Pain during periods · For ages 8–12
Why does my tummy hurt when I have my period?
Some people have pain low in their tummy when they have a period. Pain associated with a period is called menstrual pain.
About what you notice
What is happening?
Perhaps you feel an ache, pressure or cramps low in your tummy when you have your period. Cramps are pains that can feel like something tightening and relaxing again. Some people also have pain in their lower back.
A period involves blood and small pieces of a soft lining from inside the uterus. The uterus is a small, hollow organ low in your tummy. An organ is a part of your body that has a particular job. The uterus has muscles in its walls, and it is where a baby can grow during pregnancy.
When you have a period, the muscles in the uterus tighten and relax. These are called contractions. They help blood and the lining from inside the uterus pass out through the vagina, a soft passage ending at an opening between your legs. These contractions may feel painful.
Pain may start just before your period or when the bleeding begins. How much it hurts varies from person to person and from one time to another. Warmth, rest or gentle movement may help some people. If you need pain-relieving medicine, ask a responsible adult to help you use it correctly.
If pain makes you stay home from school, lose sleep or miss activities you want to do, tell an adult. A doctor can examine the cause and find treatment that may help. Pain on days other than those around your period can have other causes and should also be mentioned.
Find what fits best
Which sounds most like what you notice?
Choose the option closest to what you have seen, felt or noticed.
Why does my tummy hurt when I have my period?
Forklaringskort
Important to know
The uterus is inside your body, low in your tummy, approximately in the middle between your hip bones. You cannot feel the uterus itself from the outside, but pain from this area may be felt low in your tummy.
Your intestines and bladder are also in the lower part of your tummy. That is why it can be difficult to tell exactly where pain is coming from. Show where you feel it and explain whether it happens while you are bleeding. An adult can help you describe it.
During your period, blood and the lining from inside the uterus need to leave the body. The muscles in the uterus tighten and relax to help with this.
Think about muscles tightening and relaxing again. This can cause waves of aching or cramps. How much it hurts varies. Speak up if pain stops you doing your usual activities, even if you have heard that period pain is common.
It may feel like aching, cramps, pressure, stabbing or pain low in your tummy. Some people also feel pain in their lower back. The pain may come and go or stay for a while.
You do not need to find the perfect word. It is enough to say whether pain comes in waves, stays there all the time or moves around. Also describe feeling sick or needing to lie down. These examples help an adult understand.
Menstrual pain can begin just before bleeding starts or when your period comes. For many people, the pain is strongest when the bleeding is heaviest.
You can make a small mark on a calendar for days when you have pain and days when you see blood. It may help show whether they happen together. Tell an adult about sudden severe pain or pain on other days instead of assuming it is all caused by periods.
Warmth helps some people. For example, you could use a warm water bottle or heating pad on your tummy, or have a warm bath. Rest or gentle movement may also feel good. If you need medicine for the pain, ask a parent, carer, school nurse, doctor or another responsible adult to help you use it correctly.
Ask an adult to check that a hot-water bottle is not too hot and has a layer of fabric against your skin. Say if you need quiet, something to drink or help finding a comfortable position. Only take medicine with guidance from a responsible adult following advice appropriate for your age.
If pain means you cannot go to school, sleep, spend time with friends or do things you normally do, it is important to tell an adult you trust. A school nurse or doctor can assess severe menstrual pain.
Explain what you missed: school, playing, sleep or an activity you were looking forward to. Ask an adult to help you speak with a healthcare professional. Also agree on what to do if the things you try do not help enough.
Pain on days other than those around your period may have other causes. Explain where the pain is, when it happens and what it feels like. A doctor can help investigate possible causes.
Explain whether it happens when you eat, pee or poo, or whether there is no pattern you can see. You do not need a long list before getting help. It is an adult's responsibility to help you when pain continues or makes your day difficult.
What next?
What can you do next?
You can describe the pain just as you experience it. Say where it hurts, whether it aches, cramps, feels like pressure or stabbing, when the pain starts and what it makes difficult. An adult can ask about what you are feeling and help you work out what you need.
Sources
These are the sources used for this article. Some are written for teenagers, adults or healthcare professionals.