Thread: period and dancing

Dear Dancers,

Yesterday i have a performance, i had my period (+++bleeding) and felt like a balloon.

Please, i need your advice about how to manage with this issue and what kind of undies do you wear, etc.

Your advice is so much apreciated.

Hugzzzzz

super thick tampon right before the show. you won't be able to bleed through it that fast, no matter how heavy your flow is that day.

i would stay away from pads. no matter how good the glue is, it still feels like you have a diaper between your legs. plus i was always afraid that somebody would be able to hear the rustling. if you do want to use a pad, (which i used to do when i was younger and my mother wouldn't let me use tampons) then i would also safety pin it to my underwear, front and back for extra security. also, the underwear i would wear would be very form fitting, like with extra lycra to ensure that the pad didn't slip and slide.

you could also do double duty - tampon and pad.

another trick if you really are insecure is a dark costume, preferably black. even if you leak, it won't show as much as on a pink costume.

Also, take a pms medication to help with bloating, cramps, and fatigue. I feel like crap on the first day of my period - this helps a lot!

Zobeida about covered anything I would have said, plus some!

Originally Posted by tamrahennatx

Also, take a pms medication to help with bloating, cramps, and fatigue. I feel like crap on the first day of my period - this helps a lot!

You mean like Midol? Or is there something better these days?

Also, I kind of stole your tagline for my Match.com profile -- I'm "110% alive, 40% less BS." Hope you don't mind....

Personally, my major cause of bloating is gas. gas relieving meds work wonders for my cramping and bloating. that and some good pain killers.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

You mean like Midol? Or is there something better these days?

Also, I kind of stole your tagline for my Match.com profile -- I'm "110% alive, 40% less BS." Hope you don't mind....

LOL, I don't mind at all!

I think I prefer Pamprin over Midol - one of the meds has or had an anit-irritability ingredient that really seemed to help when I was feeling out of sorts on top of all the other issues.

Ditto on the super thick tampon RIGHT before the show - like within 15 minutes. I have fibroids and the flow is getting heavier as I age...I've had a bad period accident within the past year - not onstage, thank goodness but I would be mortified if that were ever to happen, so I'm really careful about that now.

If it's the first day or two of my period, I do double duty with a heavy duty tampon and a pad to back it up. I try to wear darker colored skirts (juuuuuust in case), and use lyrca sets with an elastic waistband rather that a traditional bra and belt. A little more give 'round the bloated area can make a world of difference.

I would thoroughly recommend using a cup (keeper/divacup/mooncup). I find them much more reliable and comfortable than tampons, and they hold *a lot*

While on an eco friendly drive, I also find that washable pads, that use poppers to keep them in place, are less "invasive", not sticky and make no noise. Wearing tights (pantyhose in american, right?) or leggings under your skirt/harems would also support a pad in place.

A raspberry leaf tea habit is supposed to help your period shift a bit easier too.

It is also a good idea to cut out a lot of your caffeine, alcohol and salt intake a week before you are to start. This sometimes impossible...pms has a mind of her own. Also, increase your water intake. I find that this helps a lot with the secondary symptoms that come along with this fun time of the month. I don't feel as much like a bloated whale when I PREPARE mindfully for the 5-7 days of fun.

Originally Posted by Kash13

I would thoroughly recommend using a cup (keeper/divacup/mooncup). I find them much more reliable and comfortable than tampons, and they hold *a lot*

While on an eco friendly drive, I also find that washable pads, that use poppers to keep them in place, are less "invasive", not sticky and make no noise. Wearing tights (pantyhose in american, right?) or leggings under your skirt/harems would also support a pad in place.

A raspberry leaf tea habit is supposed to help your period shift a bit easier too.

I'm scared not even the keeper could "keep" me!

Be careful of spins and head-tossing if you're anything like me. My balance gets very wonky!

A multivitamin/multimineral with iron helps if you tend to be anemic. Fiber if you tend to have, um, irregular elimination. Also: lots of water. Sounds counterintuitive, but the more you drink, the less your body feels compelled to retain.

I rediscovered Midol and Pamprin and related store brands a few years ago. I had thought they were just pain relievers with girly marketing -- and some versions are, so read the labels -- but the versions that have a pain reliever plus pamabrom (diuretic) and/or pyrilamine maleate (antihistamine) really make a difference in the way I feel. Less bloating, less cramping, less grumpiness, more energy all around. I usually have two kinds on hand: the multi-sympton that includes caffeine to take during the day and the "teen formula" without caffeine so I can take it at night. I am not a big popper of pills in general, but for two to three days a month, these make life a lot more pleasant.

Yep, a super plus tampon with a pad backup. I use cloth pads that close around your undies with snaps. I don't trust the glue on disposable pads to hold up through movement and sweat.

Oh, yes, and a pair of booty shorts under my costume gives me that extra bit of confidence to shimmy away without worrying about anything moving or slipping.

Originally Posted by tamrahennatx

I'm scared not even the keeper could "keep" me!

Well they certainly hold more than a super tampon, but you may be emptying more often than most. .w.:

Originally Posted by Kash13

Well they certainly hold more than a super tampon, but you may be emptying more often than most. .w.:

ewwwww! ..l;,

samiramirage good idea, thanks for the tips. I have 1 costume that I've deemed my "fat" costume, on days that I don't feel so sexy I put that on. The fringe is a bit longer so I feel it "hides" any bloat. Whether it does or doesn't I feel good.

Originally Posted by SaNoorah

samiramirage good idea, thanks for the tips. I have 1 costume that I've deemed my "fat" costume, on days that I don't feel so sexy I put that on. The fringe is a bit longer so I feel it "hides" any bloat. Whether it does or doesn't I feel good.

