I Still Struggle With My Period

 I STILL STRUGGLE WITH MY PERIOD

I started menstruating at the age of 14 and to be completely honest, I wasn’t excited. After noticing blood in my underwear the first thing I did was i rushed to my mom and i told her about my ordeal. It was daunting because I had seen how most girls struggle with their period. So after telling my mom that I’m now menstruating the first thing she said that stuck with me till this day was “now that you are menstruating, take good care of yourself, you might get pregnant”. I didn’t sleep a wink that night, I’m an over thinker and if there are new changes in my life it takes time for me to adjust.  Since that day I don’t look forward to my monthly period, at the same time if my period delays or doesn’t come at all I get anxious (weird right!). Below are some of the reasons why I still struggle with my period, I’m sure most women can relate.

PMS

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) has made life difficult for me. I remember watching a talk show and one of the ladies made it seem as if PMSing is not a big deal, it’s just one of those. I was disappointed by that comment menstruation differs for each and every woman. Some don’t even experience all these symptoms. I’m naturally an emotional being, however two days before my period I get super emotional and starting crying over incidents that took place centuries ago. Not forgetting the fatigue I literally have to drag myself out of bed and motivate myself to complete tasks. I’ve heard men say women use PMS as an excuse to get away with the mood swings. First of all it’s not an excuse, personally when I’m going through my period I prefer being alone. To avoid unnecessary drama and negativity I would rather keep to myself till I get over that phase. In hindsight, my period does control my life to a certain extent and I’m still looking for ways to curb this if you have any suggestions feel free to comment below.

EXPENSE

My Zimbabwean sisters can attest to this, having a period in Zimbabwe is expensive. Pads and tampons are expensive, I’m thinking of resorting to menstrual cups. I’m still contemplating whether or not to switch to menstrual cups, pads are comfortable for me that’s why it’s difficult to let go. However pads are expensive and I sympathize with women who have a heavy flow. Looking at how costly pads and tampons are this results in women being stuck in stressful situations. There are cases where young girls miss school because they can’t afford pads, some wear the same pad throughout the day as a means of saving ( women are advised to wear a pad or tampon for an average of 4 to 8 hours) and the worst case scenario is some girls use leaves.  I want to opt for the menstrual cup because you can wear it for up to 12 hours before emptying it, they don’t contain chemicals and most importantly they save money you can use them for years. There was a time when I was trying to save money and I bought cheap pads. After my period I developed a yeast infection, and the brands which are good for me are costly.  It’s sad that having a period is costly, before I move on to the next point I would like to applaud people who are donating pads and menstrual cups to women and girls who cannot afford to buy these products. It’s important for people to have each other’s backs and remember menstruation is part of life.

PERIOD LENGTH

I get that we have to go through menstruation but what I fail to understand is why my period should last for 6-7 days. My period lasts for a whole seven days and I struggle with that. I try and eat foods that contain iron, I also drink lots of water. After all this I feel my efforts are in vain and fatigue takes over for a few days. The length of my period has led to me succumbing to anemia. I envy women whose period lasts for three days, you are blessed.

Regardless of the monthly struggle we face as women, the monthly cycle plays a significant role in our lives. I believe it makes us stronger than we think.  How do you deal with your period? How does it affect your life? Share your experience in the comment section below.