By Jordan M.
Okay, let’s be real—periods are already annoying. The cramps, the mood swings, the cravings that turn you into a raccoon digging through your pantry at midnight. But what they don’t tell you in health class is that for some of us, it’s not just a “period”—it’s a full-blown event.
Hi, I’m Jordan. I’m 19. I love oat milk lattes, oversized hoodies, and honestly, I’m just trying to survive every month without bleeding through my jeans at a Target.
Let’s talk about heavy menstrual bleeding—because someone needs to.
When I first got my period at 13, I thought it was kinda cool (at first). Like, yay, I’m growing up. But by high school, I realized I was the only one bringing a full change of clothes to school “just in case.”
Everyone else was like, “Oh, I just use light tampons.” Meanwhile, I was triple-layering with a pad, tampon, and period underwear… and still leaking.
One month I bled through my jeans and my hoodie. At a sleepover. I wanted to disappear into the earth.
Turns out, bleeding through a pad every hour isn’t just “having a heavy flow.” It’s called menorrhagia and yes, it’s an actual medical thing.
When I finally talked to a nurse practitioner at my campus clinic (who was amazing btw), she was like, “You’ve been dealing with this for years?” I almost cried. Because yes—I thought it was just me. That maybe I was just being dramatic.
Spoiler: I wasn’t.
If you’re like me and your period comes in like a wrecking ball every month, here’s what helps:
Let’s just kill the shame, okay?
Periods aren’t gross. Blood isn’t gross. And needing help for your period doesn’t make you fragile. It makes you smart.
I wish more of us talked about this. About the clots. The ruined bedsheets. The anxiety of wearing anything but black leggings. The feeling that your body is fighting you when it should be your partner.
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Is this too much blood?”, please talk to someone. A doctor, a nurse, even a cool aunt. Advocate for yourself. You deserve that.
And if you’re in the bathroom crying because you bled through your pants again—you’re not alone. I’ve been there. I amthere. But it gets better when you know what’s going on and stop blaming yourself.
So here’s to us—the ones with the extra-absorbent everything, the ones who bleed hard and still show up. You are powerful. And you’re not weird. You’re just human.
đź©·
– Jordan