Period pain is frequent occurrence for more than half of all girls and women in their menstruating years. It typically occurs for 1 to 2 days at the start of the period or sometimes just before the onset of menstruation. Period pain is a result of cramps in the uterus hence it is also known as menstrual cramps. The medical term for period pain is dysmenorrhea. Most women who do experience pain, have only mild pain but in a minority of cases, it can be severe. The pain can be debilitating and affect a woman’s ability to continue with daily activities and even lead to depression.
Mittelschmerz is midcycle, one-sided (unilateral), lower abdominal pain which occurs in some women at or around the time of ovulation. Mittelschmerz is a German word. “Mittel” means “middle”, while “schmerz” means “pain”. Ovulation or the release of the ovum (egg) from the ovary usually occurs around day 14 of a 28-day menstrual cycle, which is around the middle of a menstrual cycle, hence the name midcycle pain or ovulation pain. The occurrence of midcycle pain is quite common, particularly in teenagers and older women. Usually mild, in some cases the pain may become quite intolerable.
After delivery, most women are curious and concerned about when they will get their periods, if it will be any different from menstruation before childbirth, or whether there will be any changes in their periods if they are breastfeeding. A lot of changes take place in a woman’s body following pregnancy, childbirth and during lactation, but these changes are by no means the same in every woman.
The blood stained vaginal discharge continuing after delivery is mistaken by some women as menstruation. This discharge is known as “lochia” and consists of blood mixed with mucus and endometrial tissue lining the uterus. The lochia will gradually diminish in amount in a week or two but may continue for up to 6 weeks after delivery.
Stomach cramps or cramping abdominal pain can be due to a vast number of causes, some easily manageable while others may be life threatening, requiring immediate medical attention. Often stomach cramps are mistaken for menstrual cramps in women and vice versa. This can hamper the diagnosis of other conditions responsible for the pain and cramping or even cause women to prevent seeking medical attention by attributing their abdominal cramps to menstrual pain.
