Myth: A widely held but false belief or idea.
For such a completely natural phenomenon, the menstrual cycle is somewhat shrouded in mystery and many of us do not get a proper education about our periods and our bodies in general and so we accept “old wives tales” about our periods and continue to spread them amongst ourself so they gain popularity and wide belief even though they are untrue.
So this week let’s attempt to dispel a few shall we.
Myth: You cannot get pregnant during your period.
Fact: Unfortunately, this isn’t true, despite what a lot of people believe. Tell all your girlfriends who are sexually active or plans to be any time soon. You CAN get pregnant during your period.
This is how you get pregnant: An egg is released from the ovaries (ovulation). If sperm enter, they swim upstream, looking for that egg.
Once inside you, sperm can live for 3-5 days. Ovulation can be unpredictable and can occur during, or soon after, the bleeding phase. So if you don’t want to get pregnant, either don’t have sex, or use birth control every single time you do.
Myth: Your period should only come once a month.
Fact: Once you understand how your menstrual cycle works you’ll see how it is possible to have a period twice in one month. For many women, normal cycle length can vary between 21 days to 40 days. So for women with short cycles, say 21 – 25 days, if they have a period at the beginning of the month, then they are highly likely to have another period in the same month.
Myth: Some types of food are bad for you when you have your period.
Fact: This is not true. Thankfully. When it comes to eating during your period the same rules apply as when you don’t have your period: Eat anything you want, but remember that healthy food is called healthy for a reason.
Myth: If you don’t get your period you’re definitely pregnant!
Fact: There are many factors that can delay your period:
♦ Stress, Strenuous exercise, Illness, Drastic weight change, Not eating well
But if you’ve had unprotected sex, and your period is missing please take a pregnancy test so that you can know for sure.
Myth: Bed rest is a must during your period because you’re losing a lot of blood.
Fact: Yes it’s good to get enough rest during your period, but the average woman loses about 60 – 80mls of blood during her period. For context, that’s around 4-6 tablespoons.
So you’re not really losing that much blood. However if your menstrual bleeding is significantly heavy and you notice dizziness and weakness you may be losing more than normal and should see a doctor.
Myth: Hot water increases period flow.
Fact: The only thing that will change your flow is your own body. So you can’t make it lighter, and you can’t make it heavier. And a nice warm bath or shower, or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel can help with cramps.
These are just a few of the myths flying around. Hopefully this has helped provide some enlightenment.
Feel free to share any others that are not listed.
