by Anna Maria Ryan

Created on: December 29, 2009

For most women in the world, the "time of the month", the "monthlies" or the "women's trouble" is a troublesome affair. For the lucky few they can breeze through this time of the month, but for the most part, these five or seven days can be quite difficult, with pains ranging from mild cramps to agonising tearing sensations in the lower abdomen, and moods ranging from feeling a bit down, to a deep depression.

There are extreme cases which can only be diagnosed and controlled by a doctor, and it is not those cases that I refer to here. Instead I will recommend some things that the majority of women could do to help them cope with their period.

I am a firm believer that when a woman has her period she should not worry about what she eats. This is the time where she can have that chocolate bar, that packet of crisps or that cheeseburger that she might usually deny herself. Comfort food is a great way to help distract yourself from period pain, in particular ice-cream. Ice-cream has the sugar to lift your bloodstream and give you a little energy boost, but it is not as heavy as chocolate or crisps and so is less likely to make you feel queasy afterwards. Also the coldness of the ice-cream can be very beneficial for a sore stomach, soothing the pain that can be felt there.

A hot water bottle is another natural remedy, especially in the first stages of a period, where the cramps and pain can be quite bad. If you have been unfortunate enough to have to work on the first day of your period, there is nothing better than getting straight into bed on your return home and bringing a hot water bottle with you. Wrap a tea-towel around it so as not to scald yourself, and place it over your abdomen, preferably over your nightclothes until it cools to the point where you can place the water bottle on your tummy, and lie back, feeling the gentle heat work its soothing way through your pain.

As tempting as it is not to eat properly at this time, it is best to eat something nourishing. Soup is perfect as it is not heavy, won't make you feel sick, but will fill you up and keep you warm. Try and eat as much fruit as you can at this time also.

On the first day of your period a walk is the last thing you will want to do. The first day is for the hot water bottle and the getting into bed as soon as possible. But on the second day and the days following, a slow walk, even just around the block, will refresh your jaded body, move your cramped muscles and generally help you fight the pain of a period, by distracting you and giving you something else to focus on. Never try to overdo exercise when you have your period, keep it gentle, but moving your body definitely helps when you are in a painful state.

There are, I'm sure, many other tactics that women across the world employ to combat period pain, but these are my own personal tips. They work for me every time, I hope they can now work for others too.

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