Your Period

Why are women so privileged to get their periods once a month?

 

You might be asking yourself……“Why why why?”…..

 

Why do women go through this strange cycle each month?

 

There are so many answers to this question. If you're looking for the philosophical answer to this question, I'd look to a higher power than this website, like parents or a close family member, maybe? Or books?

But, if you're looking for a simple answer:

 

Biologically, a woman's body is wired to change in cycles. This means "a series of events that take place in the same order repeatedly." Your body goes (and will continue to go) through a bunch of complexly formulated changes during your life. If you’ve got your period, congratulations! It means you’ve gotten a biological bonus prize. You’re bodies gearing up to have kids or just remain healthy. So go with the flow… If you know what we mean, but you also gotta’ learn the basics, kiddo, and what that means is learning your period A-B-C’s.

 

Period Basics

 

 

 

Your first period always tends to come as a shock. It sneaks up on you whenever it pleases (most studies say just about two years after the onset of puberty, between the average age of 11 – 12 years), it divides and conquers, and it starts to run the show once a month. The aching cramps in your stomach may make you want to roll up in a corner somewhere. All of the estrogen that’s pumpin’ all about your body may make you think you’re going nuts. But ladies and ladies, it is definitely not the end of the world! In fact, get ready for a new kind of adventure in a new kind of world (get ready, this is about to get oober cheesy) called - WOMANHOOD! Congratulations on joining the ranks!

 

Your first period is a sign that your body is beginning to go on womanly autopilot, meaning you’re going to experience a 28 to 30 (it really depends on your body) menstrual cycle from now on. Your menstrual cycle is almost like an agenda that your endocrine system is going to adhere to from now on. The endocrine system is an all-encompassing name for all of the organs, ducts, and glands that are in charge of producing, secreting, and distributing all kinds of lovely hormones throughout your body. What these organs, ducts, and glands do during your menstrual cycle is get together and plan to make way for a new ovum (new fertile egg) to get comfy in your uterus, but for that to happen your body has to rid itself of the nutrient rich lining that’s already sitting in your uterus, supporting the ovum from your last menstrual cycle. In order to do that your endocrine system will release the proper hormones that will instruct your organs on what to do. What you will feel is the muscles in your uterus flexing and contracting in order to shed the old egg and old lining….that means…PAIN in the form of cramps!!

 

Period Product Purchasing Powers

 

When it comes to buying things, you've gotta know what your period product options are. So first, we'll start off with a few critical definitions for our discussion:

 

Sanitary Pads are a strip of compounded materials such as cotton, wood fluff pulp (don't mistake what I'm saying, there isn't a tree growing in your underpants, it's more like the stuff paper's made out of), rayon, or plastic, designed to absorb and retain menstrual blood. Good pads (like Maxim pads), fit onto the curvy contours of vaginal area of a woman's undergarments (you know, your typical grandma panties that you save for this special monthly party in your pants, thongs for that go-getter that still has it in her to go out for a night on the prowl in her tight garb, and maybe the occasional bathing suit though you are not under any circumstances to ever swim with a pad on!) securely, with an adhesive on the bottom; The side of the pad that touches your body, the fabric-like side, is usually made with a blend of synthetics and wood pulp, which isn’t the best choice for the environment’s sake and is the reason why a lot of women are easily irritated by your average conventional products. Maxim’s products are made with cotton through and through, except for the back layer, which does not come in contact with the body, so you can rest assure you won’t get any funky rash or hot an humid feeling down there.

 

Tampons are a mass of materials, like cotton or a cotton/rayon blend, that are shaped to fit within the primary portion of your vaginal canal. It could make up of a few general components. Some tampons come with applicators, that could be made out of plastic or cardboard. Some tampons, called digital or non-applicator tampons, are inserted with the help of the user’s finger.

