First Period Experience

I was with my cousin and mom and brothers returning from the grocery store. I was 15 years old, and I was SO GLAD that I had finally started my period after years of waiting. It was the 4th of July 1989 and my cousin and my family was preparing to go see fireworks in another town. I had never told my cousin that I didn't have a period already so when I saw the blood while changing, I was so happy but I said to her, "I just started my period. Do you think I need to change my pants?' She was like, "No, that's not much, you can't see anything." And I used a tampon right away, I didn't start out with pads.
I don't think it could've been a more positive experience. I still feel good about it when I remember it.

About a month before my first period, I noticed that there were pads in the closet in the bathroom. I was 11 and knew what they were, but I didn't know why they were suddenly there. The day it started it was late spring/early summer, and my mom was having a yard sale. I was sitting at the computer, playing a game, and suddenly really had to go to the bathroom. My 'stomach' (later this would be attributed to cramping) had been feeling 'weird' all morning. I was bleeding, lightly, and realized immediately what was happening. I didn't tell anyone - lets suffice to say that I was an extremely private child, and that my mother mostly encouraged this. I didn't use one of the pads in the closet, because I didn't want to have to explain what was happening. I hid the whole period, and the stained undies afterwards. In fact, I hid having my period until it started once while my family was on vacation, and I had no option BUT to tell my mom - luckily, she was expecting it to 'start' and had brought pads with her.

I wish that menstruation had been put in a positive light in my childhood, or at least not as a thing to hide. I was completely embarrassed by it, instead of viewing it as it is - a gift. It took me years to get over completely privatizing my period. If I have a daughter, I will do everything I can to get her to celebrate and enjoy being a woman. We rock :)

I was 12...I was the last of all my friends to get it and I thought
it was going to be great to be "grown up"... I had the worst pain ever for about three days and then I woke up to blood. Then I didn't get it again for another year or so. Terrible!!

My first period was horrible! I was sitting at home on the couch and all of a sudden I got a sharp pain in my lower abs(cramps but at the time I didn't know that). So I got up and on the couch there was a huge blood stain and my pants, oh geez, I dont even want to say what my pants looked like. And the couch cusion had to be thrown out because my mom couldn't get the stains out. Well, I called my mom because I didn't know how to use a tampon (which was all we had at home at the time otherwise I would have used a pad). Well, she laughed at me and then told me how. The next time I went to her work everyone was smiling and acting funny around me and I found out that my loving mother told everyone at her work about what happened! I didn't go back for a very long time after that...

My 1st period experienced happened when I was in Junior High (7th) and I was 13 yrs old. Sitting in my chair, talking to one of guy friends (really just a friend), I started to feel something squishy in the seat of my pants!! So I raised my hand to ask my teacher if I could be excused to the restroom. Of course she told me no because I had just went 20 minutes ago, but hey, I had to pee!! So I politely told her my reason of going to the bathroom is to not urinate, but I REALLY needed to go to the ladies room. Once again, her answer remained the same. So this time I told her I needed to go to the nurse's office, but I didn't want to tell her why in front of the whole class (there were boys in there!!), so I excused my self out of my desk and up to her desk and said in a very soft tone of voice, but very low, "I think I just started my period!" To my surprise, she hugged me and said, "Oh sweetie, I'm sorry." "Hurry up and go, come back when its necessary!!" I must've ran all the way to the nurse's office because I felt it running down my leg!! Luckily, that day I had on BLACK JEANS!!!!

i had just developed my first serious crush on a boy & had been working hard to get him to like me back. we were 12. it was the summer following 7th grade & my best friend & i were visiting him at his house. we played on his trampoline, ran around like kids do & i decided to help him do a little yard work. i was posing while i dug with the shovel, sticking my butt out in my white shorts. (yeah, you know where this is going)

well, if i started right then, no one told me. my mom picked us up & when i got home, i went to pee & was HORRIFIED to see alot of blood in my underwear. it had, of course, soaked thru my shorts to a lesser degree. i called for my mom & she poked her head in. i don't remember what she said, but she fetched me a pillow-sized pad & a fresh pair of undies.

nothing special happened. no celebratory dinner, no bragging on the phone relatives, just embarassment at the thought that my crush may have seen my first period blood soaking thru my shorts. i never asked!