Beth Y • County Durham, UK • 31
I had not long turned 13 years old. Which by the way I thought was way late to start my period because a lot of other girls in my year had already been “perioding” for sometime. It was seen as getting a badge of honour or your womanhood. Like you were in the group that could share stories of their sanitary products and things like that.
So I was at my grandparents house where I spent most of my time after school. I was using the loo before going in the shower. I did the wipe and look...there it was. My womanhood...as much as I’d thought and wanted the day to come, I caught my breath for a minute. I was totally shocked and checked again. Then again. Yep, I had officially gotten my first period! I cried (a little) and somewhat panicked. I’m still not sure why I was upset but I knew I wasn’t looking forward to having to share this news with my Mam. Not that she wasn’t understanding, completely opposite. It just felt so deeply personal to me. I can’t remember if I actually had a shower or not. Everything after this is a blur.
That same evening I sat across from my Mam in the living room trying to build up the courage to tell her I had gotten my period. I kept asking her, “Mam...” Her, “What?” Me “...nothing”. At least an hour passed by of this back and forth until, “Mam...” Her, “WHAT!” Me, “I’VE STARTED MY PERIOD!”
What happens after this was hilarious to my friends when I shared this with them. My Mam sprung up off the couch and disappeared upstairs. 5 minutes pass as I sit there waiting having zero clue what’s going on. My mam reappears with a full carrier bag full of fem products! As if she’s preempted my period. She then talked me through how to use the pads and that I wasn’t ready for tampons yet. She was worried about toxic shock if I’d forget to change it in time. So off I went to the loo teen pads in hand. I sat and looked at that pad like it had ruined my life. I didn’t like how it felt in my pants and I wasn’t happy. I got myself quite worked up and my Mam was trying to tell me it wasn’t anything to cry over, it’s natural. I knew I wasn’t going to enjoy having to spend all day at school the next day wearing pads!
Looking back I’m so grateful that my Mam was there for me. As a grown woman and thinking that she went out of her way to prepare for my period is so beautiful and caring. I finally did come to terms with my period. As a teen it was a way my friends and I bonded over silly jokes about things that had happened with our periods.
These days my period and I have a smooth relationship. Well, there are still the times when she catches me completely off guard. No cramps - bam blood. Blood everywhere! But it’s no biggy.
