Something else? Ask Aunt Vadge – bottom left of your screen!
Getting the hang of periods takes a bit of practice, and a few good period tips for beginners make the whole thing far less stressful. Whether you have just started bleeding or you are helping someone who has, these six tricks cover tampons, cramps, clots, smells and the dreaded ruined undies – so you can work smarter, not harder.
What’s normal when you’re starting out
Most people get their first period (called menarche) somewhere between the ages of 9 and 16, with around 12 being typical8. There is a wide normal range here, so getting yours earlier or later than your friends is usually nothing to worry about.
A period itself usually lasts three to seven days, and the blood can be light, heavy or somewhere in between – and look bright red, brown or almost black depending on how quickly it leaves the body. For the first year or two, periods are often irregular and may skip a month here and there while your body settles into its rhythm8.
If yours is very heavy (soaking a pad or tampon every hour), drags on well past a week, or comes with pain that stops you in your tracks, that is worth getting checked – more on pain in the cramps section below.
Which period products should beginners start with?
You have a few options, and there is no single right answer – it comes down to comfort and what is practical for you.
Pads are the easiest place to start. They stick to your underwear, need no insertion, and let you see how much you are bleeding, which helps you learn your own pattern. Most beginners find them the simplest first step.
Tampons sit inside the vagina and absorb the blood before it leaves the body, which is handy for swimming and sport. They take a little practice to insert and come with a few safety rules – the rest of this guide covers those in detail.
Period underwear looks like normal knickers but has a built-in absorbent layer, so it makes a comfy, low-fuss backup, especially overnight or on lighter days.
Menstrual cups are a small, reusable silicone cup that sits in the vagina and collects the blood rather than absorbing it. They are economical and low-waste, though most people find them easier once they are a bit more confident with their body.
Plenty of people mix and match – pads or period underwear on heavy or school days, tampons for swimming – so start with whatever feels least daunting.
1. Get the right tampon size for your flow
As a guide, the first two to three days are usually the heaviest, so you may want to invest in several sizes of tampons: super, regular and mini.
Usually safe is better than sorry – use the bigger sizes the first couple of days, but check the string regularly to see if the tampon slides out easily because it is full. If the tampon slides out, it is full; if it does not budge, leave it in for a while longer.
A quick safety note. Change your tampon every four to eight hours, and never leave one in for more than eight hours. It is not good hygiene practice, since the blood on the tampon gives disruptive bacteria a food source. It is incredibly rare, but it pays to know the signs of toxic shock syndrome (TSS)1,2.
2. Dealing with period pain (cramps)
As your uterus gets used to squeezing out your period, you may get very painful cramps, also known as period pain. Cramps are normal but severe pain is not. If your periods are making you want to keel over, it is important to figure out why3.
The uterus is made out of smooth muscle, and it is designed to cramp to expel period blood during your period (and a baby, if that is on the cards).
See your doctor to be examined and get your pain taken seriously. You may be prescribed pain medication which can really help. If you prefer a non-drug route, see a naturopath, herbalist or acupuncturist for some effective alternatives. You can combine options as you see fit, using these suggestions for dealing with period pain.
3. What are period clots?
Blood clots of any kind arise when blood is allowed to collect in one place for too long. Clotting is the body’s natural response to bleeding, and although it is slightly different with your period blood, the blood is still blood and behaves the same way. How much you bleed and how it looks varies naturally from person to person, and from one period to the next5.
Clots are normal from time to time, but if you find you are getting a lot of clots every period it might be a sign that your uterus could do with some help expelling the blood, or your body is making a lot of endometrial lining and the blood is getting backed up. There are a few reasons for this, such as oestrogen excess/dominance4.
The occasional clot is usually nothing to worry about, but a lot of large clots every period is worth getting checked, as it can point to heavier bleeding than is ideal.
4. Flushing and disposing of tampons
Be careful where you put your used tampon! Tampons are famous for not flushing down the toilet properly and bobbing around waiting for the next person to find, or clogging up the pipes.
If you are allowed to flush the tampon, make sure it has fully absorbed water before flushing, or it will tend to float. Tampons sink when full.
If the toilet cubicle has a sanitary bin or rubbish bin, use it. Wrap your tampon in some toilet paper first so the blood does not drag over the flaps as you use the bin.
Be wary of other people’s bloody mistakes, and conscious of where you put your hands. If you must, wrap the tampon well and take it with you to another rubbish bin.
5. How to avoid ‘old blood’ period smells
Old blood smells after a while because bacteria feed on it, so be conscious of what scent you leave in the bathroom after you leave.
Pads are notorious for being smelly, so change your pad regularly. Tampons are much better in this regard, as they are not exposed to as much air and odours cannot waft around.
Bacteria are the cause of smells, but old blood has a characteristic metallic odour. The best way to keep period smells at bay is to wash your vulva twice a day.
