Menstrual pain: natural remedies

Do you usually struggle with menstrual pains? If the answer is YES you should read this.

Since my first menarche at 12 years old I've always had a very painful period.

Sometimes it was so painful that I couldn't even breathe or wake up. I still remember at school when I was really unable to do anything and teachers and schoolmates thought that is was an excuse to play as a victime.

The sad thing is especially when you are not understood from other women. It really hurts and you start feeling guilty for having pains... retain the pain and don't complain, take pain killers until the pain becomes nearly tolerable.

At 17 I decided to see a gynaecologist to ask for help and the answer was? take the birth control pill. So I took it for about two months and I soon realised that it was causing me more problems so I decided to stop it.

Every doctor I've seen have suggested the same until at 25 I was diagnosed with PCOS. This doctor has also tried alternatives with supplements and herbs such as inositol, vitex, magnesium, folate and vitamins.

I have to say that every month is different but the pain is less intense since I am using these herbs and supplements.

I've shared already in a previous post my story with PCOS and my healing journey... well the pain is very much associated to it.

With this post I want mainly to focus on:

1) Acceptance of yours condition

The Menstrual Cycle Awarness (MCA) is becoming more and more present and there any many women actively working on it, mainly leveraging "Red Moon" by Miranda Grey and "Red School" by Alexandra Pope and Sjane Hugo Wurlitzer.

The MCA teaches how to understand, recognise and accept every phase/season.

When you suffer from hormonal imbalances caused by PCOS, endometriosis, fibroid cystic etc it is more complex. I will write a dedicate post about it and also planning to build a "freebie" of seasons for non-regular cycles :)

What I really like about MCA is the acceptance of living in a cyclic world, and our body remind us every month. Can we really stop the world and saying out loud I am bleeding please be gentle and I need a day off from work, from family duties etc? and if you suffer from huge menstrual pain this is even worst.

I remember I was on a meeting once, I had craps and very high flow of blood. The meeting was supposed to be 30 min... it lasted 90 at the end and I didn't have the courage to say, sorry I need to step out! I stayed in the room, almost crying for the pain and at the end I realised I even dirtied the chair of blood and I was soooo embarrassed. This is insane. We cannot stop the world but we can start working on compromises and don't be afraid to slow down and take care of ourselves. Do not feel guilty, love yourself and accept who you are which includes your menstrual pain. it. Don't hate it but start embrace it.

2) Natural remedies

If you have menstrual pain most likely you also have PMS (pre menstrual syndrome). They are all consequences of hormones that are not balanced.

It is a very long discussion and I really love this topic but today I want to focus on remedies only.

• Hot Therapy: you can use a rubber hot water or you can find hot patches in pharmacies or supermarkets. So simple and so effective.

• Herbs: my favourite is boiling water with bay leaf. I remember this is an old tradition within my family which is also very useful to calm any belly cramp. It is a very good practice to digest, issues with gas and you can use it with babies' colic. Within my family, which is from Sicily, we also use prickly pear's flowers (opuntia), which is very effective for inflammation. it is very effective in case of cystitis.

• Supplements: there are many supplements you can take to help with menstrual cramps depending on what is causing it. If you control hormonal imbalances, PMS you also help controlling menstrual pain. Agnus cactus is a very ancient remedy which has been used for ages to help regulate the cycle. It's start becoming effective after 2-3 months so you need to be patient.

• Essential oils: there are many oils you can use but here is what I recommend and works for me. Neroli: this oil comes from the the orange flower blossom and it is a powerful antidepressant and calming which is also perfect for labour and postpartum. Women best ally :) Lavander: this is also a powerful for calming and anti-inflammatory Hemps: this is not easy to find as essential oil but it is very effective for calm any kind of pain. you start using it few days before expecting period Bay leaf: it helps calming stress, anxiety and digestion. It is powerful for balancing. You can use one or more oil of those, pure in skin or diluted in a carrier oil (almond, jojoba etc). I prepare a blend of all these oils and I use it directly to skin with a roller. before using without diluting check with one drop if you are ok with it.

Last but not least... nourish yourself with love, rest as much if you can...you deserve it and don't feel guilty about it. Eat good quality food (possibly organic), with lot of veggies and fibers it also helps a lot. Avoid sugar especially if you have PCOS. Drink a lot of water.

What is your experience with menstrual pains and what are your remedies?

#menstruation #mca #pcos #naturalremedies #aromatherapy