Oldest Daughter Menarche Stories

Menarche can be a tough experience especially for women that have no education on menstruation, don’t know what to expect or maybe have no one to relate to. We as women are as diverse as our world and we come from different communities and go through different experiences. One thing woman around the world have in common is that we all experience menstruation. But even our menstrual stories can be different depending on your household, your education, and the people around you.

I interviewed a lady that is 24 years old who was raised by women and is the first-born child in her household to see what her menarche experience was like.  My focus was to see who educated her the most on menstruation and if she was able to help her younger sister with her first cycle.

 

Summer:

Summer is currently 24 years old, and she experienced menarche when she was 15 years old. She is the oldest girl and only has one younger sister. Summer started her first period while at the grocery store with her mom and sister. She stated that she thought she had peed on herself but when she got home and went to the bathroom, she realized it was blood. She said that she panicked and screamed for her mom because there was so much blood, and she didn’t know that she would bleed that much when she got her period. She described the amount of blood as if there was a crime scene in her bathroom. Blood was everywhere.

 

Summer grew up in a house full of girls. Her household consisted of her mom, grandmother, and little sister. Her mom had prepared her for menarche. Growing up she knew what tampons and sanitary pads were because she saw that her mom had them in the bathroom. Once Summer got to an appropriate age her mom had a talk with her about menstruation so that Summer knew what to expect. I asked Summer who she felt educated her the most, the education system or her mom. She answered that her mom gave her the most education, that the school talked about menstruation, but it wasn’t enough to prepare her for menarche.

 

When Summer first started her period, she used sanitary pads because her mom wouldn’t let her use tampons and when she was a freshman in high school, she started using tampons. She said the main reason her mom allowed tampons was because she was in track, and it was more supportive for her period. She uses both but said that sanitary pads to her are safer than tampons because she has a heavy flow, and she feels more comfortable using sanitary pads.

 

During our conversation I asked her a little about her sister. The first question I asked was who educate her sister about menstruation. She said that her mom educated them both, but her sister would come to her about more personal questions and went to her mom about the pain and discomforts. She said her sister felt more comfortable talking to her about tampons than her mom and other menstrual hygiene questions. I then asked who she thought had the most support and education dealing with their first period in which she answered, “the youngest sibling always has it the easiest.” She said that her sister had both her mom and her and she was guided by watching her go through everyday tasks and experiences such as menstruation, so she had someone to always relate to.

 

Thanks to her mom Summer had a great menarche experience. She felt educated and prepared for when she would get her first period and her mom was there for her when she had questions. She was well enough prepared and had enough education that once her sister was old enough to experience menarche, she could help educate her and give her advice.

 

In-Conclusion:

 

At Stetho Health Systems we are focused on making life better for menstruating women all over the world and one way we can do that is through menstrual education. Menstrual education is important for young women who haven’t experienced menarche to set them up for a successful first period. When young women are educated on menstruation, they are more likely to be confident, prepared, and open to their parents when they get their first period. It is important that through proper menstrual education they get all the facts on menstruation, learn how to use, and dispose of sanitary products, and all their questions and concerns are answered.