have ill effects somewhere down the road.

On the whole, I am not a fan.

[Amy SF]

I would be happy if I never had another period in my life. It does nothing positive for me at all. I'm 48, I don't have kids, and I don't expect that to change. When menopause comes, that should make me happy, except I'll probably have all the icky side effects, like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, etc. :(

[starling]

Me no likey.

[Chrysalis]

I feel relief I'm not pregnant, if I've had recent nookie.

I feel resentment at men while I'm on my period.

I feel irritated that it takes so long to end. I wouldn't mind it so much if it were a 5 day thing, but sometimes it drags on for 10 days. Not very strong flow, but just that brownish stuff so if I forget pantyliner, my underwear is ruined, but I hate wearing pantyliner, either cloth or cotton, and I hate wearing my divacup unless the flow is actually heavy. I get sore easily down there, inserting divacup, and pads are gross. My cloth pads are okay I guess but I only have two so I have to wash them like every day and I'm too cheap to buy more right now.

ETA: does anyone else have some "ugly" underwear reserved for their period? I'll wear that if I'm near the end of my flow and am sick of pads/cup. gosh i hope no one ever peeps in my panty drawer. it's kind of gross but oh well.

[Jennifer N]

I hates it. I don't feel "feminine" when I have it. I feel like a fat, bleeding, bloated psycho killer who wants to eat her weight in cookies and then murder the asshole working at Trader Joe's b/c I KNOW HE WAS JUDGING ME FOR BUYING THAT BOX OF JOE-JOES AND GODDAMMIT I WILL EAT HIM IF HE TELLS ME ONE MORE TIME TO HAVE A NICE DAY!!! Ugh.

[Qwerks]

:lol:

That too.

[vigilant20]

lol Jennifer, I totally agree it's not a feminine feeling. I'm one of those who does not plan on having children and so it just seems like a lot of needless suffering to me.

[animallover7249]

I ****ing hate my period.
It does not make me feel like a woman. I don't need to have blood coming from my girly parts to know that I have girly parts.
Having digusting blood, cramps, and all together ickiness for days is not in anyway enjoyable.
I really don't see it AT ALL as a positive experience.
I don't even want kids. ever. So that makes it more of a pain in the ass.

[Huckleberry]

I ****ing hate my period.
It does not make me feel like a woman. I don't need to have blood coming from my girly parts to know that I have girly parts.
Having digusting blood, cramps, and all together ickiness for days is not in anyway enjoyable.
I really don't see it AT ALL as a positive experience.
I don't even want kids. ever. So that makes it more of a pain in the ass.

Exactly!

[NotYet]

I love it. I feel more in tune with my body. It's a relief when I've had a male partner, it proves to me that I'm not pregnant. I enjoy the whole bloody process. I feel more... natural. I stopped taking any kind of painkillers and within two months my cramps almost completely went away. I enjoy knowing that I'm part of a powerful, bloody, natural people. How could I not enjoy that?

*I'll be back to edit this later.

[Eclipse]

Nope.
Just an unnecessary drain of nutrients. Which can lead to weakening of the immune system, which can leave a body susceptible to other diseases.

When I think about how much time I've spent in bed with all of the diseases I got from the weakened immune system, I could cry. What a waste of my time/life.

Furthermore, I found supporting this period/ diaper industry environmentally harmful. All of these disposible diapers going to the dump. What a waste when I used to wear many of these diapers each day.

I still have a stockpile of those suckers, most of which are now stored in my parents garage because my mom kept buying bundles of them. What a huge waste of money, I wish she'd bought me something useful like vitamins or extra food instead. She knew I was morally opposed to these products and had quit using them in favor of covering my bed with a sheet of plastic.

Tampons possibly being worse since they are covered with more plastic.
I think the people like or want periods should definatly use natural sponge tampons or diva cups.

[Munya]

Mines not painful but I still hate it, it's annoying and comes at the worst times. My 18th birthday *sob*

[jenna]

I'm still looking for that special food that I can eat and never have my period again. It's been a negative for me since I first started (9-10 years old). One of my first periods lasted for 45 days, thereabouts.

Add on that I never want to have children, my PCOS makes my period last for months sometimes - is all why I plan on getting an endometrial ablation and tubal. Out, damn'd spot, out! Shakespeare was onto something. :p

[Lucious]

I used to think of it as a curse, until it stopped coming. Then I wished and wished. And now I'm overjoyed when it comes.

[synergy]

I am relatively indifferent to my period.
I'm always happy to see it, but annoyed that I have to remember to put tampons in my purse.

[NotYet]

Tampons possibly being worse since they are covered with more plastic.
I think the people like or want periods should definatly use natural sponge tampons or diva cups.

I don't like the idea of a dead sea animal up my business. :-/ I do like reusable pads, they are fabulous!

R

[Eclipse]

To the people who said they hated it, you would probably miss it if it were gone.

I miss mine. It's kind of a comfort to have it, to know that your body is functioning right, and that you can still have kids one day if you ever decide to have one or twelve. I probably will never be able to have one.

Nope, it's been a few months and I'm thrilled. Not only do I not miss it, I wonder how is the best way to protect myself from it ever happening again.

For me it's a comfort not to have it. I've become less stressed, more relaxed and I feel safer.
The dreams of being locked in a room with blood pouring out of my genitals up to my ankles/knees or being terrorized by illnesses that I couldn't protect myself from have gone down. Now if I had money to go somewhere I could actually do something meaningful with my life since one important issue holding me back was removed.

But hey, everyone is different and if it didn't lead to you getting other diseases then I'm sure you 'd feel much differently.

On the issue of children.
I'm a little sad that I do not have the choice to have children. Being an asexual is a fate that I do not really want at times. There isn't any reliable way to changing ones' sexual orientation so I will have to simply come to terms with it.

[RetroHousewife]

I know for a fact I wouldn't miss mine. And, since I am done having children, I don't see the point in having it any more. My mother is 52 and still has her's. That is what awaits me I guess, oh joy!