Periods in the Past: A History of Menstruation

Let’s take a look at the history of menstruation…
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Intro / Outro song: Silent Partner, "Greenery" [ • Greenery - Silent Part... ]
SFX from freesfx.co.uk/...
Sustainable period on Instagram: www.instagram....
Linked videos and playlists:
Four Humours: • Dr Kat and The Four Hu...
Images (from Wikimedia Commons, unless otherwise stated):
Screenshot from www.biblegatew...
Screenshot from www.biblegatew...
Screenshots from Early English Books Online: Paré, Ambroise, 1510?-1590. The Workes of that Famous Chirurgion Ambrose Parey Translated Out of Latin and Compared with the French. by Tho: Johnson. Whereunto are Added Three Tractates our of Adrianus Spigelius of the Veines, Arteries, & Nerves, with Large Figures. also a Table of the Bookes and Chapters, 1665.
Screenshot from www.vam.ac.uk/...
Quoted texts:
Mary Fissel, Podcast on the history of menstruation for History Extra (2022) - historyextra.c...
Leviticus 15:19-24 (King James Version)
Leviticus 15:29-30 (King James Version)
Pliny, Natural History, quoted by Delaney, et al. The Curse: A Cultural History of Menstruation. (1988)
Dr John Burns, The Principles of Midwifery (1811)
William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act I, Scene v
Anna Whitelock, Elizabeth’s Bedfellows (2013)
www.vam.ac.uk/...
#History #Periods #Menstruation

[@victoriaeads6126]

I wish you an entirely boring, normal pregnancy. No excitement, no anxiety, just a nice, boring pregnancy. ❤❤

[@brigidsingleton1596]

As an addendum... Plus a happy, safe delivery of a healthy baby. Happy Birth Day to come for your second child, Kat. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿❤️🇬🇧🙂🖖

[@hdwarrior8830]

Amen!

[@OddLeah]

I'll add wishes for good normal cravings like pickles with caramel sauce and no morning sickness!

[@meeeka]

Or I'd hope you have a great craving for or lamb or chicken biryani with sides of raita and somosas!! Be well, stay well and be happy!

[@autumnmoonfire3944]

I agree, with wishes for an entirely dull pregnancy with a rapid easy delivery of a baby 👶who eats easily and voraciously❤

[@argusfleibeit1165]

At 70 years old, and way past menopause, I am still highly irate and resentful about the entire experience. Hence I am very angered at any nonsense men make up to interfere with women's management of their own bodily functions. 11-year old me, in school, bent double by cramps, with a nasty pad strung from my waist, getting it all twisted and staining my clothing, struggling in the bathroom stall to clean it all up before my long walk home, getting chafed raw in my nether regions-- and met with little to no sympathy by my mother. I protest in the name of every girl who lives or ever lived on this planet. And then we were supposed to not talk about it, hide the "evidence" from everyone especially my Dad, and not complain. GGRRRRRRRRRR!

[@Marianneduetje]

Feel you!!!!!!!

[@OddLeah]

My mom hadn't really told me anything about what to expect, so when my first period started I thought I was sick and then that I was dying! I have two nieces now and I hope their mom does a better job preparing them for it than mone did!

[@singing-sands]

Strangely, my mother was annoyed when I got it, not that I knew what would happen or that she prepared me in any way.

[@cattymajiv]

@@singing-sands I feel just like the OP does, and I'm just outraged that in the 2020s there are STILL women telling us this happened to them! What the heck is going on here? How can any parent, M or F, neglect their sons and daughters that way? It just so cruel and backwards. And we can be 100% sure that they were taught next to nothing about sex either. It's only 1 of the 3 most important and complex issues they'll ever need to deal with! It should be a crime to neglect it, and schools should spend a lot more time on it, going into many aspects that are now ignored. Parents should not be allowed to opt their kids out of it, and they should made to prove that home schooled kids got as much education on every aspect of sex as the in-school kids got. It is absolutely so important that kids learn all the ins and outs so to speak, all the complexities of it from every angle, and they need to be able to get good at talking about it, so they can talk to doctors and to their partners with no embarrassment or shame. It's unbelievable and a terribly shameful thing that the majority of women still feel the need to fake orgasms so often! How many men EVER need to fake an orgasm! This is SO unfair in SO many ways, to BOTH partners. People also need to be taught that masturbation is perfectly healthy, normal, and that everyone does it. To deny such a simple and obvious thing is simply ridiculous, and it's very harmful! Society needs to fix this, and to fix the communication problem that stems from lack of knowledge about how our anatomy works, and how to use it properly. This needs to be taught thoroughly in every school at every level, in an age appropriate way, and then reinforced thoroughly in the homes, constantly through the years, no matter who is the adult in those homes. To not give this knowledge to the kids is to deprive them of one of the MOST important things in life! And it's a VERY serious form of neglect. That neglect should NOT be allowed. No matter what religion or philosophy people have, kids badly need to know these things, and the schools and parents need to be made to impart this knowledge. Then it would only take a few generations until this dumb discomfort would be completely abolished. Embarrassment and ignorance would not exist anymore, and the adults that are produced would be so much more confident, level headed, happy, and productive than the ones before them, who were forced to live with idiotic secrecy, and misguided taboos that served no purpose. It's simply crazy to go on any other way.

[@rebeccao8895]

@@OddLeahI’ve heard so many stories about girls who thought they were dying. Heartbreaking

[@kathyastrom1315]

As a female born in the American Midwest in mid-‘60s, I am amazed and delighted at the huge change in public acceptance of menstruation as a fact of life that is nothing to be ashamed about. Commercials for period products, from pads and tampons to the new product of absorbent panties, have truly evolved. I am just waiting for legislation to catch up-eliminate sales tax on such products, and offer free products in schools.

[@kathyastrom1315]

As a follow-up, I have to say that it is still rare in tv and movies to demonstrate that having your period is utterly normal. In the tv comedy Ted Lasso, the character Keely is in the bathroom stall, looks down at her underwear and sighs in frustration, digs through her purse with no luck, and then asks the person in the stall beside her if she had anything. After first getting a wad of toilet paper handed under the stall, she clarifies what she needs and gets a tampon. That is such a part of life, and yet is never depicted on screen!

[@colleenuchiyama4916]

My son used to make period packs for his classmates, and I made ‘just in case’ cases for the girls in my daughter’s school. I was blessed with a forward- thinking family who talked about menstruation, breastfeeding, and even enemas, and this was in the 60s and 70s. They also taught me that I could be anything I wanted to be, which caused much conflict for me in school.

