Why Having Your Period is Amazing! Plus A Teen “Welcome to Womanhood” Kit
It’s bound to happen. Your daughter is starting to show signs of becoming a woman. And although many times menstruation is referred to as “the curse.” It’s really anything but!
My daughter recently turned 13 and it brought back all the memories of when I was that age. All the excitement of becoming a woman and waiting for my first period. So I really wanted to make it special for my daughter as she’s about to enter womanhood.
In this post, I'm sharing more about why getting our periods can and should be celebrated and cover:
Why Having Your Period is Ah-mazing!
My Experience as a Young Teen and What I Wish I’d Known
Essentials for a “Welcome to Womanhood” Kit (plus some goodies for mom!)
Final Thoughts on the Gift of Womanhood, Periods, and Why We Need to Have Our Periods for As Long as Possible
So if you’ve got a daughter who’s menstruating or going to be or you just want to check out some fun womanly essentials for yourself to make having your period a little more exciting, keep reading!
Why Having Your Period is Ah-mazing!
Remember in that post where I recently shared that menstruation is our 5th vital sign? The quality of our menstrual cycles can reveal so much about our health. And the very fact that we are having periods indicates a certain level of hormone health. There’s really a lot you can tell from your cycles. Especially if you’re tracking your cycles, you’ll be able to know if and when you ovulated, if you are estrogen-dominant, if you have a long enough luteal phase to support a pregnancy, and if your moods, energy levels, pain, and other symptoms are hormone-related.
Think of your menstrual cycle as a canary in a coal mine. It’s can be one of the first things to let you know there’s something going on that you need to check into.
And if you’re someone who really struggles with pain, PMS, and other not-fun symptoms with your periods (or even with ovulation), I’m so sorry! Please know that it’s not supposed to be this way and it doesn’t have to stay that way. So while slowing down a bit during our periods is actually a good thing to work with, not against, our natural hormones for better health (as in it’s not the best time to do the hardest workout right now), you shouldn’t be bedridden or have to miss work or other events just because you are on your period.
Periods are a mark of womanhood and a sign of health (and fertility). And we can and should support our bodies so they can have the level of health to be able to menstruate (or reproduce) for as long as possible.
My Experience as a Young Teen and What I Wish I’d Known
Back when I was a preteen, I remember being super excited about growing boobs and getting my first period. I learned as much as I could from whatever age-appropriate books my mom could find for me and especially love the book, “Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret" by Judy Blume (I don’t necessarily recommend this book, but for some reason I loved it then). My mom got me a few pads and tampons so I could be ready for when the big day arrived. I had a purple Caboodles and used the compartment hidden under the pop-up mirror for tampons. I thought I was very clever and felt so grown up to even have such things in my possession. (I also had a mini Caboodles that had a secret compartment that I also filled with tampons. I carried it in my backpack to school.) I also read the instructions in the tampax box and practiced inserting the tampons so I wouldn’t have to struggle when I actually needed to use it. Yep, I thought I was totally prepared.
Then I waited for what seemed like forever (another year or so) till I finally got my period. On my birthday. And it was like my body had been building this nice nest for months and months and was letting it all out at once. My mom was working nights so I couldn’t even ask her for help because she was going to bed when I was getting ready for school. Let’s just say, it was a lot more stressful than I anticipated. But I somehow survived. And thankfully things got much easier after that first huge welcome into womanhood.
Of course there were things I didn’t have a clue about and in hindsight feel like I could have been more prepared, even though I thought I was. Here are a few things I wish I’d known (or had):
Information about how irregular periods can be for the first few years. Everything said cycles were 28 days. Um, no! My cycle was all over the place. And it turns out that’s completely normal at first. Now you tell me!
Non-toxic menstrual products. My mom wasn’t super naturally-minded at that point and we had the good old Tampax tampons and pads full of chlorine and other toxins. It’s so sad I was exposed to that junk at such a young age and for so many years! I’m glad there are so many great non-toxic menstrual products these days!
A great app for tracking my periods. I cut out this tiny little chart I found in a magazine once and made copies so I could use it over and over again when I first got my period. It worked fine but there wasn’t room to add many details that can be helpful like flow level on different days, symptoms, moods, etc. I love all the options available now to track your cycles so you can easily see the ebb and flow of your hormones. It’s fascinating!
