By: Lily Anderson, Shayna Dumont, Meg Henning, Molly Shoffner
For a week every month I feel sad and am brought down by this intense feeling of dread and anguish towards everything and everyone. Although it ultimately is only a week in real time to me it feels like a month. This dread is how I know my period is going to happen in a few days. Somewhere inside of me I wish that my period symptoms were not so stereotypical, in the sense that I experience all the cliché symptoms not that all symptoms are the same. PMS or Pre-Menstrual Symptoms are symptoms that anyone who gets a period have in the week before they menstruate. They range from physical experiences like cramping all the way to emotional responses like mood swings and anxiety. throughout history PMS symptoms have been weaponized and used against women to validate misogyny.
In many faucets of media and social standings periods have been labeled in a negative light stripping it’s true biological and emotional power that it holds for many women. For that reason, this Women’s History Month Wavelength wanted to talk openly about periods and the discrimination women and anyone who menstruates still face concerning periods. Living in a place like Bellingham it can be tough to know the full picture as Bellingham and Washington are thought of as a “liberal bubble”, and because of these hardships are either less apparent or less talked about. If you are someone who does not menstruate you may be completely blind to the experiences of people who menstruate. If that is you, then this piece is specifically for you to broaden your understanding of your fellow students’ experiences. Wavelength as an office has an overwhelming majority of female identifying students (Ronan we love you!) working within it. We took advantage of this and worked together to start tracking our cycles and learning about different period tracker apps with the intent to open conversation between each other about our periods and to tell students about the apps.
This feels especially important now with the current administration we have. Creating a community that treats each other with respect and love and treats menstruation as normal and not something to be ashamed of is critical. For lots of women and people that menstruate talking about a period can be embarrassing or feel taboo. Most people may have a small group of CLOSE people they speak to about their periods, but some do not. It is perfectly normal to keep it private and not speak with others about your menstruation, but that doesn’t mean the conversation should be silenced for everyone. That is only one side of this equation though as the person who menstruates is just as much a part of the conversation as the person listening. It’s important to actively listen to others to establish a strong and thoughtful relationship. In my experience when I am talking to friends, and my period comes up it is not a shock to me if I see the men in the group check out. I can understand how they may think I would want privacy, but my period is simply a bodily function as simple for me as digestion.
Anyone should feel comfortable listening to a conversation about periods because they are simply something that lots of human bodies do, and it is very normal. So, this Women’s History month works to become more educated about menstruation and break down the barriers that lead to shame surrounding them. If you menstruate and have been thinking about picking up a period tracker app, read below about all the different tracker apps we tried and what our experiences were like. Each staff member chose a different app that varied widely depending upon what the staff member was looking to get out of the experience. We talked about the aesthetics of the app, reliability, ease of use, and other assorted differences from app to app.
Molly:
I, like many people who get their period, have a convoluted history and relationship with my period and everything that goes along with that – PMS, reproduction, the menstrual cycle, and keeping track of where I am in my cycle. Though I tried tracking my cycle on-and-off since I first started menstruating, I hadn’t found an app or method I liked enough to use consistently – so any “tracking” that I did was futile, since it only considered two or three months of data. When I started taking the birth control pill at 16, I stopped any attempts to track my period, since it was regulated by the 28-day schedule set by the pills themselves. For context, most packs of birth control pill are three weeks of hormonal pills (which prevent pregnancy) and the last seven days are what are known as “placebo pills” (typically they’re just sugar pills) intended to mimic the natural menstrual cycle – though they can be skipped. By the time I switched birth control methods, I had stopped taking the placebo pill altogether, opting instead to start the next pack of hormonal pills and skip my period altogether due to the intense symptoms I would experience during PMS and for the first day or two of my period (which I now know to be the symptoms of PMDD). In February of 2020, when I was 17, however, I stopped taking the pill due to numerous side effects that impacted my daily life – most notably, depression. In place of the pills, I had a hormonal IUD inserted. Though the insertion was extremely painful for me – the CDC only updated their guidance to recommend pain management options for IUD insertion in August of 2024 – it initially stopped my period altogether, I no longer struggled with the side effects of the pill that impacted my daily life (though I eventually faced the side effects of the hormonal IUD), and I didn’t have to worry about taking the pill at the same time every day. After about a year and a half with an IUD, however, my period started slowly coming back – and it was extremely inconsistent.
Due to that inconsistency, I decided to start tracking my period again and downloaded the Clue Period Tracker & Calendar app, which I have been using since July of 2021. Though it took me a bit to get into the habit of using, after over three and a half years of use I can confidently say that not only is tracking my period extremely insightful to myself and the natural cycle of my body, but that the Clue app is extremely user-friendly and insightful to not only my period but my menstruation cycle as a whole and both the physiological and mental changes I experience over the course of it. Having used many period tracking apps in the past, the design of this one is by far the easiest for me to understand and cater to my own needs. I appreciate the interface overall, with app opening to your cycle, stating “Your next period is due [Month, Day],” and the log entry button clearly highlighted along the bottom of the screen. One of the most significant aspects of the app for me, however, is how the tracking can be catered to your needs. Part of the issue I have had with so many other methods of period tracking is that they don’t offer PMS or certain symptom tracking. My reasoning for this is that I have a condition called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, also known as PMDD, which, to sum it up, means I can experience PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) for 7-14 days before my period starts (for most people it’s 2-7 days before), and the typical PMS symptoms are coupled with severe anxiety, depression, panic attacks, migraines, and extreme fatigue and brain fog – and those are just the symptoms I experience on a monthly basis. I wouldn’t have been able to realize I had any abnormalities with my PMS if I wasn’t using the Clue app, which allows me to log my PMS, any physical symptoms I experience, such as migraines, and my mental state, as well as my period itself. The app also takes into account my method of birth control, which I appreciate as it gives me insight as to why I may be experiencing symptoms of menstruation in a certain way. In addition to all these practical advantages, the app allows me to set the notifications as I prefer them – so, for my preferences, I have them set to only tell me when my PMS and period are about to start, otherwise, I don’t need it reminding me to track symptoms, as I tend to only do that as I experience them.