[@lesleywilliams1210]

The tax was removed on our products in Australia from January 2019. It was late enough here. Time for the US to catch up! I also remember my mother not liking ads about menstruation, but I have come to see it as a good thing.

[@robin-tainebrownell1491]

@@lesleywilliams1210 Tax was also removed a number of years ago in Canada.

[@OddLeah]

​@@kathyastrom1315I know when my bleeding is going to start and I still got caught unprepared at work last time 🤦 . The toilet paper wad was a pantsaver!😅

[@OkieJammer2736]

I'm 70s now, and have much experience with this subject, from 'The Curse' to 'Never say that word!' plus the mechanics, inventions, myths and facts. I CONGRATULATE YOU on the research and yes, courage to do this video. Not only does it highlight the crazy CONTROL to even this level from the church (ugh) into everyone's lives, you've dispelled for thousands of women the 'keep this in the dark' shame of generations. KUDOS and a STANDING OVATION my dear. ⚘

[@marianneegland5576]

Could not agree more!!!!🎉

[@cattymajiv]

I agree 1000% ! ! !

[@LeeWoodin]

I’m in my 70s. I remember wearing a sanitary belt with safety pins and a garter belt for stockings….felt like a horse getting ready to pull a wagon.

[@bilindalaw-morley161]

That's what my mother gave me.(I'm 60) I've also commented that she informed me that I couldn't use tampons as they were only for married ladies. With a sense of humour like mine, it can give you some funny visions of a wedding ceremony! "I now pronounce you husband and wife, and here's your tampons! 🎉"

[@mimiclout4792]

😊 I am 63 and remember them well, we called them bunny pads and I was told that tampons would tear my hymen. I was so happy to get a pair of period pants that had loops for the towels. I think they were called kotex ? The first tampon advert on the TV was shocking,but I never could water-ski like the ad promised 😊

[@colleenuchiyama4916]

@@bilindalaw-morley161my god, my stepmom went ballistic when she found out I bought tampons (at age 13). I managed to ignore her wrath that time, and that’s all I used until I went through menopause.

[@SharonPadget]

Oh my, I remember those days. Going to the bathroom between classes in high school was a nightmare!

[@hartwell146]

It certainly was​@@SharonPadget

[@keepscats7936]

My mother's (born 1923) experience was horrible. No one prepared her. She just started bleeding and was terrified. Her mother gave her rags, told her how to use and launder them and that this would happen about once a month. No explanation about why. She was determined that my experience would be better. When I was a toddler, she didn't stop me from following her to the bathroom and watching her change her pads. Thus, I saw it as simply another bathroom task. When I was about 8 or 9, she explained what would happen and, to the best of her ability, why. When I started at 10, I was excited about this milestone to adulthood. 🏋‍♀I am so grateful for that! I was never ashamed. I was less thrilled over time because of extremely heavy, painful periods. There was good reason to worry about accidents. I would have been allowed to use tampons, but I couldn't see how they could possibly work for my circumstances. Talk to your daughters in advance! And if they have heavy or painful periods, get them to a gyn pronto. There are drugs that can help!

[@kathybrem880]

My mother told me it was poison and had to come out--I’m 74 so pads and belts were available but my mom didn’t use them-she used rags and I was mortified. It wasn’t until I started using tampons that I could accept it

[@OceanSwimmer]

@keepscats7936, I hear you! My mom was born in 1926 and has never overcome her reticence about sex and self-care for women. At 98 her attitude is like a 10 year old: ignorant, yet talks as if she knows everything. I became an RN, very determined my children would be well informed (they are, about health in general and particularly prevention.) I learned everything I could about well-baby and child development. Mom continued with poorly informed advice for infant care, insisting that Jell-O was an appropriate food for my 6 month old. At that point I stopped listening. I'm surprised I didn't succumb to poisoning when I was 5. Thank God my dad rescued me. I'm mom's caregiver. She embraces her ignorance and I let her be - unless of course it's a safety issue. Ignorance is deadly!

[@OceanSwimmer]

@@kathybrem880, We were raised by a generation that had 1 foot in the future, the other in the past. (I'm 72; my father was born 105 yrs ago. Mom is 98. I'm not criticizing, just saying that the Greatest Generation achieved many extraordinary things. Some survived the 1918 Epidemic, some survived the 2nd World War. The era of the "self made man" was still in play. There was also rampant, crushing, ignorance. Many grew and pursued education; some, like ma, were content to say, "I was raised by (such-and-such belief, fact, whatever) and I turned out alright!"..insisting their modes of thought, beliefs, facts, etc. are never need to be reviewed and, possibly, updated. I love history, but am joyfully humbled when my adult kids teach me something new, and trust me by sharing their honest opinions. Being a nonjudgmental, active, listener can be an elder's secret Superpower.

[@oonaghmarguerite6752]

Thank you for the topic. I began my period in 5th grade. I was 11 years old. It was a very distressing time as I bled heavily & for 12 to 14 days. At age 15 a female physician said the only thing to do was a hysterectomy. I refused. I remember junior highschool being a nightmare. I would bleed thru multiple pads & my clothing. Every month the kind principle would call my mother to pick me up from school, while I sat on a newspaper on a wooden chair in his office waiting for my mother to pick me up from school to take me home . He was so kind, but I still felt such shame. This wasn't happening to the girls I attended school with. My father was also very kind. It didn't faze him to pick up period products at the store for me. My Mom seemed to think I was faking the whole thing. I was eventually diagnosed with an autoimmune disease which created the horrifying symtoms. Many years later my Mom developed endometriosis which caused similar symtoms. She apologized for thinking I was faking the the whole time. I'm well past menopause now & its glorious ! There is life after periods❤

[@cattymajiv]

I'm so sorry you went through such a rough time! It's an awful thing for everyone, but you had it even worse than most of us did. Which autoimmune disease did you, or do you have? My MS caused me many miscarriages, and I was never able to carry a child. So now I'm old, and I have no kids or grandkids. All alone.

[@ruthbeamish8849]

I seeth with fury when l think about the amount of tax the UK government had from me for a normal bodily function. Late 60s and joyfully long past the enopause which l welcomed SO much.

[@jennaolbermann7663]

Thank you for sharing. I was born in the late 1960s and had wonderful parents who were very supportive and helpful, even my dad.

