Why do periods give us cramps?

Why does being on my period give me cramps?
Answer:
Yup--uterine contractions getting that old lining out.

Now, from my first aid classes--you women who've had children will know part of this at least--the uterus, immediate post-partum, contracts to about a softball-sized lump, roughly halfway between your navel and the upper edge of your pubic hair (or where it was), and we'd knead it down like bread dough.

Gets it to relax and back to it's normal size. Guess what? Same type of massage, although you'll have to press in a bit with your fingertips, it great for reducing or relieving menstrual cramps!

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The uterus is contracting to slough off the lining that has not been implanted with a fertilized ovum.

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I wondered about this too as a girl. When I was in labor with my first child I realized that the pain was similar, so I guessed that the pain might be the cervex being stretched plus the uterus trying to expell the menstral flow.
This is my own explanation, but it also made childbirth easier when I could visualize what was hurting, and why.

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It's all Eve's fault.

Seriously, your uterus is actually helping to push out all the gunk that your body prepared for pregnancy that you didn't need after all. Take pamprin...it helps.

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This is kind of a strange comparison, but it worked for me. Think of your uterus like a tube of toothpaste. You have to squeeze the tube to get the toothpaste out, and your body does the same thing when you have your period. Your uterus is squeezing and contracting itself to remove the lining.

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Besides taking a pill, try a warm heating pad across the area where you are having pain. Some girls have it in their lower abdomen, some in their backs. Also, stay away from too much caffine and spicy foods. You can go to www.webmd.com for more technical information on exactly why this happens. It's all wrapped up in hormones. But, yeah, the uterus is just getting rid of a mucosal lining, extra blood (which is obvious), and a lot of vitamins and minerals it was storing up for a baby.

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