I've had this thought multiple times lol!
Cramps. Who wants them? Not me, that's for sure. Unfortunately I get them, always. With endometriosis I don't just get them while on my period. For example, I had some pretty painful cramps this last month that lasted a week before I even began my period! It stinks! Then I get my lovely cramps during my period. (Note the sarcasm with the word lovely). So because of this I had to learn a few tricks to help deal with the pain. Some you may know already. Others may surprise you :)
1. Stay Hydrated
I am horrible at remembering to drink water! But I find that if I do I don't seem to get as dizzy and lightheaded. I'm not so sure how well it helps my cramps specifically, but I know many women who say that it helps lesson the pain.
2. Hot Water
This one is my life saver! I find that getting in a tub full of hot water helps me to relax and let my body do its thing. I've found my cramps are much less painful this way. For those who think it's gross sitting in a tub full of filth you can also sit in the tub and allow the shower to spray directly onto your pelvic area. I personally like to start out with the shower and plug the drain so that the tub fills as the shower is going. This allows the heat of the water to stay in the tub, relaxing you and your muscles. Also a plus for me is that the water from the shower head kind of gently massages where I get the worst cramps which helps to relax my muscles more.
3. Heating Pad
What do I do when I run out of hot water or get bored of sitting in the tub? I pull out my heating pad. Another lifesaver. Though this isn't as efficient as the tub/shower combo. It is still heat that is helping most of the muscles to relax. I usually use this at night. I lay the heating pad across my side so that the heat radiates to my back and to my front. I usually will rotate sides so that I can get relief all around.
4. Sleep
Sleep. That's about all you need to do for this tip. Sleeping helps your body to fully relax and you get some rest as well. You really do need more sleep when you are on your period than when you aren't. So don't feel too bad about sneaking in a nap!
5. Jerky
I don't remember the exact reasons why eating jerky helps with cramps, I just know my college nutrition teacher told us about it and so I tried it and it really does help! If you start eating it a few days before your period begins and then while you're on it you will find you have more energy and the cramps will be less painful (at least this is how it works for me). Jerky is kinda expensive though so I don't get the luxury of having it every month :(
6. Poop
Some of you may laugh at this but it really is true! I unfortunately get super constipated while on my period and so pooping isn't always something I can do lol. But I find that pooping helps to lesson the cramps that I may be having at that time. This is due to the fact that while you're on your period you are already bloated and so anything extra (pee or poop) puts even more pressure on your already cramping uterus causing extra pain that you really don't need to be having.
These are just a few tips to hopefully help you out! If you have any other tips please post them in the comments! I would love to try out any tips that you have! Whether you use these tips or not is up to you!
Til next time!
Becca