[@carolveale4712]

My mother was in the WAAF in WWII and she, like all women in the armed forces, was supplied with free sanitary pads for the duration of her service courtesy of Lord Nuffield. In fact, they had so many of these pads that the pads were also used for dusting and polishing their bed spaces, floors, and buttons. When my uncle returned home from a German POW camp after VE Day, my mother and her friends cycled round all the local farms to beg for a few extra eggs. These were one of the few foods that he could tolerate after his long incarceration. Each egg was wrapped in one of Lord Nuffield's pads, placed in a biscuit box and sent from Hereford to Glasgow. Not one egg was lost.

[@katiefrankie6]

That’s a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing.

[@miashinbrot8388]

On embarrassment: I once asked a male employee in a drugstore to get me a box of tampons from the top shelf (I'm quite short). Assuming he would be embarrassed, I apologized to him and pointed out that they would be quite clean. He said that as far as he was concerned, they were just a product like any other product the store sold -- a more matter-of-fact attitude than I had expected.

[@Marianneduetje]

😩😩😈😈👿 I am 71 one years now but i do remember those horrible pads, the fear of leaking, the fear of smells, the uncomfortableness, having to ask male teacher to go tp the bathroom. so glad things have improved.

[@maggiebrinkley4760]

I'm 70 next month, and I agree! Oh those awful pads, and the belts we had to use with hooks to keep them in place. So uncomfortable!

[@Rosedawn321]

I think all male teachers need to experience those period cramp machines before teaching pubescent girls!

[@stephaniecowans3646]

When I first began menstruating, i was using that belt with disposable pads that had to be fastened at front & back of the belt. My mother was calling out instructions to me from the other side of the bathroom door because I didn't want her in the bathroom with me. I was an early "bloomer" and was 11 years old. I'm 67 now. . . Do the math folks. 😅

[@renater.540]

​@@stephaniecowans3646Had those, too. It was awful. And then the week-long pain and pills by the dozen..😖

[@Historian212]

I’m in the same age group. I remember in 5th grade, the girls would be taken into the school auditorium to watch a movie produced by a sanitary napkin and tampon company to teach us about periods. Boys weren’t allowed, it was all very hush-hush. And I remember how uncomfortable those belts were, and how we always had to check a mirror to make sure nothing showed under our clothes. Although at that time girls weren’t allowed to wear pants to school - in our town, that came in the 1970s - and with skirts or dresses, the bulk could be more easily hidden. But yes, it was all a big, embarrassing secret back then. And if you got cramps, you had to say you had a stomach ache or a headache, anything else but cramps. Ugh.

[@carolehart1714]

Well done, there's a myth going around on KZbin that during the Regency young women didn't use sanitary products during menstruations. They bled on the expensive fabrics of their gowns. That's daft considering how often they wore pastel or white it would have shown through the layers of fabric.

[@deborahhill4595]

Wha.. why would they think... *sigh* We have so little understanding of dressmaking and fabric care.

[@nycapplesJH]

There was a time where they wore red petticoats during their periods, but I’d think they still would have used a rag or something similar as well

[@IntrovertAncom]

@@nycapplesJH Abby Cox did a video essay about 18th century 'aprons' (as they were called) that were used, basically a big rectangle of linen belted, tied, or otherwise fastened around the waist (like a big breechcloth) underneath their petticoats. (edited for typos)

[@CheshirePhrog]

​@@IntrovertAncomdid Karolina do one too? I can't remember

[@cattymajiv]

@@IntrovertAncom There is need my friend to explain why you editted a comment. Nobody even notices if it was editted or not, or cares why. All smart people edit most of their comments, for spelling, grammar, etc. So you are ok if you choose not to explain. 😉 ✌🏼

[@JC-gf5vv]

Long before I was old enough to understand about menstruation, my mother sent me to the store with a note and some money (yes, in those days it was a safe errand for a child). I gave the note to the clerk, and he returned with a brown paper wrapped box. No words were spoken. It was a few years before I figured out this puzzling purchase. Thank goodness times have changed, as my daughters would comfortably talk about their periods at the dinner table!

[@lthuente7458]

We owned a drug store. My cousin made us gift wrap her pads then put them in a bag.

[@rosemarymerralls8644]

The chemist near us had Modess packs of varying sizes in brown paper wrapping. I was too embarrassed to go into the shop and buy them. The shame.

[@janel.8921]

I went to see Jay Leno show in my hometown years ago. He told a story about his mother hosting the Thanksgiving dinner. She discovered she was out of paper napkins. The store was closed. She told Jay to go to the store and tell the shopkeeper that it’s an emergency. Jay, a boy at the time, did as he was told. The shopkeeper gave him a box with a rose on it (Kotex brand). His mother was horrified when he proudly placed the box on the table.

[@beabarber4300]

I remember sanitary belts ALL TOO WELL! Especially as I did a lot of horse riding. Tampons were the greatest invention in the known universe for me. My mum tried to tell me that they were only for married women but I'm glad I didn't believe her.

[@loiskondo8349]

When my granddaughter started her period my daughter asked her if there was anything else she wanted to know. She replied no, she had been researching it online for months. Such a different world! Congratulations on your pregnancy, wonderful news!😊

[@leonieblah8806]

I remember using the sanitary belts. It always felt very unstable. Even when I had my first baby in1980 the hospital insisted on sanitary belts being used. I am so glad that business is all over for me. The shame we felt as teenagers was quite awful. So much better now

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

I had my menarche in early 1970 and had to wear those horrible belts and incredibly thick pads, too. It was adding insult to injury - the terrible, debilitating cramps and faintness I had the during first few days my cycle. I remember when a year or two later, Stayfree self-adhesive pads came out, it was a huge improvement. Things are gradually getter better for us women, but it’s slow and only in the Western societies.🙂

[@helenkemp6468]

I had my 1st child in 1994 and the hospital insisted on the sanitary belts and I had to get my mum to show me how to use one thankfully by the birth of my 2nd child the hospital had stopped insisting on sanitary belts

[@conemadam]

We called those giant sanitary napkins Paper Ponies, and we rode them during our periods! When my mother asked my father to buy these products one day, I almost died of embarrassment!

[@joanwerthman4116]

I remember how insecure those belts were. I used to use big safety pens to fasten them to my underpants.

[@dcollins4679]

​@@helenkemp6468 I also had my child in 1994 and there was no mention of sanitary ware. The bone of contention was using nipple sheilds and thus leading to baby having nipple confusion. Well they were useful for me until I got the hang of breast feeding.

[@bettinagordon2348]

When I was trying to be a midwife I read a book called ‘The Red Tent’ which described how the heroine and all women in her tribe had to seclude themselves in a red tent for the duration of their periods and the rituals to ‘Cleanse’ themselves afterwards to be able to be in the company of their husbands again. Fantastic book worth a read.

