Periods aren’t painful by design

Do you remember the first time you felt period pain?

For me, it was the early 80s and I was at a school dance — in the gym, lights dimmed, Prince, Duran Duran and Irene Cara’s Flashdance are the soundtrack. I remember having to stop dancing and goofing off with friends because my lower back ached in a way I’d never felt before. It wasn’t until I got home that afternoon and discovered my first period had come that I put two and two together and understood my pain was menstrual.

So from the very start, I thought of cramps and aches and pains as a normal part of periods. I imagine you can relate because period pain is super common and a main topic at my Get Your Questions Answered event this week.

Which is why today I want to say: periods aren’t meant to be painful.

While I don’t know all your stories, the messages you’ve heard, what pain feels like in your body, or how your tweens and teens experience cycle pain, as a menstrual health educator and coach, I can say for sure, menstrual cycles are not painful by design.

If you need to hear this message again, or if you’re curious to learn common causes of period pain, how to prevent it, and heal, book a personal consultation.