I love to talk about Womxns’ related issues so this is a little space for me to tell you all about some the things that have helped me while I navigate this body of mine. Some history for you; I have always had heavy periods: by heavy I mean large clots, super tampons and pads and leaking through. At school. And on school camp. Not fun. Along with that came cramping so painful it would cause nausea. I came of age in the 1990’s, surrounded by tampon marketing that said life shouldn’t stop, even for your period, combine that with a mother who had a hysterectomy because her bleeding was so heavy, I truly thought that what I was experiencing was normal and that I just needed to get used to it. Going on the Pill at age 16 gave me great relief, once I found one that didn't make me bleed in between periods…ah, the joys. I used the Pill on and off for a number of years, finally giving my body a proper break once I got married to my first husband which saw my periods return to their ridiculously short cycle of 23-26 days but not so much of the volume I was used to. Once our son was conceived, born and my periods had returned to normal, they returned to my teenage normal. Not being able to use tampons after pregnancy; I could “feel” them, I switched to using a Menstrual Cup on the recommendation from Michelle Keenan Yoga. This was revelation for me as I could finally measure exactly how much blood I was losing and it wasn’t the 30ml they said was normal for a 5-7 day period…I was losing 30ml an hour for the first few days. I had to wear pads at night and had to change my cup every hour else it would overflow. My partner convinced me that I should get an iron test and lo and behold, the reason I was so tired wasn’t because I was a mum, but because I was so low in iron! I had a Mirena put in after consulting a specialist and when I expelled that in an extra heavy bout of bleeding for the prolonged period of over ten days, I decided to have a Uterine Ablation. Having this procedure means I cannot hold a pregnancy even though I still have my uterus and my ovaries. I had to come to terms that I won’t have another baby naturally and the grieving for this was more than I realised it would be and it is still ongoing. I am blessed with a bonus daughter and my son so I truly know how fortunate I am. The operation was deemed unsuccessful as I have, what is medically described as, an extra large, bulky uterus and all the lining was not successfully removed, also thanks to a fibroid. Lovely. The specialist believes, due to the fact that I still get incredibly painful cramps, that I have Adenomyosis, which is the uterine lining growing inward into the uterus wall. My periods were significantly lighter but heavier than I expected which led me down the path of Yoni Steaming. This practise is not well known in Western culture but is practised in many Indigenous cultures, worldwide. I researched and asked questions of www.SteamyChick.com and found a practitioner close to my home and have been doing monthly steams; either with www.mamasretreat.co.nz or in my own home and it has changed my life! My cramping is manageable, my period flow lighter, bright red and only. small clots (which is normal- if you have clots larger than a 50cent piece, then you should seek medical advice) I am now confident in selfing; the art of self care, especially around my period time; I stay quiet, rest, drink concentrated Raspberry Leaf tea and nourish my body. I also use ModiBodi Period underwear which is environmentally friendly and so much more comfortable- I love the idea of free-bleeding and now that my flow is manageable, I’m not concerned about leakage.
If you have any questions relating to periods or just understanding and loving your body a little better, then feel free to send me an enquiry through the Contact Form.
“Honour the body we have today” Sharon Currie, Be Pilates NZ.
Ange x
