Strength TogetHER 18 - Session 2
With added excitement from the previous week, we started our session at Jyotidaya Cooperative Secondary School at Chapagaun. Our topic for the week was, “My First Period Story”. We had asked the participants to share their first-period stories so we could open up and talk about them more.
Our first participant started her story as: I was in grade 7 and we had an event (Sworsaradha puja) at our house. My mother was pregnant with my younger brother at that time, and it was quite a busy day. I realized that I had gotten my first period and rushed to tell my mother. She told me that I would not be allowed to be involved in the puja and I couldn’t touch or help around. One of my sisters had come over for the puja and helped me with putting the pad. I had some idea about it, but I couldn’t figure out the front and the back but my sister helped me with that. I was then shifted to the ground floor of our house where I stayed for 22 days, this was mainly because my grandmother believed in following the tradition of the 1st period. I don’t stay separately when I get my period now, but I believe I would have to if my grandmother was still alive.
One morning, my family and I visited a nearby temple. While returning, I had a stomach ache. I didn’t think much about it and ate my lunch. I went to the toilet and saw blood on my underwear, but I didn’t realize it was period blood. I told my parents about it, but they too suggested that it might be because we were busy and had fasted in the morning.
Our other participant then shared that, later when she went to the toilet she saw more blood and became sure that she had got her period. She doesn’t get cramps on her period now but shared that she gets her period in the interval of 3 months. She remembers that she had to avoid looking at male members of the family but didn't have to avoid going to the kitchen.
Our other participant shared that, at around 5:30 after school, her mother brought warm water for her since she had a stomach ache. She didn’t care about herself much and didn’t eat dinner that day. The next morning, when she went to the toilet she realized that she was bleeding and knew she had her periods right away. The first person she shared the news with was her Dad. She shares that her dad had bought her pad and she put it with her mother’s help.
I saw blood on my underwear when I went to the restroom in the morning. But, I didn’t care about it much. She shares that she might not have taken notice of it as period blood as she remembers that it was not red, but black in color. Her mother was the first person to tell her that she got her period, as her mother had seen bloodstains on her clothes while she was changing into her nightdress. She remembers being happy as she was waiting for her period. In her first period, she was put in a separate room, and shared the room with a sister as she was scared to sleep alone. She was also not allowed to enter the kitchen and see any male members, as this was the tradition that was followed in her family. She recalls that her father had suggested not to follow such traditions but had to follow it either way as her mother asked her to.
I didn’t know much about the period, says one of the participants. She shares that she saw black/ brown colored blood in her underwear when she went to the restroom at school. She came back to the class and told her friend about it. Luckily, her friend had brought a pad with her and taught her how to use it. Her friend had already started her period and she shares that her friend had been a great help then. And, she remembers being extremely nervous to talk about it with her family.
Our other participant shares that she was either in class 6 or 7 when she got her period. She remembers that it was the 45th day since her thulo buwa (father’s elder brother) passed away and they had a puja at home that day. Everyone at home was busy, and she had also gone to the temple that day despite having a stomach ache. When she went to the washroom she realized that she had got her first period, then she told her sister about it. She also remembers crying about it, saying that she would go to hell as she visited the temple while on period. Her sister assured her that it was okay and not to worry about it, then helped her with wearing pads and everything else.
There were bloodstains on my underwear during the day, but I didn’t know what it was, shared our other participant. She told us that there was no one at her house except her and her brother when she started to bleed heavily. She remembers telling her brother about it while crying, her brother then called her sister, who taught her what to do next, how to use pads, and how to take care of herself. The participant who shared this story is the one who had taught her friend how to use a pad in the 5th story shared above.
Congratulations!! said my brother when he found out about my period. Our participant shared that she had not known about her period for an entire day, and realized about it the next day when she saw bloodstains on her bedsheet. She told her mother about it, who gave her a pad and helped her put it.
19th December 2019, This is the day when I got my first period, shared our other participant. She shared that it was daytime when she saw some stains and showed them to her fupu (aunt). Her aunt was unsure, and said it might not be period stains, but suggested she use a pad anyway. She showed the stains to her aunty the next day as well who confirmed it to be period.
A few participants shared that they had their first-period lockdown while attending their online classes. They had similar experiences as well. They first told about their period to their mother and sister and used pads with their help. One of the girls’ fathers told her not to be nervous while other girls’ fathers told her to eat warm food and consoled her as she was crying because she was scared.
Other participants shared a common story, where they saw blood stains and told their mother who helped them with sanitary pads and took care of them.
In between the stories, we also discussed different topics related to periods. Some of the discussed points were:
It is suggested to change our pad every 4 to 8 hours for our safety and hygiene.
Even if we use clothes, we will have to dry them out in the sun which will help to kill germs.
Availability of different sizes of pads, tampons, and menstrual cups.
Drinking warm water and using a hot water bag helps to reduce period cramps.
Periods can be tracked through apps like FLO and My calendar
All girls get a period and a regular period means that you are healthy.
Our bodies are different, so are our periods. Everyone may have different period experience so it’s important to take care of our bodies accordingly.
4 out of 24 participants had not gotten their period. After listening to all the stories, they told us that they got better insight and understanding of what to expect and what to be prepared for when they get their periods. With this, we ended our session with a group photo, and a promise to be back with great enthusiasm for the next session which will be about, “Nice moments of life”.
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