“How could you forget about something like a period?”
And then I’m taken completely by surprise every spring when I remember I have terrible allergies.
It’s also not an exact science, especially if you’re not on hormonal birth control. My cycle is 27-29 days, unless I’m stressed, in which case it can be up to 40 days. My period then lasts 3-4 days, but every 7-8 months, it instead lasts a full week and is way, way heavier and more painful than normal. No medical issues that my doctor can tell, sometimes it just be like that. So I will know that I should be getting my period in the next couple of days, but it’s never exact.
I used to be better about tracking it, but I realized I could feel a twinge about 20 minutes before the bleeding starts. Now I’ll even wake up to it, so there’s really not a downside to not tracking my period. (Except unforeseen medical issues, bc failures, and general bodily awareness)
Remember that each woman has a different experience. Some women have such a light period that they only notice it because they find spots in their underwear. On the other hand, a woman with endometriosis will probably start being in excruciating pain the day before the period starts and will know exactly how long it lasts.
Source: I know someone with endo. She also has a resistance to at least one OTC painkiller because she used to pop those things like candy. And a female coworker of hers (with a very light period) thinks that most women are exaggerating and that periods aren’t much of a problem…
I dated a woman once who said she got the PMH’s.
Premenstrual Hornies.
Her body told her to “DO IT NOW, NOW!” before that egg dropped.
I didn’t notice, I was just happy she liked sex, too, and initiated it.
Why have I been so crabby today? Why don’t I even want to pet the dogs. Oh. Oh, there it is. It all makes sense now.
Definitely not relatable for all of us.
“Hey babe, what’s wrong? You seem irritated.”
“Ah, you know, I just started.”
“I understand. So, wanna get naked?”
Being a dude, this is so vague, and ambiguous, I don’t understand what she’s saying, at all.
But hey, Queen, if you’re happy, I’m happy.