“Everything annoys!”
“There’s a crime scene down there.”
“A shark’s got my abdomen.”
This is how some women describe their periods. As if having our hormones out of the whack wasn’t enough punishment, we also have to bear with menstrual cramps. Even men agree that cramps are the worst, and no one should have to go through that.
But do we get a choice? Well, you didn’t give your uterus what it’d been preparing for the whole month, and so, it’s payback time. While most women accept uterus’ penalty with their head high (and body down), they still don’t understand the cramps that happen after periods.
Yes, we see you. It’s okay.
The usual kind of cramps – before periods
Throbbing pain in your abdomen that radiates to your thigh and back and can sometimes feel dull yet draining is the usual kind of period cramp. This is basically your uterus contracting and relaxing simultaneously to push out blood and uterine lining. You might also experience nausea, dizziness, loose stools, and headache, along with the pain. It hurts to say, but this is a “routine” reminder that the red lady is on her way or has arrived and is having the time of her life down there.
The less-talked-about cramps – after periods
This is definitely not fun, but still normal. Yes, many women continue to experience mild cramps after their periods. Before you leap ahead, there are scientific explanations for that.
- Heard of spotting after periods? Regardless of the number, menstruation days are supposed to expel all the blood out. However, that does not happen many times, and you find yourself using panty liners to tackle spotting. In some women, this spotting is accompanied by cramping too. This condition is called Uterine Incapacity. It has a medical term, but it is not a reason for concern. Relax!
- Hormones can be a ‘literal’ pain. Our hormones govern 90% of how we look, react, think and feel. When they go haywire, like after a period, our muscles get mixed signals which come across as cramping. It can happen even in the middle of your cycle when you ovulate. A young girl who hasn’t menstruated yet but suffers from hormonal imbalance may also complain of such cramps.
Couldn’t cramps be pregnancy?
Women often take cramping after periods as a sign of pregnancy, because it is. When pregnancy is established, the body adjusts to the new changes which may cause mild cramps, but they usually go away after a few days. However, getting pregnant right after your periods is biologically not possible. Menstruation is the process where the egg disintegrates and leaves the body – no egg, no baby.
While there have been a few cases of women getting pregnant right after their periods, it’s an extremely rare occurrence and not a cause of concern.
Over to you
About 50% of women experience menstrual cramps that interfere in their daily lives. Truth be told, you can’t check out of cramps, but you can definitely make them shut the f*** up. You could try stretching exercises, a hot pack, a warm bath, or even an orgasm to find some relief at home. Dealing with period BS at work or while travelling is plain impossible without popping a pill and harming your body. Therefore, it’s always a great idea to carry our Feminine Cramp Relief Roll-on and apply it for an instant, lasting relief.
Also, if you feel that your cramps are severely worse than your girlfriends and force you to stay home, then there could be a medical issue. Let’s take that up in our next post. Until then, take care, hydrate well and Sanfe-away your period pain.