[@thefirm4606]

And not far from real life!

[@janetgraham-russell4476]

I loved that book. It was like their periods meant a bit of a holiday and luxury.

[@melissarybb]

I read it too!

[@anneedge3627]

The Red Tent: I have read it and it’s a very interesting read, that I think explains Abrahamic mythology and culture very well. We, in the modern world, well over 2000 years later, are still dealing with these inherited myths from a bunch of illiterate goat herders.

[@gr8flyerfan]

Excellent book!

[@carolynward5567]

I teach Introduction to Psychology and Lifespan Development at the community college level in the USA. When I talk about puberty and the beginning of menstruation, I am amazed and disturbed by the lack of knowledge some of my students display about their own body processes even in this time period.

[@morganbaldwinmiller]

Congrats on your pregnancy, I wish you ease surrounding it and a healthy baby. And THANK YOU for this video. The sheer misogyny lingering still in our society that maintains a lack of research on reproductive health in period-having bodies and a shoulder-shrug from doctors when we have problems is just... insane, baffling, infuriating.

[@Anti_Woke]

The sheer misogyny rising in our society that uses a phrase like 'period-having bodies' instead of 'women' and denies the fact that the majority of doctors are women is just ... insane, infuriating, disgusting (but not baffling, as the explanation is your insanity).

[@cattymajiv]

I agree 1000% ! ! !

[@LusiaEyre]

Mine started only some 20 years ago, but I remember being mortified. It was such a hush-hush business in school when one needed to ask if any other girl had a pad to spare. I don't know how it is now, but I hope it is better. With more resources online, I hope girls see it as just a thing, not some monstrous IT. Nowadays I couldn't care less if anyone sees me browsing the sanitary aisle. Actually, I wonder if self-service supermarkets contributed to the change in perspective somewhat. Those items are on display, not hidden in the back room, so people just get used to them. But it makes me sad that period poverty is a thing and girls are missing school because they can not afford pads or tampons. And I know there a some £1 options available, so I cannot imagine the level of poverty or the shame that makes this a thing (I think girls don't have pocket money to buy them themselves and are ashamed to ask their parents?); are their mother's not keeping up with their daughters growing up? I always make sure to include some pads when donating to foodbanks.

[@frolleinwirrwarr]

Like I said somewhere above, in some countries like Germany there is the idea of giving menstrual products away for free in public places. I think this is a great idea, because as you said, many people just can't afford it. Thankfully Germany lowered the tax on these products from azz whooping 19% to 7%. But still, sometimes people just don't have the money to afford it. Unfortunately many people including women are extremely ignorant about the matter. Many men want things for free, too. And many woman are acting like the menstrual pick me girls because theeeey never had a single problem, their bodies worked like clockwork and they always had some spare money. So annoying. I wish people and especially women would be more supportive. But well. Thank you so much for being so considerate and donating pads for those who can't afford it :)

[@martyjones5750]

.. 1962.. my first period.. and that damn elastic belt with a metal clip on front and back..we’ve come a long way, but still.. not far enough.. good work Dr. Kat..! and many happy congratulations to you and this new life you carry✨❤️💐

[@colleenuchiyama4916]

I got my first period 9 months after my mom died. I was mortified. When my dad found my soaking undies, he came to me, crying, and asked why I didn’t tell him. That was a curveball!

[@Books-Are-Brilliant]

Oh, the shame heaped on us as teenagers in the 80s. I'm glad my 10 yo daughter, whose learning about menstruation in health class this year, considers it a perfectly acceptable dinner-table topic, which it is (and should be!). But I still feel like there's a long way to go. I have two friends suffering from endymetiosis, and a big pary of the suffering is the shame and silence attached to their illness. Thanks for this video, and congratulations and best wishes for the new baby! ❤🎉 🌹

[@cattymajiv]

I find it unbelievable that in the 2020s some people still feel ashamed! It's not their fault, it's society's. All of ours. The best remedy is to talk about it, and to shame the people who try to stop us! Girl power! Yay! ❤❤❤

[@Contessa6363]

I never had the "Talk" I think because my parents thought my older sister would tell me I guess. Fortunately I wasn't shamed when it happened. This was back in the 1970s. My friends pretty much took it in their stride.

[@JammyMomma22]

As absolutely thrilled as I am being alive in this day and age… having the week of my period to myself, being able to stay home and read and not have to talk to people sounds REALLY nice 😂

[@Sven7-x1b]

I think a lot of men in the U.S. still fear women's cycles and anything associated with the subject. It's easy to see where a lot of the fear and confusion come from. It's really very sad. Thank you for the video. 😀

[@pheart2381]

Presumably while she is "unclean" she is still expected to do the housework!

[@humboldthammer]

In some cultures, the women would retire to a separate hut or tent. It was perhaps one of the few ways that women were able to rest. I acknowledge that women have done most of the work. The washing machine was a huge labor-savings for women, as was in-home plumbing -- and even gas and electric appliances (less time spent gathering dung or firewood). And this has been true, ever since women taught men how to kindle fire.

[@pheart2381]

@@humboldthammer I was thinking along the lines of medieval serfs,who would have been servants perhaps,or helping her husband run a small farm. I doubt she would have got 1 week a month off. Resting in a hut in peace sounds a much better idea.

[@thefirm4606]

@@humboldthammermany of those cultures carried a heavy degree of humiliation and shame to those sent to menstruation huts. They were unable to prepare food, or mix in pure company. Basically, kept out of sight

[@humboldthammer]

@@thefirm4606 Yes, I know all these things. Kat briefly explained that we do not know why women menstruate on a monthly cycle. It sets us apart from almost all of the other animals. We are immature, animal-origin, evolutionary creatures -- naturally bellicose and quarrelsome, still largely subject to stimulus and response -- until we evolve further. Our immediate supervisors await the day when we take that HUGE evolutionary step, and BELIEVE GOD -- instead of believing IN god.

[@thefirm4606]

@@humboldthammer what are you talking about?

[@elmaholt8674]

I still find it awful that so many medical issues is still not understood, because it has simply not been reserched because it is only or mostly linked to women's health. Thyroid issues, frozen shoulders, severe period pain and so many others!

[@katecapek3116]

FWIW: about 3 years ago, Abby Cox did a video on 28th century period aprons. She made one according to what little docs(fabrics and dimensions were specified) she could find and (ahem) road tested it. It worked.

[@IntrovertAncom]

I've seen that video too. Good information. * oh, and I think you mean 18th century. (I usually avoid correcting people's typos because I worry it may come across as pedantic, but for the sake of clarity, I guess I probably should.)

