If you haven’t started your period yet, I’ll bet you’re full of questions. During the first year, your body is changing, so be patient with yourself as you experience different sensations. Now, let’s start with the most obvious question—what does having a period feel like?
It feels like blood trickling from your vagina but it’s less blood than it seems. The average woman loses around 6-8 teaspoons of blood during her period. Sometimes the blood can appear as clotted and other times it won’t. But given your body is new to this change and still developing, your period will probably be on the lighter side at first.
As your period is coming on, you’ll feel bloating in your lower stomach. Your breasts may feel tender, and you may also feel moody or irritable. You could experience pain from cramps and if that becomes uncomfortable, you can take an over the counter pain reliever like ibuprofen or put a heating pad on your stomach. These symptoms are all part of PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and they are totally normal.
Curious to know more about your the first year of your period? Check out this post about which menstrual products you should use and when.