A girl on her period isn’t something to be fearful of! If you’re always the guy that doesn’t know what to say or do, the following advice should help.
When Aunt Flo comes to town, the initial instinct of even the most patient boyfriend may be to hide and wait for her to go away. Unfortunately, this may not always be the best course of action. Remember, a girl on her period isn’t to be feared! You simply need to understand what she’s going through and how to make her feel better.
For starters, your girl might actually need you around to keep her mind off the discomfort. She may also be offended that you ran the other way as if she suddenly transformed into a hideous beast.
Lastly, when your girl is riding the crimson wave, it may be the perfect opportunity for you to step up and show her that you’re man enough to take care of her. [Read: How to comfort a girl – 15 thoughtful ways to do it right]
Put yourself in her place… kind of
Some girls are blessed with an easy period where they feel no pain and only have to deal with it for a few days. They also have minimal symptoms when it’s on the way and therefore, they may not understand those of us who writhe in pain once a month all thanks to mother nature.
Some women deal with extreme irritation, cramps that would make a stab wound feel like a papercut, and cravings that only a heavily pregnant woman would understand.
Sure, all of these things put together can make us just a tad bit sensitive to the things around us—like what you say, for example.
But, put yourself in the place of a girl on her period and imagine how you would feel. You’d be a bit crabby, wouldn’t you? [Read: How to develop empathy and master the art of growing a real heart]
How to make a girl feel better on her period
Do you need help with making your girl feel better when she’s on her period? Most men do. Here’s our quick guide.
1. Don’t blame anything on her period!
You may think that her crankiness, her bad mood, and her drastic mood swings are all a result of her period.
You may be right. But that doesn’t mean you have to say it out loud. If anything, all this will do is make your girl think that you’re blaming her genuine emotions on her periods.
Secondly, women have very minimal control over what they’re feeling when they’re on their period. It’s a biological process that affects the way she acts. Pointing out that her body is making her act like a lunatic will only serve to aggravate her and make her crankiness even worse!
2. Don’t mention anything about blood, mood swings, or hormones
Unless you’re a doctor, your girl would definitely know more about what’s going on with her body. And unless you want her to go into gruesome detail about what’s going on down there, it’s probably best to avoid the topic altogether.
You wouldn’t want her to start telling you about what’s going on, only to stop because you’re cringing so hard that it looks like you’re the one in pain.
3. Avoid any sensitive subjects
Your girlfriend may usually be a rational and easygoing person. But when she’s on her period, she may not respond with the same nonchalance as she would on a regular day.
So before you tell her about your honest opinion on one of her all-time favorite movies or casually mention an out-of-town trip with just the guys, consider telling her about it when she’s no longer as moody.
Anything that might elicit the slightest hint of annoyance might turn into full-blown anger when a girl is on her period and already battling her hormones.
With that said, it’s best to keep the conversation light and soothing… At least until she’s done with her period. [Read: Make her melt with these 50 adorable things you can tell her]
4. Answer questions with care
A girl on her period may not realize it, but there are times when we can’t help but put men in the spotlight. We ask you questions that have no right answer.
And when you do attempt to answer our question *you poor, poor soul* you may be assaulted by a barrage of angry words, tears, and the occasional threat to break up.
An example of such volatile questions is, “Do you think I’m getting fat?” Now, think to yourself, is now a good time to be honest, or shall I try to give her the answer she wants?
Your chances of surviving the day without conflict will be higher if you let her hear what she wants to hear.
5. Be as patient as you can possibly be
Keep in mind that the state she’s in won’t last for more than a couple of days. After that, she’ll be back to her usual self.
While you’re the recipient of her hormonal rage, just keep thinking to yourself, “It’s better to get to know this side of her sooner rather than later.” That should help you fare just a little bit better.
Also, during these times, it may be a good idea to be extra nice, just for added measure. Make sure to keep words like, “I’m sorry,” “You’re right,” and “It’s fine with me” in your vocabulary for use in conversations that are teetering precariously on the argument vs. conversation line. [Read: How to be patient in a new relationship and avoid risking a new love]
6. Give her food
Losing blood and feeling bloated can be pretty exhausting for a girl on her period. But it can drain so much of a woman’s energy that she’d be too tired to prepare a meal.
In these cases, one of the best gifts you can give her is her favorite food. Sometimes women on their period can act like pregnant women in that they may start to have unusual cravings. In cases like these, it’s ideal to ask her what she would like before heading out and getting it for her.
And don’t ever, ever question if she can finish all of the food in one sitting. You’d be surprised that despite how bloated she may feel she can still eat two servings of her favorite food. [Read: The 52 sweetest romantic gestures for everyday life]
7. Watch a movie with her
Sometimes, women experience some pain when they’re on their period. So during these times, you and your girl may just be stuck at home.
Idleness isn’t something you want to have around when she’s in pain and feeling cranky. So the most reasonable activity you can do is watch a movie.
Now for the sake of her hormones, avoid anything that’s too tragic or heavy on the emotions. You want something that will keep her mind occupied without reducing her to a heap of tears.
So movies like A Walk to Remember and Titanic are a no-no. Try something that boggles the mind like a Christopher Nolan movie. If that’s not her thing, lighthearted comedies may do the trick.
8. Invite her to do physical activities
Moving about and getting some exercise can help release endorphins that combat the pain of menstruation.
Activities like jogging and speed walking can help her get rid of cramps and bloating. However, it may be best to save the water sports for another day, for obvious reasons. [Read: 25 tips to motivate her to work out, even during her period]
Some women feel that getting physically active during their period also helps increase the flow of blood, making their period days a lot shorter. Of course, this is also good news for you!
9. Get naughty
Some experts say that having sex or just engaging in foreplay can help soothe the cramps a girl experiences along with her periods.
