Yes, I’m ready 1 Any experience of your body changing lately?
Know Your Body
Your body has grown taller and broader. Your breasts may have started
growing up. You may find more changes in your body. Parts and
structures of your body have been maturing to adult’s.
What changes in your body
When a girl starts turning into a woman, she is able to become pregnant
and give a birth to the baby. Now, your body has just started its
preparations in becoming a woman. These changes will continue until
around the age of 18. This period of time in your life is called adolescence.
During your adolescent years, your body and mind will begin its growth
into an adult’s.
At first you may be surprised as your body begins to change. However,
don’t be alarmed since it’s a healthy and natural sign that the preparation is
going well. The starting point of these changes is different from person to
person, some girls start early, others late, but the changes happen in all the
girls. Every single change of your body is very important and necessary.
During your adolescent years many parts of your body gradually grow
from a child’s to adult’s.
Growing experiences are different from person to person but all women
will have experienced the same changes.
Breasts Underarm hair begin to develop grows Boys go through
changes during
Pimples may Experience Vaginal discharge Period starts Underarm hair grows Pubic hair grows Pubic hair grows Hips and waist become bigger In this booklet, you will learn more about these changes in your body and
how to deal with them in order to healthy and beautiful woman.
Main Topics:
What
causes the changes?
1. Know Your Body
2. Menstruation
3. How to Manage Menstruation
Hormones
are the main cause for all the new surprises in your
body.
Around 8 to 12 year old, your body receives a signal
that prepares your growth into an adult. This signal comes
and
from
your brain, and then ovaries receive it, and the
production
of hormones begins. Blood carries these hormones
to every part of your body and transforms your body from
child
to adult. Boys will experience similar changes, but will
produce
different hormones for their growth.
2 Moustache grows 3 Voice begins to sound deeper Chest gets broader Hair grows on legs A story of a girl’s body turning to a lady’s
Names of your body
Girls body is always changing throughout their life
[Reproductive Organs]
 Ovaries - Often found in pairs. This is where you grow eggs
 Eggs - Seed of a new life
 Uterus - Where the egg develops into a baby when it’s fertilized
 Fallopian tube - The tubes are linked to the uterus. The egg produced in
ovary is released to the tube to travel to the uterus
 Vagina - The path from the uterus to outside the body
4 5 Menstruation
How to Manage Menstruation
Mechanism and Cycle of Menstruation
A girl’s body goes through a monthly cycle that prepares a soft bed called
endometrium for a baby to grow. The endometrium becomes unnecessary
if a young woman does not become pregnant, and then it is shed outside
the body every month. This discharge consists of blood along with tissues
and fluids. This blood is different from the one you see when you get
injured. This is called “Menstruation (period)”.
Menstrual Protections
During your period, you can wear “napkin” to protect your clothes and
body from the menstrual discharge. There are two types of napkins:
“sanitary napkin” and “cloth napkin”. Here is the explanation of sanitary
napkin.
3. The egg is released
A matured egg is
released from the
2. An egg grow
One of two ovaries gets
ready to release an egg
ovary and moves
You may feel bloated in
your belly. Whitish
vaginal discharge may
increase in volume.
1. The endometrium
is shed and your
period starts
When the egg is not
fertilized, the
endometrium is shed
and goes outside
through vagina
The average
1
• It
is hygienic because the used sanitary napkin is disposed every time
is made in a hygienic place
• It is wrapped for each and remains hygienic and clean after carrying
around
• It
number of
menstrual
[Structure of sanitary napkin]
Sanitary napkin is good for your skin and made with structures preventing
menstrual discharge leakage
cycles is 28
This is “Menstruation”
The average length of
menstruation period is about
4-7 days.
Your skin becomes sensitive.
You may have itches or
rashes. Your immune system
is also weak. Keep your body
clean and hygienic
Day
Sanitary napkin is...
disposable napkin made of soft materials. The benefit of sanitary napkin is
that it is hygienic.
2
4. The endometrium is
thickened
The soft lining of the uterus
(endometrium) becomes thick
and saves up required blood
for growing up babies. The
egg travels to endometrium in
the uterus
3
4
5
6
Top sheet
Leakage protection
Absorbent
7
An average cycle lasts 28 days. When calculating, the first day of your last period is the first day
of the next cycle. Hence, on a calendar, the next period comes on the 29th day since the first day
of your last period.
