121. Grandma’s Modern Guide to Periods: What Teens Really Need Now

Periods today look very different than they did decades ago—and the young women in our lives deserve better support than “tough it out.” In this episode, Dr. Monica Minjeur breaks down what every Grandma, Mimi, Nana, or Grammy should know about modern menstrual health. From what’s truly normal, to red flags you shouldn’t ignore, to updated period products and supportive language, this episode will help you show up with confidence and compassion.

If you want support for the teen or young woman in your life, book a free discovery call at RadiantClinic.com.

Transcript

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Welcome back to Cycle Wisdom, where we empower women to restore natural menstrual cycles, to improve health and promote fertility. I'm your host, Dr. Monica Minjeur, and I'm so glad you're listening today. Do you have a special young woman in your life who calls you Grandma, Mimi, Nana, or Grammy? Maybe you feel out of your depth when it comes to understanding more about what is going on with modern education around periods. What if the best support a granddaughter could get from you wasn't just handing her a heating pad or telling her You're tough, you'll be fine. But a grandma who understands today's period realities, what's normal, what's not, and how to help without awkwardness. So let's get started with a patient story of mine, who we'll call Cora. Now, Cora was in seventh grade and she loved her, Mimi. She told her everything that happened. When Cora's first periods included heavy cramps and late night leaks and embarrassment at soccer practice, Mimi was one of the first to hear about it. Now, Mimi had stopped having menstrual cycles herself a few years ago, and she grew up with all sorts of things like thick pads and leaking, and was basically just told, tough it up and don't talk about it, but. Mimi realized that her old advice wasn't gonna be enough because Cora was not about to go to practice every time that she had her menstrual cycle, and Mimi knew there had to be a better way. Now this Mimi was quite savvy. She had actually been following our podcast and realized that the advice she had been giving needed a modern update. So she started helping with Cora packing a period kit. She talked about how to ask for help and helped Cora to understand what was normal and what wasn't. And most importantly, when to seek help from an adult and a medical professional. A few cycles later, Cora was using period underwear on school days. She had a comfortable pad that she could use at games and had actually started tracking her cycle in a privacy safe app on her phone. Mimi felt more confident, connected, and helpful without overstepping her boundaries. So if you are a Mimi, a Grammy, a Nana, what are the top things that you need to know? I'm gonna share with you our five top things that are so important that are probably an update from what you were taught a few years ago. So tip number one, what is normal for a period has a range. So it's important to know the basics as well as red flags. Now, the first couple years that teenagers have a cycle, it can be incredibly common to have very irregular cycles. However we want to pay attention if those cycles are more than 35 to 40 days apart, or if bleeding is lasting more than seven days. Additionally, if your granddaughter is having significantly heavy bleeding where she is soaking through a pad or tampon every one to two hours. If she's having clots or missing school because of pain, those are all signs that she should get evaluated immediately. One of the beautiful things that we have within the field of restorative reproductive medicine is that this does not always mean that you need to go on birth control, and this is a big change from prior. Tip number two, pain is common, but severe pain isn't just part of being a woman. Cramps that respond to, to heat or over the counter medications can be typical, but pain that is stopping life or preventing a young woman from going to school. Anything that causes vomiting or lightheadedness or passing out or pain that is worsening month after month is not. Normal. It is important to help your granddaughter to realize that there are signs and symptoms that would point to more significant conditions. Things like endometriosis or PCOS or anovulation. All of these things can lead to more severe pain with your cycles and do have additional ways that we can evaluate these further, again, without just needing to jump to birth control. Tip number three. Menstrual products are very different now than they were even a few decades ago, and they're significantly better. So beyond just pads and tampons, there are all sorts of different wearables, things like period underwear that can actually directly absorb menstrual blood is a huge game changer, especially for many teens. There are also reusable menstrual cups and discs. That are highly effective and preferable, and these can be used in teens as well. I talked all about these just a couple weeks ago in episode number one 19, so go back and take a listen to that episode. If you want to learn more about these reusable menstrual products, oftentimes these cups or discs will mean fewer leaks and a longer wear time. Oftentimes, meaning that girls don't have to change their tampons or pads at all during a school day, so it can be a huge win. For the young woman who wants to try those. Tip number four, tracking your cycle isn't about perfection, and it is not just for family planning or fertility Tracking your cycle is incredibly important to evaluate patterns and to make sure that we are evaluating what else could be going on with the cycle beyond just the bleeding. Now simple apps are typically best for teens, and generally we'll have them just marking their start and stop days, noting the heaviness or the painful days, and starting to watch for trends. Now, please be aware that there are many different apps out