Day 15: Menstrual Blood

Here’s a fun series of children’s books I recently discovered as a parent: Parts by Tedd Arnold. Parts takes a child’s view on what is happening when he finds lint in his navel, or hair on his comb, or a loose tooth. He assumes that the parts of his body are coming loose, falling out. His parents eventually reassure him that these events are normal and that nothing out of the ordinary is happening.

I don’t recall the title, but I remember reading a book about a girl who was not educated about puberty and thinks she is dying of a mysterious disease when she gets her first period. She assumes she is bleeding to death, and is very frightened. When she finally goes to an adult for help, the adult laughs at her, and without explaining anything, hands her a box of feminine products. I can only imagine how terrifying that would be, to know that a flow of blood is usually supposed to mean something is very wrong, and then to see that blood is coming from somewhere inside of you. I am thankful that I was taught about this sign of maturity in advance and in such a way so that when my first period came, I was excited and proud to know that I was growing up to become a woman.

It could be argued that women might be more comfortable with blood talk and blood imagery, because we encounter blood regularly. From our teenage years, we learn that that sight of blood is not always a sign of injury or disease, but that blood can mean that our female bodies are able to host new life. The blood flow is a cleansing kind, helping rinse away uterine tissue so that our womb can renew itself as an optimal place for a developing embryo, should one settle in. Dealing with a period can sometimes be a nuisance and every girl has a few embarrassing stories from her teenage years. But menstrual blood is normal and beautiful, signalling the potential for new life.