 

Choices – Tampons vs. Pads vs. Pantiliners

 

I’m sorry to say it ladies, but as far as period resistance goes, there isn't really any healthy way to stop bleeding. It is the means through which your uterus cleanses itself each month, so what we need to do is be equipped. Now’s the time to discuss the age old battle that most women fight (hopefully not aloud) when they're rocking back and forth, heel to foot, pondering "Tampons or Pads or Pantiliners?" It sure doesn't help that there are so many different packages with so many different styles. The most important piece of advice we can offer you is this: experiment. Buy products and see how they work for you. Try to understand what makes you feel comfortable when it's your time of the month.

 

Here is a list of different types of items and the terms used to describe those items, to help you decide what you may need for your flow. Tampons are available in the following range of absorbencies:

Sanitary Pads are available in the following range of Absorbencies:

Regular, Super, Thick, Thin, Ultra Thin, Overnight, Daytime, Night Time, Light Days

 

Sanitary Pads are available in the following range of Styles:

with Wings, Contour, Curved, Straight, Tapered, Pantiliners, Wrapped

 

Sanitary Pads are available in the following Lengths

Regular, Long, Extra Long, Slander, Tonga

 

Okay, so now that you’ve learned your product lingo, back to the battle between Tampons vs. Pads vs. Pantiliners! Okay so what now? We need to talk about the pros and cons of each product. But keep in mind... Each product has its drawbacks, but you've got to figure out which product will cause less drama with your own unique lifestyle.

Tampons:

-Pros:

• More discreet. It's easy to slip a tampon in and out of a bag or a pocket without someone finding out your womanly secret.
• You can go swimming when you're wearing a tampon; it is not recommended to wear a pad in the pool.
• Menstrual liquid is less likely to leave your body. Tampons are designed to trap menstrual substances within their fabric core, making it very difficult for leakage to happen on your fabulous clothing. If you maintain your tampon properly, meaning that you check often enough that the string hasn't turned red with blood, indicating that the tampon is at maximum capacity, then you are less likely to experience leakage than in a precariously placed pad that could overflow when you maintain a certain position for way too long.
• A lot less of a movement inhibitor. If you're an active person (sports, yoga, pilates, extreme DMX or dirt-biking), and you need to stretch or run or move, tampons would be the better fit because they are internal and held in place by vaginal muscles.

 

-Cons:

• TSS risk factor.
• A bit more of an intense, upfront situation. With tampons, it's pretty difficult to avoid contact with your vaginal area, so if you're more of the squeamish, not so confrontational types, maybe the string and the applicators are not for you. That is not to say that women should not embrace their bodies and the form that a menstrual has taken. Quite the contrary. A woman's body is mystical, and no one is going to unwrap that mystery except for you. You should understand how and why the body does what it does, because it makes you a part of a great gender.

Sanitary Pads:

-Pros:

• There is a no-strings attached deal (excuse the pun). With pads, you just stick them on and pull them off. There's no over-extending of your digits into places where you usually wouldn't reach.
• You could stick them virtually anywhere... Sounds weird, right? But when you're catching some zz's, it's kind of hard to monitor how close you are to leaking. Pantiliners, overnight pads, or extra-long pads are very useful to pick up that extra space on your underpants that you just can’t seem to keep stain free.
• It's safer when you're asleep. The maximum recommended time span that you're supposed to keep a tampon in is about four hours. Anymore than that and you are putting yourself at risk for bacteria build up, that could potentially turn into the evil TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome).

-Cons:

• Conventional pads made with synthetics can create unnecessary and harmful environmental waste and cause an allergic reaction for some women.
• Can be some unpleasant chafing if pad isn't placed correctly.

Panty Liners:

-Pros:

• It’s basically a flattened pad, so it’s as tiny and discreet as a pad comes.
• Works well as a tampon backup.

-Cons:

• It’s no replacement for a tampon or pad because it is not as absorbent.

 

Now that you know what your product choices are when it comes to that time month, it’s time to learn how to use them responsibly. Check out the next section on Using Feminine Care Products Responsibly by clicking here.