[@cattymajiv]

@@IntrovertAncom Most of the time I believe we should not correct the spelling of others here on KZbin, but yes, there are exceptions.

[@haveaballcrafting8686]

Small correction: the King James use of “turtles” as an offering is a mistranslation. It should read turtle-dove (and indeed does in nearby verses - I don’t know why nobody has fixed it yet).

[@skwervin1]

Don't forget the ubiquitous pink tax; about 15 years ago,sanitary items were finally taken off the "luxury goods" list for tax purposes here in Australia. I remember the first time my now ex-husband bought some tampons for me. He thought the box of 30 would last about 6 months. I had great delight informing him that would last me 2 months at a pinch as I was one of those who bled heavily for the first 5 days. He was shocked when I also tossed a box of pads in and said they would last about the same time!

[@dianebronowiczegelhoff9622]

My mother had intensely painful periods throughout her adolescence (1950's and 1960's) and had a full hysterectomy at the age of 23 due to severe endometriosis. She was taught very little as a child, so she made sure that my sister and I were educated at a young age, in the early 1980's, by reading us books and taking us to a program at a local women's hospital. When we finally we taught about it in health class, in fifth grade, my level of knowledge was far beyond my peers. Even one of the movies they showed us I'd seen before. I'm 49 now (in the US), and over my lifetime talking about periods and perimenopause has become extraordinarily less taboo. The men in my life understand more and take it as just another part of health. I know not all men are so knowledgeable or chill about it, but more are than when I was younger, for sure. Thanks for covering this topic. Wishing you an easy pregnancy and delivery of a healthy baby.

[@LenaFerrari]

Congratulations on the second baby!! 🎉

[@nelsaf365]

I cried into the telephone telling my mother at her workplace. She was highly annoyed. The passed-down pamphlets in a manilla envelope she tossed to me the year before, without a single word about the contents, had only left me scared and unsure about becoming a teen. The mystery of what I was going thru did

[@Contessa6363]

I'm sorry that happened to you. Mine happened at a restaurant. I remember coming out of the bathroom and announcing it to the table!🤣🤣. We were on our way to a play so we had to detour to the grocery store to pick up pads. This was in 1975 so no thin ones! The funny thing was I began my period in March 1975 and stopped exactly 39 years later in the same month I got it. March 2014. I was 51 just like my mom.

[@maggiewhite0607]

I would like to add that in California, where I live and work for a school system, schools are required to provide free pads and free tampons in the female restrooms at all schools. It helps eliminate some of the stigma and some of the financial issues surrounding products.

[@kellysanders3367]

The VA provides free products in the restrooms. I know there are people who would balk at free products, "Somebody's just going to steal them all".

[@NaomiJameston]

@@kellysanders3367 That was exactly the reasoning my daughter's middle school used to deny free products. They *did* provide them for a couple of months, but then stopped because "they keep disappearing, obviously being stolen" and not, you know, being used by young people who may have forgotten their own. 🙄

[@HelenMills-wh3vf]

In Scotland, period products are freely available and can be accessed at health centers ,doctors waiting rooms and,all public buildings.There is no need to ask and are available to anyone.

[@kellysanders3367]

I realize this is a very open ended question, but what's it like for a woman living in Scotland?

[@deborahhill4595]

I've never enjoyed picking an emoji so much 😂🩸

[@pessimisticideas3075]

I felt the same way! LOL (And picked the same emoji as you did)

[@gillianc6514]

The purification in Leviticus comes after the descriptions of rigorous purification after skin diseases and the purification of men after 'nocturnal emissions', there is some parity with the rituals men need to go through after 'spilling their seed'.

[@melanietoth1376]

I'm looking forward to this series! I wish more of this was explored in school. Ending the stigma begins with open discussion of the biology, history, and reality of periods, especially among and with young people. I got my period at 8 and was sure that I was dying. I was afraid to say anything because the blood was coming from unspeakable parts. No kid should have to go through that, and it's easy to fix with simple open communication and education. Thanks for all your research and your wonderful and educational videos.

[@cattymajiv]

I agree 1000% ! ! !

[@victoriaeads6126]

I'm so glad that there are options now. I've found that, for my unevenly heavy periods, washable pads work best. They do have the advantage of creating far less waste, but for me the primary advantage is the more even and considerably better absorbency.

[@sandrag3854]

Congratulations on your pregnancy! One way there has been less embarrassment surrounding menstruation here in Canada, is when sanitary products became tax free. It was a much discussed topic and thus more out in the open.

[@clairbarnard9058]

That was fascinating, thank you. My grandma born 1904, told me that her aunt handed down her sanitary pads when she got to the menopause. These were hand made using up old bed linen. The reason they were so prized and worthy of passing on was because the fabric was so soft after so many years as bedding and then pads! My other grandma born 1911, worked in the village wool shop. They sold sanitary pads, Dr White’s, from the 1950s, wrapped in paper bags. These were kept under the counter. There was little embarrassment about purchasing them…this was the wool shop after all, no men ever gained admission! How different nowadays when our daughters’ tampons are purchased by Dad in the weekly shop! I look forward to more in this series; it’s important!

[@madiantin]

Oh my goodness! Many many congratulations to you! I hope your pregnancy is going really well and you are feeling good.

[@carolehart1714]

My periods would sometimes start very suddenly with no warning or pain. The only thing would have available would be one of the socks that I was wearing. I'd remove them from my feet, stuff one with clean toilet paper & use that as a sanitary towel. The other sock would put in my pocket, just in case I needed to use it later. Gross but it was necessary.

[@cattymajiv]

Mine also gave me little warning, and the frequency was very eratic. I couldn't plan for them. As you know pads are hot and sweaty, so darned if I was going to wear 1 constantly to prepare for a period that only showed up about 4 or 5 times a year! All that heat and sweat 24/7 would be very unhealthy, and maybe cause an infection. All the same problems would probably happen with wearing a tampax 24/7 too. Besides, both ways would be expensive. Luckily it rarely started out heavy, so when it started, toilet paper usually lasted me until I could get to a machine with supplies, or a store. But you do what you gotta do, and if I'd had to use a sock, I'm sure I would have. And I'd try to have all of my socks be black, to hide any stains. I tried to only wear black underwear for the same reason, and to this day I'm very annoyed that black undies are so hard to get! Surely black must be the most popular color for this very reason, but the makers and sellers of women's underwear must all be men, because they're every hard to find! In the stores Where they come in packs, you're lucky to find one pair in a pack of 4 or 5! Why on earth don't they sell whole packs of black panties? It must be because they think we'd throw them away less often, and so buy less of them. I'm so fkn angry that at every step of the way I'm being manipulated by big business! Right down to my undies!