Great idea. If you aren't trying to squeeze into and almost too small costume then you will surely feel better about yourself. Don't set yourself up for low self esteem.

Jillian Michaels had some tips for PMS in her daily email yesterday:

Exercise! You may not want to, but get in your workout anyway. The endorphin rush will help relieve cramps and raise your levels of serotonin, a mood-lifting neurotransmitter.

Get some R&R. Adequate sleep and less stress will put you in a better hormonal position to handle the physiological imbalance that PMS brings.

Cut out most alcohol, caffeine, and salt. Alcohol can exacerbate feelings of depression, so steer clear. Reducing caffeine may minimize breast tenderness and irritability, and cutting salt can reduce bloat.

Minimize simple sugars. Ideally, you're doing this all the time, but it's especially important before your period. Simple sugars may increase inflammation, making cramps feel worse. Eating regular meals and snacks with fiber and protein will help keep your blood sugar stable, which is a lot better for those raw nerves than blood-sugar swings.

Consider supplements. Calcium may reduce symptoms of PMS, so shoot for at least 1,200 mg a day. Magnesium is also helpful, as are B complex vitamins. To reduce the inflammation of cramps and breast tenderness, try a primrose-oil supplement; it's a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory that may work in ways similar to ibuprofen.

I also second the cup idea. I've been using mine for over a year, and even on my heaviest days I'm good to go for any sort of physical activity and I've never had a problem. Some women also say that it reduces their cramps.

Originally Posted by Zana

Be careful of spins and head-tossing if you're anything like me. My balance gets very wonky!

Me too! I also tend to have stiffer muscles in my lower back and tighter hips. It becomes a bit harder to relax.

Originally Posted by tamrahennatx

I'm scared not even the keeper could "keep" me!

Was going to recommend the same thing. I've been using Instead for years and have never had a leak whereas the other options never worked for me.

Also to the OP, try "Peach Detox Tea" from Yogi Teas. It always debloats me...usually have to drink it the night before though.

I use the super-duper-soaks-up-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink tampons and always change it out right before I dance. I also use a thin pantyliner just in case.

For pain, Midol or ibuprofen is my best friend.

I wish I could find something that would help with my coordination problems I get when I'm on my period. I always turn into a clumsy airhead.

Zobeida had some good tips.

anti-inflammatories. I read someplace about taking them at the start of your period till you finish reduces flow. Don't know how true that is.

Heat pads/compresses feel nice and relaxing but I also wonder about this as heat speeds blood flow?

Massaging your belly with avocado oil and margoram essential oil feels nice for cramps.

Gentle hip opening yoga and forward bends also feel good and relaxing for the pelvic area.

Mooncups, and I imagine the diva cup, take some practice at getting it in position or it will leak. For some reason I can't sleep with mine in. Maybe when you completely relax it shifts or maybe I'm built funny?..l;,

I do think if you're feeling stressed the symptoms seems worse. It's like the antipation of pain making it worse than it is.
Psychology Notes : Sensation and Perception

Hope you feel better soon.

I like my keeper too (I like the silocone mooncup better than the original)

but I also really like luna panties- made by the lunapads cloth pad folks- the panties are fitted tho, so you get the extra protection without it *feeling* like a pad or being in danger of slipping. great for back up or for light days, but I also use them for dancing when I'm not on my period because it absorbs the sweat nicely too.

hmmm..I'm suddenly enjoying my hot flashes after reading through this post! There are perks to being of a certain age!

Having just had a hell of a week, here are some observations:

Bellydancing is great cramp relief, especially if you get them in your lower back. BIIIIG hip circles and Mayas are my best friend.

As far as preparing to dance during your period week goes, everyone's advice here is wonderful though I've not tried cups myself. I like lemon, lime, or cucumber water to debloat and I am an enormous believer in calcium supplements. I've been slacking on taking mine (also has magnesium and zinc in it) and the difference was remarkable.

I second being careful with spinning and rapid head movements. Let me add complicated footwork to that, tee hee.

This isn't dance related but I will mention that our gums tend to soften a bit....be extra gentle to them when brushing and flossing during this week. Something else you might not know is that we release more sulfur compounds in our breath during our periods. Aren't hygeinists great?

to help period pain, try to eat NO vegetables or fruit, not even cooked, before and during your period. and eat deep fried food. yes, deep fried food!

for the past year i had a big salad every day because i thought that was healthy. and i had really bad tummy pain and back pain. my chinese medicine doctor told me to stop eating raw vegetables completely and eat no vegetables or fruit during and before period. and eat deep fried food. since i've done that i've no pain at all!

but everyone's body is difference. in general, when women have period, our body is more cold, thus we need to cut down food that is cold in nature according to chinese medicine, and eat food that is hot in nature.

Originally Posted by wingaki

to help period pain, try to eat NO vegetables or fruit, not even cooked, before and during your period. and eat deep fried food. yes, deep fried food!

for the past year i had a big salad every day because i thought that was healthy. and i had really bad tummy pain and back pain. my chinese medicine doctor told me to stop eating raw vegetables completely and eat no vegetables or fruit during and before period. and eat deep fried food. since i've done that i've no pain at all!

but everyone's body is difference. in general, when women have period, our body is more cold, thus we need to cut down food that is cold in nature according to chinese medicine, and eat food that is hot in nature.

Does Chili work?

I use ibuprophen, gas relieving stuff, and I wear a menstrual cup instead of pad or tampon. I've NEVER had a menstrual cup leak on me... even while swimming or performing or doing p90x!

I started a thread on how much I love the Diva Cup. I used to be a super plus tampon wearer and I can go 6+ hours with the Diva Cup. If you washed it when you got dressed you would be fine.

To prevent gas and bloating I drink unsweetened cranberry juice (the real stuff), 1 oz in 8 oz of water and psyllium husk fiber.