15 October 2020

Dear Laca,

On the subject of periods...

Some things I’ve learned that might help you figure out your body faster:

• Your tampon usage is totally predictable so you should spend a few months tracking how many you use each day of your period
  For example, mine is

  day	how long one super tampon lasts
  1	12h
  2	6h
  3	4h
  4	4h
  5	6h
  6	12h

• Meat tenderizer powder gets out blood stains even if they’ve set
• Toilet paper works as an emergency pad. I know they tell you not to, but I always rolled toilet paper up tight and used it like an emergency tampon because walking around with a wad of toilet paper in my underwear was the most uncomfortable.
• You’re probably anemic like me so red meat, or straight up iron pills will make you less groggy and cold
• Ibuprofen can reduce menstrual flow during your period (you’ll have to look up the dosage for you)
• Get yourself a cute pair of supportive leggings for your period days. No need to feel self-conscious and uncomfortable in a pair of jeans when you’re bloated.

❤ your mother