You’ve spent the past 12 months of your life planning your wedding down to the most minute detail. The venue is pure perfection. We’re talking exposed brick, vaulted ceilings, and beautiful hardwood floors. Your wedding party will be dressed to the nines in their floral gowns and perfectly-tailored suits. The menu you chose is impeccable, including the cake—chocolate ganache smothered between layers of rich, dense chocolate cake. Your partner will look like he could step out of the pages of a magazine. It’s going to be the happiest day of your life.
Just a few days before the big celebration, you get that feeling. A little bit of bloat, a cramp here or there, that weird peanut butter pretzel craving. It’s your period…one week early…right before your wedding. Cue panic, right?
Not so fast. An early period, or a period during a huge life event, would normally cause major stress, but we have tips on how you can manage your period on your wedding day (and still have five-star-wedding-night sexy time).
Keep track of your period
Surprises, like the one described above, happen. But if you get in the habit of tracking your period, you can avoid any major ones. There’s nothing worse than having your period sneak up on you during a special occasion. Start tracking your period now using an app like Clue to get smart on when it’s coming.
Try a menstrual disc
Ladies, we’re not talking your mama’s menstrual cups from the ’70s. There’s an entirely new period product called a menstrual disc which can be worn for up to 12 hours. That means you won’t have to worry about changing your tampon during your reception. We’ve heard brides swear by them. They’re so comfortable they forget they’re even on their period. Bonus: because of where they sit in the body you can also wear them for mess-free period sex on your honeymoon—and your partner won’t feel a thing.
Consider skipping it
It’s possible for some women to skip their period with the help of their doctor. It’s called period rescheduling. Go Ask Alice says that to skip a period safely, you have a few options:
- When taking monophasic birth control pills:
- 28-day oral contraceptive (OC) pack users: When you reach the end of the active hormonal pills in a pack (the first 21 or 24 pills), begin the next set of active pills, skipping the inactive (placebo pills) from the previous package.
- 21-day OC pack users: Instead of going through the pill-free week, start the next pack of active pills the day after finishing an active pack.
- When taking multiphasic birth control pills: When you reach the end of the three weeks of active hormonal pills, take the next month’s third week of pills immediately. You may also want to be aware that skipping a period using multiphasic birth control pills may be more complicated and it may also lead to break-through-bleeding.
- When using the NuvaRing: Leave the NuvaRing in for four weeks before removing it, and then immediately replace with a new one.
If you plan to go this route, be sure to talk to your medical professional to find the right option for you.
Pack the necessities
You probably have your period week go-tos (Tylenol, heating pad, Netflix, etc.) and a Bridal Emergency Kit (bandaids, hairspray, bobbie pins, etc.) for any wedding-day mishaps. But if you’re anticipating your period on or around your wedding or will be menstruating day-of, also consider packing water-based wipes and a period panty for backup. You may have spent months planning your wedding, but the truth is you can never be too prepared.
Let your MOH know
There’s a reason you appointed a maid or matron of honor—she’s there to help keep you calm, cool, and collected. If you get your period, don’t stress. But don’t keep it a secret either. Most brides need help navigating the restroom in their dress and your maid of honor will need to know how to help you to avoid potential stains.
