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Why Talk Red to Your Dad
In many households, conversations about periods are often left to mothers and daughters. However, it’s essential to break down these traditional barriers. Here’s why you shouldn’t feel awkward mentioning periods to your dad. There is nothing to be hush about 🤫 Menstruation is a natural biological process that all womankind experience. There’s no secrecy or need to treat periods as something shameful. Normalizing conversations about periods with all family members, including dads, helps to break the stigma and makes it easier for everyone to address menstrual health openly and honestly 🫂Better Communication & Connection Open communication within a family strengthens relationships, by strengthening empathy. When you feel comfortable discussing periods with your dad, it encourages a more inclusive and supportive relationship. It allows him the opportunity to empathize & provide you with better support when needed. This openness can extend to other important topics, fostering trust and mutual respect. 🩸Educating Dads on Menstrual Health Many fathers may not have had the opportunity to learn much about menstruation. By talking to your dad about your period, you’re not only educating him but also helping him become a better ally and advocate for menstrual health. This knowledge can be beneficial for him to support you and other family members more effectively. 💪🏼Empowering Daughters and Fathers Alike Breaking the silence around periods empowers both daughters and fathers. For daughters, it reduces feelings of shame or embarrassment. For fathers, it provides a chance to demonstrate their care in yet another important aspect of their daughter’s life. 🤫Breaking Down the “hush-hush” By having open conversations about periods with your dad, you contribute to breaking down outdated gender stereotypes. It challenges the notion that periods are a “woman’s issue” and shows that men can be informed and supportive parents in menstrual health. The onus need not fall all on the mother. ❗Practical Tips for Starting the Conversation If you’re unsure how to bring up the topic of periods with your dad, we have suuuper helpful tips for you: 👉🏼Start Simple: Begin with basic information and gauge his response. “Dad, I wanted to talk to you about something important regarding my health.” 👉🏼Be Honest: Share your feelings and why it’s important for you to have his support. 👉🏼Provide Context: Explain what you might need from him, whether it’s understanding, emotional support, or help in getting period products. 👉🏼Use Resources: Share educational resources or articles that can help him understand menstrual health better. 👉🏼Be Patient: Give him time to process and ask questions. It might be new for him, but with time, it will become easier. Conclusion Talking about periods with your dad may feel awkward initially, but it’s a step towards greater understanding and support within your family. Remember, periods are a natural part of life, and involving your dad in these conversations can lead to a more open, inclusive, and supportive relationship 💜 By breaking the silence, you empower yourself and those around you, paving the way for a future where menstrual health is no longer a taboo subject 🩸
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Why does my underwear stain even after washing?
You just bought a new pair of underwear, and wore them only a couple of times. But, why are there light, bleach-like patches showing up, even after a good wash? 🤔 Regardless of how often you wash them or how few times they’ve been worn, you might notice lighter areas in the crotch that look like they’ve been bleached. This isn’t due to a faulty washing machine or excessive wear – your vaginal discharge can actually bleach your underwear! Why Are There ‘Bleached’ Patches in Your Underwear? Your menstrual blood is a cocktail of blood, mucus, tissues, enzymes, proteins, etc! The vaginal discharge in it has a pH level that ranges from 3.5 to 7, leaning towards the acidic side. A healthy vagina produces more acidic discharge, but pH levels can vary due to factors like your sex life, hormones, and menstrual cycle. The vagina contains ‘good’ bacteria, like lactobacilli, which maintain the optimal acidity level to keep the vagina healthy and prevent bad bacteria from causing infections. This discharge increases during ovulation and pregnancy due to an increase in cervical mucus. When exposed to air, the discharge & blood can cause mild yellow or rusty brown stains due to oxidation. Guess what? It can also cause holes over time! 🫢 So having bleached patches on your underwear is quite normal and generally nothing to worry about, as long as you continue washing your period underwear thoroughly. Here’s a quick guide on the best way to do it! Is there something I can do to fix it? Honestly – not really. Enzyme-based cleaning products can help break down discharge stains, but ensure you use gentle cleaning products (avoid harsh cleaners!) to ensure they’re safe from any damage to the fabric! 🌸 When should you be concerned about discharge? If your discharge comes with: 😷 A rotten fishy odour🩸 Bloodstains, especially when you are nowhere near your period😖 Persistent irritation 🔥 Burning sensation❓Unusual colour/texture changes: green discharge or cottage cheese-like texture deserve professional attention as they may be signs of an infection. Your vagina is a delicate balance of enzymes & bacteria - the slightest change can upset this balance. Every cycle, every bleed is different too! While subtle changes in texture and colour are normal throughout the month, extreme bleaching on your period underwear might also be a sign to get your regular checkup done! 🏥 Sources: https://www.cheekypants.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-vaginal-discharge.html https://metro.co.uk/2019/05/24/vagina-leaves-bleached-patches-underwear-9672616/ https://cycle.care/en/afscheidingsvlekken-in-ondergoed-zo-krijg-je-ze-eruit
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Community Spotlight: A mother knows best, and we have proof!
