PERIOD, czyli jak rozmawiać z dzieckiem o menstruacji po angielsku

Zaczęły się tematy związane z menstruacją. Jako, że głęboko wierzę, iż niezależnie od wieku dziecko, które zadaje konkretne pytanie jest gotowe i zasługuje na to, by poznać prawdziwą odpowiedź, zaczęłam trzyletniej córce powoli tłumaczyć o co chodzi z kobiecym ciałem, do czego służą tampony, podpaski i wkładki higieniczne, które znalazła w łazience.

Póki co powiedziałam jej tyle ile potrzebowała, żeby zaspokoić swoją ciekawość. Pewnie będziemy wracały do tematu nie raz, więc przygotowałam się już na bardziej szczegółowe pytania, by dać mojemu dociekliwemu rozmówcy satysfakcjonujące i wyczerpujące odpowiedzi. Moje notatki znajdziecie poniżej:

MENSTRUATION / MONTHLY / PERIOD - menstruacja, miesiączka, okres

Monthlies are totally natural and all healthy girls have them.
The first period usually occurs between 12-15 years of age.
Every month a woman bleeds from her vagina.
The bleeding usually lasts for a few days.
A period indicates that a woman is not pregnant.
If a woman gets pregnant, she no longer has monthlies.
Some women feel tired/nervous/irritated or have mood swings while having their monthly period.
Women can face a level of discomport or even pain during the menstrual period.
Sometimes ladies experience cramps as well.
Women can choose what they want to use to absorb the blood. They can wear sanitary napkins, insert tampons or menstrual cups.

SANITARY NAPKIN / SANITARY PAD / SANITARY TOWEL - podpaska

Women wear sanitary napkins while menstruating / having a period.
Sanitary napkins are very absorbent and easily collect menstrual blood.
Sanitary pads come in different shapes and sizes. You have to find these ones which will suit you best.
Sanitary napkin is disposable. You throw it away and take a new one if necessary.
It's very easy to use a sanitary pad. You have to take it out of the package and unfold it. Then, you remove the strip at the back of your sanitary pad (or three strips if you are using a pad with wings). And finally, press it adhesive side down onto the crotch of your underwear.
Check your sanitary napkin every two hours. If you see that it's wet and doesn't absorb menstrual fluids anymore, replace it with a new one.
You can dispose of your sanitary napkin in a very clean and discreet way. Remove it from your underwear, fold it in half, wrap it in a toilet paper and throw it away in a trashcan.
Do never try to flush a sanitary pad in the toilet. It will clog the pipes and cause the toilet to overflow.

REUSABLE / WASHABLE / CLOTH (SANITARY) PAD / NAPKIN - podpaska wielokrotnego użytku

There are also cloth sanitary napkins which can be reused as many times as you want.
Reusable pads come in many shapes and sizes, they are also made of different fabrics. Perhaps you'd like to try those fluffy ones?
After using one, you need to rinse it with cold water. Remember hot water makes blood stains 'set' and they become impossible to budge!
If you can't rinse the washable pad straightaway, put it in a box or a plastic bag.
After removing the excess of blood, you can add the cloth napkin to your regular laundry.

PANTY LINER / PANTILINER - wkładka higieniczna

It's similar to sanitary napkin but a little it thinner.
It is designed to absorb daily vaginal discharge.
You can wear them also as a backup for tampon or cup use.
Panty liners are disposable. You cannot reuse them.

TAMPON - tampon

You insert the tampon inside your vagina. It stops and absorbs the blood inside your body.
Make sure that before you insert the tampon you unfold the string. It will be needed later to remove the tampon.
To take it out just relax your body and pull the string of a tampon.
Never throw used tampons in the toilet. They can clog it.
A tampon cannot be reused. You dispose of it and take a new one if needed.

(MENSTRUAL) CUP - kubeczek menstruacyjny

It's a firm cup made of soft plastic which you insert and wear in your vagina during menstruation. It collects your menstrual flow.
A cup is reusable, you can use it over and over again, even for 5 years.
The stem of a menstrual cup is used for insertion and removal.
There is how to use a cup: First, you fold it in a C shape and insert it in your vagina so that it's all inside including the stem. Once you insert it, it pops open. You can still twist or rotate the cup using the stem if you need to.
Every 4-12 hours (depending on the amount of the flow) you have to remove the cup, empty it, rinse it with water and reinsert it.
After each period, the cup has to be boiled for about 5 minutes and then stored for use the next month.

Ciekawostka! Istnieje również bardzo potoczne określenie BE ON THE RAG, którego dość często używa się w odniesieniu do menstruacji. Pochodzi ono jeszcze z czasów, gdy kobiety nie miały takiego wyboru i posiłkowały się kawałkiem materiału, by ukryć krwawienie. Przykładowe użycie: