Why Keeping Warm Is Part of Proper Period Care

For most of my life I felt plagued by painful periods with lots of cramps and clots.  I would happily tuck into a tub of Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream in an attempt to give myself some sort of comfort from feeling so utterly miserable. Little did I know at the time, that anything ice cold (like ice cream or iced drinks) was actually perpetuating the problem and helping to create more clots and stagnation in the uterus, which led to even more cramping.  Giving up cold beverages and food during my period has been a real game changer and in this post I will explain why.

What happens during the period?

The period is essentially a womb cleanse of blood where the lining of the uterus is flushed clean with fresh blood that has been especially created in surplus in the liver.  Blood is made up mostly of water and in order for water to flow freely it needs to be warm, not ice cold.

Think about water and what happens to it when we put it in the freezer?  In turns into ice.  The same thing is happening to the period blood.  If we are sending ice cold ice cream or drink into the womb space it causes the blood to congeal and clot.  When the uterus cramps it causes a sensation of pain in the womb space.  The only two times your uterus will ever cramp/contract is during labour when the uterus is trying to push the baby out or during your period when the uterus knows it has a clot that needs to pass.

So if you can keep the blood nice and smooth and warm, then provided there is nothing else inside the uterus that is causing a ‘road block’ (such as old residue), then the blood should be able to pass effortlessly and easily and there will be no need for cramping which would create pain.

It’s worth mentioning here that tampons are a ‘road block’ when it comes to the blood being able to pass easily. If you’re using them and experiencing cramping, experiment with a moon cup or pad and notice if there is a change in the cramps.

What to do for your next period

The next time your period arrives, the moment you see the first evidence of it, pour yourself a hot mug of herbal tea and keep it topped up throughout the period.  This ensures that you are well hydrated (to help with the blood production to cleanse the womb) and it keeps your womb space nice and warm.  In fact even better, if you’ve been charting your cycle and you know your period is about to arrive in a few days time, make sure to increase your water intake to help your body produce beautifully hydrated blood for your period.  As best you can during your period, avoid any iced drinks or smoothies.  This applies to cold cocktails and wine.

Consider the food that you eat as well.  If you usually start your day with cold cereal, cold fruit, or a cold smoothie – substitute these with warm oatmeal and notice the change.  The same with lunch – replace your cold salad with a warming soup.  If dinner is cold – replace it with a warming soup or hearty stew.  For everything that passes your lips, consider if it is hot or cold.

What if it’s hard to let go of cold things?

If you live somewhere hot this can be a real challenge or if that bowl of ice cream is something you just don’t want to let go of, then go ahead and have it, but immediately follow it up with a hot herbal tea.  It’s not ideal, but it’s at least better than allowing the cold to get in and affect the environment in your womb space.

If you do have something cold and don’t follow it up with something warm, spend some time noticing what happens.  We are the best person to care for our body and it’s needs.  That starts with listening and noticing the signs and feedback our bodies are constantly giving us in every moment.

I hope that you found this post helpful and if you do have any big revelations from implementing these suggestions then please let us know.  As always, if you found this helpful and know someone that could benefit, please share this post.

Leave a Comment

0