In the early years, soon after menarche, the pain was terrible. After consulting with a gynecologist, I was prescribed medication. After marriage and pregnancy, things were much improved. After moving to a healthy lifestyle, it has become easier. This is a blessing, considering my travel schedule. Occasionally, there are some symptoms such as back pain, but light physical activity helps.

Menstrual cramps can exist on a spectrum…. Some women don’t experience menstrual cramps at all, others experience pain that renders them non-functional, and then there’s everything in between that range. As someone with a history of adenomyosis, I experienced significant dysmenorrhea in the past, and am thankful for having had the option of undergoing laparoscopic surgery. Currently, a combination of medical management (with hormone-based treatment as well as NSAIDs) and mindfulness-based techniques for relaxation is helpful during those rare months when the pain starts to affect quality of life. I believe, as women, we are well tuned to our own bodies. And, if you are concerned about menstrual cramps, give in to your intuition and consult your gynecologist.

Dealing with menstrual cramps and all the “perks” that come with it has been a chore since I was 12. Fortunately for me, cramps and pain aren’t the biggest issue I have to face every month. It’s more so the water retention and bloating that plagues me. Having to deal with a swollen face, sluggishness, and basically ‘feeling fat’ is the bigger problem, bringing my morale down. But hey! There’s always the next week to bounce back from that ?

Once in a while, there would be that bad period with cramps. A heating pad helped – my mother was against using medication at that time. Childbirth set the system right. Last year, however, things became weird with non-stop bleeding for 20 days and severe pain. There were days when I couldn’t get up from the bed. A battery of tests and a D&C revealed other complications that called for a hysterectomy.

The pain is terrible. For me, it is because of PCOD. I do things slow on those days, sleeping more. I believe that women should be treated right and not like pariahs at such times. In many homes, women are treated badly at such times. I was fortunate to be brought up in a broad minded family. Ill-treating a woman adds to her stress levels, which she doesn’t need when she’s in pain.

The annoying part is that period-associated discomfort is spread over a considerable duration of time. From the dreaded yet familiar signal in my abdomen for the start of the period, across those hours wherein I sit and try to work (and by that I mean sit, stand, walk or just deal) through the cramps and….that frustration when all is over and I am relieved and energized, I feel like I lose a big chunk of my day! Thankfully, I do not have trouble every month – the pain presents itself on Day 1 of every other period. Personally, I find that regular exercise, fluids and certain foods during the weeks before the period have helped me reduce (or keep away completely) menstrual cramps.

Never experienced menstrual cramps myself seeing as I possess the much-sought-after-in-India Y chromosome, but I do have strong feelings about how society, politics and global administrative agencies view menstrual health as a whole. Also, since I gained access to this blog before it got published, I have hijacked this space to go on a rant. Women go through a hell lot of pain and discomfort every single month – not just physical, but emotional too (don’t believe me men? Try taking some hormone shots and see what happens!). As men, we don’t really understand or even begin to appreciate the “joy-ride” women go through every month, and in our ignorance we still condemn them to isolation, a sense of impurity, and financial discomfort (seriously man? 12% GST on pads? They’re NOT luxury items!) when they are already “down and out” (sic). We need a major major revolution in our approach, our psyche, and our approach towards tackling the issue of menstruation and all things that come with that. And yes, we men also have a major part to play. After all, we do make up over 50% of the society. Just some food for thought.