The cow jumped over the moon
Most of you probably know the nursery rhyme Hey Diddle DiddleThe cat and the fiddle,The cow jumped over the moon.The little dog laughed,To see such sport,And the dish ran away with the spoon. I always pondered particularly at the line ‘ The cow jumped over the...
Menstrual cycle – a better way forward with the ‘Mooncup’
The curse’, as many refer to the monthly female bleeding has never been a great topic of conversation. But it is an important one as over a life time a woman spends an absolute fortune on sanitary products, an estimated £18,000
But is there another way. Something to save you a lot of money and is also good for the environment (just imagine the colossal mountain of used sanitary towels and tampons that collect just in one year, not to mention all these clogged up toilets!).
It is called the moon cup and I have used it myself for over a decade now. It is a silicone cup that is very comfortable and safe. Find out more about the Mooncup.
When I was doing a bit of research of how many women in my neighbourhood knew facts about the menstrual cycle and the moon cup, I started a conversation with a 30ish year old woman and was shocked when she revealed that she did not really know how many days a normal female fertility cycle lasted for or even how to count fertile days and so on. She just relied on the pill. I would have expected this response from a 14 year old girl, but not from a grown woman. I pointed her to this website and rushed home to complete this article.
What is the menstrual cycle?
This is a series of changes that occur in a woman’s body on a roughly monthly basis. First the ovaries release an egg and this is called ovulation. At the same time your body prepares your uterus for a possible pregnancy. If the egg is indeed fertilised by a male sperm, then a nine month pregnancy is the consequence. But most of the time this does not happen, so the egg is no longer needed and the lining of the uterus sheds the egg and this is called menstruation.
How to find out the average length of your menstrual cycle
Always count from the first day of your period until day before your next period. This is the length of your menstrual cycle. It varies from woman to woman, but anything between 21 to 34 days is seen as ‘normal’. The average time is 28 days, which is the same length as the moon cycle and the reason why so many civilisations connected the moon with fertility. (Please read more about fertility in the article Conceive with the moon. )
Be also aware that if you are taking extra hormones, such as the pill or an iud with hormones, this can alter the length or frequency of your natural menstruation cycle.
Know your body
If you never suffered from heavy or painful periods or use a permanent contraceptive you may not pay much attention to it all. But I believe that start dates, flow rates and regularity can give you important clues about the state of your health. So get your diary out (or the monthly LWTM calendar – it is free, but you need to sign up to our list for this ), then circle the first day of each period, it is that simple.
What should you look out for?
- Length. Over time you work out the average length. You need this information to find out if you are pregnant. A delayed period without pregnancy can point to a health problem or the onset of the menopause
- Flow. Stronger periods could point to fibroids or onset of the menopause
- Irregularities. Women with premature ovarian failure and ‘polycystic ovary syndrome’ are prone to irregular or lapsed periods, so too are women who suffer from eating disorders, substantial weight loss/gain or are still breastfeeding.
- Consult a doctor if
– you have had no period for more than 90 days and you are not pregnant
– you develop a strong bleeding and bleed more than seven days
– bleed mid cycle and/or are in serious pain
Romance and love
The moon is often connected to lovers and romance, particularly the time of the Full Moon. Of course, we should not just fall in love when ‘the moon is right’. But most of us live busy lives and romance can easily be crowded out. So this symbol is a reminder to organize something special for the people you care most about. This treatment is not only reserved for the love of your life. You could organize something special for an elderly parent or a child. But this time should be reserved for someone very close and special in your life.
We all think we show others how much we love them, but that is not always the case. No more!! Get your diaries out and plan something super special for the ones you care most about and show them what their love and companionship means to you.
Here is an article that has an interesting take on birth control. It is called Cosmobiological birth control. It is totally natural and has a comparable success rate to the pill. But more often it is used as a tool for conception as you can work out your most fertile days, too.
Keeping fit and healthy from head to toe – Hip and sexual organs
Today this body region is especially susceptible to exercise and looking after it. The highlighted region is the hips, pelvic floor, sexual organs (womb, vulva, ovaries), or male sexual organs.
Herbs for this region:
Red Clover, Lady’s Mantel (see recipe below), Red raspberry leaf tea
During/after pregnancy and in later life many people suffer from incontinence. Here are a few simple pelvic floor exercises that you can do in your own time.
Test your pelvic floor: Next time you feel the need to urinate, stop the flow after the first 3rd. You should be able to manage that quite easily. If you can’t, then get on with the pelvic floor exercises until you be able to do so. It is a good idea to do them daily in any case, so these muscles stay strong, especially after childbirth. This will prevent problems as you get older
Here is a great and inexpensive App that will help with pelvic floor exercises. Go to your App Store and look for the NHS Squeezy App. There is a nominal one-off charge, but it is well worth it and you can tailor your own pelvic floor program to suit your needs.
Sexual health and reproduction (male and female) are hot topics these days. As couples are older when they try for a family.
Here is an article that might interest you regarding a totally natural form of birth control (it works both ways – if you want to avoid getting pregnant or if you have trouble getting pregnant) Conceive with the moon
Another hot topic is the lack of sexual appetite. Some people are born with more and others with less sexual appetite and that is perfectly normal. Stress and worries definitely take a toll on sexual appetite. So the first rule here is to relax, meditate and find peace of mind. A relaxed person finds sex often more enjoyable. Below are a few herbs that may offer help.
If you suffer from a lack of sexual appetite here are a few natural foods that might be beneficial.
Lady’s Mantle
When it comes to female-related topics such as menstruation, menopause, and pregnancy, Lady’s Mantel herb is a real cure-all.
You can either prepare it as a sitz bath or drink it as tea.
Below is a tea recipe for all kinds of applications.
Ingredients
1/2 cup lady’s mantle
1/2 cup red raspberry leaf
1/4 cup lemon balm (you can add more to taste)
For larger quantities expand in this ratio and keep it in a large glass jar.
- Place all herbs in a dry, glass jar with a lid and shake until they’re mixed up well. Alternatively you can mix the herbs in a bowl and then add the mixture to the jar.
- To make one cup of tea all you need is 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs per cup of hot water.
- For a strong brew to add to a sitz bath, steep 1-2 tablespoons of herbs in a generous cup of hot water for about 5-10 minutes and strain, then add to the bath water and remain for 15 minutes until the bath cools down. This is a great relief during your period, especially if you suffer from pain or PMS. You can top your sitz bath up with actual drinking cups of tea during the day (use the same mixture).
- Begin drinking the tea about a week before you are expecting your period.
- If you have problems with heavy cramping, try drinking a cup (warm or iced) every day of the month.
For your hips and general well-being into old age, have a look into Pilates classes near you.
More information on this subject will be added in due course
