The period is on! For me personally, I hated going on a vacation and knowing that my period will say ‘hi’ during those days. It definitely was a thing that hindered me from booking any trip and I felt so “I can’t do that trip while having my period” AF. I mean who loves to be bleeding while spending a trip on a beautiful Caribbean Island or loves to skydive with incredible menstrual cramps? In consequence I scheduled my trips around my period always feeling that period week to be useless and a week when I can’t be me.
In the last years when I gave up being on birth control (pill) , I couldn’t plan ahead anymore. And that was the time when I travelled together with my period and could start enjoying it. In this post, I’ll tell you more about how I made travel friendship with my period and how you can do that too!
Below you’ll find amazing tips to deal with your period while traveling and also my bonus list for activities that best suit your different phases of your cycle making your solo travels damn bloody fabulous.
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Story Contents
Becoming more loving with your period
Except you are on birth control, you babe will agree that you literally can’t predict your period. Traveling is extra stress and it affects your hormones and your cycle as will as time differences, jetlags, bad nutrition, less sleep and so much more. So, don’t see your period as something that is planned like being a robot rather than as individual and your beautiful you reacting to all travel circumstances in your own incredible way. In this sense, reduce planning and increase listening to your own body. Accept your period as an amazing part of yourself and let it allow to be with you on your travels. What I can recommend you girl is to use an app to track your period and cycle and see if it might pop in on your vacation just to be better prepared.
Further, please become more flexible with traveling in general and in specific when you are on your period. What I mean by that is your body requests different things from you throughout your cycle. This affects minerals, sleep, fitness etc. and in return you get a wonderful body that lets you be more active on some days or relaxed on others. Especially, during your period your body needs more time to rest, more care, and loves you to calm down. I would recommend you to be more spontaneous on your travels so that you can include a day off or relax more when your period starts. I have more tips all around the period cycle for you in the bonus section below.
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Preparing your period ahead
This is when sanitary items and period stuff come into your travel luggage. Especially, when being in lower developed countries or somewhere in the nowhere finding all great sanitary items can be super difficult. You can be lucky, but let’s avoid this extra stress for you, your period will love it! Of course depending on the length of your trip, come well-prepared regarding your period. This also includes your preferred sanitary items. Having your well-known and individually approved items with you will reduce stress even further. Pack in more items than you actually need based on your individual bleedings. To be well-prepared bring extra underwear and panty liners. For potential cramps, bring a travel sized hot water bottle or pain killers of your choice or one of medication free tools I will describe below in the dedicated section about menstrual cramps. They are truly a game changer for any woman!
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Deciding on your sanitary items
Based on my previous solo travels I came across different sanitary products that I could recommend. I’d love to let you know how I would use them differently compared to being at home. This also refers to hygiene and cleanliness that has super priority when bleeding abroad!
Tampons
Tampons are my all-time favorite for home and travels and even more when traveling. It allows you to be flexible to go for a swim or wear a beautiful bikini without feeling distracted. What I take special care of is cleanliness when changing tampons, especially when there is no pollution-free water available. I try to clean my hands with bottled water and soap, use hand santitizer or simply use a tissue to touch the tampon. In terms of removing the tampons I proceed the same way. What comes extra into my suitcase are small plastic bags that I use to carry my used tampons away with me for the next available basket.
Pads
They work the same perfect way and are super for ladies that are not so much into that tampon thing. But, hygiene comes always first! For that reason, I always clean my hands properly before changing a pad. What I find not so comfy with pads is the way how they let you feel when you travel to a country that is super humid and the pads get super sweat wet. Changing it more often can help. And I also carry those small plastic bags with me to store the used pads in. Unfortunately, those lady baskets are not available in every toilet around the globe.
Reusable Pads
Same as disposable pads, the reusable ones do their job, but need to get washed. In case you are traveling I can’t recommend them as you should wash them right away. And by washing I don’t mean to just use some water and soap in a hand basin. For sure this might be ok every other day but not while traveling, let’s say to a summer destination, where other bacteria would love to use your pad as their new home. I would suggest you to switch to single use pads for your travels and change them as often as you need them to feel fresh.
Menstrual Cups
Honestly, they make an ultimate hygiene risk for me when traveling to countries where clean toilets are scarce. It is obviously super difficult to keep the cup perfectly clean rather than opening a fresh tampon that was produced in a sterile environment. Although I see how good the cups are for our environment, hygiene and safety have to come first! In case you love both tampons and cups, I highly recommend you to switch to tampons and those single use sanitary items while traveling. If you travel to a country that holds hygiene standards high, then you are good to go with menstrual cups.
