It will be important to introduce the girl to keeping a cycle calendar. Instead of paper, there may be a special app – perfect for the digital generation. It allows her to check whether her periods are more or less regular. – On average, a cycle lasts 28 days, plus or minus 7. That is, between 21 and 35 days, up to 45, which is a physiological state. It is rare for girls to menstruate regularly every 28 days. The situation when it occurs every 26-36 days can be uncomfortable, but normal – explains the doctor. med. Agnieszka Zawadzka, obstetrician-gynecologist, pediatric gynecologist IFEPAG (International Fellowship of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology), UCK DSK WUM in Warsaw, Clinic of Pediatric and Female Gynecology.
It is worth keeping a calendar from the beginning of menstruation. It makes it easier to control your body. – I have many young patients who come to me with problems of irregular menstruation. If they do not keep a calendar, we do not have time to talk and this makes my diagnosis difficult – she adds. The menstrual app also allows you to record how you feel during menstruation, which helps prevent diseases. It is worth drawing the girl’s attention to the abundance of menstruation. – Very heavy menstruation means the need to change the pad or tampon more frequently than every two hours or use more than six pads/pads per day – says the gynecologist.
Heavy menstruation is not only a logistical and social problem (fear of leakage and spotting), but also an important signal from the body. – Remember: menstruation lasts 5-7 days. If it lasts more than 10 days, a doctor’s consultation is necessary. Especially if it is heavy. Sometimes it happens that girls with undiagnosed blood clotting disorders have such heavy first menstruation that they require hospitalization and intensive treatment. That is why you need to pay attention to this, says Agnieszka Zawadzka.
Relieve pain
The first period usually appears on average around the age of 13 and occurs approximately three years after the beginning of breast development. For most girls, menstrual cycles become regular within 2 to 3 years. The initial irregularity is due to the lack of ovulation, which is also why the first bleeding is usually painless. – During the physiological menstrual cycle, substances are released during ovulation, which can cause pain during menstruation – says the gynecologist. This pain is usually a natural phenomenon. What matters, however, is its severity and the response to painkillers. Among home remedies, light physical exercise and a hot water bottle for the belly are recommended. Of drugs – diastolic. However, these remedies, by definition, do not treat painful periods. This is done by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Therefore, the first step in diagnosing painful periods involves observing the effect of over-the-counter NSAIDs on the patient, followed by prescribed NSAIDs, says Agnieszka Zawadzka. If they help, we do not suspect any abnormality. However, if they do not work and we know that painful periods are a result of ovulation, they need to be controlled with hormonal treatment. “When menstruation prevents normal functioning, it is worth going to the gynecologist to determine which treatment to implement,” she adds.
Menstrual hygiene
It is important to teach our daughters that they need to wash their intimate areas more frequently during menstruation: in the morning, at night and twice a day. – Change the tampon every three hours. Even when there is little secretion. Blood is a breeding ground for bacteria that live in large numbers in intimate areas, which can cause an unpleasant odor. At school, it is worth using wet wipes for intimate hygiene in case of emergency, advises a gynecologist. Logistics are made easier by tampons. There are no contraindications to their use even from the first menstruation. It is not true that they cause blood reflux, which can cause serious illnesses. If a tampon exceeds its absorption capacity, it simply starts to leak. There is a (minimal) risk of toxic shock when using a tampon. Therefore, we recommend mini tampons, which we remove after 2 to 3 hours and prefer to use them during the day. – You should definitely read the tampon manufacturer’s leaflet, especially the information about the risk of shock. It happens very rarely, but you need to know what the symptoms are, says the doctor.
Tampons for girls are now available in supermini sizes, with a lining for easy application. So if there is a desire and need (the girl plays sports, nothing), we try to insert a tampon at the time of the heaviest bleeding. If difficulties arise, we do not force it. You can try the next day or during the next menstruation. If this fails, it is worth consulting a gynecologist who will check whether the structure of the hymen makes it difficult or impossible to insert the tampon. – I have patients who come to me to find out if it is possible to use a tampon, because, for example, their sister had a problem with it. Most often, this happens due to stress, which causes the vaginal muscles to contract, says the gynecologist. However, it may happen that the girl has a variant of the hymen in which there is a strip of connective tissue in the middle. Then you can even insert the tampon, but when it becomes saturated with blood, it cannot be removed. – The problem is solved by a small procedure of cutting this strip. It increases comfort in the future, when a girl starts to have sexual intercourse. The risk of severe pain during the first intercourse disappears, he explains.
Tension and well-being
– When, as a girl develops, she begins to experience serious illnesses that not only cause mood swings, but even school problems, and these injuries are not serious, it is worth using natural solutions – says Dr. Joanna Gzik, a pediatrician who uses elements of natural medicine: homeopathy and phytotherapy, a member of the Polish Society of Clinical Homeopathy. – Homeopathy can help by offering individually selected medications for the needs of each patient – her physical illnesses, but also general symptoms – she says. These drugs activate the body’s natural forces to deal with bad mood. – You can choose from those that can be useful in case of severe symptoms just before menstruation (for example, lachesis), but also those that help with irregular periods in girls (for example, pulsatilla). They regulate hormonal balance, which improves well-being, says Joanna Gzik, MD.
If abdominal cramps are the main concern, a warm compress with a hot water bottle or a bath can certainly bring relief. However, they are not recommended if you are prone to heavy bleeding – they can increase it. – In this situation, after examining a young patient, I could recommend, for example, colocynthis. It has an antispasmodic effect and eliminates severe abdominal cramps. Other preparations can help if the dominant symptom is tenderness, swelling and pain in the breasts, including bryonia or phytolacca decandra. However, not only physical symptoms are important, adds Joanna Gzik, MD.
Calming and relaxing
The feeling of discomfort associated with menstruation is closely related to the mental state of the girl, but also of each woman. It is certainly worth teaching girls that menstruation can be an opportunity for small rituals – to relax, calm down and listen to the needs of their body. This is facilitated by slowing down, paying attention to breathing, but also explaining to the daughter that a possible mood swing, a feeling of injustice and unfairness are temporary and are related to hormonal play. Of course, this does not solve the problem, but it helps you understand that it can be solved. Herbal infusions of lemon balm, chamomile and verbena can bring relief – they have a tonic effect on the central nervous system. Therapy with aromatherapy oils, for example lavender or rose, also promotes calm. – You can also do a gentle massage of the lower abdomen with violet oil, which has an analgesic and calming effect – says the expert. However, if a girl experiences strong mood swings, very bad mood or low self-esteem around the time of her period, she can consult a specialist in complementary medicine who will select individual medications to help with difficult emotions.
It is also worth encouraging girls to reward their bodies during menstruation for how strong they are and what they can do – acting in accordance with nature. A little thing from a dream, cosmetics – they can really improve your mood. Let’s convince our teenage daughters that, along with the maturation of their femininity, they are moving towards adulthood. That is why it is worth getting in touch with your body from the very beginning, getting to know its needs and emotions.
