I was twelve at the time. I remember it being a Saturday. I went to the toilet in the morning and saw brown stains in my knickers. Of course, I had been an avid reader of teen girl magazines since the age of 9, so I knew a lot more about puberty and menstruation than any biology lesson has ever taught me. It never even crossed my mind that period blood would dry and be brown, when I started.
So I changed my knickers in the morning and went to see tutor, as I always did on a Saturday morning. When I returned home, there were more brown stains with a hint of red! For a few seconds, I was confused and assumed that I had somehow managed to injure myself in the groin area. Then I realised that it might actually be my period. My mum kept pads in the bathroom, so I attempted to put one on. Only, as much as I knew about the facts of menstruation, I had never actually learned how to put a pad on! So instead of laying it down lengthways, I put it across my pants. After doing this, I told my sister, who was two years younger than me, what had happened. She was a little mystified because it was obviously something that she didn’t have much experience of!
I remember telling my mum later that day, as we were walking in a shopping centre. I didn’t know how to break it to her, because it seemed like such a huge deal, so I kind of held her arm and said “muuuuuum, I need to tell you something.” I didn’t know what response to expect from her, but what I least expected was her the incredibly matter-of-fact response that I did get. She also said that my dad, of all people, had said to her the day before that I was looking a little pale and perhaps I was starting my period soon. My dad sensed that I was starting my period before my mum did!
After going through all the basics, my mum then proceeded to tell my dad and all of my female relatives that I had started my period. I went to my aunt’s house, the next day, and sat through stories of when my mother, my aunt and my cousin had all started their periods. My mum also rued the fact that I had started at 12. She had apparently started at 14 and regretted the fact that I would have to go through the regular pains every month, so soon.
Luckily, my periods are something that I’ve generally been fine with. I just wish that other issues relating to my vagina were so easy to discuss with my mum! Only recently, she felt the contraceptive rod in my arm and I had to fabricate an awful lie about what it was. I guess it’s her old-fashioned opinions which are to blame for why I had to lie about that, rather than my responsible attitude towards babies!
submitted by: thepowerofzealots