How did you react when you were told you would have a period for the next 40ish years after you had your first?

7 comments

1. I don’t think the reality of it really settled in on 10 yo me. I was just amused with wearing a pad, and a bit grossed out by the blood. That was my only reaction to my first period.

   And as to your reprogramming question, idk one week a month seems better to me than either of the alternatives lol

2. Considering I started at 11 & needed to take one day off a month from school until I finally found a solid birth control to regulate my periods & minimize pain…. I wanted a hysterectomy before I was 18. I never got one but later learned I have endometriosis. Also found out just about every woman in my family had it too. Would’ve been nice to learn all of this before 32. Would’ve helped me not feel so alone because I knew no doctor would perform a hysterectomy on an 18 year old.

3. I was HORRIFIED

   My mother “helpfully” said “only till you’re about 50” and I immediately decided I wanted to be a boy

   Horrified. Did I mention that?!?

   As for alternatives … I think one day per week would be better. Still sucks ass though

4. I was actually very excited to start my period. I was late in getting it, so I felt like I was behind. I also felt like such a grown-up. …that feeling lasted for about 20 minutes right about when my cramps really started settling in.

   I really try not to think about how long I’ll have a period for, but I do really like to see it sometimes like when I’m freaking myself out about being pregnant or when I’m freaking myself out about not being able to have children as I’m older.

   I’m pretty lucky though. Birth control has regulated my periods and made most symptoms tolerable. I also thank modern medicine for Pamprin every day of my period, even though I do have mixed feelings about it.

5. I didn’t need to be told. I knew what periods were and that you had them until nature said okay you’re done when you were older.

   When I was young I always wanted to be older so I figured it was just a small price to pay for being grown. It also helped that my periods weren’t particularly bad or painful as a preteen/teen.

6. I knew before I got mine. My mother had horrific periods so I learned about them pretty young as she’d have to tell us to leave her alone so she could suffer in peace.

   I was definitely terrified to get mine because I saw how bad my mother’s were. Luckily, mine aren’t as bad but definitely not at all a walk in the park. But I was definitely scared how painful and heavy they could be. Also, I had no idea how they really worked so that freaked me out. I remember being confused about if the bleeding happened all the time or just at night. If it was constant (like every day) or just a few times a week or month.

   I do vividly remember feeling very, very, very angry on the first 2 days of my period for about the first year I had it. I literally felt a burning rage. I think part of it was hormones and part of it was dealing with the reality of this being part of my life now.

7. I hated the idea, I didn’t want children so I saw this as pointless.

   How ironic, as my Daughter said the same when she started hers haha