menstrual cramps
Originally uploaded by rbmay

Unfortunately for us ladies of the world, there is no miraculous cure to eradicate period pain, however, there are a few things we can do to ease the cramps and make our time of the month a little less focused on cramping and more on us being fabulous.

Be warned, this is a ladies only type of an article and if your not down with discussing this & the various methods used to absorb 'ol Aunt Flo, then it may be an idea to go take a gander at the archives. Still with us? Fabulous! Here are some top tips to wave taaaa rahh! to period pain - because your life shouldn't have to come to a screeching halt everytime time it's THAT time.

Apply Heat - take a hot bath, oh but ew no, i'm bleeding you cry? Get to your pharmacy & pick up a sea sponge (they are cheap, can be reused and as such are a 'green' solution to absorbing menstrual blood - click here for more info on how to use & clean sponges). Dampen the sponge & insert as you would do a tampon. It will ensure you're not bathing in a bath of your own menstrual blood (glamorous, no?) & won't bloat inside of you as a tampon would. Problem solved.

If a hot bath isn't for you, grab yourself some heat pads (or a hot water bottle, but if you use a water bottle ensure the cap is on securely to avoiding scalding horror stories). Placing a heat pad on your abdomen and lower back can help alleviate the cramping you feel as the heat will assist in relaxing the muscles that are causing your cramps.

Have an Orgasm (!!) - Did you know that having sex can ease your cramps? Again, before breaking out with the ew, no, my fella/lady would not be down with THAT, lets again spruik the humble sea sponge. The nature of the sponge means that you can still have penetrative sex with your partner while on your period, less the mess. Anyway, back to the sex: the reason that you feel period pain is because your uterus is contracting and muscles in your pelvic region tightened, having an orgasm enables your pelvic muscles to spasm & relax and thus alleviating cramping.

Eat properly & Drink Less Coffee - This is important all the time but has added benefit around that time of the month because by reducing your salt, sugar and CAFFEINE intake, you can lessen (or even prevent) cramping. So drinking less coffee is not much fun, but neither is being crippled for a week straight, so stick to the hot chocolate for a week and feel the benefits.

Massage Away the Pain - Again, it's all about relaxing the muscles that are causing your cramps... check out this video on how to massage away your menstrual cramps.


Over to you, what is your top tip for easing period pain?