First cycles and irregular periods in teens: no stress, everything’s going to be fine!

The first menstrual cycles are very often irregular! For some girls, their first period can be a source of stress, anxiety and worry. So the first piece of advice we can give you is not to panic. All the adult women around you have been through this too. Even if it feels new and a bit unsettling, remember that it’s completely natural!

Your periods will be part of your life for a long time. So you might as well get to know them and learn how to manage them as well as possible. Here you’ll find all the tips you need to move through the different phases of your menstrual cycle as smoothly and harmoniously as possible.

If you feel anxious at first, that’s completely normal. To better anticipate your period, handle it more calmly, and avoid stressing or worrying for nothing, here are a few ideas to think about: technical tips, advice on the best period products to use, etc.

At Louloucup, we’re convinced that the key to staying calm is knowing yourself well. Knowing your body and listening to its signals. It’s also essential to have a few basics in women’s health. Irregular periods in teenage girls: how do you live with them and tame them? Is it serious and when should you worry?

Let’s talk about periods, puberty, adolescence, but also symptoms and period protection for teens! Discover the tempting Louloucup collection of period panties for teens and teen menstrual swimsuits so you’re always ready, whatever stage of your cycle you’re in! 😉

Periods or menstruation (that’s the other word for it) are a hormonal, cyclical phenomenon that occurs in women. On average, the first period appears between ages 11 and 13. However, some girls get it at 8, others at 16. It varies a lot. So there’s no point comparing yourself to your friends! And you’ll quickly realize that when it comes to periods, comparison really isn’t helpful, because every body is different, every period, every cycle.

Periods are triggered by the hormones that control how your body and system function. These hormones stimulate the ovaries to produce estrogens. These hormones are especially responsible for many changes during puberty!

To put it simply, when the lining of the uterus, or endometrium, is expelled from your body, it’s in liquid form. This liquid contains blood. On average, you lose 60 ml of blood. Don’t worry, that may sound like a lot, but in reality it’s very little – the equivalent of just a few tablespoons.

The menstrual cycle is a period that lasts several dozen days, around 28 days (but as you’re starting to see, nothing is exact; it can vary from 25 to 35 days). A woman’s menstrual and hormonal cycle is divided into four distinct phases: 

1. Menstruation lasting between 4 and 7 days, 
2. the follicular phase, which lasts until day 15, 
3. the ovulatory phase or ovulation, which lasts about two days, and 
4. the luteal phase, which lasts until your next period. That’s when a new menstrual cycle begins and everything starts all over again!

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• When the first day of your period arrives, that’s the first day of your menstrual cycle.
• Each phase of the menstrual cycle is influenced by a rise or drop in hormones, which affects your energy, mood, etc. In the follicular phase, you’re full of energy and feel great. In the luteal phase, you might have cravings, feel moody or tired (that’s when you experience PMS, or premenstrual syndrome). 

If you’ve been paying attention, periods come back every 28 days on average. Download a mobile app or write your cycles down in a little notebook. This trick will help you avoid being caught off guard if you’re a bit forgetful.

However, if you’re a 14 or 15‑year‑old teen, even if you track your menstrual calendar carefully, you may notice your period is late or early, a little or even a lot… This delay or early arrival, this irregularity, is not only pretty annoying, it’s also a bit puzzling when you’ve heard that a menstrual cycle is supposed to be normally well regulated.

As you can see on the French Health Insurance information page, it takes one to two years (even three for the less lucky) for a teen’s menstrual cycles to settle and find their rhythm. During these first two years, a teenager may have periods that come early or very late, as well as long stretches with no period at all. 

But why so much irregularity? Because of hormonal fluctuations, of course. Hormones, again! And in adolescence, hormones love to go up and down like a yo-yo! 

Know that the menstrual cycle – and therefore your period – is very sensitive to many external factors that can disrupt and throw it off, even in adulthood and throughout your life as a menstruating woman. So it’s no surprise to see a late period after a vaccine, a bad flu or even a simple cold, for example! Your body has been under strain and the hormone secretions that kick things off may have been thrown off balance.

Intensive medical treatments (chemotherapy), jet lag or extreme fatigue can all affect how regular your periods are.

Also, intense high-level sports can sometimes stop your period from coming, just as a major emotional shock (accident, bereavement), intense stress (exams) or an insufficient diet can cause irregular, more widely spaced periods than average.

For 1, 2 or even 3 years, a teenager may notice very irregular cycles, ranging from 3 months to 15 days! YES, that’s seriously irregular! All the more reason to be well equipped and always have a reliable period protection in her bag!

Your first period can feel like a taboo topic. The first thing to do is talk to a parent so they can support you through this new stage. Remember that it’s completely natural and there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Ever!

If you’ve never talked to your parents about this, now’s the time to bring it up and really understand what periods are. Nothing beats an initial conversation beforehand so you’re not caught off guard the day your first period arrives. How do periods work? Why don’t boys have periods? What are they for?

Your mum, your big sister, your cousin, your aunt, your grandma, the school nurse, but also your dad—find a trusted person you can talk to.

Next, the second thing to do (and maybe the most important in the end) is to find the period products you actually feel good using.

These first period products are important; they shape how you feel about your period, for better or worse. If you feel comfortable, if you don’t leak, if you feel calm – or on the contrary, if they feel bulky, irritate you, or leak – you won’t experience your period in the same way at all!

Tampons, pads, liners, cups or period underwear—you need to try things out to understand what you really need.

The period underwear from Louloucup, for example, is perfectly suited to teenagers. At middle school or high school, it can be tricky to change your period protection during the day.

To find the products that suit you, you need to take the time to test and try them out. You need to learn how to handle and use them. You also need to learn about yourself and understand the nature of your flow.

Classic disposable pads and tampons are handy in an emergency. Period underwear is reassuring for getting through a full day or a peaceful night. A menstrual cup can be great for sporty girls or swimmers, for example. Period swimwear will save your pool afternoons with friends.

Your first period may come with your first menstrual or premenstrual symptoms. Throughout your life, until menopause, you’ll have your period every month, and it will bring symptoms that are more or less intense.

Fatigue, irritability and abdominal pain are just the most common ones. You might, for example, experience the following symptoms: 

• tender and/or painful breasts,
• lower back pain,
• Sheer dot tulle and organic cotton make up this washable menstrual protection, made in Portugal.
  
  
• diarrhea and/or nausea.

Although these symptoms don’t last long, they can catch you off guard. So, don’t stress if you have breast pain or notice changes in your body. This is completely normal. Painkillers can be taken to relieve you. There’s no need to endure this kind of pain.

There are many ways to soothe yourself during your period: bath, hot shower, good nutrition, hydration, hot water bottle, loose and comfortable clothing, taking it easy, and more.

The really good news with Louloucup is the sliding-scale bundles. The more products you add to your cart while you’re shopping, the more the unit price of each item… drops.

Yes, you read that right, and it’s automatic and with no strings attached. No subscriptions, no sign-ups, no purchase obligations. As soon as you add two items, you start saving. With 5 items, you save €30! On top of the sliding-scale bundle, shipping is free in France and Europe. (And we’re not even mentioning the little promo code, possible sales and other Black Friday deals… 😜 )