By Shari Levine

Period. End of sentence. Complete. The end. Not with menstruation. Actually, when you get your period and you start to bleed, the first day of your period is the beginning of your menstrual cycle. So why do we call it a period when it's not the end but the beginning?

There are a lot of things that are mysterious about periods. First of all, when will you get yours? You already know that there's a huge range of ages within which a normal, healthy girl will get her period. Wouldn't it be great if all girls got their period at the same age, and you could know when to expect it? Unfortunately, puberty will not cooperate, and we are all on our own unique schedule. Girls begin menstruation any time between ages 8 -18. Most girls get their period around ages 12-14.

It can be really hard for those girls who get their period earlier (ages 8 or 9) than most of their friends -

Wish you could sit around with a bunch of really great girls ALL telling the story of how they got their first period? Girls who tell it like it is? Girls who won't laugh at you? Girls who will trust you with the real deal?

I was only 9 years old! I got a brochure on menstruation and on the cover it said You're a Woman Now. A woman at 9? I remember thinking: I'm too young to get a job, get married, or have a kid!  ---Julia, a 31 year old nurse from Montreal, Quebec

It is just as frustrating to get your period later (ages 15 - 17) than all of your friends --

My period did not come until I was 15. I was the last of all my friends to get it. Most of the girls I knew got theirs two or three years before me, and it felt like I was left out of a secret club. I prayed for my period and swore that if I could just get it, I would never complain about cramps or mood swings. Waiting for my period seemed to take forever. From my 12th birthday I carried the same pad in my backpack, just in case.

On the day I got it, I was performing a gymnastics routine in my school talent show. Having no clue, I did my entire routine with a huge stain on my white stretch pants. Back in the locker room, my friend Cheryl pulled me aside and told me I was leaking. I was horrified! The pad I was carrying around in my backpack for three years was dirty and ripped. I borrowed some change and bought a pad from the vending machine - Marga, a 34 year old engineer from Atlanta, GA.

How will you know when it's coming?

Well, you don't know exactly. But you can clue in to some changes in your body that happen during the years before your period begins. The first changes are happening inside your body where you can't see or feel them. Your brain has started to release hormones that will control your menstrual cycle, and your ovaries (the place in your body where your eggs are stored) are maturing.

You CAN see the changes that happen next: your breasts will begin to develop, with the nipples getting bigger and darker in color. You may sprout some hair on your vagina or under your arms. You will be growing taller and your body will be filling out, meaning that you will be gaining weight. Don't freak!! You need to gain weight in order to continue the process of development.

Slowly you will see your breasts and hair on your vagina and under your arms (pubic hair) grow. Your hormones are really kicking in now, and you will start to produce a clear or yellowish discharge from your vagina. This is the normal and healthy way that your body cleanses itself. You can wear a pad to catch this discharge, but it should not be very heavy. You may notice a new odor coming from your armpits. To keep clean, wash with soap and water. Try some deodorant to take care of the smell, and antiperspirant to reduce the wetness.

At this point, you may notice your skin breaking out in pimples. Once you notice your breasts getting bigger and your pubic hair growing, you have reason to believe that your period will be coming soon.

At this final stage in development, your ovaries are growing and may even begin to release eggs. When an egg is preparing to be released from your ovary, your uterus is getting ready, just in case the egg has been fertilized. The lining of the uterus develops a spongy layer of blood and tissue which would provide all the nutrition needed for a fertilized egg to grow into a baby. The egg is released from the ovary and travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus.

If the egg is fertilized, it will attach to the uterine lining and begin to develop. Most eggs are not fertilized, so there is no need for the thick lining that has been growing in the uterus. The tissue and blood is shed or released by the uterus and this is what we call a period. It will last anywhere from 3-5 days.

Hormones

Hormones are chemicals that are produced in the glands and released into your blood stream. Hormones are like messengers that give your body directions about what to do and when to do it. Your physical development is under the direction of the pituitary gland in your brain. This gland is in charge of all the changes that take place during puberty.