6 Prevent absorbed menstrual
discharge to leak into underwear or
clothes with absorbents inside
Where your skin touches.
This is made up of soft type
and dry type
This tapes sanitary napkin
to underwear to prevent
slipping off
Fixating tape
7 Where the menstrual discharge is
absorbed. This is made up of pulp
and super absorbent polymer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
  
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Change napkins at proper time not to get leakage of menstrual discharge.
If you get the stain on your clothes, wash the stain out as soon as possible.
The menstrual discharge becomes difficult to wash out as time passes.
Heated water also set the discharge and thus, wash with water or lukewarm
water.
Leakage of menstrual discharge
menstrual discharge is inside. Wrap it in the wrapper of your new
sanitary napkin or newspaper.
4. Fold the used sanitary napkin so that the top side with
   Cloth napkin
Without sanitary napkin, you can make cloth napkin. New cloth is better,
but old sari or cotton can also be used. After it absorbs menstrual
discharge, wash it clean and dry completely under the sun before the next
use.
Preparation for Sanitary Protection
Mark the dates of your period on the
calendar and find your menstrual
cycle. Tracking your menstrual cycle
helps you to prepare your mind and
sanitary protection. Organize your
events and plans better!
8 9 Mark the dates of your period on the calendar
and find your menstrual cycle.
E.g.
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
1. Pull off the wrap covering sanitary napkin with a fixating tape on the
back.
2. Attach the fixating tape on the back of sanitary napkin at the crotch part
on underwear and wear it. Fold the wings down around the crotch part of
underwear when the sanitary napkin has.
3. Change the sanitary napkin to a new one at least twice a day for hygiene.
December
Usage of Sanitary Napkin
Keeping good health during period
<Nutrition>
A girl loses blood for menstruation. Take Iron rich foods that can help
body to produce blood for anemia. Vitamin C would help absorption of
iron. Intake irons with good food combination.
Foods with rich Iron
Spinach (paalak), Beets, Sprouts of horse gram (kala chana), Fenugreek (methi), Corn,
Potatoes, Carrots, Raw coconut slice (nariyal) , Legume such as Bengal gram (chana),
Chickpeas (kabuli chana), Kidney beans (rajma), Yellow gram (moong dal), Pigeon
peas (arhar)
Foods with rich Vitamin C
Lemon, Pickled Indian Gooseberry (amla), Guava (amrud) chutney, Tomato
(tamatar)
<Physical conditions>
You may have bad physical condition. At such times, improving
circulation and relaxing are recommended to ease them. For example,
breathe deeply, stretch, or have a massage.
Hot chai or herb tea will also warm your body and ease the pain. When
they are not helpful to bear the pain, talk to people around you or see a
doctor. The changes and symptoms are not only during period. Take
healthy foods and keep your body warm always and be ready for your
period.
3 2 2.You may have;
Headache,
Stomachache,
Irritated feelings,
or Dizziness
1. Just before the
period starts,
you may have;
Increased
4. You may
1 4 vaginal
di
h
d
11 have
Premenstrual
Symptoms;
Sleepiness,
Constipation,
Bloating,
Breast tenderness,
Pimples,
Irritations,
Increased appetite,
Depressed or
Q&A
Getting your period is natural and healthy
Q: I’m not on my period. What is the whitish or yellowish sticky
discharge?
A: Every woman experiences this vaginal discharge. The hormone is
responsible for this and the amount or the condition changes depending on
your menstrual cycle. Basically, it increases in volume from the day you
finish your period gradually and hits its peak during ovulation. The amount
will decrease afterward until the next period starts.
change of your body. Be proud of your body
starting preparation to become a lady. Talk to
your mother and people around you when you
don’t know how to deal with it.
We hope what you leaned in this booklet may
help you to lead happy and healthy life.
Q: Is menstrual blood dirty?
A: No. Menstrual blood is not dirty. It is different from the
blood you see when you get injured, but it is important one
that your body has been saving in case of conception. If the
female body does not conceive, the body releases it at
regular interval on a monthly basis.
Q: During menstruation, it is advised not to play or do any
strenuous activities.
A: You can do anything during your period that you can do
when you re not menstruating.
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