We recently published an issue of Body of Knowledge that was all about breaking the patterns of shame and misinformation around our menstrual cycles. But there’s another aspect we want to dig into with all of you: how do you handle cramps and period pain? With over 84% of us dealing with pain during our cycle, we want to know more about how that pain feels, how you manage it, and what support you wish you had to make it through the hardest days. We’ll have two amazing period experts join the discussion over the course of the week: women’s health coach and menstrual cycle awareness advocate Claire Baker and author of Period Queen and the award-winning theatre show My Greatest Period Ever, Lucy Peach.
This is a safe space to share your personal perspectives and advice with fellow people looking to get to know their body better. Thank you for being here.
We've heard there are two types of menstrual cramps: primary and secondary. Would love if one of our experts could explain a little more about the differences between both.
I always felt lucky that I didn't seem to suffer debilitating period pain and heavy flow compared to some of my friends growing up, but I also wouldn't say it was much of a topic of conversation. Still to this day, I attempt to hide a tampon or pad in my pocket or shirt sleeve when on the walk to the restroom to change it.
However, since having children the reintroduction to my period has felt more painful. Unsure if it's just a case of, "absence makes the cramps grow stronger", backlog of shedding that needs to occur, or actual changes to the body and/or cycle. My cycle also seems to lack any pattern, the length and sporadic timing of bleeding and cramping does not jive with my plan-oriented/need for control personality.
I wouldn't say I have many tips, but I do enjoy heat therapy and a nice Epsom salt bath for any ache and pain!
Yes to heat therapy and a nice long bath when bleeding, Chloe! Huge fan of both of those too.
Thanks for sharing your experience of post-partum periods, it's not uncommon at all to notice changes in menstruation, ovulation and menstrual cycle length after having babies. There are big changes to one's hormonal landscape during and after pregnancy, not to mention the effect breastfeeding has on our hormones as well.
I'm not sure whereabouts you are in your post-partum journey but do keep charting the changes you've noticed as it's incredibly useful self-knowledge to have if you do decide to work with a holistic practitioner of any kind. I always recommend seeing your GP if period pain is getting in the way of living your life.
I feel my cramps more in my back then my uterus. It hits hard the very first day of my period and then diminishes quite a bit the following days. It's typically a grit my teeth and bear it type situation. If I don't have to be anywhere, I do sometimes curl up in bed for a bit. I'll sometimes take an Aleve--that's the only medication that works, Aspirin and Advil do nothing--but most of the time I just grit my way through.
I've definitely heard about it from other folks. Never heard a reason for it from a doctor. I should clarify that I feel cramping in the uterus as well--it's kind of a pain girdle--but the most intense locus of pain is in my low back and that's always the very first signal that my period has arrived. It actually wasn't until I was much older that I even recognized that I was also having some uterine cramping or pain because it's so intensely a lower back associated feeling for me.
I've wondered whether it indicates something about the tilt or location or my uterus? Really have no idea.
The prostaglandins that cause the uterine lining to loosen and shed are inflammatory and so anything that’s already a bit sensitive/tetchy will get exacerbated by these inflammatory proteins floating around in the pelvic area.. eg gut, lower back, pelvis, top of the thighs..
Hey Rachael, I hear you on the lower back pain - whenever I do experience period pain, that's where it is for me too. All bodies are different and how and where period pain radiates can be different for everyone, and can also change over time. Do you find it helps when you get to curl up in bed and rest? If you were curious to learn more, a women's health physiotherapist could be a great place to explore whether pelvic tilt or tight pelvic floor muscles could be contributing to the lower back pain. For me, I know when I've been sat at my desk a lot, I'll feel my next bleed in my lower back / hips. As always, if period pain gets in the way of you living your life it's time to see your GP as anything more than mild discomfort should be checked out.
Hi Claire, curling up in bed often feels like it helps! I'm curling my back in my seat right now because today is that day. Whee! For me this has always been the primary place where period pain manifests even before I had a job that involved spending a lot of time sitting (the latter has been pretty recent for me--only the past few years). I wouldn't say it gets in the way of living my life per se, but I'm super grateful to be able to work from home now so that I can curl up in bed or take a hot shower if I need to!
Same here Claire! The sitting can really exacerbate lower back pain for me too. I find long walks, foam roller and literally meditating on releasing through my hips can really help. Gentle yoga, pigeon pose, child’s pose, heat packs...
Hi Rachael, feel free to scoff and flip the bird at me but have you tried asking the pain what it wants? Softening into it and sending love to your lower back? Pain can be so challenging to manage but I wonder if there’s any opportunities for more softness and surrender where you could find more spaciousness. Ooh and I just thought of something else, there’s a big connection between our jaw and our hips, try softening your jaw and notice what happens in your hips/lower back. Sounds like you deserve a long slow massage too x
I definitely can see the connection between tight hips and lower back pain--my hips are pretty chronically tight. Trying the softening jaw trick now. I'll let you know!
Learning to let go in my hips feels like it could be a life long quest for me too!
Sometimes I notice that I’m ‘holding on’ there, even when I’m standing! I’ve started ‘trusting my legs’ and reminding my hips they don’t have to hold EVERYTHING. Go gently, reading your reply made me soften my jaw too 🙏
Hi, well I have a strange one. Often on the first day of my period (and even the day before it starts), I'll feel pain in my vaginal wall. It's very different than cramps and only comes in short bursts. It's definitely something I've started to experience as I've gotten older / after having my kids. Chloe, reading your message and maybe you can relate? As I read through all of these messages I'm struck by how much we experience pain outside the "normal" areas of the lower abdomen and pelvis. Our periods can really be an all-consuming thing.