Period Underwear
It is incredible when being at home and I definitely love the pants for protecting our environment, but not so on travels. It easily gets really disgusting in your suitcase when not washing the underwear the next day and carry them home dirty is super gross. The period underwear might work for a trip over the weekend or when washing facilities are given. But not for spending several days in an abundant camp in the jungle. I guess you got it!
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Dealing with menstrual cramps
Besides bleedings, cramps are truly the worst case scenario when traveling. But what would your period want to teach you? Yes it is time to slow your body down! Your body needs this break to start your new powerful cycle. The best thing you can do – take time off! Don’t force your body through a long transfer, an exhausting long-haul flight or activities that are super energy and power based. Instead, schedule beach time, stay at a resort, do just some little walks, relax, engage in breath work, read a good book, sleep in or longer, get food with rich ingredients, get yourself a beauty session or whatever your body is craving on that day.
Of course we got trained to just take some pills to be fine! Sure this helps when cramps getting out of your control. However, I would love more ladies to listen to their bodies, slow down, and have a look at other great opportunities to get rid off cramps painlessly and without any chemical medication. These are my ultimate tips to deal with your period while traveling! Both cool new tools are painless and work completely drug-free and are both super easy to take with you on your next solo travels.
Livia
There is Livia, a small wearable dedicated to relief menstrual pain. The little device that gets attached to your area of pain, stimulates your nerves and in consequence will block your menstrual pain instantly. Sounds great? It absolutely is!
Jovi
And meet Jovi, an innovative reusable relief patch that works literally for every type of pain and also great for menstrual cramps. Put it on the location of your pain and the patch will do the rest for you using nanocapacitors that finding and relieving blocks in your body.
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Bonus: Traveling happily with your cycle
You ladies might know that your hormones change AF during your cycle. Being high on estrogen in your follicular phase and on extra testosterone during your ovulation. And even more on progesterone in your luteal phase. And this gives you amazing opportunities to pick travel activities according to your phase in your cycle. Besides you will instantly realize how good your travels will feel when acting according to the needs of your own body. Here are the best activities due to your period cycle (based on a 28-days-cycle):
- Period (Days 1-5) start it slow, relax, walk along the beach, embrace self-care, do yoga or breath work, sleep in, do self-reflection, have a meditation session, enjoy a massage or a facial treatment, less action, buy yourself new cosmetics or a new dress, feel more, and have a safe cave for you and your body.
- Follicular Phase (Days 6-12) is ready for your crazy fitness schedule, action plans, be active, go hiking, go sky diving, scuba dive, have a long-haul flight, go biking, change hotels spontaneously, be crazy and wild, dance all night long and be in for some fancy drinks.
- Ovulation Phase (Day 13-15) will be fun like hell, do whatever feels right and good for you, you need less sleep but have a super power accompanying you through these days, enjoy yourself to the very fullest!
- Luteal Phase (Days 16-28) shows that your power gets lesser from day to day, so keep it a bit slower but continue with workouts, activities but don’t be too active multiple times per day, be open for some beach time, a good book, and a swim in between.
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Conclusion
As you see, traveling together with your period can be amazing! Following my tips to deal with your period while traveling will make your journey unforgettable! Rather than excluding her, she can become your best travel companion! She is a friendly little reminder of your body’s needs when it comes to activities. Babe, plan a bit ahead and make sure to bring your preferred sanitary items. I highly recommend you to switch to disposable sanitary items to be safe with hygiene issues while traveling. Again, please decide wisely on taking pain killers and pills helping with your menstrual cramps, the consequences are often unpredictable! Take other painless and drug-free alternative such as Livia and Jovi into consideration. Let’s chat if you have any further questions and drop your comments below, I am always happy to connect.
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Check out other lifestyle trips around solo female travel here. Do you need a little bit motivation today to start traveling solo? Here I get you pampered with your solo travel WHY or a bunch of incredible travel benefits. And get inspired by how to become a mindful traveller on our beautiful planet. Girl, you deserve it!
What I love the most about solo traveling? Stepping fully into my feminine is definitely one of the greatest things. Receiving what is meant for you on every solo journey you are on. With these 5 activities you can celebrate your femininity to the very fullest, enjoy!
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// Disclaimer // I was not paid for my reviews and recommendations mentioned in this blog post. The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are purely my own and can be considered as honest evaluations.
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How do your travels during your period look like? Let’s discuss this babe! Please leave your comments and thoughts below or drop me a DM on my Instagram @storiesoutofthesuitcase. Happy Traveling ♥
