Menstrual cycle, ovulation, periods—everything you need to explain it all to your teen!

We’ve already talked about it at Louloucup: a girl’s first period is a major upheaval in her life. So how can you approach this new stage the right way? How do you explain periods to your teen?

Most often in middle school, or even primary school for early bloomers, the pre-teen or teen sees her body changing, developing, growing. Little by little, she becomes a woman. She has to learn to live with puberty and also to manage her periods and the start of her menstrual cycle. This can be a source of stress, anxiety or worry.

Still, a few small things can really make a difference. Talking with a trusted adult (mum, grandmother, cousin, older sister, godmother, school nurse, etc.) and using suitable period products (like some pretty period panties, for example) are two key pillars for experiencing your first periods more smoothly and calmly.

Acne, stomach aches, side effects, menstrual products, menstrual cycle, menstrual flow, leaks, stains, unpleasant odors, bleeding—many questions can arise for a teenager.

Does your teen have questions? Louloucup has the answers! 🙂

We’ve selected six questions about women’s health that we see as the basics for discovering and understanding your body, its anatomy and how it works. This can be an excellent starting point for opening up the conversation. We’ve tried to use simple words to cover the essentials. Because knowing yourself well already means being less afraid of the unknown.

The menstrual cycle is a cyclical process that takes place in the female body and repeats the same pattern. This process is governed by hormones: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). It has several phases. When the last phase occurs, the cycle then starts over again. This happens automatically from puberty to menopause.

A menstrual cycle generally lasts an average of 28 days. Sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more – it’s not an exact science. The menstrual cycle can change and be disrupted by external events. An emotional shock, stress, a simple bout of flu or weight gain or loss can throw your cycle off, shortening or lengthening it.

The menstrual cycle occurs to prepare the uterus for a possible fertilization of the egg. In other words, the female body is preparing to develop an embryo. If fertilization does not occur, the cycle starts again with the arrival of a new period.

Want to learn more about the menstrual cycle? Check out our super comprehensive guide!

There are four clearly distinct phases in a menstrual cycle.

Periods are a natural, normal phenomenon that comes back about every 28 days on average in a woman’s life. Periods start in adolescence, around age 11, and end at menopause, around age 50.

Periods are a sign of good health. A woman who has her period is of childbearing age. When a woman becomes pregnant, she no longer has periods for the entire duration of the pregnancy. Period blood is your uterine lining being shed by the body because no implantation of a fertilized egg took place during the cycle.

In other words, no fertilized egg has nestled into the uterine wall, and no pregnancy is developing. The endometrium, which had thickened during the cycle to welcome a potential embryo, is no longer needed.

You can also fairly easily estimate the date of your next period. We explain everything here: How to calculate your menstrual cycle?

You may sometimes feel uncomfortable pain just before or during your period: lower abdominal pain, heaviness, breast tenderness. Your ovaries may feel sore. You might also experience back pain. If this only happens occasionally and can be relieved with over-the-counter painkillers such as Spasfon or Doliprane, there’s no need to worry.

However, being in pain every time you have your period is not normal either. It’s important to talk about it with your doctor, midwife or gynaecologist. Find all our tips for easing period pain here: How to relieve painful periods?

Ovulation is the precise moment in the menstrual cycle when the egg has matured and detaches from the ovary. It then travels toward the uterus via the Fallopian tubes.

Ovulation is made possible by a hormone in particular: progesterone. This hormone is produced by the ovaries and is essential for the egg to implant properly in the uterus.

Physically, ovulation is an extremely subtle event that often goes unnoticed. Some women or teenagers may notice increased vaginal discharge. This is normal and is called cervical mucus.
Also, a brief, mild pain may be felt in the left or right ovary. At ovulation, a woman is fertile. The chances of becoming pregnant are therefore very high at this specific time in the cycle. Since sperm can live for 2 to 5 days, the fertility window extends over several days around ovulation.

Pads, disposable tampons, menstrual cup or period panties – no stress, teens have plenty of options to manage their new bleeding calmly!

To be kind to both the planet and your wallet, reusable, washable period products are without a doubt a fantastic alternative. A menstrual cup or period underwear is super practical for our teens. They can go through their school day feeling calm, without worrying about leaks, stains or bad smells.

• Check out the Louloucup teen period underwear collection now. A range of healthy, comfortable, soft, discreet and reliable menstrual underwear for chill, stress-free periods.
  
  
• Louloucup also offers teen period swimsuits for the pool. Discover our range of period swim bottoms so you can enjoy the water with total peace of mind!

Heavy flow or light flow, for night or day, at home or during sport, your teen should be able to go through this new stage of life with complete peace of mind!

Plus, with Louloucup, shipping is always free in France and across Europe, so go ahead and build your own custom set of Louloucup washable period products: the more items you add to your cart, the more the unit price of each one drops. It’s automatic and seriously cool!

With all this good news, explaining periods to your teen has never been easier! 😉