Body / A free visual lesson

The Queen’s Cycle

Understand your period.
Know what may help. Know when to seek care.

Every girl deserves the chance to understand her body.

Hi, Queen. Whether your first period is ahead of you or you’ve had many, there’s room to ask questions here. Let’s make a little sense of what your body is doing.

General period education, with a personal note from Lily. About the guidance and sources.

Severe pain, fainting or heavy bleeding? Go straight to help guidance.

Download an offline reading copy

01 · Get acquainted

Where does the blood come from?

A period is blood and tissue leaving the lining inside your uterus, also called your womb. It passes through the cervix and out through the vagina. It is not the same opening you pee from.

A simplified front cutaway, not to scale. The dotted line shows the route menstrual flow takes.

1 · Ovaries
Hold eggs and make hormones.
2 · Fallopian tubes
An egg can travel along a tube toward the uterus.
3 · Uterus / womb
A muscular organ low in the belly.
4 · Lining
The inner layer that builds and sheds.
5 · Cervix
The lower part of the uterus, with a small opening.
6 · Vagina
The passage from the cervix to outside the body.

Sources: NHS: the menstrual cycle; ACOG: your first period.

02 · Follow the changes

A cycle, not a perfect clock.

Hormones are chemical messengers. They help coordinate changes in your ovaries and the lining of your uterus.

01 / BLEEDING
The lining sheds.
The first day of your period is day one of the cycle.
02 / BUILDING
The lining grows again.
Estrogen helps rebuild it while an egg develops in an ovary.
03 / OVULATION
An egg is released.
This is called ovulation. It does not happen on the same day for everyone.
04 / AFTER OVULATION
The lining is supported.
Progesterone helps maintain it. If pregnancy does not occur, hormone levels fall and the next period begins.

These pictures show a sequence, not fixed lengths of time. Some cycles, especially early teenage cycles, happen without ovulation.

Count from the start of one period to the start of the next. Early teenage cycles are often irregular. If they repeatedly come less than 21 or more than 45 days apart, ask a health professional. A gap of 3 months deserves assessment even in the early years.

Bleeding often lasts 2–7 days. Red, pink or brown blood can occur. Some people notice bloating, tender breasts or mood changes; others do not.

This lesson cannot predict fertile days and is not contraception.

Sources: NHS: cycle, NHS: periods, AAP: teenage periods.

03 · When it begins

“I think my period has started.”

It may first look like a small stain. You have done nothing wrong. Before it starts, breast development and other puberty changes may give clues—but nobody can promise the exact day.

Ask someone you trust. A caregiver, teacher, nurse or community health worker can help you find supplies and a private place to change.
Start with a clean pad or folded, clean, dry cloth in your underwear. Disposable pads stick to the underwear, not your skin. Secure reusable cloth so it stays in place; do not put it inside the vagina.
Change regularly. Change pads or cloth about every 3–6 hours, sooner when wet or full. Wash hands before and after. Wrap disposable pads for the bin, not the toilet.
Wash reusable cloth with soap and clean water; dry it fully before reuse. Sunlight helps where available. Store it clean and dry. Gently wash the outside genital area; do not wash inside the vagina.

If water, privacy or supplies are difficult to find, that is an access problem—not a personal failure. Ask a trusted local school, clinic or community organisation what support exists.

What about tampons, cups and period underwear?

These are options, not requirements. Reusable products need suitable washing and drying or cleaning facilities. Follow the product’s instructions.

For tampons, choose the lowest absorbency you need and change every 4–8 hours; never leave one in longer than 8 hours. Sudden fever, vomiting, a rash or feeling faint during use can signal a rare but serious illness called toxic shock syndrome: remove the tampon and seek urgent medical help.

FDA: tampon safety; NHS: product options.

Source: UNICEF: preparing for periods.

04 · Care with understanding

Why cramps happen. What may help.

The uterus is muscle. Natural chemicals called prostaglandins help it contract as the lining sheds. Those contractions can feel like cramps.

Try comfortable warmth.

A warm compress or a hot-water bottle wrapped in cloth may ease discomfort. Keep it warm, not scalding; check your skin and avoid sleeping on a heat source.

Gentle walking, stretching or massage may also help. Choose what feels comfortable; you do not need to force yourself through pain.

Medicines: helpful options, with care

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen can reduce the prostaglandins involved in cramps. They tend to work best when started at the first sign of bleeding or pain, if safe for you. Paracetamol (also called acetaminophen) may be an option when ibuprofen is unsuitable.

Use the local product instructions for your age and weight. If you are under 18, check the guidance for children and teenagers rather than assuming an adult dose applies. Ask a pharmacist or qualified health worker if unsure. Do not take more than the label allows or accidentally repeat the same ingredient in different products.