Where will you be when you get your period?

If you haven't started your period yet, you may be worried about where you will be when it first happens. If you have started your period, you may want to jump ahead to the section below labeled Other Assorted Information for Menstruaters.

Talk to ten different women and you will hear ten different stories about their first period. If your breasts and pubic hair have begun to grow, you may want to stick a pad in your backpack or purse, just in case. If you are in school and get your period, you can go to the nurse's office and she will have all the supplies you need. If you cannot get a pad, roll up some toilet paper and put it in your underpants until you can get a pad.

Getting your first period is a huge event in a girl's life, and it should be honored and celebrated. It is great when your parents help you to mark the occasion by doing something special. If this is not going to happen in your family, that's okay you can do something special for yourself. For tips on cool ways to celebrate check out the Wise Women article.

Other Assorted Information For Menstruaters

What should you use as a blood catcher?

There are several options for catching the blood that flows from your vagina during your period. You can stick absorbent pads to your underpants to catch the flow. Depending on how heavy your flow is, you will need to change pads every 2 - 4 hours to keep from leaking on your underpants.

Tampons can be placed inside the vagina to absorb your flow. They are inserted either with an applicator or by hand, and most have a string that hangs outside of your body so that it is easy to remove. Like pads, tampons need to be changed every 2 - 4 hours. There are several different brands of tampons for you to try like Playtex or Tampax.  There are also tampons that use more natural materials from Seventh Generation and Jade & Pearl.

Some women choose to use small plastic cups which are inserted into the vagina to catch the blood flow. Every few hours you remove the cup, wash it with soap and water and replace it. This is a great thing to use when you are traveling and do not want to carry lots of bulky supplies in your luggage.

No matter what you use, it will cost you around $6 -10 every month. Here's what Gloria Steinem has to say about that:

If men could menstruate, sanitary supplies would be federally funded and free. Of course, some men would still pay for the prestige of some commercial brands such as Paul Newman Tampons, Muhammad Ali's Rope a Dope Pads, John Wayne Maxi Pads, and Joe Namath Jock Shields - For those light bachelor days. -- Gloria Steinem

PMS and other good reasons to be cranky

You know you have Premenstrual Syndrome, or PMS when you have one or a few of the following symptoms: cramps, headaches, bloating, mood swings, feeling super sensitive and close to tears, craving chocolate, backache, and constipation or diarrhea. Some girls get pimples before or during their period.

There are some things you can do to relieve these symptoms: for cramps and backache, try putting a hot water bottle or a heating pad on your belly or back. If your cramps are really bad, you can try over the counter medications like Tylenol or Ibuprofen. If you are unable to get out of bed because your cramps are so bad, you should talk with your health care provider about it.

For bloating, drink lots of water. If you notice that you are on an emotional roller coaster, ride it out, and remind yourself that it will end soon after your period starts.

Since the first days tend to have the heaviest flow, I would suggest wearing an old pair of undies that you don't care about ruining, or try wearing two pairs. You can also wear black underpants and a black skirt or pants, because leaks will not show up on dark clothing.

If you do leak and you cannot change clothes, tie a sweater or jacket around your waist until you can get clean clothes. If you know that you have a very heavy flow, be prepared and bring extra clothes in your knapsack or put an extra pair of jeans in your locker.

If you do notice a blood stain, wash it as soon as you can in COLD water. Warm or hot water will make the stain stick.

One final thought. . .

I found it very confusing when I got my period and people told me I was a woman now. It felt like an overwhelming challenge to become a woman at such a young age. I always thought of my mother and my teachers as women, while I thought of myself as a kid.

The truth is that your body is preparing to do womanly things -- to become pregnant and have a child and be a mother. Eventually, your mind will catch up with your body and you'll want to choose to use it for what it is ready to do. Or maybe not, and that's okay too.