 

Using Feminine Care Products Responsibly

 

 

Here’s some information about feminine care products that will thoroughly change the way you feel about your period.

 

Understanding the feminine products available to keep you protected from the your biggest period fears and need for comfort during this uncomfortable period will make for a better experience in using them. They may seem a little scary and daunting at first thought, but keep reading through this section and you might just feel a little bit more comfortable.

 

TSS- Toxic Shock Syndrome

 

Toxic Shock Syndrome, also known in its acronym form as TSS (Girls remember this T-S-S, I mean who among your friends usually says the full name of an illness), is an infirmity that could be potentially harmful. Simply put, there is an evil bacteria called Staphylococcus Aureus that just happens to live off of our unsuspecting body parts like the vagina, groin, armpit and nose skin.

 

Statistically speaking, the chances are low that you will experience this ever, but it’s critical that every consumer is aware of what can happen when you don’t use feminine care products responsibly. This bacteria lives on these areas in 1 in every 3 people (guys can get it as well as girls). The problem comes in when these bacteria become brave and starts multiplying at high rates.

 

If you experience "flu-like symptoms" such as diarrhea, high fever, or dizziness usually caused by low blood pressure, while using tampons, contact your doctor or visit a hospital immediately. Some more immediate steps you should take are remove the tampon you are using without delay and inform your doctor that you've been using tampons so that she/ he can make a proper diagnosis. When symptoms are recognized in time, TSS can be treated successfully with antibiotics.

 

Now girls, don't get too crazy about this stuff. Just be good to your body and observe some of the following suggestions to make sure you keep your distance from an evil bout of TSS:

 

• Be clean. I mean we're girls, right? We're pretty and supposed to smell like flowers and candy all the time. So WRONG! We're only human and we're just as susceptible to dirt and stenches as the rest of the world. So please from time to time, specifically before and after you change your tampon or pad, wash your hands!

 

• I know you might think you're a seasoned period expert and that you're a transient goddess when it comes time to tell when you should nix the pad or tampon that you're wearing, but overflow happens to the best of us. And plus, did you know it's extremely unhealthy to leave in a tampon for an extreme amount of time? TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome) causing bacteria just have a field day gathering and wreaking havoc on our nether regions when they're not checked.

 

• Use pads and tampons with as low absorbency as you can find so that there isn't any build up of potentially harmful material.

 

• Definitely do not try to use more than one tampon at a time.

 

• Get rid of the tampon you're wearing as soon as you know you're done surfing the crimson wave (when your period is over).

 

• Try to keep things different. You don't always have to stick to using strictly pads or tampons. Find a happy balance of product usage that's comfortable for you.

 

 

 

Dioxins & Your Feminine Care Products

Dioxin is a carcinogenic (can cause cancer) byproduct of the chlorine bleaching process. It has also been linked to causing birth defects, inability to maintain pregnancy, decreased fertility, reduced sperm counts, endometriosis, diabetes, learning disabilities, immune system suppression, lung problems, skin disorders, lowered testosterone levels and much more.

Many Tampon and Pad manufacturers will use chlorine to bleach the raw materials to make them as white, clean, and bacteria-free as possible. It’s only recently (within the past twenty years) been found that pads and tampons that are composed of chlorine treated materials can contain dioxin residues. This can be a problem seeing as pads and tampons are held so closely to the most intimate parts of our bodies during a female’s period. The lining of the vagina is one of the most sensitive and absorbent areas of the body, yet each month women expose themselves to a variety of hazards through the use of tampons and pads.

Not only are dioxins harmful to our health, but they are also taking a serious toll on the environment and finding their way in to our other body parts through our diet and air. Chemical manufacturing processes involving the use of chlorine lead to the release of dioxins in to the air; very little intake occurs through breathing, rather the majority occurs through ingestion of animal fats; dioxins eventually find their way in to the water system and the plants and animals eating those plants and the animals we in turn eat.

