She is not alone

Most women have period pain at some point in their lives and many suffer every month. For some the pain is so intense that they have to take time off work or school.

At lot of girls say that stomach cramps signal the start of their period and that the pain starts to ease off after the first day or so (though some can suffer for up to 3 days or more). When it comes to the cramps, some girls feel the odd twinge while others are doubled up in pain. Usually the pain is centred in the lower abdomen but sometimes it can travel up the spine, down the legs and round to the lower back. As well as the cramps, your daughter might also feel dizzy or nauseous, and she could even be sick or have other symptoms such as headaches, diarrhoea or constipation.

For some girls, it's not just period pain they have to contend with every month. In the days (sometimes weeks) leading up to their period, they also suffer from the physical and emotional symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), which include bloating, tender breasts, a swollen stomach, back and lower abdominal pain, headaches, lack of concentration, mood swings, clumsiness and tiredness.

Period Predictor

Use our Period Predictor to find out the likely start dates of your periods for the next 12 months

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