Is Menstrual Suppression Risky?

You’ve seen the ads, a smiling, peppy and attractive woman skips merrily about her day. She smiles at the camera and says, “Who says you have to have a monthly period?” To which to my husband’s amusement, I shout, “Uh, nature?” Sometimes, after the commercial has appeared for the seventh time in one half-hour program, I’ll switch it up with my vocabulary, but you get the point. Menstrual suppression occurs when a woman takes hormones (usually extra birth control pills) to suppress her natural menstrual cycle, eliminating most of her periods. Normal birth control includes a week of placebo pills … Continue reading

Ten Reasons Why Your Period May Be Irregular

A late or skipped period is often cause for alarm. Am I pregnant? Is something else wrong with me? But you may not need to panic! The average woman has between eleven and thirteen periods per year — but that’s just an average. If your cycle is longer or shorter, that may be normal for you and you don’t need to worry! Here are some common causes for an irregular or skipped menstrual cycle: Pregnancy. Yep, it’s number one according to WebMD. If you think you might be pregnant, treat yourself as if you ARE pregnant until you get things … Continue reading

It’s “That Time of the Month” to Save Money

Last spring I went to a local craft fair. As I perused all of the goodies, I saw a booth that was especially charming. They had darling little baby clothes, purses, cloth diapers and cloth wallets. (Okay, at least that’s what I thought *they* were). I picked up the cute little “wallet”. “This is neat”…I said to the woman who created it. “How does this work?” I asked, thinking it was a unique checkbook holder or makeup purse. “It’s a reusable menstrual pad”, she replied. “Oh…wow.” I set it down quickly. I am too old to be embarrassed by “that … Continue reading