Natural ways to deal with PMS, cramps, headaches, and other hormonal symptoms. I remember my mom said she always got a headache just before her period, and so did I. She gave me Aleve as she thought that helped the most. Unfortunately Aleve and other anti-inflammatory drugs come with side effects that are hard on the body (apologies to my gut biome). So I wish I’d known the remedies I do now for the mild symptoms I experienced. For headaches, instead of meds, you can drink a glass or two of water (plus eat a pinch of Celtic salt) and put your hands and feet in a hot bath (with Epsom if you like) with an icepack on your head and neck. It’s awesome! Let me know if you try it out!
A fun womanhood kit. Ok, this obviously not a must-have, but why not?! I mean, my Caboodles were cool and all, but it sure would have been fun to have a “Welcome to Womanhood” kit with some fun goodies to make it even more exciting. Kind of like and Easter basket or a fruit basket…ok, well, you get my point. At any rate, I survived being a child of the 80’s somehow. :)
Essentials for a “Welcome to Womanhood” Kit (plus some goodies for mom)
Even though I didn’t get a “Welcome to Womanhood” kit, it didn’t mean my daughter didn’t have to! (Mom, I forgive you for not making me a kit!) So when she was about to turn 13, I decided to put together a gift basket for her as a “Welcome to the Teenage Years/Womanhood” present for her birthday. It sure was fun to shop for!
Here’s what I included in the Welcome to Womanhood Kit:
Basket or other fun container - used one I had but there are some fun ones at Target Dollar Spot or dollar stores. I wanted one that would fit under her sink vanity in her room.
Billie Razor - I’d been wanting to try these out myself (cause I saw them all over Instagram), so thought I’d get one for my daughter to shave her legs too when she wanted to. They come in super fun colors and even have a magnetized holder that sticks in the shower. I’m pretty picky about my razors and usually hate women’s ones so have been using my husband’s for years. My take on the Billie Razor? Two thumbs up! I actually love it! And my daughter does too!
Cloth pads - I wanted something cute and soft but not itchy. I also wanted it to for sure be cotton on the top layer at least. I ended up getting a bunch of sizes and colors from Pink Lemonade Pads because they have a cotton knit top layer. Bought some for myself as well and they are so comfy! Have had trouble with wool and bamboo blends and these are much better! I’ll definitely be going back to buy more now that I know how awesome they are!
Menstrual Cup - I did a bit of research on the best menstrual cups for teens and ended up getting the Intimina Lily Cup One. It’s nice and petite and is collapsible so can be really discreet. In hindsight, I probably would have gone with something different, like a menstrual disc, as I later researched more in depth on menstrual cups and discs for myself, so if it doesn’t work for her, I’ll have a back up plan.
Face Cream - Teen acne is in full force over here. Both my husband and I struggled with it and our daughter does too. Poor girl. Trying to do all the natural and detox things to help her out, but I can’t micromanage her every move…so there are good and bad days partially depending on what she remembers to do lifestyle-wise. In an effort to make it a little more fun to take care of her skin (she’s not into that), I got her some yummy non-toxic Lavender Sprigs & Twigs Face and Body Lotion. I love it too and can tell it makes a big difference in how healthy my skin looks.
Makeup and a set of makeup brushes - See above. :) I got this basic, not-too-expensive mineral makeup for covering up blemishes plus her own set of makeup brushes - cause, fun! My daughter is super creative so I think she’ll really enjoy the artistry of makeup as she gets older.
Cycle Savvy Toni Weschler Teen Book - I have had this book for years and years. Maybe since my daughter was born! I followed Toni Weschler’s other book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility when I was trying to conceive, and it changed everything for me. Well, I got pregnant for one. But also, I never went back to hormonal birth control again (read this story here). So I knew that this teen book was going to be absolutely amazing for my daughter and is something I totally wish was available when I was a teen!
Final Thoughts on the Gift of Womanhood, Periods, and Why We Need to Be Having Our Periods for As Long as Possible
Truly, having our cycles can and should be embraced as an amazing part of being a woman. While we often hear about the curse of womanhood and all of the negative connotations that accompany getting our periods, I hope that we can educate ourselves and our daughters about what a gift our cycle is. And by taking care of our bodies and steering clear of toxins as much as we can, we can reap all the benefits of healthy hormones and pain-free periods.
Putting together a Welcome to Womanhood kit is just one way to change the negative narrative surrounding periods with our daughters. I hope at least by sharing this with my daughter, she’ll see becoming a woman as an exciting new adventure rather than something to dread.
Note: For educational purposes only. Not to take the place of or be taken as medical advice.
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