Rules, menstruation, moons, ragnagnas… what are they?

Menstruation, or periods, is the flow of a biological fluid composed mainly of blood, vaginal secretions and endometrial cells. Women experience this phenomenon from puberty (age of first period between 9 and 14 years on average).

It is a natural phenomenon, it is linked to the drop in progesterone levels during the cycle, which induces the detachment of the uterine lining which is evacuated through the vagina, leading to the bleeding characteristic of menstruation. However, this natural phenomenon which affects all women has only recently been analyzed in a precise and scientific manner (remember that we had to wait to see a clitoris represented in biology books). And if the relationship of women to menstruation varies and has varied with the times and different places in the world, it is often the cultural representation that was made of periods which could be called into question.

What is the place of menstruation throughout time?

Since ancient times, women have been brimming with creativity and clever ways. They used sea sponges, strips of papyrus, or even cotton or linen fabric wrapped around wooden sticks: they single-handedly created what we would call a tampon today! All sorts of legends and myths have been built around this vaginal discharge, but it appeared to be a natural and normal phenomenon.

However, in the Middle Ages, the emergence of monotheistic religions caused these legends and myths to become taboo. These women were then considered impure during their periods and the use of objects that were inserted into the vagina was prohibited: no longer in favor of tampons, women were forced to let the blood flow or to use petticoats to absorb it. They were advised to wash their private parts with plants to purify themselves and empty themselves of their evil...

We are now in the 20th century , the "century of hygiene," pioneered by Louis Pasteur. The rise of cleanliness suggests that periods are a "dirty" phenomenon; women are still singled out and have to make their own sanitary protection by, for example, recovering absorbent fabrics from children's diapers and attaching them to their underwear.

It was in 1920 that there was a real turning point, as the first models of disposable sanitary protection were developed by the Kotex company, which notably used post-war stocks of cotton cellulose. This was followed by the invention of the disposable tampon by the Kimberly-Clark company. Women were gradually freed from their position as "unhealthy and dirty creatures." Other writings from various eras also seem to indicate that a certain number of them practiced instinctive flow, that is, the instinctive management of their periods (having their periods while going to the toilet).

Discover our live on instinctive flow with Mélissa Carlier HERE

How is society's view of periods evolving?

Since the commercialization of sanitary protection, television advertisements have begun to depict menstruation. However, the beginnings are timid: the blood is represented by blue or transparent liquid and the message is often embellished: "great! Mother Nature is coming but I can still play tennis or run a marathon with my tampon." On the other hand, there is little mention of the discomforts , the famous premenstrual syndrome, headaches, stomach aches, tender breasts, mood swings, little spots that appear, the desire to devour tons of chips and chocolate... and yet, the body sends us interesting messages about our state through this!

And the good news is that 75% of our hormonal balance depends on our lifestyle, and we can act on it naturally.

We are fortunate to live in an era where, little by little, people are speaking out, women are getting involved, and we have eco-responsible and healthy alternatives, such as menstrual cups or panties. We now recognize diseases such as endometriosis , long minimized by the medical profession, thus freeing thousands of women from their suffering thanks to adequate treatments. We are increasingly recognizing the pain associated with cycles to the point where menstrual leave is being introduced in some companies.

And that's also MiYé 's fight : to lift the veil on these female taboos, to talk openly about our problems with intimate dryness, chronic discomfort, pain, or mood swings. We don't have to suffer our pain in silence just because it's linked to our cycles. We shouldn't have to be ashamed of buying sanitary protection, we shouldn't whisper "you know, I have my "woman things," or "my bad times." We shouldn't cry silently in pain or curl up on ourselves as discreetly as possible.

At MiYé, we say NO to the double punishment of puberty, postpartum and perimenopause and we try to inform women as best we can through healthy eating , practical advice , programs and trusted partners to support them in these phases of hormonal storms.

Discover our natural products to better understand menstrual discomfort.

Recommended reading:

• In The Flo
• The making of menopause
• Menopausal and free