Meg:
Before I tried Stardust, I had used Flo. I started getting frustrated with it, because more and more was getting hidden behind the paywall. Going into Stardust, the vibe was already vastly different. It fixates on the idea that cycles are relatively in sync with the moon, and lends itself to more “witchy” and ethereal user interfaces. When I put in my birthday, it also showed me my zodiac sign. Clearly, the target demographic is more spiritual menstruators. One thing I enjoy about Stardust is that they do give you really in-depth information without it being behind a paywall. They focus on more hormones than the big three: estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone; which may seem insignificant but can play a massive role when it comes to proper ovulation or potential fertility. The fact that information on other significant endocrine hormones was not only made readily available, but easily accessible to most menstruating people made me a fan. If you are on birth control (like I am), they also give you an option to have a reminder to take your pill on time. I am MASSIVELY forgetful, so having an additional reminder makes a huge difference for me. I also enjoy the relative ease of use of the app. It is easy for me to track my symptoms, and I get simple advice to help alleviate the stress caused by symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and active menstruation. My main drawback with the app is that sometimes it puts style over substance. As I mentioned, the app creates a more spiritual environment for the user, which can sometimes make it more “style over substance”. I recently skipped a period due to illness and stress, and I was hoping the app would give me more insights on why I skipped the period this time as compared to other times of stress, and also how to manage my heightened symptoms of menstruation. An additional comment is that it leans into femininity and the concept of a “divine feminine”, which may not make the app a good choice for people who menstruate who do not identify as women. Overall, this app is very user-friendly and doesn’t put too much behind a paywall, and gives you insights into your cycle while not being too clinical. I do think I will keep using it even after our experiment is over.
Lily:
I decided to try out the Apple Health app period tracker as I had been recommended it multiple times and told by a friend it was easy to use. In the past I’ve tried other apps, but the ease of use and precision was high on my list of importance. I knew going into it that it probably would not be able to accurately predict my period for a while, as data collection takes time. The apple health app felt really easy for me to use and was not as aggressive as others I had tried. Other period tracker apps I have tried would send me like twenty notifications a day but with the health app I get one a day and sometimes I get none which for me is what I prefer. When you log your cycle on the app there are multiple different sections you can fill out, the symptoms and flow sections are the ones I fill out the most. I was surprised when last month it did correctly predict my period. I was so shocked especially because one of the reasons I have not consistently used a tracker app is because I have trouble being consistent with logging. One thing I enjoy is you only really need to log the days you’re menstruating, making it much less intimidating with how consistent you must be. Usually, my symptoms are pretty clear, and I know when my period is coming but this week was not as obvious. The next day I got a notification from my app letting me know my period would begin with the next day or two, and to my Suprise it was accurate. Honestly my takeaway is that I think I will try to keep using it for a while but the part I like about it is that I don’t have to log every day, so it doesn’t feel like a task. Ultimately, I’ve begun to think tracking is not for me, but if I was going to commit to using a tracker this would be my choice because I like how user friendly it is.
Shayna:
I’ve used the Flo app since March 2023 so around two years! I used to struggle a lot with tracking my period and I just needed something I could look at every now and then that might predict when it would be my week. I remember trying to use trackers before this and forgetting to log when my cycle had occurred which discouraged me from continuing, but once I managed to get around 3 months in, the app became familiar with my menstrual habits. I will admit Flo has been very annoying with its paywall. It seems like every second I spend on that app I’m being advertised to join their subscription whether monthly or yearly. The app tries to give you insights on your cycle or specific advice on vaginal and sexual health, but it will only let you read about it if you pay, so it is not as enjoyable as it claims to be. I already have to pay for tampons and pads, why would I want to pay for something extra every month just to keep track of it?
Another problem I’ve experienced with Flo is the fact that there is no easy contraceptive option. It has a section you can enter when tracking your period or your sexual habits where you can select that you took your contraceptive, but it never adds it to the data or feedback it gives you about your cycle. Every so often I’m told my cycle is irregular or I may have an issue, but it fails to understand that I’m taking birth control.
On a more positive note, I do think having a tracking app has helped me prepare for my cycle and understand when I’m PMSing/why I’m feeling like absolute crap. It also helps me to know when I should plan certain things, like if I want to take a trip, maybe I’ll do it when I’m not bleeding gallons. I think I will definitely take my coworkers advice and try one of their tracker apps instead soon, but for now I can look at my phone and see my period is in 6 days! So good luck to me and me for every month of my life till I hit menopause.
Ronan:
I didn’t participate in this project. Period.
Western has resources for people who menstruate and to get access to information and to period products through the Counseling and Wellness center.
