The Magnificent Change

Kasha M •  Uttar Pradesh, India •  18

I was 13 when I got my period for the first time. Fortunately, I was at my home when I witnessed this magnificent change in my body. The words I am using to describe that very moment might appear to be exaggerated, but trust me, the first time is worth all the the words you can list. My vagina was bleeding but it felt different. Before this, I would bleed after falling from a swing or chasing my best friend. I don't remember if I felt any cramps or not (those cramps are shitty! For one moment you feel like it's all rosy-rosy, and by another, you feel like banging your head on wall!)

I ran and told my mother about this. I was scared and thought, "did I fall and hurt it?" She made me sit and talked about it. She said there are hormones which will keep on bringing new changes in my body, this being one of them.

I remember getting scared when I didn't get my period on the very same date next month. To add to that, I saw a PregaNews ad which said if my periods skipped, that might mean I am pregnant! Can you believe this?! For a 13 year old, pregnant meant a woman carrying a baby inside. I did not know the process involved to fill in the womb. I was hell scared. Years later, I laugh at this anecdote.

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Fortunately, I have always been surrounded by educated and open-minded people. The shopkeeper, waale bhaiyya, doesn't look shameful while giving period products to me. And when I see him doing this as normally and naturally as the process itself, it's enrapturing.

Sharing our first hand experience is indeed a very appreciable initiative. But people who really need to be educated on this won't be reading our stories. With god's grace, we've got facilities to pamper ourselves. We've got people with us to bear our mood swings and take care of ourselves. We are shifting from pads to menstrual cups. But at the same time, there's a girl resisting and fighting with those cramps without access to pads. The other side of the story is that our other mothers & sisters need hygiene, good health and awareness.

I am elated to see a trend where she stands for she. We share her anecdotes and appreciate her. This is beautiful. We are beautiful.

Too Early To Tell

Bhavlin K •  Rajasthan, Jaipur •  16

I was in class 4 and the month was February. The night before, I danced in a school dance festival and the next morning, I went to the washroom. I was sort of confused and my mother was quite upset as I was not even in class 5 and having periods was not normal at this age.

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After some time, me and my mom understood the situation and coped with it. I'm blessed to have been born in a house where my dad mostly shops for my tampons and pads and my mom takes care of my health. Where we live, we go on to school and act normal when our periods come.

Lifeguard on Period Duty

Kylie M •  California •  25

As if summer as a middle schooler wasn't awkward enough, my period debut involved the beach and a mortified male lifeguard.

It was the third day of my first real period and I was NOT ready for a tampon. I was heading to the beach for "Jr. Guards" where we run around the sand and into the water in red bathing suits. I was totally fine until my friend shrieked and pointed towards my legs. Exaggerated by the crashing waves, I had blood gushing down my frontside.

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We ran to the instructor and requested to go to the restroom. He said "go in the ocean" and my friend replied "no she really needs a bathroom..." To which, he replied "we're pretty far away. It's not that bad to go in the water." And exacerbated, I huffed "it's a GIRL PROBLEM!!!" I was so dramatic and he was so mortified, but I was lucky enough to have a friend wrap me in a towel and run back to where we could find a tiny tampon and rinse off in peace.