Navigating periods at school

Tips, tricks and your questions answered 💯

Quick summary ✨

1️⃣ Unexpected period: if caught off guard without products, ask a friend, teacher, or school nurse for help. If not, use rolled-up toilet paper as a makeshift pad until you can get a product

2️⃣ Being prepared: carry a period kit with pads, tampons, spare underwear and painkillers

3️⃣ School trips: customise your period kit for trips, adding things like wipes and sanitisers. Consider longer-lasting products like menstrual cups if changing will be tough

4️⃣ Managing cramps: ease cramps with painkillers (with adult permission if under 16), comfy trousers, heat pads, and fibre-rich snacks

5️⃣ Concerns about smell: it’s unlikely someone can smell your period, but showering before school and changing period products can help

6️⃣ Preventing leakage: double up or change pads/tampons regularly

7️⃣ Unwrapping products quietly: the cough or flush method both work well, though there really isn’t anything to be embarrassed about!

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luna’s experts know all too well how much stress there is around having or getting your period at school! So here you’ll find all the big questions, answered 💖 

What happens if I get my period unexpectedly without products?

In this situation, you have two options. The first best thing you can do is ask a friend who’s got their period, a teacher or a school nurse if they have one you can use 🗣 If that’s not an option, you can roll up some toilet paper to use as a makeshift pad until you can ask later.

How can I be more prepared for starting my period in school?

Some people choose to carry a period kit around with them so they’re prepared at all times 🫡 You can use a large-ish pencil case or makeup bag to carry this 😊 This kit often includes: 

• Pads
• Tampons
• Panty liners
• Spare underwear
• Pain killers 
• Anything else that makes you more comfortable, e.g. heat pads, hand sanitiser, wipes

It’s a good idea to carry 2-3 pads/tampons in case you end up out of the house for a while before you can go home 💡 

How do I deal with a period on a school trip?

Just like before, period kits are super handy for school trips! Depending on what you’re doing, you might not have access to all the same things as you would in school, though ✨ 

For example, if you’re camping, you might benefit more from having things like wipes and sanitiser. Another great thing you can take with you into the wilderness is small, scented bin bags in case there aren’t any bins you can use close by 🏕

Lastly, some people prefer to try longer-lasting products, like a menstrual cup. These are great because they don’t need to be changed multiple times per day and generally shouldn’t allow any leakage 💖

How can I feel more comfortable having cramps at school?

Cramps at school can be really tough – in fact, luna users vote it as the number 1 reason for why having a period at school is so difficult!

Here are luna’s tips on what to carry to help out with the pain: 

• Pain killers: paracetamol and ibuprofen are two over-the-counter painkillers you can keep with you for if you need 💊– just make sure you follow the instructions if you’re going to take them! If you’re under 16, you’ll need an adult to get them for you 💡
• Loose trousers: often, with bloating, it’s a good idea to wear loose trousers 👖 This also makes it less likely a pad will be noticeable, and if you leak it won’t run down your leg 🙌🏽
• Heat pad: hot water bottles and hot baths are great, but when you’re at school and can’t have either – a heat pad is a great alternative 🔥
• Snacks with fibre: bananas and fibre-bars are great to have as they help with pain and give you energy to continue on with your day 🍌

I’m worried people can smell my period, is this possible?

Periods do have a smell 👃 but it’s different for every menstruator and it’s generally not very strong 🙅‍♀️ It might smell a bit like blood or like metal – this is because of the iron and bacteria that will be present as the blood leaves your vagina.

It’s unlikely that people will smell it, but you can make the odds even smaller by following luna’s period hygiene advice 💯The best ways to make sure people don’t smell your period are…

• regularly have showers – have one the morning before school to start the day super fresh, if you can 🚿 
• change your period products regularly – if it’s a pad, it can smell a little stronger more quickly as the blood is being absorbed into a product that sits outside of your vagina, unlike a tampon which sits inside; so it’s best to change these more frequently (every few hours)⏳

How do I stop my period leaking?

There are a few different reasons why you might be leaking, so here’s some tips:

• Position of product: sometimes a pad can move around if you’re sat down or during a sports lesson 🏋️ In this case, make sure you’re wearing secure, tight underwear to keep the pad in place, and consider doubling up with another period product like a tampon or period pants 💕
• Not changing the product: if a period product is full – whether that’s a tampon, pad or pants – it will start leaking. It’s best to change a pad every few hours 🔁and a tampon every 4-8 hours depending on what size you’re using and your flow heaviness

How can I change a pad in the toilets quietly?

Remember, there’s absolutely no shame in having your period and changing your products in the bathroom 🙅‍♀️ - so don’t worry about the rustling sound that comes with opening a tampon or a pad ✨ 

However, if you want to, you can cough over the noise, or unwrap it at the same time as flushing the toilet to mask the sound – although this is totally not necessary and only if you are very uncomfortable 🌻 

luna hopes this has helped you feel prepared for having your period at school 💖 Remember, if you ever have any questions or worries, you can Ask luna’s experts ❤️

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