Now, this is a controversial assertion, so it’s mostly a matter of preference if you want to do this type of thing. However, if you feel like you’re up for it and she’s down to get naughty with you, why not?
Just remember that she may feel extremely unsexy during this time of the month. Plus, there’s also the fact that it can get messy. We suggest doing it in the shower so that the cleanup won’t be as hard. [Read: 15 tips on doing the deed while she’s on her period]
10. Ask her what you can do to help
There’s no miracle cure to making a girl on her period feel better. Every woman has different preferences. So if you want to be on the safe side, just ask her what you can do to help her out.
Whether it’s running to the store to grab tampons *which we pray you’ll never have to do* or helping her out with the chores, just keep in mind that she may be feeling really horrible and that those simple tasks can mean the world to her.
Just imagine if you were bleeding from your nether regions. You’d probably want to have someone around to help you out, too! [Read: Prove to your woman that chivalry is certainly not dead!]
Do yourself a favor and DON’T say these things to a girl on her period
Rather than writing off your lady as “crazy” when she’s on her period, it can be helpful to take a moment to really think about how what you say and do might come off to her.
Because her emotions are on high alert, not to mention the utter pain she’s feeling, she may act a little different.
So why not help her out a little, especially during this time of the month, and refrain from saying ANY of the following phrases.
1. “What, are you on your period, or something?”
If the answer is no, you’re in trouble. If the answer is yes, you’re in even bigger trouble. So SHUSH.
Just because a woman expresses emotions doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s on her period. It’s called being human. Try it sometime. [Read: Why is your girlfriend ignoring you all of a sudden? 15 fastest ways to fix it]
2. “Go take some painkillers”
Really?! As if painkillers are the cure-all for everything a woman might be going through. Before you let this one slip, take a minute to reevaluate the situation. We suggest finding a more constructive comment to make.
3. “Do you need a tampon or something?”
And what’s so bad if she does? Tampons don’t make a person weak—saying idiotic, meaningless phrases like this do.
4. “Cramps don’t hurt that bad”
Have you ever felt like a scissor-handed monster was trying to pry himself out of your pelvic region? No? Oh, well then SHUT UP. [Read: Dumb things we do in the name of that 4 letter word]
5. “Talk to me after your period is over”
Okay. How about I talk to you NEVER again and see how that works out for the both of us? That’s likely to be the response.
6. “So, since you’re on your period, blowjob week then?”
No. A girl on her period and a bleeding vagina in absolutely no way correlates with your getting head. In fact, asking this might have the opposite effect that you’d intended.
Instead, how about YOU pamper HER this week? [Read: 35 small ways and gestures to make your girl feel special and loved]
7. “PMS isn’t real”
We might say the same for the pain you feel when something comes into contact with your “boys,” right?
8. “Stop complaining”
We bleed for almost a week straight once EVERY MONTH. We have earned the right to complain every now and again.
9. “Will some chocolate make you be nice?”
How about instead of asking this, you take some time out of your day to do something nice for her, out of the goodness of your heart? [Read: How to prove that you love someone the right way]
10. “Are you ever going to change out of sweatpants?”
Again, she’s is PAIN. Let a girl on her period be comfortable! And instead of saying something like this, why not give her a compliment instead?
11. “Oh, now I know why you’ve been crabby the last couple of days”
Or maybe it’s because you’re an insensitive nitwit? Be wary of writing off your rude ways as “just her period.”
12. “Gross”
If you’re still of the mindset that periods are “gross,” then you’re probably not mature enough to be in a real relationship in the first place.
13. “Why are you crying?”
If you’re going to ask this, be prepared for an answer along the lines of, “I don’t really know.” Instead of bothering her about it, lend her a shoulder. [Read: How to be a good boyfriend – 33 traits that matter most]
14. “At least you’re not pregnant! That’s good, right?”
It might be good, but do you know what else would be good? If you never said that, ever.
15. “You’re just using this as an excuse to be crabby”
A girl on her period doesn’t need an excuse to be crabby. If she’s not feeling well, let her be. Don’t exacerbate the situation.
16. “FYI, I’m not buying you tampons”
Again, if you’re not mature enough to be able to purchase a box of tampons like a man, then she can probably do better than you, anyway. We’re guessing the same goes for buying condoms as well… [Read: 21 things you do that’ll make your girl adore you]
17. “You’re being too sensitive”
Have you ever considered that maybe you’re being insensitive?
18. “Just calm down”
This is already a dangerous phrase to say to any woman whose temper may be flying, but to say this to a gal who’s on her period? If you want to live to see the next day, don’t say it.
19. “It’s only for a few days. That’s not so bad”
Just don’t bring this up around a girl on her period. Not unless you want a chronological breakdown of how many times this has to happen for “only a few days.”
When it all adds up, women spend an insane amount of their lives on their periods, or being pregnant, or going through menopause. Just be grateful all you have to worry about is your sperm count. [Read: The most simple ways to make a woman feel sexy and desirable]
20. “I guess I’ll just talk to you in a few days then”
If you say this, you’re done for. There is no turning back and no making up. BYE.
It’s time to treat her like a queen
By this point, you should have a lot more empathy for a girl on her period. She’s bleeding out of her nether regions for heaven’s sake, be nice!
So, during these few days, you need to suck it up and be nice as pie. Treat her, show her that you care, and basically do all the things you should be doing a lot more of anyway!
[Read: 48 cute and romantic things to do with your girlfriend she’ll love]
With a girl on her period, just keep in mind that it will only last for a couple of days. During those couple of days, treat her like a queen and try to do that with a smile on your face. She’ll definitely remember how nice you were to her during those days, and that’s always a plus in any relationship.
