the things nobody handed you a manual for
New to periods?
Start where you are.
You don’t have to learn everything at once. Find the question on your mind and take it one step at a time.
A little help you can use now
Cups & discs
When should I replace my cup or disc?
Cup and disc lifespan is different from hours of wear. Compare manufacturer guidance, check damage versus discoloration and know when to replace yours.
Trying a menstrual disc?
A beginner’s guide to inserting and removing a menstrual disc, product-specific wear limits, cleaning, leaks and when to stop and ask for help.
Trying a menstrual cup?
A beginner-friendly guide to menstrual cups: inserting, releasing the seal, bathroom questions, timing and a first-try plan with a backup.
Cleaning a menstrual cup
Plan washing, sanitizing and storage for your menstrual cup. Check brand-specific boiling times and prepare for a school bathroom without a private sink.
Cup or disc?
Cups and discs collect period blood but fit and come out differently. Compare handling, cleaning and everyday needs without pressure to switch products.
Symptoms & comfort
No appetite on your period?
Not hungry around your period? Try manageable familiar food, plan for school and learn when low appetite, early fullness or other symptoms need help.
Constipation around your period?
Hard or painful poop before your period? Find a practical bathroom and food routine, what to tell a clinician and when constipation needs prompt care.
Feeling dizzy on your period?
Feeling dizzy or lightheaded on your period? Get safe, ask for help, and learn what to tell a clinician about fainting, recurring dizziness or heavy bleeding.
Using heat for cramps
A practical guide to heating pads and hot-water bottles for period cramps: covers, product instructions, staying awake, school use and when to ask for help.
What does PMS mean?
Understand premenstrual symptoms, notice timing without diagnosing yourself, and find practical help for mood, sleep, appetite and other period changes.
Cramps but no bleeding?
Cramps can start before your period, but pain alone cannot predict bleeding. Know when to rest, contact a clinician or get urgent help.
Hungry before your period?
Period cravings and appetite changes can happen. Make a flexible school snack and meal-access plan without guilt, food rules or calorie tracking.
Can’t sleep before your period?
Trouble sleeping before a period? Try a practical bedtime reset, understand night sweats, and know when recurring sleep disruption deserves help.
What helps period bloating?
Comfortable clothing, meals, movement and a school-day plan for period bloating. Learn when persistent bloating or severe pain needs help.
Why am I so tired on my period?
Feeling unusually tired around your period? Get practical school-day support, understand when heavy bleeding matters and know when to seek care.
Nausea or throwing up on your period?
Feeling sick or throwing up on your period? Find a plan for small sips, school support, repeated vomiting and symptoms that need urgent medical help.
Why do I poop more on my period?
Why bathroom habits can change around a period, how to get bathroom access at school, and when diarrhea or dehydration needs medical advice.
What helps a headache at school?
A school-day plan for headaches around periods: water, meals, a quiet break, words to ask for help and symptoms that need urgent care.
Why do I break out before my period?
Gentle skin care for breakouts before your period, without harsh scrubs or overnight promises. Learn when to ask for acne treatment support.
Why are my breasts sore before my period?
Comfort options for sore breasts before a period, what to tell a clinician and which changes need prompt medical attention.
Why do I feel emotional around my period?
Support for feeling sad, anxious or overwhelmed around your period. Practical words to ask for help, pattern notes and urgent support options.
First periods
Your first period-health appointment
A teen guide to a first gynecologist visit: what to bring, what happens, questions about exams and privacy, and words to ask for a pause.
Can I make my period start sooner?
Can you make a period start sooner? What food and vitamin claims miss, and a practical plan for a first period, a late one or an upcoming trip.
Can I stop or delay my period?
What can and cannot stop a period, how medical planning differs from a home trick, and a practical backup plan when a trip or event is tomorrow.
Is my period over?
Lighter flow or brown blood does not prove your period has ended. Learn what to notice, which backup to use, and how to note spotting and gaps.
Where does period blood come from?
A simple explanation of where period blood comes from, why the uterus sheds its lining, and what to do when your first period starts.
What are jelly-like clumps in period blood?
Seeing jelly-like clumps in period blood? Learn which details matter, when large clots need assessment and how to describe your bleeding.
Blood when I wipe, but none on my pad?
Blood on toilet paper but none on your pad? What light spotting can and cannot tell you, what to do next and when to ask for medical advice.
Still waiting for your first period?
No first period yet? Understand the age checkpoints for medical advice, prepare for an appointment and handle comparisons with friends.
Discharge, but no first period yet?
Clear or white discharge can happen before your first period. Learn what to do at school, what it can’t predict, and when to ask for help.
Is this too much bleeding?
A period-blood estimate, why measuring it at home is hard, signs to ask a clinician about, and words for getting help with heavy bleeding.
Is this what cramps feel like?
Period cramps can feel like aching, squeezing or throbbing low in your belly, back or thighs. Find comfort steps, words to describe pain and when to get help.
Why is my first period brown?
Brown blood can happen with a first period. Learn why the color changes, what to do next, and when to ask for medical help.
How long will my first period last?
Your first period can be brief. Learn what to expect, how to count bleeding days, what to note if bleeding stops and starts, and when to get help.
Is my first period coming soon?
What puberty signs can tell you, what they cannot predict, and a small preparation plan while you wait for your first period.
