Mendi says:

Thank you, Anna, for opening this discussion! I feel super blessed to not actually have a super embarrassing period story, except maybe the one time I was at my grandmother’s and bled all over the sheets during the night. My mom was very similar to your mom about not being super open about things below the neck. I think it was the way THEY were raised. They weren’t even generally allowed to use the word pregnant and tried not to acknowledge anyone as being so. If it could not be avoided then they said something about a woman being “with child” and quickly changed the subject. They definitely didn’t discuss anything else. I don’t have kids, but if I did I would definitely want to be open with them. I would want them to be able to ask me anything, and nothing should feel taboo to them. I may not know all the answers, but who better to help them find the best information about their own bodies? Anyway, sorry, I’m rambling. Thankfully I had older sisters and friends and got my period a little later than some of my friends, so I was at least somewhat aware of what to expect. I had personally witnessed and tried to help friends having super embarrassing period stories, so I was ultra paranoid and my mom did remind me to take supplies just in case when I was going on any sort of trip. She also encouraged me to keep a calendar so I knew when to expect it next, so there is that. Now we have apps on our phones! Anyway, I learned early in the game that tampons greatly compounded my cramping, so I had to avoid using them except on very rare occasions. I totally remember those pads that felt like canoes between your legs and that rustled like a diaper when you walked, especially when climbing stairs! I was so glad when I discovered the name-brand pad options that felt less like wearing a diaper. Lately my period has gotten heavier. I was growing weary of feeling like the Texas chainsaw massacre was taking place in my pants and always smelling and feeling dirty, because it was impossible to keep clean during that time of the month. If I’m not being too graphic here, I was constantly having to be extremely careful not to drip anywhere in the process of getting up from the toilet and getting my pants back up. I was going through TONS of toilet paper. In the past couple months I took the plunge and decided to try the DivaCup, and I’m SO GLAD I did. It has given me more freedom and I have stayed mostly clean during Aunt Flow’s blessed visit. No more apocalyptic looking underwear. There is a bit of a learning curve and I’m not going to lie, you get to know yourself a LOT better than you did before. It was surprisingly helpful to me to learn how little blood there really is – it just looks like a lot more when it’s all over your pants. Generally the cup only needs to be emptied twice per day. Now that I have started using it, I have learned that there are actually several brands and styles out there to fit different needs. I even found web pages and YouTube channels dedicated to helping women learn about alternative feminine care that specifically give tips on how to use menstrual cups. If you are interested, check out PutACupInit.com and/or check out the YouTube channel Dirty Diaper Laundry. She has several helpful videos. SoIrry this was so long. I guess I found it cathartic to finally openly discuss my period, too.