Yes, great point. Many of us tend to think of uterus pain regarding periods, but people can feel it in backs, bums, thighs etc. There's a solid Vice article from 2016 about this:
We've heard there are two types of menstrual cramps: primary and secondary. Would love if one of our experts could explain a little more about the differences between both.
I always felt lucky that I didn't seem to suffer debilitating period pain and heavy flow compared to some of my friends growing up, but I also wouldn't say it was much of a topic of conversation. Still to this day, I attempt to hide a tampon or pad in my pocket or shirt sleeve when on the walk to the restroom to change it.
However, since having children the reintroduction to my period has felt more painful. Unsure if it's just a case of, "absence makes the cramps grow stronger", backlog of shedding that needs to occur, or actual changes to the body and/or cycle. My cycle also seems to lack any pattern, the length and sporadic timing of bleeding and cramping does not jive with my plan-oriented/need for control personality.
I wouldn't say I have many tips, but I do enjoy heat therapy and a nice Epsom salt bath for any ache and pain!
Yes to heat therapy and a nice long bath when bleeding, Chloe! Huge fan of both of those too.
Thanks for sharing your experience of post-partum periods, it's not uncommon at all to notice changes in menstruation, ovulation and menstrual cycle length after having babies. There are big changes to one's hormonal landscape during and after pregnancy, not to mention the effect breastfeeding has on our hormones as well.
I'm not sure whereabouts you are in your post-partum journey but do keep charting the changes you've noticed as it's incredibly useful self-knowledge to have if you do decide to work with a holistic practitioner of any kind. I always recommend seeing your GP if period pain is getting in the way of living your life.
So interesting that your period pain has changed since having children. Perhaps one of our guest experts can weigh-in on that!
I feel my cramps more in my back then my uterus. It hits hard the very first day of my period and then diminishes quite a bit the following days. It's typically a grit my teeth and bear it type situation. If I don't have to be anywhere, I do sometimes curl up in bed for a bit. I'll sometimes take an Aleve--that's the only medication that works, Aspirin and Advil do nothing--but most of the time I just grit my way through.
I'm curious what might cause back pain vs. uterus pain and how common that is...
I've definitely heard about it from other folks. Never heard a reason for it from a doctor. I should clarify that I feel cramping in the uterus as well--it's kind of a pain girdle--but the most intense locus of pain is in my low back and that's always the very first signal that my period has arrived. It actually wasn't until I was much older that I even recognized that I was also having some uterine cramping or pain because it's so intensely a lower back associated feeling for me.
I've wondered whether it indicates something about the tilt or location or my uterus? Really have no idea.
The prostaglandins that cause the uterine lining to loosen and shed are inflammatory and so anything that’s already a bit sensitive/tetchy will get exacerbated by these inflammatory proteins floating around in the pelvic area.. eg gut, lower back, pelvis, top of the thighs..
Hey Rachael, I hear you on the lower back pain - whenever I do experience period pain, that's where it is for me too. All bodies are different and how and where period pain radiates can be different for everyone, and can also change over time. Do you find it helps when you get to curl up in bed and rest? If you were curious to learn more, a women's health physiotherapist could be a great place to explore whether pelvic tilt or tight pelvic floor muscles could be contributing to the lower back pain. For me, I know when I've been sat at my desk a lot, I'll feel my next bleed in my lower back / hips. As always, if period pain gets in the way of you living your life it's time to see your GP as anything more than mild discomfort should be checked out.
Hi Claire, curling up in bed often feels like it helps! I'm curling my back in my seat right now because today is that day. Whee! For me this has always been the primary place where period pain manifests even before I had a job that involved spending a lot of time sitting (the latter has been pretty recent for me--only the past few years). I wouldn't say it gets in the way of living my life per se, but I'm super grateful to be able to work from home now so that I can curl up in bed or take a hot shower if I need to!
Same here Claire! The sitting can really exacerbate lower back pain for me too. I find long walks, foam roller and literally meditating on releasing through my hips can really help. Gentle yoga, pigeon pose, child’s pose, heat packs...
Hi Rachael, feel free to scoff and flip the bird at me but have you tried asking the pain what it wants? Softening into it and sending love to your lower back? Pain can be so challenging to manage but I wonder if there’s any opportunities for more softness and surrender where you could find more spaciousness. Ooh and I just thought of something else, there’s a big connection between our jaw and our hips, try softening your jaw and notice what happens in your hips/lower back. Sounds like you deserve a long slow massage too x
Asking now ;)
I definitely can see the connection between tight hips and lower back pain--my hips are pretty chronically tight. Trying the softening jaw trick now. I'll let you know!
Learning to let go in my hips feels like it could be a life long quest for me too!
Sometimes I notice that I’m ‘holding on’ there, even when I’m standing! I’ve started ‘trusting my legs’ and reminding my hips they don’t have to hold EVERYTHING. Go gently, reading your reply made me soften my jaw too 🙏
Hi, well I have a strange one. Often on the first day of my period (and even the day before it starts), I'll feel pain in my vaginal wall. It's very different than cramps and only comes in short bursts. It's definitely something I've started to experience as I've gotten older / after having my kids. Chloe, reading your message and maybe you can relate? As I read through all of these messages I'm struck by how much we experience pain outside the "normal" areas of the lower abdomen and pelvis. Our periods can really be an all-consuming thing.
Yes, great point. Many of us tend to think of uterus pain regarding periods, but people can feel it in backs, bums, thighs etc. There's a solid Vice article from 2016 about this:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/d3g8gw/unfortunately-you-can-get-period-cramps-in-places-besides-your-stomach
ooh, nice. Thank you!