Maxim is aware of these health and environmental risks and concerns resulting from standard chlorine bleaching processes, so when we designed our products we found a newer, healthier way to treat the cotton in our products that doesn’t involve the use of chlorine or leave behind any toxic dioxins. Maxim uses hydrogen peroxide, instead of chlorine, eliminating any risk of cancer causing materials staying behind in our products and the environment. Go Maxim!

 

Organic and Natural Choices

 

Here at Maxim, we do not hide our organic and natural pride. We believe in engaging in responsible decision making in all aspects of life, especially as a consumer of feminine care products. Action is what we’re about in the sense that we’ve made it our duty to provide consumers, like you, with a different choice, a more natural choice. The natural Maxim facts and features are as follows:

 

Made With Organic and Natural Cotton. Maxim products are made with cotton because cotton is a renewable resource, meaning it can be grown year in and year out. Compare that to conventional products which are either made from nonrenewable resources like petroleum based synthetics or less renewable resources like tree-based wood fluff pulp. Learn more by clicking here.

 

Synthetic Free. Cotton also keeps those people with sensitive skin, irritation and itch free because cotton is a naturally breathable and itch-free fiber. Learn more by clicking here.

 

Chlorine/Dioxin Free. Maxim products are bleached through a more natural and safer process using Hydrogen-Peroxide. Compare that to other products that are bleached with chlorine, which leaves behind dioxins, know carcinogens (causing cancer). Learn more by clicking here.

 

Wood Fluff Pulp Free. Maxim is the only brand to eliminate the use of tree farmed wood fluff pulp in the production of our sanitary pads, this means we’re Uniquely Saving Trees! Learn more by clicking here.

 

Eco-Friendly and User-Friendly Too! Maxim uses recycled and recyclable paper and cardboard when packaging their products to maintain the biodegradability factor, as opposed to the plastics used in other brands that take years to biodegrade. All the products are also 95 - 100 % Biodegradable. Learn more by clicking here.

 

Most companies will side-step all of these facts, and write things in fine print all over their boxes, while Maxim Hygiene Products are all about sharing the facts with consumers.

 

In the end, we’re all in this together. We need to coexist in a way that is healthy for our minds, bodies, souls, and now more than ever, our planet. There are opportunities to make all kinds of things happen on this Earth, and making a simple change to an eco-friendly product is a decision that’s up to you. Will you let your choices speak for you?

 

The Angry Reds

 

 

Get yourself going with exercises for your mind, body and soul to help battle those angry reds.

 

Has your period got you feeling zany? Do you think the only way out of this angsty state of crises is ten bars of Godiva chocolate stat? If any of these situations applies to you, well we’ve got you covered. Here’s a new kind of remedy that doesn’t involve swallowing milligrams of anything. Yes, we’re talking natural therapy.

 

Yoga Positions

 

Think of how much energy your body’s got to be producing during your period just for the sake of renewing one of your organs. Your body’s focus is on creating hormones, distributing hormones to the right places, expanding and contracting, and generally conserving all other stores of energy for this process. That’s why you might be feeling so drowsy and tired. Your body wants to feel balance, but menstruation is a gruesome and tiring process that demands a lot of energy. Yoga can help you put those hormones in check and balance your body out. Not all yoga positions are made to be done during your menstrual cycle. In fact, some are strictly forbidden, but we found a few you might want to know about.

 

Breathe-In Breathe-Out

 

 

Another way to deal with the pain and stress that your body goes through during your period is through counter-stimulation, meaning switching your focus from the pain you are experiencing to a different stimulus, and in this case we suggest using breathing techniques. It’s really simple… Instead of immediately reaching in to the medicine cabinet for some kind of painkiller, remember that what you’re experiencing is not the result of an accident or an injury. Your period is your body’s natural way of running it’s course, and the pain you’re feeling is natural as well. If you take a moment to be patient, and recognize this, then you could also try an alternative method to deal with pain, and that’s where meditation comes in.