there, but it's important to understand the privacy settings. For young women that may not have a phone yet, there are also paper versions or printable trackers as great alternatives for older teens and young adults. Fertility awareness education helps with tracking not just what's going on with their cycles, but can also teach body literacy. And again, this is not just for pregnancy timing, but also to start to track the signs of ovulation as an important marker for overall health. And finally, tip number five, your words matter. I am sure you have found out by this point in time if you have a trusted granddaughter, she hangs on your every word. So rather than saying tough it out, which might have been what you were told by your mom, you could consider saying something like, how can I help? Or, I'm here for you. I wanna listen and learn more. Along with you, you can also offer practical help. Maybe help her build a period kit. Or help her with picking out the right heating pad that works well for her, and most importantly, ask permission before sharing their story with others, especially with their mom. Now, some young women are more comfortable sharing something with their mom versus with their Mimi or vice versa. So make sure that you understand and know what has been shared already, and let her know that if there is something more concerning from a medical standpoint, that you absolutely do want to bring other adults in her life into the story here. So I'd like to switch gears for just a minute and talk more about the medical side of the approach that we can take when it comes to teenagers. Now, the approach at our clinic is called restorative reproductive medicine, and really the intention here is not just to put young women or any woman on birth control pills because it can just suppress or mask the other symptoms that she's experiencing. Rather, we want to focus on the symptoms that are presenting themself and work together collaboratively to get her cycles back on track so that she's minimizing symptoms and minimizing her downtime, especially with her cycles. So part of the way we do this is that we look at her as a whole person, not just the symptoms that are going on around the time of her menstrual cycle, but also other symptoms, things like excessive weight gain. Or hair growth, or excess acne or fatigue. All of these can mean that there are underlying hormonal, thyroid, inflammatory, or vitamin deficiencies that are happening. We also will always evaluate, especially if there is heavy bleeding or heavy pain, looking for things like thyroid dysfunction or if severe pain is present, things like endometriosis or bleeding disorders. All of these can be incredibly important, not just for changing the trajectory of her current symptoms, but also the longer term outcomes when it comes to the menstrual cycle. We provide age appropriate education. So rather than just telling a teenager she should have a menstrual cycle once a month, we discuss what's called body literacy. And really this is empowering young women to have a better understanding of what's going on with their cycle day after day, not just during the bleeding pattern, but also encouraging them to understand the importance of ovulation, not just for fertility, but also as an important sign of overall health. We also discuss modern period product coaching, so sometimes this can entail making sure that we find a good fit, whether that's a tampon or a pad, or period underwear, cups, or discs, and specific strategies as far as management during school day management during sports or other activities. And always making sure that if your young woman is missing school or work on a monthly basis, if she's having fainting episodes or soaking through her patter tampon on an hourly basis, we absolutely have things we can do that are so much better than just masking the symptoms with birth control. So what are some practical takeaways that you can start today? So again, always starting with boundaries. Asking your granddaughter can I share with other family members and letting her lead as far as what she wants to disclose. Obviously we always wanna make sure that she is safe and healthy, and so if there are things that require additional escalation, you may want to bring one of the parents into this situation. You may work with your teen to create a period kit, especially if you're someone who is crafty. A cute little bag can help and helping her to get ready for what can be taken with her to school on a regular basis. Include some pads or liners, maybe period underwear, if that would be helpful for her. A set of clean underwear, a sealable bag, maybe a mini heat patch, because they do make disposable mini heat pads now, which are amazing. All of these things would be a great practical tip that you could use today. And again, being an open space where your granddaughter can talk to you, helping her know when she needs to talk to an adult, especially if she's having heavy cycles, irregular bleeding, or if she's preventing herself from going to any sports extracurricular activities or even school because the pain or the leaking is problematic. You can also help out if you like to cook with helping to rest and fueling her with iron rich foods, especially during the time of her menstrual cycle. Think meat beans, leafy green vegetables, and encouraging sleep, especially on those heavier days. And most importantly, your words matter. I believe in you. I'm here for you. Do you want ideas for how to manage this pain or can I just hang out with you? Imagine if every Grandma, Mimi, Nana, felt confident talking about periods, able to spot red flags early, offer modern solutions, and speak kindness without embarrassment. You can be a powerful part of helping your granddaughter to feel informed. Supported and ready to live their lives, even from their first period to help improve her health and understanding of her cycles.

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