[@nativevirginian8344]

I never had a normal cycle. And whenever an event was going on, I got the curse. Depressed the hell out of me.

[@vidaudink3044]

Fascinating!! I've always wondered how women lived with their periods back then!

[@jeannecastellano7181]

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I really enjoyed all of this menstrual information. I read the biography of Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff years ago and she said Cleopatra was celebrated as a gynecological scholar. She supposedly wrote books on menstruation, pregnancy, contraception, and abortion.

[@OddLeah]

I was lucky to have very light, infrequent periods (6-8 weeks between, bleeding and cramping for under 3 days) for over 25 years. When I turned 40 my periods 'normalized' and now hit every 26-28 days. They have become heavier and more painful, and I now have intense and prolonged mood dumps before each one. Every time that I have to purchase sanitary products (tax free), I seethe silently. I don't want a uterus, mine cannot realize its biological intent, but I still have to deal with its attempts. And I know how lucky I have been in my personal experience! Menstrual products, hormone management, birth control, abortions, and pregnancy care should be free and safe for all people with a uterus.

[@cattymajiv]

You are so totally right!

[@emmayoung3355]

Women

[@helenkemp6468]

First up congratulations on your pregnancy. I think I was lucky because my dad was a first aider and his best mate told him when I was born to read up on periods so he did and as a result I could talk to both of my parents about periods and my dad would even buy my pads for me

[@YTmama-c1o]

My mom was born in 1909 and told me she wore rags during her period. Then washed these said rags for the duration. No one told her what was happening and she thought she was dying. When i had my first period, at 11 in about 1961 i had to wear a horrible sanitary belt that you pinned a pad onto. It was so uncomfortable and leaked and stained constantly ..no "wings" on the pads then. I was so embarrassed and uncomfortable. And not talked about except during "home ec/health " class...that made you feel like you were guilty of something. Thank goodness so much has changed, for the better, now.

[@EmilyJelassi]

I've suffered from amenorrhea since college. But I also have PCOS. Right now though, I'm going through very heavy periods and my gynecologist can't figure out why. I HATE being a medical mystery!!😢😢 Anyone who tells you that an endometrial biopsy will only "hurt like a pinch," is a liar!!! Very much ouch, and several days out, as well!! 😣😣😣😖😖😖😢😢

[@shannonfick7170]

AHHH congratulations on baby #2, Dr. Kat!! 💖💖

[@lornaperryman489]

Quite a fascinating lecture. As a youngster, I was much to focused on my own "miseries" to wonder about how earlier generations managed.

[@shellyshelly1870]

As a modern day woman with stage IV endometriosis, I’d most certainly have been burned as a witch. ❤

[@karensilvera6694]

I'm so sorry that you're struggling with such a painful condition. I also had endometriosis. It eventually became adenomyosis. I had a hysterectomy at 39 (1999). I hope things have improved since then for women suffering from this condition. Sending thoughts - from one witch to another 🧹🪄.

[@virginiawylde9765]

It is so painful.

[@marciam7301]

@@karensilvera6694 from a third witch, I had my hysterectomy at 48 (2013). At that time, things had not improved much. I was fortunate to find a good doctor who listened. Doctors like her are still shamefully rare.

[@karensilvera6694]

@@marciam7301 it does all start with a doctor who listens is so important. Love to you hyster-sister!

[@reverie6034]

Hysterectomy at 45 sister witches!! 🥰🧙

[@johnmclaughlin4817]

Congratulations on the new baby!! Great video. Again showing how one-sided human history often is.

[@stephanieking4444]

History being mostly written by men, it's sadly not surprising how little attention has been paid to the notion of coping with a female body in the past. Thank you for taking a look at whatever scanty records there are left of what women did to cope with their periods from Ancient Egypt to the 21th century 😍😍👏👏

[@betsyfiske723]

Thank you for that very informative lecture on menstruation. I’m 73 years old now and had a complete hysterectomy at age 43. One of the best days of my life!!🎉 I passed heavy clots and could go through an overnight pad in an hour. I can’t imagine what that would have been like in the “old days”!

[@westzed23]

In the 60s while wearing the sanitary belt with hooked in pad, there was also the sani-panty worn over that. It was plastic so you would not bleed through to your clothing. After washing a few times it became stiffer and tended to crinkle. I envied girls who could just wipe away their period where I had at least 5 heavy days out of 7.

[@charlotteillustration5778]

When, at boarding school, we first got our period, the matron would hand out a sanitary belt, plus quite large pads, that we called ‘hammocks for fairies’. Very bulky, so as soon as we were confident enough, we would change to tampax, despite the rumours that tampons got rid of our virginity…

[@jackpayne4658]

For a fascinating look at menstruation from medical, historical, cross-cultural, and esoteric viewpoints, I highly recommend 'The Wise Wound' by Peter Redgrove and Penelope Shuttle. Among much else, it certainly shows Dracula in a new light.

[@grtlyblesd]

Congratulations and best wishes for a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery.

[@ribkan4759]

2:43 Mary Fissel 4:14 Leviticus 6:13 humour body 6:53 pronounced sickness 8:11 humora theory 9:11 Pliny 9:48 dr john burn’s principles of midwifery 10:49 Shakespeare 13:11 papyrus as tampon ancient egypt 13:54 petticoat or underskirt 14:04 Anna Whitelock 16:13 Tampax

[@paulawakefield7869]

'Being on the rag' referred to menstruating W/C Midlands women. My 91 y/o mum remembers her mother washing and boiling period rags. 💖

[@aeolia80]

Congrats on the 2nd baby!!! I'm 43 and just had my first physical signs with my cycle with perimenopause this past cycle. Let's just say it's been a bit hellish, ugh, lol. I also feel like this video is well-timed

[@obcl8569]

43 and in the same exact boat friend 😁 Sounds like we should buckle up lololol Wishing you the best 💖

[@helenkemp6468]

My menopause started during chemotherapy and I was recommended large doses of evening primrose and vitamin E and it was totally brilliant

[@obcl8569]

@@helenkemp6468 thank you!! I hope you have recuperated, sending you well wishes 💙

[@Gary-h6f]

@@helenkemp6468 My hot flashes came back during chemo and my cancer doc told me to take vitamin E but she didn't mention evening primrose. I'll have to find some and add it to my vitamin E. Hope your cancer treatments went well.

