I think to begin, it is important to understand that periods are not gross. They are natural and, on a larger scale, they are pretty fucking awesome. Besides the cramps, etc, they show you that you are fertile and that one day you can bring a baby into this world.
I remember when I first got my period… it was such a confusing time. I was embarrassed to talk to anyone about it. And it almost felt like this embarrassing elephant in the room that you had to hide. When in reality, it is the most normal thing. We can’t be afraid of our bodies, we have to embrace them and treat them with respect.
The human body is vastly complex. Even just the monthly menstrual cycle has elements that physiological, hormonal and emotional. Your period is made up of three different phases. First, there is the menstrual phase, then the proliferative phase, and lastly, the luteal phase.
Your menstrual phase starts when you begin your period. This is your monthly cycle, which many women track in the calendar or with an app. Periods differ woman to woman. Some last three days and some last a whole week. Some women experience heavy bleeding while some have a light flow. Some women get extremely bad cramps and others don’t. It really depends entirely on your body. This is all normal. You may even have thick vaginal discharge during your period and can continue to spot or be brown, even after you finish your period.
Next is the proliferative phase and this is when your brain releases hormones that cause an ovum or egg to mature and prepare for release. It is at the end of this phase when a woman is most fertile, She then ovulates and the egg is released, beginning its descent down to the uterus.
As soon as a woman ovulates, the luteal phase begins. And this is when your body gets ready to house a potential embryo. It is also the last phase before you’re ready for menstruation again. This phase starts right after you ovulate and ends when you start your period. You can notice that right before your period, your discharge can be thin and more liquid. This is because that is the type of environment that is best for sperm to reach the egg. In the event that it happens, the egg then attaches to the uterine wall and so pregnancy begins. During this phase, your body creates high levels of progesterone and estrogen, both of which thicken the lining of your uterus. If there isn’t a fertilized egg, then the hormone levels drop and the endometrium or lining of your uterus begins shedding once again (starting your period anew.)
I think it’s important to understand that your period has a purpose and it’s a positive one. This society makes us women believe that it should be something of which we are to be embarrassed: That it’s a negative aspect. But in reality, we are the very ones who hold this society together and allow us to reproduce and create life itself!