Your first time of the month can come with a range of emotions: confusion, excitement, sadness, and discomfort to name a few. We wish we had a place to learn about first period stories back in the day. So, we asked our Winx Health (formerly known as Stix) team, friends, family, community: when did you get your first period? Keep reading for some comfort, nostalgia, horror stories, and LOLs.

“8th grade summer I was babysitting and I was at the pool when I got it. My dad had to bring me one of my mom’s tampons and I had to get my mom to talk to me over the phone and explain how to put a tampon in.”

“I was just shy of 13. I was at softball practice and my dad was the coach. I felt an odd pain so I went to the bathroom to find old, brown blood in my underwear. I felt confused because it wasn’t bright red, so I wasn’t sure what it was. I told my dad I needed to call my mom because I was having pain “down there” (very awk) lol. Since my parents are divorced, my mom had luckily given me a care package, in case this happened, to have at my dads house. I used toilet paper for the rest of practice until I got home.”

“I got my period for the first time in Spanish class in 7th grade. I’m pretty sure there was a little mark on the chair when I stood up. I had to go to the bathroom and I didn’t have a pad or tampon so I just put toilet paper in my undies.”

“It was the summer going into 9th grade. I was at Chili’s with my mom and sister and I was too embarrassed to say something at lunch. I waited till we got home but by that point I had bled through my new favorite Old Navy shorts. I remember I came running down the stairs crying to my mom.”

“I woke up for the first day of Sophomore year to blood in my pjs and couldn’t find my mom anywhere (unbeknownst to me she was getting admitted to the hospital). I just used toilet paper and only told one friend who lived far away. She shipped me pads and tampons.” 

“I got my first period in eighth grade, I think I was thirteen. I was one of the last ones of my friends to get it and felt super embarrassed to be so "far behind." I was at my best friend's house when it happened, and I remember the spotting was dark brown and didn't look like blood at all. I now know that this is super common for your first period, but at the time I was freaked out and even embarrassed to tell my own mom.” 

“I got my period at the beach with my family the summer before 6th grade. My mom wasn’t there so I had to tell my dad who sent Grammy to get me pads and tampons and it was super awkward. My mom cried when I told her on the phone because she was sad she wasn’t there.”

“I got my period when I was 14, the summer before starting high school and on the first day of field hockey try-outs. (I had never played field hockey in my life). I went to the porta-potty, realized what happened ,and made a pad of toilet paper. Then I proceeded to run the timed mile at a snail's pace because I was scared of bleeding through. I had to wait while we were called up one by one to be told if we made the team or not. Shocker, I didn’t make it, but I just wanted to get the fuck home.”

“The first time I got my period I was twelve and on a family vacation to the beach. My mom had to help me put a tampon in because I had no idea what I was doing.” 

“I got my period the day after the period talk in 5th grade. It was brown, not red, and at first I was super confused. My mom got me pads and tampons, but I didn’t ever use a tampon until I was a senior in high school and my best friend helped me put it in. I’m not sure why, because I was having sex before that. I just remember being scared of tampons.” 

“It was my 13th birthday and I was on a ski trip so I started freaking out because I didn't understand what was happening. I never took a sex ed class (lol Catholic schools) and my mom had to explain to me what it was.” 

“I was 13. I woke up and knew what it was but didn’t know my anatomy well enough to really know where my vagina was. I was really confused about where it was coming from LOL.” 

“I was the last girl in my 8th grade class and felt really embarrassed and angry about it - I prayed to god for puberty to hit and eventually got it (aka the happiest day of my life). I must have been bleeding the whole day because there was a murder scene in my pants when I went to pee. Now I’m 24 and still praying for my period to come every month.” 

“I got my first period when I was in middle school. I remember coming home from a friend's house and realizing there was blood in my panties. I remember knowing what was going on but being so sad about it - I called my mom crying!”

“I didn’t get my period until I was 14! It was summer and I woke up with a dark spot on my underwear. I asked my mom what it was and she said it looked like I got my period. I cried so much and asked if there was a way to stop it. When we walked down the beach that afternoon, she pointed out every adult woman to me and said “she has her period, and so does she, and so does that woman over there”. It made me feel so much better at the time, and it was the last time I ever spoke to my mother about a vagina-related topic! Think I’m still that embarrassed 14-year-old even though I work in vaginal health!”

“I was 12 and on summer vacation at my Dad’s house. I had read my copy of The Care and Keeping of You cover to cover and everything, but everything I had been told left my brain upon seeing the blood. Luckily, my stepmom was home to support me and make sure I had everything I needed.” 

Check out the Orchyd App and Marketplace for all your time-of-the-month needs!