[@colleenuchiyama4916]

Just make sure to carry your regular menstrual products for at least 18 months after you stop having your regular cycle. It’s liberating to be menopausal. No more periods!

[@ilovethelittlepiggy]

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I waited until I was menstruating to watch, it was worth the wait as always 🖤

[@LotsofWhatever]

I (in the US) remember the first time a commercial used the word period. We were all surprised. A bit ridiculous, but still. I recently saw a commercial for pads and they used a redish liquid and I was once again surprise. A lot of men got the idea period blood was blue because of commercials.

[@sherilynn1310]

Apparently a lot of men also think we can "hold it" if it comes at an inconvenient time.

[@LotsofWhatever]

@@sherilynn1310 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@KellyWatson-zb6gi]

Post-menopausal and grateful that the girls/women of today have an easier time of this basic bodily function. Thanks for sharing the history!

[@Robin-g7q5d]

An insightful and informative report of/for 1/2 of the population, thank you. Best of health throughout your pregnancy and a safe and easy delivery.

[@dorian4534]

Congrats on the pregnancy! I would say that it was very difficult to deal with the stigma, for all the years I id'ed as female and thereafter. In fact, the problems I'd been having for all my life with my uterus and ovaries were only "confirmed" when they were removed during my transition; proving very few take these problems seriously because it only effects 50% of the population, and we all know what the other 50% thinks of them. 😑

[@Elvertaw]

Thank you for this video! excellently done. I was born in 1958 and grew up with a mother who was born in 1914 and saw ministration as something not quite clean. But I lived my life in a culture that was evolving toward feminist ideals. I never had any girls, just boys, so I was the only one in the house that ever menstruated. But I always felt powerful. Who else in the world can have children? it’s my superpower! The patriarchy be damned! Please make more videos on this topic.

[@singing-sands]

Such wonderful news that you are expecting your second child! And THANK YOU for properly pronouncing the word “menstruation”. One of my mighty pet peeves!!

[@Pattygblanco]

Congratulations on your pregnancy ❤ sending lots of love ❤

[@JanetCowan]

Fascinating stuff! Also, congrats on baby #2! I bet your kiddo is going to be a great big brother ❤

[@caitlinallen8400]

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I didn't know you were expecting again! ❤🎉

[@xglosis]

I grew up with a father born in the 70s and he was openly disgusted with his daughter’s and wife’s periods. He’s a misogynist in general but he didn’t mind making snide comments to me when I was in pain and just suffering. He got angry with me when he found underwear I had bled in and he told me that I was too old for that shit. As if you somehow become more adept at controlling your flow as you age?? I think it’s so embarrassing to me a grown man and be disgusted or weird out by periods. They are a normal part of life and those that experience them deserve to be respected and cared for when they need it. It’s definitely part of my healing journey as an adult to reconnect with my body and its cycles and break down that internalized hatred and revulsion.

[@kathybrem880]

Aww, I hope you’re feeling better now. My mom had no clue how to explain it to me and I found it very depressing

[@hdwarrior8830]

Proud to say that having a wife and a daughter made hubby very brave and he struts down THAT aisle with a swagger, finds exactly what we need and will maybe even initiate a lost looking young fella into the "we are not afraid" club! For some reason every one of my daughter's friends ended up needing to go down that aisle during a sleep over or party, and he would take them or get what they needed if they were too embarrassed. If you wonder why hubby did the running to the store I'm at home in a wheelchair watching the rest of the girls. Usually about 6 descended upon us and sometimes they'd stay a day, sometimes a couple of weeks, one came and spent two months! Good girls who needed warm friendly people and a warm place with internet and a shower during the Maine winters. This started in 6th grade and continued until graduation. Hubby dealt with it all like a champ. He even stepped in when they were getting ready for prom here, and one of the girls needed her toenails done but everyone with any skill and a steady hand was already helping someone else, so hubby (he paints models that he builds) told her to hand him the polish and stick her toes off the edge of the chair and they were the nicest looking toes in the place when he finished. I love that man. I think the absolute dumbest thing I ever heard a man say about periods was my childhood bff's husband when we were talking about PMS. I have PMDD which like PMS on steroids, and my friend was talking about how she will get so mad she just go grab a golf club and just beat the hell out of a fire ant mound or something she can destroy. Old redneck boy she married says he doesn't believe in PMS. My mouth literally fell open. I told him it isn't mythical, we aren't talking Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy, these are proven medical issues. He said it's just an excuse for a woman to be extra bitchy so he just popped her in the mouth and he didn't care if it was that time of month or not. Only God and a proper upbringing kept me from cold cocking that man, since I was standing under his roof and a guest in his home. I just gave my friend a look to let her know we weren't done with this. I think men and women should be taught the basic biology of periods and the things your body is going through, especially if it makes them uncomfortable. They avoid real education about it and believe what their fathers or their peers tell them about it. Which is usually wrong and possibly harmful.

[@French-Kiss24]

First, congratulations, Dr. Kat. In the 1960s, I asked my grandmother how they handled “the curse” as we knew it. Apparently in the latter 1800s, US women used cloth. Those cloths would then be boiled. I assume they were handled sort of like cloth diapers. I have horrid memories of wearing a sanitary belt. It was all very embarrassing to a teenager. In the 1970s, the local pharmacy still wrapped Kotex boxes in brown paper.

[@cmcg9035]

Omg, I spit out my drink at the quote from Pliny. If anything, the added blood and nutrients would do crops good. I heard of sea sponges being used as tampons. Thanks so much for this video on a topic that needs more discussion and de-stigmatization. Blessings on your pregnancy! 🩸📤🩸

[@Thepourdeuxchanson]

I love your matter-of-fact presentation, always clear and relaxed. I wish however that you had mentioned the blood cups that women from other cultures used. Some of them could be placed internally and others, boat shaped, worn externally and held with ribbons at "prow and stern" to tie to a belt. I believe nowadays that silicone cups are quite popular - if I was still in the market for such things I wouldn't mind giving them a try.

[@dragonswriter]

As an older woman, I remember the sanitary belts 😢. They were horrible and failed often. I hope my granddaughters will be able to live and enjoy their fertility as something to celebrate and control.

[@rubaidaallen2764]

Congrats on your pregnancy! All the best and I absolutely love your channel 👏👏👏👏

[@glascala105]

I remember when the adhesive pad came out and I could finally stop wearing the elastic belt. I hated that belt!

[@Ccamero123]

My Mother talked about making pads out of scraps of rags sewn over and over. Thus the quote “To be on the rag.”

