Laird - HEAVY FLOW: understanding the menstrual cycle and claiming your fifth vital sign

Reading Heavy Flow is akin to a long chat with a non-judgmental super cool big sister who knows her stuff. Grounded in a fierce feminist commitment to body literacy as an act of resistance, Laird guides the reader toward better health and body positivity without the saccharine. Readable, inclusive, real, and often funny, Heavy Flow is a myth-busting manual and menstrual cycle roadmap that insists menstruators be seen and heard.

Chris Bobel, author of The Managed Body: Developing Girls and Menstrual Health in the Global South and New Blood: Third Wave Feminism and the Politics of Menstruation

Heavy Flow breaks down absolutely everything you need to know about menstruation. Expertly written and easy to understand, this book takes the shame out of menstruation and empowers women to feel great about their bodies.

Ariel Ng Bourbonnais, author and co-editor of Through, Not Around and co-founder of The 16 Percent

As fierce as it is fascinating, Heavy Flow outlines the path of the pro-period movement, bringing that red wave right up to your own front door and the readers personal period experience. What could this cultural moment mean for you and your reproductive health? Laird answers this question with confidence and compassion, skillfully translating the hashtags into clear, honest, and much needed health information. This is one of those books thats going to be hard to keep to yourself youll be loaning it out and losing it to your best friend, your sister, your daughter.

Holly Grigg-Spall, author of Sweetening the Pill: Or How We Got Hooked on Hormonal Birth Control

Heavy Flow is an important addition to the global conversation about periods. Periods are coming out in the open more than ever before, and as more women discover the connection between healthy menstrual cycles and overall health, they need a place to turn for guidance. Amanda has put together an encouraging and easily accessible resource for women as they strive for better periods. Amandas passion for demystifying the menstrual cycle and eradicating menstrual taboos shines through on every page!

Lisa Hendrickson-Jack, fertility awareness educator and author of The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles and Optimize Your Fertility

Amanda demystifies menstruation for us in a way that is eye-opening and fascinating. I felt excited reading her book knowing that many women will have access to this information and will be able to take charge of their own hormonal health and bleed with awareness! I sure wish I had this information when I was popping the birth control pill for over a decade.

Joy McCarthy, CNP, best-selling author of Joyous Health and Joyous Detox

Somehow Amanda Laird makes the curse of menstruation almost feel like a blessing. Shes written an incredibly thoughtful and informative guide to not only understanding your body better, but also learning how to have deeper compassion for it, too. Required reading for every person that has (or ever will) experience the flow.

Jessica Murnane, author of One Part Plant and founder of Know Your Endo

Heavy Flow delivers the goods: Amanda Laird gives the menstrual lowdown about why we dont have to keep periods on the downlow. I love how she consistently challenges corporate messages of shame and shares her own personal, professional, and practical ideas while effortlessly introducing stuff from the wider menstrual research community. Its all done with a fun and enthusiastic push toward body literacy and empowerment; readers will feel like theyre part of the podcast or hanging out with a friend. Its very period positive and its a welcome addition to the growing global period library. Im so glad its here!

Chella Quint, comedian, artist, menstruation education researcher, and #periodpositive founder

Heavy Flow is the book I wish I had when I was a teenager and am glad to have now. Amanda Laird answers questions you didnt even know you had about the menstrual cycle with topics ranging from political relevance, to practical physiology, to nutritional support for people who menstruate.

Kathleen Shannon, creative entrepreneur, author, and speaker

Heavy Flow is essential reading for all menstruators. Laird challenges readers to think about their period in broader feminist terms, including that womens pain is too often dismissed, and how essential menstrual products are out of reach for many. I look forward to having a copy on the shelf of our wellness centre.

Caroline Starr, co-director of The Healing Collective, author and co-editor of Through, Not Around, and co-founder of The 16 Percent

Copyright Amanda Laird, 2019

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (except for brief passages for purpose of review) without the prior permission of Dundurn Press. Permission to photocopy should be requested from Access Copyright.

Cover design: Laura Boyle
Printer: Webcom, a division of Marquis Printing Inc.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Laird, Amanda, author
Heavy flow : breaking the curse of menstruation / Amanda
Laird.

Includes bibliographical references and index.
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-1-4597-4313-7 (softcover).--ISBN 978-1-4597-4314-4 (PDF).--ISBN 978-1-4597-4315-1 (EPUB)

1. Menstruation--Social aspects. 2. Women--Health and hygiene--Social aspects. I. Title.

1 2 3 4 5 23 22 21 20 19

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country, and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Ontario, through the Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit and Ontario Creates, and the Government of Canada.

Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. Lan dernier, le Conseil a investi 153 millions de dollars pour mettre de lart dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.

Care has been taken to trace the ownership of copyright material used in this book. The author and the publisher welcome any information enabling them to rectify any references or credits in subsequent editions.

J. Kirk Howard, President

The publisher is not responsible for websites or their content unless they are owned by the publisher.

Printed and bound in Canada.

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