Having my first period....

Also, is it wierd to have to change pads about every hour or so? I'm like 16 and 3/4 years old, so I guess I got my period kind of late. But I want to make sure nothing is wrong, because I don't have health insurance yet so my Dad can't afford that much right now outside of the budget. Any tips or thoughts would be great!

When I first started I was 11 and at school that was weird.

Sounds like you're doing what you need to do hun. Have you tried a hot water bottle for the cramps? It helps to relax the muscles.

It might be worth getting pads that will deal with a heavier flow as changing every hour isn't right. It's going to take some time to get to know what type of pads you need and when. As the periods progresses it will gradually get lighter so you will need to change to a pad that will best suit that flow.

I have chocolate or anything chocolate related that helps me loads

It can take up to a year for your periods to become completely regular. If you find that your periods are extremely painful or heavy then you can visit your doctor and get on the pill.

There are lots of people that use the pill to help regulate, less the pain and heaviness of flow of their periods.

I hope this helps you and I think it's sad that your mum and sister don't seem to be helping you with this.

If you need anything pm me

So, I tried putting a hot pad on my stomach yesterday when I got cramps again... it felt so good! Definitley relaxed the muscles and helped me get some much needed sleep. I think the abnormal flow for the first three days was most likely due to the fact that this is my first period. I am, however, keeping track of anything that I find abnormal - so that if it happens again durin gmy next period I can contact my doctor. For now I'm just going with the flow. (No pun intended. >.<)

One thing still worries me. School! I'll most likely get it again my fourth week of school. Luckily, I'll have the hang of school by then. But unluckily, I still won't be used to my period. Hopefully, my flow won't be as intense the first couple days because it will be my second time - but I wouldn't count on it. I just don't know how I'll be able to deal with this and school at the same time.

Here's why:
If the week progresses similarly as this one has, it will be a little something like this...
Day 1 - heavy flow, painful cramps, lots of bloating, no sleep.
Day 2 - heavy flow, slightly painful cramps, some bloating, crying about everything, little sleep.
Day 3 - medium flow, little cramps, slight bloating, little sleep
Day 4 - freaking awesome, no cramps, normalish flow, super tired though
Day 5 through 7 - unknown

So, it seems that the symptoms are gradually getting less severe, but I'm more worried about bursting into tears or falling asleep during school! I can't focus very well if I'm nausious or holding back tears. And how am I going to find the time to change pads? It still kinda takes me awhile; I need a good five minutes to be comfortable about it. My campus is set up similarly to a college one, so the classes are grouped into categories, and each category is a building. I'm going to need the full ammount of time between periods to get from class to class! D:

I know I'm making this more dramatic and a bigger deal than it really is - but when school starts, it's MY LIFE!

Also, seoerate thought, I'm in dance as well. Do you think my period will affect that in any way? I've got the pain and cramps under control, but the bloating is still a problem. :/

Thank-you!

I started mine when i was about 12 or 13 thankfully it was at home, never told my mom or sister about it then though, I waited for a while to tell them because they would have made it such a big deal! Now im almost 22 years of age but this is what i know will help hands down!

My advice is take Midol Complete it's for menstrual cramps, bloating, fatigue, and anything else you can think of it works amazingly! little on the expensive side but super female friendly it does the trick! You get a lot of pills in the bottle too, enough for 20 different doses!

Your periods will never be regular it normally takes till your about 20 years of age till you know what it will be like.

If they do get to heavy once you get insurance i would talk to the doctor about getting birth control, this does not mean you want to go out and have sex there are other reasons for birth control, when i did take it I started when I was 15 i do believe but it was to help the flow decrease and more on schedule. Some times it will take more then one kind of birth control to find whats right for you. mine helped with my periods back then! It was a life saver for the heavy flow!

I personally didn't wear pads for very long, I found that tampons were more comfy, and less leaking on the underwear and trust me you will go through a lot of underwear! Even if the flow gets to heavy just a panty liner for extra support helps!

hope this helps you some!
If you have any question's feel free to ask!

The first 3-4 days were the worst, and everything seems to be normal now. But as soon as I get the chance I am making my sister teach/explain to me me how to use a tampon - because the pads are troublesome and uncomfortable.

I will definitley talk to my dad about getting some Midol - it sounds like just what I need!

Hopefully they're not too crazy or irregular, because I don't really want to have to take birth control... but if it comes down to that then I will talk to my doctor and see what one she reccomends.

Well, I survived my first week! I think I'll be able to handle the next one much better now that I'm used to it all. Thanks for the help! It was very helpful! Hehe ^-^