Baker Claire - 50 Things You Need to Know About Periods

Ever stuffed a tampon up your sleeve on your way to the office bathroom? Avoided eye contact with the cashier as you paid for your sanitary pads? Cursed your premenstrual moods while curled up with Netflix, a box of tissues, and a block of Cadburys finest? Gritted your teeth in frustration at your body and how wildly inconsistent it seems to be? Felt overwhelmed, exhausted, and annoyed by your hormones? Wished you simply didnt have a period at all? Well, you are not alone.

Our society doesnt celebrate the menstrual cycle. Its all very hush-hush. Were told not to talk about it in public, brought up calling it the curse. Even saying the word period out loud is still a bit taboo, right? Its that time of the month when Aunt Flo is visiting and youve got the painters in. My personal favourite shark week! But jokes aside, the truth is that it can be bloody hard living in a body that bleeds once a month.

So why a book about periods then?

Well, you see, theyre the missing key. You may be surprised to learn that, if youre someone who menstruates, you are at this very moment in time (and at every minute of every day) experiencing one of the four phases of the menstrual cycle. You might also be surprised to hear that these four phases vary hormonally, which might explain why you can feel like a different person from week to week. The rise and fall of your hormones (like oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone) can affect mood, motivation, focus, energy levels, memory retention, cognition, desires, confidence, personality, libido, and how your body responds to stress. So, you know, quite a lot

A bloody good thing

As your friendly neighbourhood period coach, Ive collected together 50 bits of advice and know-how to help you understand this internal rhythm that you move through each month(ish). This will give you all the tools you need to work with your body, rather than pushing against it.

As you journey through this book, youll learn

Why your period is positive and how to work it!

That youre not crazy. Its 100% normal to have fluctuating energy levels, libido, cravings and, erm, personality traits, all month long.

All about the four distinct hormonal phases (or seasons as well call them) in your menstrual cycle.

How to chart your cycle so you can identify your unique superpowers and vulnerabilities in each phase.

How to find your flow by syncing your life, where possible, around each phase of your menstrual cycle. Spoiler: what works one week, wont necessarily work the next.

Youll also discover some fun facts (like what that wet stuff in your undies is and what your menstrual cycle has to do with the moon), and find some super savvy suggestions (like how to practise cycle self-care and how to chat to important people in your life about periods). Youll even pick up some excellent real-life insights from a few of my lovely clients just a handful of the amazing women I got to know when leading workshops, running one-to-one sessions, and teaching courses (both online and IRL).

Youll soon learn that there is so much more to your period than pain and PMS, though of course well get to them too. By paying attention to your body and learning how to live and work with your cycle in an optimal way, you will be able to achieve the things you most want in your life with greater ease than ever before.

Im aware that its likely youve never been handed a guidebook to your menstrual cycle, or told that your period is a positive thing to treasure. This book is not a clinical or overwhelming guide to the menstrual cycle. What youll find in the following pages is information that is easy to understand and a joy to implement, or rather to experiment with. Thats the key word here. Consider this book an invitation to experiment with a whole new way of living and bleeding.

Its my hope that youll use the information here to crown yourself as the authority in your own life. Because guess what world? Women bleed. You can tax our tampons, demonize PMS, use weird blue liquid in our pad adverts, and tell us to suck it up, but were not about that life anymore.

Were period literate, baby and that really is a bloody good thing.