Menstruation Easy Read

When a girl goes through puberty she starts having periods.

This is called menstruation.

Women have tiny eggs in their ovaries.

Each month a new tiny egg is released from the ovary.

This is called ovulation.

The egg travels down the fallopian tube towards the uterus.

When this happens some women feel bloated.

The uterus is also called the womb.

The womb grows a special lining that will protect the egg if it is going to grow into a baby.

If the egg is fertilised by sperm from a man, it can grow into a baby.

If the egg is not being used to make a baby, the lining made of blood, comes out of the woman's vagina.

This is called a period.

Periods usually last between 3 to 7 days.

Periods can be uncomfortable.

Some women get stomach cramps.

Some women get headaches.

Some women feel very tired.

Sometimes a woman's mood can change, and she will feel upset easily.

This is normal.

When a woman has a period she uses sanitary products.

It is good to use the type you feel most comfortable with.

A sanitary towel goes inside a woman's underwear to soak up the blood.

A tampon goes inside a woman's vagina to soak up the blood.

It has a string so it can be pulled out.

Exercise can help ease the pain of stomach cramps.

Eating healthily can help give you energy.

It is important to keep clean.

Change your pad or tampon every few hours or sooner if needed (morning, before lunch, afternoon, dinner, going to bed).

If you are going swimming you can use a tampon, or take a break from swimming that week.

Use a bin to throw away your old pad or tampon.

Do not flush it down the toilet.

If you are having very heavy periods or a lot of pain, speak to your support staff and your doctor.

There are different medicines that can help.

The hormones in your body can give you mood swings.

This means you might feel sad or get cross easily.

If you do feel sad, try to do something to help you feel better.

Sometimes it  helps to take time to relax on your own.

Talking to someone can also help.