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Nearly 50 percent of all women are afflicted with some degree of menstrual cramping and for 15 percent, the abdominal pain is severe enough to cause hindrance in day-to-day life. Whether you experience cramping before your period or cramping after your period, we’re going to help you get sorted. Below you’ll learn everything from what causes period cramps at any time of your cycle and how to ease them naturally. But, what are menstrual cramps? During your menstrual period, your uterus contracts to help expel its lining. Hormone-like substances (prostaglandins) involved in pain and inflammati ..read more

MY MOTHER’S STORY In 1993, when I was nine years old, my mother, then 39, underwent a surgery that would change her life. I remember hearing about her diagnosis. I heard things like “the size of a melon“ and the words “remove” and “surgery.” I also have memories of my mother holding her lower belly in a way that felt alarming and concerning. She was diagnosed with uterine fibroid in 1989 by her black, female OB-GYN doctor. It was at first pea-sized and she was told it was “not a worry or concern.” The doctor told her that it could shrink or could keep growing. Over time, it grew slowly into a ..read more

As if it wasn’t already enough of a nuisance, urinary incontinence, which can have an impact on your social life and your sex life, can also take a toll on your passion for fashion.   With anywhere between 30-50 percent of people affected by incontinence, it’s an issue that so many women deal with, but one that is still stigmatized and kept out of everyday conversation. This is especially true when it comes to how leakage can negatively impact daily life, including what you wear.   Since no woman should have to give up important parts of her life while managing urinary incontinence ..read more

Period sex.   Can you even say the words without singing it in Rachel Bloom’s voice?! We can’t. Even if you aren’t a Crazy Ex Girlfriend fan, period sex is one of the most divisive sex acts. But, it doesn’t have to be. If you’re curious to try it or you want to take your period sex game up a notch, here’s everything you need to know about enjoying yourself while riding the crimson tide.   A quick note about language: as a company that values holistic sex education and wellness, we take an expansive view of sex. That means, when referring to sex below, we’re talking all about the di ..read more

It’s always surprising to me to think back on what I knew about periods in my earliest years as a menstruator. I knew enough not to be shocked when it happened for the first time. I also didn’t know enough not to be shocked the first time I saw discharge in my underwear. What in the…? Disgusted and scared, 12-year-old me thought my body was broken. Eventually I learned that discharge was normal, but I still had no concept for what it was or why it was coming out of my body during certain times of the month. I was in my late twenties before I began to understand that there are actually four m ..read more

Each month the body of a menstruating woman expels the lining of her uterus, which amounts to an average of six teaspoons of blood. While that’s about the same quantity of liquid in a shot of espresso, the process can be painful thanks to period cramps. If you feel the pain every month, you might want to explore holistic cures for period cramps.   Typically, period cramps occur right before menstruation starts. During this time, the level of a natural chemical, called prostaglandins, builds up in the uterus and causes the discomfort. These chemical levels are still high on the first day ..read more

A few months after having a baby, you might want to get back in shape. So, you put on your sweats and head out for a run. Or maybe you sign up for a workout class. Once your feet hit the ground or the instructor asks you to jump, you find yourself peeing your pants. You don’t quite see how working out is going to work out. Like at least one in three new moms, you have stress incontinence. WHAT IS POSTPARTUM STRESS INCONTINENCE? While it sounds like something caused by the mental and emotional stress of having a new baby, stress urinary incontinence is the term for the involuntary loss of ur ..read more

Growing up, many of us were initiated into the period club with two options: tampons or pads. Pads, often bulky, felt like wearing a diaper while tampons seemed terrifying. Luckily, girls today have a few more options—options that even those of us who have been menstruating for decades are eager to try.   While our comfort can benefit from these new options, the real benefactor of period products rising in popularity is Mother Nature. Sustainable options such as menstrual cups and period underwear eradicate the idea that period products are, by nature, wasteful, by providing us reusable ..read more

Like many aspects of women’s health, the concept of menstruation leave has mixed reviews. On one side of the debate, offering paid (or in some countries, unpaid) leave sends the message that menstruators can’t perform or meet their job responsibilities during their cycle. This can be especially harmful in parts of the world where periods are considered ‘dirty’ and taboo, even though they are everything-but. On the opposite side sits those who acknowledge and believe menstruation is a natural part of life, and all women experience PMS symptoms on a sliding scale of severity. Allowing them the ..read more