My first time was in... grade 10. So I would have been about 14, or maybe 15 (depends when in the year it was... I *think* it was before my birthday, but I can't remember). I remember going to the bathroom one day (second period?) and discovering this pinkish-reddish stuff in my underwear. My reaction was to tilt my head to side and think: "How interesting". And then use toilet paper to sop it all (what little there was -- I am not, and never have been, a heavy-bleeder) up.
I didn't tell my Mom. (I did steal her pads for a couple of months, however). I didn't tell her because... well, this was mine! I wasn't about to share it with someone I didn't get along with very well. (That was around the time that I was referring to her as "my father's wife", jsut to give you an idea. ;-)
But. I'd always known what periods were (so clearly my Mom was not that bad). When I was little, I called them "blood periods", and my mom had to sort of hammer it into my head to "just call it your period, okay?" but I knew what it was, and why it happened, and all that other stuff from when I was a little kid. (That didn't stop me from *totally* freaking out during the 'health class' in grade six, where we actually had to talk about this stuff out loud. I was a *mess* in that class. I had to leave, I was *that* uncomfortable...)
I remember my sister finding out that I'd already got my period and sort-of freaking a bit because she'd been meaning to ask our mom when you're supposed to start counting your cycle-days from (is it 28 days from period-day-1 to period-day-1, or 28 days from period-day-7 to period-day-1? -- Answer: Depends on the person and, often, the emotional-state they're in, from cycle to cycle), and she was scard to death that our mom would think that she was asking *for me*, since she (Mom) didn't know I was bleeding yet... Which was when I finally told her (Mom) that I'd already got my period. (Which explained where her pads had been going. ;-)
It took me quite a while to get up the nerve to buy my own pads (and then tampons, later... I was really scared about using them, being a virgin at 19 and all, and not remotely comfortable with sticking *anything* inside me). Now I'm totally comfortable with them (except when they chafe and catch, but that's another story). :-)
I don't use a cup (yet -- it's on my 'buy soon' list... I'm taking the plunge! ;-) but I decided to use OB tampons because (a) lack of excess packaging/aplicators = less junk going into the land-fills, and (b) the plastic-wrap doesn't tear in your bag (I have a fairly irregular period, so I'm never *totally* sure when it's going to show up. Thus I always have stuff on-hand. :-)
Regarding "menstruation": I don't know if it's possible to pronounce that word using only two syllables... "men'strin"? Dunno. But... I tend to go for either "men-stroo-ay-shun" or a wierd hybrid of the two pronuciations, which ends up sounding a bit like "mens-terr/tar-ay-shun". Which is *completely* inaccurate, but still what comes out of my mouth. :-)
Re: Sex on your period: Well, as I said, I'm not a heavy bleeder, so really it's only the first three days (or sometimes day 2-3-4) where it would be *really* messy. Even then, on day 1 or 4, we can sometimes get away with doing it on a dark towel. :-) I do find that I'm horny as hell during my period (possibly due to the extra lube, or the constant stimulation of the tampon-string, but also possibly because my gods! [TMI] the smell of fresh menstrual blood is just divine! Blood laced with hormones. Yummy! :-D Back when I was still using pads (and now, with tampons, although slightly less so), I'd just sit in the bathroom-stall for a minute and smell my own blood. Oh, how wonderful... :-)[/TMI]
no subject
My first time was in... grade 10. So I would have been about 14, or maybe 15 (depends when in the year it was... I *think* it was before my birthday, but I can't remember).
I remember going to the bathroom one day (second period?) and discovering this pinkish-reddish stuff in my underwear.
My reaction was to tilt my head to side and think:
"How interesting".
And then use toilet paper to sop it all (what little there was -- I am not, and never have been, a heavy-bleeder) up.
I didn't tell my Mom. (I did steal her pads for a couple of months, however).
I didn't tell her because... well, this was mine! I wasn't about to share it with someone I didn't get along with very well.
(That was around the time that I was referring to her as "my father's wife", jsut to give you an idea. ;-)
But.
I'd always known what periods were (so clearly my Mom was not that bad). When I was little, I called them "blood periods", and my mom had to sort of hammer it into my head to "just call it your period, okay?" but I knew what it was, and why it happened, and all that other stuff from when I was a little kid. (That didn't stop me from *totally* freaking out during the 'health class' in grade six, where we actually had to talk about this stuff out loud. I was a *mess* in that class. I had to leave, I was *that* uncomfortable...)
I remember my sister finding out that I'd already got my period and sort-of freaking a bit because she'd been meaning to ask our mom when you're supposed to start counting your cycle-days from (is it 28 days from period-day-1 to period-day-1, or 28 days from period-day-7 to period-day-1? -- Answer: Depends on the person and, often, the emotional-state they're in, from cycle to cycle), and she was scard to death that our mom would think that she was asking *for me*, since she (Mom) didn't know I was bleeding yet... Which was when I finally told her (Mom) that I'd already got my period. (Which explained where her pads had been going. ;-)
It took me quite a while to get up the nerve to buy my own pads (and then tampons, later... I was really scared about using them, being a virgin at 19 and all, and not remotely comfortable with sticking *anything* inside me). Now I'm totally comfortable with them (except when they chafe and catch, but that's another story). :-)
I don't use a cup (yet -- it's on my 'buy soon' list... I'm taking the plunge! ;-) but I decided to use OB tampons because (a) lack of excess packaging/aplicators = less junk going into the land-fills, and (b) the plastic-wrap doesn't tear in your bag (I have a fairly irregular period, so I'm never *totally* sure when it's going to show up. Thus I always have stuff on-hand. :-)
Regarding "menstruation": I don't know if it's possible to pronounce that word using only two syllables... "men'strin"? Dunno. But... I tend to go for either "men-stroo-ay-shun" or a wierd hybrid of the two pronuciations, which ends up sounding a bit like "mens-terr/tar-ay-shun". Which is *completely* inaccurate, but still what comes out of my mouth. :-)
Re: Sex on your period: Well, as I said, I'm not a heavy bleeder, so really it's only the first three days (or sometimes day 2-3-4) where it would be *really* messy. Even then, on day 1 or 4, we can sometimes get away with doing it on a dark towel. :-)
I do find that I'm horny as hell during my period (possibly due to the extra lube, or the constant stimulation of the tampon-string, but also possibly because my gods! [TMI] the smell of fresh menstrual blood is just divine! Blood laced with hormones. Yummy! :-D Back when I was still using pads (and now, with tampons, although slightly less so), I'd just sit in the bathroom-stall for a minute and smell my own blood. Oh, how wonderful... :-)[/TMI]
More than you ever wanted to know, I'm sure. ;-)
MORE TO FOLLOW...