Check before using ibuprofen if you have asthma, stomach ulcers, kidney problems, a medicine allergy, take other medicines, or could be pregnant. Do not combine it with naproxen or aspirin. Do not give aspirin to anyone under 16.

What if that is not enough?

A clinician can assess the cause and discuss options such as hormonal treatment or a TENS device. Hormonal treatment may be used for pain even when contraception is not the main goal. Increasing pain or pain that disrupts life deserves assessment, including for conditions such as endometriosis.

You do not have to prove you are strong by putting up with pain.

Sources: ACOG: painful periods; NHS: period pain; NHS: ibuprofen for adults; NHS: ibuprofen for children and teenagers; NHS: NSAIDs; AAP: teenage periods.

A personal note · From Lily

A Little Hug from Lily

Please, make yourself comfortable.
You are worth the effort.

When I was a teenager, my period could be so frustrating. My body was changing, and I didn’t understand why I had to go through this every month. The cramps. The bleeding. Worrying about a leak on my underwear, my dress, or the place where I’d been sitting.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more familiar with my cycle. I still get cramps. It can still be uncomfortable and get in the way of things I want to do. But now, I prepare a little kindness for myself.

I have thick socks ready. A soft blanket. My heating pad. Big, comfortable sweatpants and a warm, baggy sweater. This month, I have peppermint tea waiting because that’s what I feel like enjoying. Next month, I might want something different.

These are my comforts. They don’t have to be yours.

What feels like care to you?

Maybe it’s a cup of tea. Fried eggs and French bread. Beans or a bowl of soup. Maybe it’s choosing clothes that feel good against your body, or having another pair of socks because today you feel like a different colour.

You’re allowed to give yourself options. You don’t have to buy anything new or make a perfect plan. Start with what you have and what feels possible.

Sometimes I want us to remember that there is still a world outside the discomfort. If you feel up to it, talk to a friend. Step outside and watch the birds. Take a short, gentle walk. Watch the sunset. Draw something. What interests you?

And if what you need is sleep, it’s okay. Make your resting place comfortable if you can—a softer layer, another blanket, or a room temperature that suits you. You don’t have to earn your rest.

And about those leaks…

I know the worry. Wearing darker clothes just in case. Carrying a sweater. Wondering whether the pad has shifted. A spare pair of underwear or supplies can help you feel prepared when they’re available.

But if your clothes or sheets get stained, you have not done anything wrong. Take care of yourself first. A stain does not make you dirty, careless, or less worthy of comfort.

It’s okay to change your plans.
It’s okay to ask for help.
It’s okay to rest.

When I talk about loving yourself, this is part of what I mean: let that love show up as care. Not a test you have to pass. Just one kind thing you can do for yourself, right where you are.

What would help you feel a little more comfortable right now?

I’m encouraging you, Queen. Please give yourself some tenderness, too.

With love,
Lily

These are my experiences and personal comforts, not a treatment plan. You don’t need to push through pain or force yourself to feel cheerful. If symptoms are severe or keep interrupting your life, you deserve support beyond home comfort.

05 · You deserve support

When to get help.

Get urgent help now

Severe or worsening lower-belly pain; pelvic pain with heavy bleeding, faintness or difficulty breathing; or heavy bleeding with dizziness or weakness.
Pelvic pain with a possible pregnancy needs urgent assessment, especially with one-sided pain or shoulder-tip pain.

Use your local emergency number or nearest emergency service. If transport is difficult, ask a trusted person or health worker to help arrange it. Do not wait for the next period.

Seek prompt advice

Fever with pelvic pain, unusual discharge, or severe pain that usual pain relief does not help should be assessed promptly.

Repeatedly soaking through a pad in 1–2 hours, bleeding beyond 7 days, or symptoms stopping you from attending school or doing everyday activities also need medical attention.

Arrange a check if your first period has not arrived by 15, or periods stop for 3 months. If pregnancy is possible, take a pregnancy test and seek advice sooner. Ongoing exhaustion or breathlessness with heavy periods may need an anaemia check.

Sources: NHS: pelvic pain; AAP: teenage periods; NHS: heavy periods.

A sentence you can bring with you

“My bleeding started on ____. I’m changing my pad or cloth every ____. The pain stops me from ____. I’ve tried ____.”

Write this on paper if useful. This page does not ask you to enter or store cycle information.

Come back whenever you need a reminder. Your questions belong here.

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Where the guidance comes from

General education, not a diagnosis or personal treatment plan. Lily’s personal reflection is identified separately. This page has not been independently clinically reviewed or tested with teenage readers. NHS and FDA references were rechecked on 30 October 2026; ACOG, AAP and UNICEF references could not be rechecked on that date because access was blocked.