 

Writing In Red

 

It’s easy to think that you look ugly with all that bloating or blotchy pale skin. And it’s even easier to feel like you should just take it easy for however many days it takes your period to run its course, but you know what’s even better than giving up? - Knowing, understanding, and believing in your strength as a woman. We all go through this. And there is no concrete reason to do nothing for a half-a-week. Mind over matter! Cease the day! This is your life, for crying out loud! Use your hormones and that pain. Use that extra sensitivity that every woman is blessed with. Write it out! Turn all that pent up intellect and emotion into words.

 

If you’re just fuming or pissed and you don’t have the patience to reason it out. Just put your pen down on the page. Seriously, just date it and then let yourself go. Say anything at all, even if you know it makes zero sense to think this way. And when you feel ready, read what you wrote and answer these questions:

• Who and what got me so worked up?
• Why did I react the way I did?
• If there really is a problem, how can I make this better?

Asking yourself these questions, will give you a chance to understand yourself and what may be bothering you. Or maybe what you think is a big deal, really isn’t and it’s just those hormones giving you a hard time. Either way, taking the time out to write about it, will make you feel relieved. If that doesn’t work, check out the Angry Reds section for other natural remedies, but most of all have faith in the world around you because things will get better if you want them to and have confidence in yourself. Really believe that you have the ability to make your life worthwhile.

Got a Funny or Embarrassing Period Story? Write it out!

 

So we’ve talked a lot about the importance of expressing your “angry reds” out in writing, but the reds aren’t always so angry…they can be funny and embarrassing too! We want to see your writing in the form of funny stories about your first period or any other period related story. What better way to cheer up your “angry reds” then to laugh about it. It might not have been funny at the time it happened, but let’s find a way to laugh about it now or maybe give others an opportunity to take comfort in the fact that they are not the only ones with embarrassing period moments. Just email us with your story at info@maximhy.com and we’ll write you back if we we’re interested in posting it write here on our website. Of course we can keep it anonymous if you’d like.

 

Here’s an example of a true story from an anonymous Maxim Hygiene employee:

I was at our family’s yearly reunion bash at my aunt’s beautifully new and renovated Victorian house. I dressed up in my  newest white summer dress to impress my family that I haven’t seen in a long time. I also had slipped in a new “mini” tampon that I never tried before (this is before I knew about Maxim tampons), thinking it would be more comfortable and discreet, but this definitely not the case when I got up from my aunt’s brand new white Victorian antique couch that was now stained with my angry reds. My mom was the first to notice and came to the rescue by ushering me out by standing behind me to cover the stain.

 

Other Natural Remedies

 

No, we’re  not going to suggest you cook up together some strange, icky tasting ingredients, but if the suggestions found in the other links in this section were not enough, we also suggest thinking about these other natural PMS remedies, before opening up that medicine cabinet. Yes, it’s so easy to just pop a pill and get some instant gratification, but before there were pills there were some cool ladies with cool remedies that actually work and help soothe those cramps and other PMS pains. Here are just a few suggestions:

 

1. Heat It Up – Expose your abdomen to some heat. Whether it’s a warm shower, extra blankets, or an electric heat pad, your abdominal pains/cramps will feel much better after being exposed to warmth.  The heat helps increase blood flow providing additional oxygen and nutrients to help heal your shedding uterine lining. The heat also helps stimulate sensation in the skin, and therefore distracting the amount of pain being signaled and sent to your brain from your uterus. Also, our tendency is to tighten and tense up our muscles when we’re in pain; the heat will help relax those tightened muscles.

 

1. Watch Your Food Intake – Sugar and salt are big no nos, especially if you’re trying to reduce that overwhelming amount of bloating and swelling of the hands and feet. Forget that morning coffee; any caffeine can sometimes aggravate anxiety and depression that comes along with that time of month. Tea, specifically chamomile and peppermint, on the other hand, although it contains caffeine, can make for a good alternative.