If you get overflow into your knickers, wash it out in a sink or clean it up as best you can until you can shower and/or change your underwear.
6. Dealing with ruined undies
Overflow and ruined knickers are a fact of period life, and sadly the trend usually continues – getting a grip on when your tampon is full while you are busy doing other stuff is still an issue for those who have been getting periods for years.
When you first start out, have some dedicated period undies that it is ok if they get ruined.
The worst overflow usually happens when your period arrives unexpectedly, which is unavoidable. To stay ahead of it, get an app on your phone or write it on your calendar. You need to know how many days long your full menstrual cycle is (not just your period), so you know when to expect it.
Your menstrual cycle is the time it takes to go from the first day of your period to the first day of your next period – the ‘month’. Some countries use the word ‘cycle’ to mean your period, so just be clear about what you are talking about.
Your full cycle length will change most months, usually because you ovulate at different times7. It is NOT safe to assume that you ovulate at the same time every month (‘Day 14 of a 28 Day Cycle’) – this number is just an average.
Yours will be unique to you, and probably different every month, which means your period will arrive at different times. Tracking it also helps you spot whether your periods are roughly regular, which is a useful signal of your overall health6.
The first day of your period is called Day 1 of your cycle. Write down the day you get your period every month and soon enough you will be able to work out roughly when you will get your next one. You can plan ahead then, which is about as good as it gets in terms of underwear protection.
If you are on the pill, when you stop the active pills you can expect your period to come, but if you are on other forms of hormonal birth control, periods may be sporadic or absent.
What this means for your vagina
Your period is one of the few times the vaginal environment shifts noticeably each month, and the products you use sit right against delicate tissue. Tampons absorb fluid, so one that is too absorbent for a light day can leave the vagina dry and irritated – another reason to match the size to your flow. Menstrual blood also temporarily nudges the vaginal pH upwards and gives bacteria a food source, which is part of why some people notice a flare of disruptive bacteria around their period.
The vagina is self-cleaning, so you never need to wash inside it – only the vulva, the outside. Skip scented products and douches, which strip the protective bacteria that keep the area balanced. If you want to see what your own balance looks like, a comprehensive vaginal microbiome test can show you.
In our clinic, we tend to read period problems – pain, heavy bleeding, recurring imbalances – as signals of something further upstream, such as hormones or gut function, rather than a local issue to patch over. We look at the whole picture and treat the root cause, which usually settles the period symptoms along the way.
Period tips FAQ
How long can you leave a tampon in?
Change it every four to eight hours, and never leave one in for more than eight. Going longer raises the small risk of toxic shock syndrome1,2.
Are period clots normal?
The occasional clot is completely normal. A lot of large clots every period is worth investigating, as it can point to heavier bleeding or to oestrogen excess4.
How do I stop my period smelling?
Change pads and tampons regularly and wash your vulva, not inside the vagina, twice a day. Old blood smells because bacteria feed on it, so the fresher everything stays, the better.
Why is my cycle a different length each month?
Some variation is completely normal – ovulation timing shifts, so your period arrives on a slightly different day each month7. Tracking it helps you predict when it is due.
What to do next
If something about your periods worries you – pain that stops you in your tracks, very heavy bleeding, or a smell or discharge that seems off – it is worth getting checked. You can ask Aunt Vadge’s Assistant (the chat in the bottom left of the screen) for a steer, or book in with one of our practitioners for tailored help.
This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice. If you are worried about your periods, see a qualified practitioner.
References
- Billon A, Gustin MP, Tristan A, et al. Association of characteristics of tampon use with menstrual toxic shock syndrome in France. EClinicalMedicine. 2020;21:100308.
- Berger S, Kunerl A, Wasmuth S, Tierno P, Wagner K, Brügger J. Menstrual toxic shock syndrome: case report and systematic review of the literature. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2019;19(9):e313–e321.
- Itani R, Soubra L, Karout S, Rahme D, Karout L, Khojah HMJ. Primary Dysmenorrhea: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment Updates. Korean Journal of Family Medicine. 2022;43(2):101–108.
- James AH. Heavy menstrual bleeding: work-up and management. Hematology. 2016;2016(1):236–242.
- Dasharathy SS, Mumford SL, Pollack AZ, et al. Menstrual Bleeding Patterns Among Regularly Menstruating Women. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2012;175(6):536–545.
- Wang YX, Arvizu M, Rich-Edwards JW, et al. Menstrual cycle regularity and length across the reproductive lifespan and risk of premature mortality: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 2020:m3464.
- Bull JR, Rowland SP, Scherwitzl EB, Scherwitzl R, Danielsson KG, Harper J. Real-world menstrual cycle characteristics of more than 600,000 menstrual cycles. npj Digital Medicine. 2019;2(1).
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Committee Opinion No. 651: Menstruation in Girls and Adolescents: Using the Menstrual Cycle as a Vital Sign. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2015;126(6):e143–e146.
