It’s two weeks before your period. You may be ovulating and feeling your most creative—all is right with the world.

It’s a week before your period and things are changing. You may be PMSing and the bloating is kicking in. Your food cravings could be shifting and your body is preparing.

But what are you preparing for? The shedding of your uterus lining along with other menstrual fluid. And as a result, menstrual cramps are likely to occur as the uterus contracts.

Cramps are no joke. We believe menstrual health symptoms like cramping should be taken just as seriously as other health symptoms. It’s important to acknowledge the pain you’re experiencing. Remember, extremely painful periods are not normal.

Cramps might feel like:

• Throbbing

• Sharp bursts

• Aching or tightening

• Stomachache

And in some cases, even more severe. Professor of reproductive health at University College London, John Guillebaud , told Quartz that patients have described the cramping pain as "almost as bad as having a heart attack."

It’s no wonder they’ve been responsible for many missed school days and work meetings throughout time.

However, there are a few ways to reduce period pain and believe it or not, our nixit menstrual disc is one of them.

“Amazing experience. I was ready to have problems with inserting, to struggle with it - and it didn't happen! I've been using nixit disc for over 6 cycles, it feels pretty comfortable, i don't feel anything when i have it inside, stopped experiencing cramps (use 1 painkiller tab/cycle now, before I had to use 2-3 daily). no idea how and why it changed but i'm very glad :D”

- Anonymous, Verified Buyer

Still don’t believe us? Content creator Alicia Mccarvell even says her nixit has diminished her cramps!

"Taking a chance on @letsnixit has;

Saved me over $190 this year (will save me close to $1000 by the end of our five years together).

Decreased my waste.

Diminished my cramps.

Reduced my bleed days from 8-9 to 5-7.

Banished my anxiety surrounding my period and work/travel."

Let's dig into three ways to manage menstrual cramps.

Exercise the Period Pain Away

Source: Pexel

We know what you’re thinking, exercise during your period and with painful cramps? Stick with us.

Physical activity may help bump up the production of your brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Exercise triggers the release of these feel-good hormones that block the perception of pain which can therefore relieve menstrual cramps.

Exercise is also a stress reliever which is important because stress has a direct impact on hormones. One study of 20 undergraduate students who did an hour-long yoga routine once a week for three months reported less period pain and distress.

If yoga is not your thing, here are a few other exercises you can try:

• Walking or light jogging

• Gentle dancing

• Low-impact strength training
  
  

Once your period is over, consider adding regular high-intensity exercise to your routine. While it may not immediately relieve menstrual pain, over time it could lead to less pelvic discomfort.

The beauty with the nixit disc is that you can go as light or as intense as you want. Michelle chose intense exercise and it worked for her.

“I’m so impressed with the Nixit. After using a traditional cup for about a year and still having challenges with inserting and with leaking, I gave Nixit a chance. I’m so grateful for this product! So easy to use, stays in place even during intense exercise, and causes no discomfort. Wish I would have purchased this sooner!”

- Michelle, Verified Buyer

Heat, Heat and More Heat

Contracting muscles are responsible for pushing out menstrual fluid–that’s where that uncomfortable cramping feeling comes from.

There’s a quick and easy way to calm those cramps down: apply heat.

Here are a couple of ways you can do that:

• Wrap a heated patch on your abdomen

• Place a hot water bottle across your belly gently pressing it against your skin

• Take a long hot shower

• Sit in a bath massaging your belly–for extra relief try using some castor oil

How does it work? Heat boosts circulation in your abdomen which can relax your muscles, and reduce painful menstrual cramps.

Research shows heating pads can relieve painful periods and get this, they may be just as effective as taking ibuprofen.

To test this theory, in a two-day study, people used:

• Heat alone

• Heat plus ibuprofen

• Ibuprofen alone

• A placebo

The group that used heat plus ibuprofen had the best results and the heat-only led to faster pain relief.

Abdominal heat patches are the most convenient because you can use them on the go—just peel and stick them on your abdomen.

Hot water bottles aren’t as convenient as patches but they’re great if you’re home and don’t need to move around much.

Speaking of heat, sitting in the sun could do you some good too.

That’s because sun exposure is the most natural way to get more vitamin D, which can positively affect the body’s inflammatory response, altering the sensation of pain.

Pain Medication for Painful Periods

Keeping up with the big bad prostaglandins, ibuprofen lowers your levels of this hormone resulting in less contraction and period pain.

The trick is to take the pain killer before your period starts to reduce the levels of prostaglandins from the get-go.

The recommended medications like ibuprofen and naproxen are known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) and medics encourage you to use them in moderation.

One study also concluded that NSAIDs can help reduce the heaviness of periods and relieve cramps, although some people need to take higher doses to experience these benefits.

So we advise you to talk to your doctor before adding them to your period pain relief plan because there are side-effects with long-term use. Especially if you have a history of heart, liver, or kidney problems, asthma, ulcers, or bleeding disorders.

Struggling With Menstrual Cramps? Nix Some of the Period Pain With the Nixit Menstrual Disc

Frequent trips to the bathroom aside, there are many other annoying symptoms of periods. We’re looking at you, irritability, bloating, insomnia, food cravings and the rest.

With period pain taking the lion’s share of symptoms, a little less pain and more comfort can go a long way and with the nixit menstrual disc you can get both.

Unlike other menstrual cups, the disc-shaped nixit menstrual cup holds itself in place naturally without suction. For many, creating a secure seal with suction in the vaginal canal leads to discomfort. nixit sits in the vaginal fornix where there are fewer nerve endings!

It’s also easier to insert and remove—no awkwards folds. Here’s our simple four-step guide to insertion and removal.

Here’s what one nixit user has to say on comfort:

“I have been using traditional menstrual cups for years now and always have terrible cramps with them in addition to worrying about the suction disrupting my IUD. Since switching to the nixit I have experienced less cramping and no longer have to worry about the suction causing problems with my IUD. This combined with washable period panties has significantly reduced my disposable menstrual product needs! Total game changer”

- Anonymous, Verified Buyer

Just getting started?

We’ve got you covered: check out the A to Z beginners guide.