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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:30 pm
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:31 pm
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The Female Reproductive System
Baby girls are born with ovaries, fallopian tubes, and a uterus. The two ovaries are oval-shaped and sit on either side of the uterus (womb) in the lowest part of the abdomen called the pelvis. They contain thousands of eggs, or ova. The two fallopian tubes are long and thin. Each fallopian tube stretches from an ovary to the uterus, a pear-shaped organ that sits in the middle of the pelvis. The muscles in a female's uterus are powerful and are able to expand to allow the uterus to accommodate a growing fetus and then help push the baby out during labor.
As a girl matures and enters puberty, the pituitary gland releases hormones that stimulate the ovaries to produce other hormones called estrogen and progesterone. These hormones have many effects on a girl's body, including physical maturation, growth, and emotions.
About once a month, a tiny egg leaves one of the ovaries — a process called ovulation — and travels down one of the fallopian tubes toward the uterus. In the days before ovulation, the hormone estrogen stimulates the uterus to build up its lining with extra blood and tissue, making the walls of the uterus thick and cushioned. This happens to prepare the uterus for pregnancy: If the egg is fertilized by a sperm cell, it travels to the uterus and attaches to the cushiony wall of the uterus, where it slowly develops into a baby.
If the egg isn't fertilized, though — which is the case during most of a woman's monthly cycles — it doesn't attach to the wall of the uterus. When this happens, the uterus sheds the extra tissue lining. The blood, tissue, and unfertilized egg leave the uterus, going through the v****a on the way out of the body. This is a menstrual period. This cycle happens almost every month for several more decades (except, of course, when a female is pregnant) until a woman reaches menopause and no longer releases eggs from her ovaries.
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:32 pm
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How Often Does A Girl Get Her Period?
Just as some girls begin puberty earlier or later than others, the same applies to periods. Some girls may start menstruating as early as age 10, but others may not get their first period until they are 15 years old.
The amount of time between a girl's periods is called her menstrual cycle (the cycle is counted from the start of one period to the start of the next). Some girls will find that their menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, whereas others might have a 24-day cycle, a 30-day cycle, or even longer. Following menarche, menstrual cycles last 21–45 days. After a couple of years, cycles shorten to an adult length of 21–34 days.
Irregular periods are common in girls who are just beginning to menstruate. It may take the body a while to sort out all the changes going on, so a girl may have a 28-day cycle for 2 months, then miss a month, for example. Usually, after a year or two, the menstrual cycle will become more regular. Some women continue to have irregular periods into adulthood, though.
As a girl gets older and her periods settle down — or she gets more used to her own unique cycle — she will probably find that she can predict when her period will come. In the meantime, it's a good idea to keep track of your menstrual cycle with a calendar.
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:33 pm
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:34 pm
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:35 pm
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PMS & Pimples
Some girls and women find that they feel sad or easily irritated during the few days or week before their periods. Others may get angry more quickly than normal or cry more than usual. Some girls crave certain foods. These types of emotional changes may be the result of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
PMS is related to changes in the body's hormones. As hormone levels rise and fall during a woman's menstrual cycle, they can affect the way she feels, both emotionally and physically. Some girls, in addition to feeling more intense emotions than they usually do, notice physical changes along with their periods — some feel bloated or puffy because of water retention, others notice swollen and sore breasts, and some get headaches.
PMS usually goes away soon after a period begins, but it can come back month after month. Eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercising may help relieve some of the symptoms of PMS. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about your premenstrual symptoms.
It's also not uncommon for girls to have an acne flare-up during certain times of their cycle; again, this is due to hormones. Fortunately, the pimples associated with periods tend to become less of a problem as girls get older.
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:36 pm
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Pads, Tampons, & Liners
Once you begin menstruating, you'll need to use something to absorb the blood. Most girls use a pad or a tampon. But some use menstrual cups, which a girl inserts into her v****a to catch and hold the blood (instead of absorbing it, like a tampon).
There are so many products out there that it may take some experimenting before you find the one that works best for you. Some girls use only pads (particularly when they first start menstruating), some use only tampons, and some switch around — tampons during the day and pads at night, for example.
Girls who worry about leakage from a tampon often use a pantiliner, too, and some girls use liners alone on very light days of their periods.
Periods shouldn't get in the way of exercising, having fun, and enjoying life. Girls who are very active, particularly those who enjoy swimming, often find that tampons are the best option during sports.
If you have questions about pads, tampons, or coping with periods, ask a parent, health teacher, school nurse, or older sister.
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:53 pm
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:54 pm
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User Suggestions
If you have a suggestion on how to relieve cramps, get rid of acne, or anything else related to this topic, feel free to post them. I'll add them if they are helpful suggestions.
Cissy-Chan Another great way to relieve cramps is the Superman Stretch. Lay down on your stomach and lift both arms and legs off the ground. Hold as long as you can. Repeat a few times. This will stretch the muscles surrounding the uterus and get blood flowing to that area, thus getting the uterus to relax. Doesnt look pretty so its good for a morning or evening stretch, but getting to stretch that area in any way works, I like to rock my hips too.
TenshiMystic57 Here's some cramp relievers.. 1.OTC pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen used around the clock at the first sign of your period helps to reduce the severity of cramps in many women by inhibiting the release of prostaglandins. 2.Regular exercise such as walking helps to prevent or at least reduce the severity of menstrual cramps for some women. 3.Oral contraceptives may effectively reduce or eliminate menstrual cramps for some women; however you should consider the side effects of oral contraceptives before using them to prevent cramps. 4.Zinc, calcium, and B vitamins obtained in food and supplements have been found to reduce cramps, bloating and other symptoms. 5.Herbal remedies such as Viburnum prunifolium, Scutellaria spp., and Cimicifuga raemosa have an antispasmodic effect that may reduce some 6.A warm bath filled with aromatherapy or a heating pad on your lower abdomen and back is often helpful for relieving menstrual cramping. ......cramps sucks.......oh and i got this info on the internet, but number six is often a good way to relieve cramps ^o^
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:55 pm
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:59 pm
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 6:07 pm
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 6:12 pm
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 6:13 pm
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 6:15 pm
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