Whether you call it being on, your monthlies, Aunt Irma visiting or something else entirely, with the first time you get your period comes the dawning realisation that life is never quite as simple as it was before.
Suddenly you're carrying pads, tampons, painkillers and other bits and bobs around in case you get caught by surprise and, when I was younger at least, I felt self conscious if anyone at school or college realised what was going on.
In recent times, the increased availability of period pants has been something on my radar but I haven't got round to trying them - not least because there's quite a few different versions out there and I wasn't really sure where to start.
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Period pants are underwear that, as the name implies, women can wear while menstruating without the need for a tampon or pad.
The knickers are one of a number of increasingly popular sustainable options to help tackle single-use waste from menstrual products, with other items including menstrual cups, re-useable tampon applicators and washable sanitary pads.
But exactly how comfortable and user-friendly are they? I'd always been a bit hesitant to try, wondering if I could ditch more the conventional products that I've used for literally years and still feel secure.
But when WUKA launched a new, whimsical, leopard print style it felt like the perfect time to give it a try.
Much as pads and tampons are made for different flows and points in your cycle, WUKA's pants come in different two different flow levels - heavy and heavy overnight - and also, I was pleased to find out, in different underwear styles - bikini or high waisted. They come in sizes ranging from 2XS to 3XL, meaning they're pretty much ideal for most.
As someone who prefers the comfort and security of high waisted undies at the best of times, I was happy to pick a high waisted, overnight pair - thinking this was the ideal way to test how comfortable and leakproof the knickers would be for an extended period.
The knickers were made of thick, comfortable cotton. I loved the print which had tiny, inspiring words written in between the leopard spots, including 'strong,' 'powerful,' 'brave' and 'fearless.' To be honest they gave me a bit of a spring in my step putting them on of a morning as an adult, I know I'd have absolutely loved them as a young teenager.
They also arrived with a handy storage bag perfect for tucking a pair into a pocket of a handbag in case of emergency.
While fans of period pants will tell you that they feel like ordinary knickers that's not totally true - they're, as you'd hope, thicker and a bit sturdier than usual but stop short of feeling so thick you're worrying about waddling. There's literally no way for anyone to know what you're wearing.
It's no exaggeration to say that I found them a game changer. They were so comfortable, leak-free and washed well and easily. Having said initially I'd just wear them overnight I ended up using them out and about and, while I kept a pad in my handbag just in case , there was absolutely no need to use it.
The strangest thing was getting used to not having to worry about pads in the way I've been conditioned to after all these years - but it's definitely a feeling I'm happy to practice.
WUKA has reduced lots of its lines by 30% for Black Friday making now the perfect time to try the pants if you've been tempted to before but haven't yet.
While the leopard print line are brand new out and not discounted, if you fancy a bit of colour in your underwear drawer you can get 20% off those by using the code WUKAPRINT20.
I'll definitely be buying a couple more pairs for my drawer and the fact that for every pair bought WUKA will donate a pair to the Kujuwa Initiative, a social enterprise that trains and supports young people to reach their full potential is an added bonus.
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