At Nushu, we believe a mother knows best, but rarely do we celebrate a mother’s insight and careful deliberation in making the right choices for her daughter 💜 So this Mother’s Day, we dug into our community and spoke to Rashmi, who took the leap, and chose period underwear over pads for her daughter. As mother to 13-year-old Akaisha, Rashmi shared her insights on how she ensures that her teenage daughter fosters a healthy relationship with her body, and how using period underwear has had a ripple effect on her daughter ✨ 🚨 Community Spotlight: 🚨Mother: Rashmi, DelhiDaughter: Akaisha, Delhi 👉🏼Nushu: How do you plan to celebrate your daughter's milestones as she transitions into womanhood? Rashmi: Quite honestly, we didn’t really “celebrate” any milestones, like her first period, because I wanted to normalise it for her. I figured that making it a big deal might cause her to overthink the process, so it was a conscious choice to treat it that way. 👉🏼Nushu: How do you ensure an open & supportive dialogue with your daughter about her changing body? Rashmi: I think the prep for a sensitive conversation with your daughter starts much earlier on. From the get go, I’ve consciously built a friendship with her, so she is comfortable enough to come to me when something goes wrong. She knows that no matter what, her mom is there to back her up. So now, she is very open about everything with me. 👉🏼Nushu: Did that make “the talk” about menstruation easier? Rashmi: Before I spoke to her about it, she had already had a couple of educational sessions in school about it. She had friends who started bleeding before she did. So when I brought it up, she said “Mumma, I already know all this”. But yes, it did help. The only thing she asked me was, “Mumma, zyada dard toh nahi hoga?” (It wouldn’t hurt too much, right?). To that, I reassured her that, as long as she tells me everything she is going through, we will figure everything out. This is normal. 👉🏼Nushu: What urged you to buy period panties for your daughter? Rashmi: I came across Nushu when my daughter had already started menstruating – it had been a couple of years. Initially she was using pads, but since her flow was super heavy, she would constantly leak through them. Plus, they were extremely uncomfortable, so I really wanted to get her something she could wear comfortably, for long hours, without leakage! I did my own research, spoke to the team, ensured that the sizing would be right, and finally decided to buy her a pair to try! Since then, she has been wearing Nushu Period Panties every single cycle! She is super comfortable in them and she hasn’t leaked at all since she started wearing them. 👉🏼Nushu: What lessons have you learned from your own experiences with menstruation that you hope to pass on to your daughter? Rashmi: One practice I’d pass onto her is maintaining top-notch personal hygiene. But other than that, I think I grew up with quite a few misconceptions around menstrual blood – that it’s dirty and cannot be touched. Another one was – I can’t visit the temple, I can’t wash my hair except on certain days, etc, which a lot of us have grown up with. Those are things that I want her to know are just irrelevant! We’ve all heard these unsaid rules and imposed limitations that are never backed by logic or science. I would never want these “rules” to faze her relationship with her own body and cycle. 👉🏼Nushu: What advice would you give to other mothers considering period underwear for their children? Rashmi: It’s not the 90s anymore. If we have better choices than pads, then why not explore them? One lovely ripple effect I noticed was – using Period Panties has made my daughter more responsible for her own hygiene and more independent as well. She washes her own underwear without my interference, so she is more conscious about her hygiene that way. We’re immensely grateful for all the mothers out there who grew out of the taboos they were raised with so they could raise their daughters with more confidence and freedom! Today’s young girls are tomorrow’s women who navigate life with poise and conviction 💜 Shop some of our bestselling period underwear right here
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