[@hdwarrior8830]

Number 1, Congratulations! I had told hubby you were pregnant about two weeks ago. I can always tell. Number 2 My baked in resistance to talking about periods from my proper Southern Mama's knee made me have a struggle on whether to watch this or not. My curiosity wins over my repugnance. Yay me!

[@kathyowens4947]

I'm happy with the variety of products we have available now. And the options we have to deal with the pain. I've always wondered what women did back in the day to deal with severe cramps. What is so disappointing now is how EXPENSIVE menstrual products are. It's insane! In the early 90s I could use my allowance money to get pads. Now these young girls can't do that.

[@Janelane529]

Congrats on your new baby!

[@minichefflavors]

Congratulations on the new baby! I wish you a safe and easy pregnancy and a healthy baby!

[@BeeKool__113]

Oh,Dr.Kat!! Congratulations to you and your spouse on this joyous news of your pregnancy!! 🎈🎉😊 I wish you good health and a positive journey, Mama!! ✨️✨️✨️ As always fascinating video!! Each time I visit the channel, I learn something new. Or I find that my knowledge of a certain topic is expanded. This is my very favorite historical channels. ❤ Thank you, Dear Doctor. ♀️📚📖🩸📖📚♀️

[@Chonkish]

This was super interesting! Thank you Dr Kat!

[@louiseoliver3453]

I studied anthropology and most societies have some kind of taboo about menstruation. One person suggested this is because it might actually have been fairly rare in the past. Girls reached menarche later on average than today and chances are shortly after they would have been married and having children. Moreover in many parts of the world prolonged breastfeeding (until 4-5 or even older in the arctic) would suppress ovulation and therefore (in many cases)menstruation. In many cases women are secluded during their periods, however among the Beng of Ivory Coast they actually rather like it as it's a chance to put their feet up for the week :)

[@lbrowning2543]

I did too, and heard of that in African cultures where Western women were trying to convince them to get out in society. There is a high correlation between the status of women and taboos for menstruation. In matrilineal, matrilocal societies where women control land and help make decisions for the community, like the Pueblo peoples, menstruation is usually revered, and they often have Coming of Age ceremonies for the first period. The whole community celebrates her womanhood. Pueblo hid that ceremony from anthropologists and missionaries for years, who have brought it back only within the last couple of decades. The new woman is assigned a place on the council, also a necessary secret kept from outside inquirers who outlawed rights for women tribal members in the 1800s! So the taboos are often transported and enforced on older wiser societies from the ( in their mind civilizing) overlords.

[@reverie6034]

I grew up in the 70s with a mother born in 1930. She didn’t tell me anything and went through menopause shortly after I was born. I learned about menstruation from my friends and their younger moms. When I started my friends mother took me to the store to buy pads and I continued to buy them with my own money I saved in coins from doing household chores until I got my first paid job at 15. My mother never offered to buy pads for me. Never acknowledged I had a period. Insanity. I made sure my daughter was well prepared and she came running right to me when she started hers. Hopefully we are doing better by our young women now.

[@joannebollhofer-white3095]

Nice to hear about your new addition.

[@heikedrakakis8988]

There us a wonderful Indian movie, starring Akshay Kumar, on the topic of sanitary pads. It's called "Padman". I was never as surprised about what is possible in mainstream movies these days as I was while watching this film. Highly recommend! And congrats on the new baby!

[@suzannefreund3100]

For some historical answers, read Maggie Anton's historical fiction (Rashi's Daughters and Rav Hisda's Daughters). Since her topic is historical Jewish women, the management of periods is discussed. She is an extremely thorough researcher, so I believe what she portrays in her novels vis-a-vis periods is accurate.

[@pilgrimpoet]

Congratulations! And thank you for covering this topic!

[@pampoovey6722]

Grats Dr Kat. I’m over the moon about new babe. Wishing you a very mundane and easy pregnancy ❤

[@debbiev4455]

First Congrats on your second pregnancy !! I found this very educational ! I didn't know that that belt was used so long to hold the pad!! On how different cultures viewed blood , it's interesting that they didn't notice this in female animals in general . Is there something in the long ago past that made blood dangerous . I have found there are usually some reason the long ago past that creates fear of this or that .

[@AmandaHewitt-x9l]

Congrats on the baby news This was facinating Xx

[@sharonmorris6668]

Dr Kat, that is wonderful news about your having a second child (and another boy!). So happy for you and your family.

[@nycapplesJH]

It’s crazy how much men feared women in the past, if we weren’t the weakest, then we were witches. I would never have made it back then lol

[@michellewallhagen2346]

Considering what’s going on with politics in the USA right now, I’d say lots of men still fear women.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

You're Amazing! can't wait for this one!

[@vivienwilliams1538]

As the lady below said. I will never forget the onset of menstruation. At 10 years old I was at primary school and seeing the blood, thought I was going to die. Coming home I told my mother and she laughed! She said it would happen every month, I should not have a bath when 'on', and not go out with boys. I was 10 years old and had no idea what she was talking about! Later I found out she had 'started' at exactly the same age as me, and that she had been given the same advice by my grandmother! Ironically there is not a better time to have a bath, and probably the safest time to go out with a boy!

[@ericajohnson3504]

I remember starting my periods in the early 1970's and myself and other friends mothers telling us we were not allowed to wash our hair during our period or generally bath. I was having none of that and my mother capitulated. Another friend was not allowed to disobey her mum and suffered terribly, especially with very greasy hair.

[@kimberlypatton205]

Much happiness for you and your family for the new baby! We fans love and respect you! Just a personal comment… my great grandmother advised me ( at 13 - in 1973!) that I shouldn’t be taking a bath during my periods! Even then it seemed like an old fashioned notion! When I asked her why she said it would make me ill, but didn’t elaborate. I had terrible cramps as a teen and the one thing my mother told me that came true was that they would stop after I had a baby, and they did- she must have known this by her own experience. But my family has been country and Southern for generations in Ga and TN… I suppose these old wives notions still survive there.

[@Aphrodite1985007]

Fast forward to Western Europe in the 90s.... I got my period - no joke - on April 1st 1996, 2 days after my 11th birthday....for years my mother would then prevent me from washing my hair during that time of the month as it was dangerous and she knew sb who knew a lady who had died when she wahsed her hair when she was on her period... She would also forbid shaving my legs and drinking coffee or eating olives on those days.... Needless to say, my mother had been a victim of a bigot education herself; and of course tampons would compromise virginity... yup...one would think that by looking around, she'd notice times had changed, but no...to this day she maintains her views and dispenses her useless advice to youngsters....

[@TRHLHome]

Congratulations on your new baby! 💖