 

1. Minerals, Minerals and more Minerals – Ok, we said no pill popping, but we meant no non-natural pill popping. There are some minerals in the form of pills/supplements that we highly recommend to help reduce those PMS Pains. Magnesium, Vitamin B6, and Calcium are our top three picks; here’s why:
   1. Magnesium: Magnesium supplementation is best known for helping with balancing mood and fluid retention. It has been found that 360 mg three times a day, starting from day 15 to the start of the menstrual period significantly improves PMS mood changes.
   2. Vitamin B6: If the magnesium can’t cure your mood, maybe the recommended daily dose of 100mg of Vitamin B6 will help with your premenstrual blues. The body needs B6 to make serotonin out of the amino acid tryptophan, and many people may be low in B6 because of high levels of stress that deplete your body of B6.
   3. Calcium: Studies correlate the levels of calcium found in women with stronger symptoms of PMS are lower than those women who do no experience PMS. It is suggested that 300  mg of calcium carbonate four times a day can help reduce bloating, depression, pain, mood swings and food cravings. Most people automatically think milk is the best source of calcium, but you might be surprised to find out that green leafy vegetables, sardines and seeds are also a good source of calcium, so if you’re not a cookies and milk kind of girl, break out your recipe for sautéed spinach.

 

1. Herbal Remedies – Although there’s contradicting evidence about the benefits of using herbal remedies to help ease your PMS symptoms, it’s still worth a shot. Here some age old herbal treatments:
   1. Chasteberry – this fruit coming from a small shrub-like tree has been used by women for thousands of years. It has been linked to balancing hormone levels created by the pituitary gland.

 

1. 1. Evening Primrose Oil – Some research has shown that a dietary deficiency in fatty acids may contribute to PMS. Evening primrose oil is rich in essential fatty acids; taking a 500 mg supplement per day can help improve mood swings, irritability, cramps and inflammation and swelling in the body

 

 

Fierce Women

 

 

What does it mean to be a strong woman? Click here for MaximHy’s definition of a strong woman and to come up with one of your own.

Let’s face it… Women have been menstruating since the beginning of time. Women have bodies that, like most natural things, are in tune with a certain cycle or rhythm. If you identify as human, and are equipped with female reproductive organs, you most likely experience menstrual cycles… Blood, cramps, hormones gone haywire, and that whole shebang is what keeps your body healthy and ready for a kicking screaming baby of your own to be born some day. If that whole mommy-to-be deal just isn’t your scene, that’s great too. Every woman has the power to decide her destiny. Check out below to learn more about finding your fiercely woman side.

Every woman marches to the beat of her own drum.

 

The way we think of it here, at Maxim Hygiene, is that women all over the world react to their natural menstrual rhythm in many different ways. Whether you deem your period to be unclean or the closest your womanly body comes to pristine, we are not here to judge. But above all, what the staff of Maxim Hy is most passionate about (other than the quality and betterment of our product) is educating women of all ages and creeds about the power of their period and womanly being.

 

We believe in making responsible and informed decisions, and that’s where our idea of fierce women comes in.

 

What does it mean to be a fierce woman?

 

A fierce woman is a glorious female creature whose idea of beauty is hinged upon the idea that she can change the world with each choice, each moment, and each breath of her life. The word beautiful serves to encompass all areas of mind, body, and soul. Beauty is an element that guides her actions, and her actions are always in tune with a foundation of morals and convictions that come from a lifelong appreciation of learning. And by learning we don’t mean simply reading books and burying oneself in the depths of the Internet searching for all kinds of articles. No, learning is the creative ability to see beyond the surface, beyond what is presented to you in the mainstream, and recognize the power that you have the power as the beholder. A fierce woman is not a bystander in her own life. A fierce woman will use her wisdom, intuition, and imagination to exact change and choice in the world around her.

 

We’ve invested a lot of time into bringing you our product so that you can have a choice, an alternative choice to what’s on the market. Be fierce and take it!