Period Power

Time off can feel impossible and is a luxury that many cannot afford. But can you find ten minutes to give yourself and start from there? Can you gift yourself thirty minutes of quiet time, to turn away from the world and tune into yourself to see what happens, without scrolling on your phone?

When you’re considering who to have around you, choose wisely, and above all else, know that the decisions you’re making for you and your family are what’s best for you. You’re doing great, truly you are

The first three months following birth are referred to as the fourth trimester as it’s a time when your baby is going through an enormous transition from womb to world, and you’re transitioning too, even if it isn’t your first rodeo

When you’re deciding who you want to come over, think about who you’d be happy to let see you in your undies and with your boobs out, because regardless of how you plan to feed your baby, it’s a helpful marker of who you should have around. Family politics can weigh heavily on this time, but this is your time as a new family, so prioritise yourselves

We are only capable of conceiving for six days in every cycle, whereas men are fertile all the time, so why are we the ones who bear the burden of responsibility with using these drugs and devices?

I’m not here to convince you that you shouldn’t use hormonal birth control, it’s your body and your choice, and I’m 100 per cent behind whatever you feel is appropriate for you, but it is my job to let you know what the negative effects of taking the drugs like the pill can be, because most of the time, it’s the benefits which are touted

but I don’t judge you for taking it, especially when it’s presented as the be all and end all of women’s health issues

I’m pro-informed choice, but I suspect that most users of hormonal birth control take it without having the kind of conversation that I’d like them to have with their healthcare provider, one in which the side effects and other options are discussed before the prescription pad is reached

What you eat and drink, eating disorders, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, overexercising, and screen time all influence hormone production and therefore your cycle and your period too

Hormonal birth control will not ‘regulate your cycles’, it prevents you from ovulating and only causes withdrawal bleeds, not real periods.