How do I count my cycle?
A worked example of counting from one period start to the next, plus how bleeding days differ from cycle length.
Why aren’t my periods regular yet?
What changing gaps can mean early on, when a long gap needs medical advice, and a simple note to bring to an appointment.
School & asking for help
Helping a friend with their period
Offer period supplies, a quiet heads-up about a leak or company getting help. A practical plan that respects your friend’s choices and privacy.
Where can I get free period supplies?
Find free pads and tampons through school, 211 and local U.S. organizations. Includes what to ask and how to check availability before traveling.
My period started at school
A calm plan for getting a pad, handling a leak, and asking for help at school—with words you can use.
What goes in a school period kit?
Build a school period kit with a customizable printable checklist, a restock plan and supplies you may already have. No expensive starter box needed.
My cramps started during class
A classroom plan for cramps: getting a break, trying gentle comfort measures, and asking for medical help when pain disrupts school.
How do I tell someone?
Words you can copy to ask a mom, dad or another trusted adult for period supplies, support and a little privacy.
Pads & period underwear
Using and washing reusable pads
How to wear, change and wash reusable pads, including school-day storage, faint stains after washing, drying and care-label checks.
Pantyliner or pad?
Compare pantyliners and pads for discharge, spotting and period flow. Learn which to choose, what to pack and when irritation needs advice.
Why is my pad leaking at the sides?
A practical checklist for a pad that leaks at the sides: placement, folding, underwear fit, saturation and when bleeding needs medical advice.
Do the pads in my bag expire?
Check old pads for expiry labels, damaged wrappers and storage problems. A simple school-bag restock plan without a made-up universal shelf life.
What if my pad makes my skin sore?
What to do if a pad seems to make your skin sore or itchy. Gentle care, a product-change plan and when to get advice instead of guessing.
Pads or tampons?
Compare pads, tampons, period underwear, cups and discs for school, swimming and sleep. Choose a manageable routine with no pressure to use internal products.
How do I avoid leaks at night?
A bedtime pad-fit checklist, what to do after a nighttime leak, and when bleeding that interrupts sleep needs more help.
How do I put on a pad?
Put the sticky side of a pad against your underwear and the soft side toward your body. Follow simple steps for wings, placement, changes and disposal.
When do I change my pad?
Change a pad about every 3–4 hours during the day, sooner if wet or full. Plan school bathroom breaks and learn why the same pad should not last all day.
Where does a used pad go?
A simple wrap-and-bin routine, including what to do if a school stall or a friend’s bathroom has no disposal bin.
How does period underwear work?
How period underwear works, when to change it, how long a pair lasts, and a practical plan for school, washing and replacement instructions.
How do I wash period underwear?
A care-label checklist for washing and drying period underwear, with a school-day carry-home plan and no universal brand assumptions.
Tampon questions
Can I use this old tampon?
Check tampon shelf-life guidance, wrappers and storage. Learn what to do if you already used an old tampon and which symptoms need medical help.
Which tampon absorbency should I use?
Understand tampon absorbency labels, choose for your flow, and know when discomfort or frequent leaks need help. A practical guide for beginners.
Why does my tampon hurt when I sit?
Tampon hurts when you sit? Learn what to do now, when to stop using it and how to ask for help with pain or trouble removing it.
Think a tampon is stuck?
Cannot remove a tampon or unsure whether one is still inside? Learn how to get prompt medical help and which symptoms need immediate care.
How do I try a tampon?
Learn how tampon applicators work, what to check before trying one, when to change it and how to remove and dispose of it. Stop if it hurts; pads are always an option.
How long can I keep a tampon in?
Change a tampon every 4–8 hours, never more than 8. Learn how to count overnight wear and what to do after 9 hours, an unknown insertion time or early leaks.
Can I pee with a tampon in?
Yes, you can pee with a tampon in and keep it in. Learn what to do if the string gets wet, when to change it, and how bathroom visits affect wear time.
Everyday plans
Period at a sleepover?
Plan supplies and disposal for a sleepover, ask a host privately for help and handle a bedding leak without turning it into a group conversation.
Taking a trip on your period?
Keep your period travel kit within reach, plan bathroom stops and manage product timing through delays on a flight, bus ride or school trip.
Your period during dance or gymnastics
Yes, a pad can work for gymnastics. Check your practice outfit, plan product changes and bathroom breaks, and ask about clothing options without pressure to use tampons.
What if I get my period while camping?
Plan camping on your period: familiar supplies, handwashing, changes and a separate waste bag. Pack out used pads and tampons, including biodegradable ones.
Does a period have a smell?
What a mild period smell can mean, a simple school-day hygiene plan, and when a strong or unusual smell needs medical advice.
Can I swim with a pad?
Why a regular pad does not work in a pool, what your other options are, and what to say if you are not ready to use a tampon.
How do I deal with a period stain?
Remove period blood stains with a fabric-first decision guide for fresh or dried marks, underwear and sheets. Check care labels before treatment and drying.
Can I shower on my period?
You can shower on your period with or without a tampon. Prepare a fresh pad, wash gently, and know when to change a tampon after bathing.
What about PE or practice?
A practical plan for PE, practice and period days: comfortable movement, product changes and words for asking to modify an activity.