To think the menstrual cycle affects our careers?

[Fianceechickie]

First day of AF today and I feel as usual, like a worn out dish rag. Most months I feel like this for a few days before/after starting. Not at work today but thinking ‘how the hell do I get through work feeling like this?’ I must have spent a quarter of my working life being well below par, plus when you add the probably dodgy decisions and irrational reactions I’ve made while having pms I can’t help thinking ‘what if all the hormonal stuff wasn’t there?’ What do you ladies think? I know some women have easier cycles but are women put at a disadvantage by hormones?

I can’t say it’s ever affected my career!

I can understand how women with endometriosis, fibroids or other conditions might struggle but I see that as no different from having any other health problem. It’s the same as how a person with IBS or asthma might have their condition impact their career.

This is obviously something we need to talk about more, even at the risk of the debate being hijacked by MRAs (to which I would counter that men have their hormonal problems, too. Testosterone appears to have a lot to answer for).

We need menstrual cycle problems to be taken more seriously - better diagnosis, treatment and research- and for that we need to be talking about it.

My particular problem is PMS- the medical profession still can't tell us precisely what causes it! (yes, hormones, obvs, "hormonal imbalances" even, but AFAIK any concrete theories beyond that have been discredited at least in part).

It’s the same as how a person with IBS or asthma might have their condition impact their career

I don't think it is quite the same. If you have asthma for example it's much more socially and professionally acceptable to discuss rather than saying "I can't I've got my period". Especially when - as evidenced on this thread - you have people in the "suck it up" and "get on with it" brigade.

I spend about 3 days before every period pretty much constantly nauseated or vomiting. I can be sick several times an hour for hours on end, sometimes overnight. It's horrific. Sometimes it happens during ovulation as well. It's taken me literally decades to find a GP who would actually believe it was linked to my cycles and would do something about it, so yep, it's affected my career pretty badly. I've missed out on opportunities I would have had if I'd been considered to be healthy and it's affected how colleagues treat me. I've also had really heavy periods for years that have left me constantly iron deficient despite taking supplements, including a few that were months long. I've never been able to get a gynae referral and every GP I talk to seems to dismiss my periods as nothing to worry about, it's a real struggle to get any medical help. :/

* If you have asthma for example it's much more socially and professionally acceptable to discuss rather than saying "I can't I've got my period".*

It really isn’t.

I work in a really smoking environment and every time I say my asthma is bad someone pipes up with “have you tried a brown inhaler that will sort it”. I’m only on terbutaline, fexofenadine, certirazine, alvesco, relvar and zafirleukast, but I’ll recommend clenil to my respiratory consultant, thanks!!!

But it's still more common place and acceptable to say "my asthma is bad" than to say "actually I can't come today, I'm bleeding so heavily I can't leave the house...hence why threads like this exist, because women's health is so routinely downplayed and ignored

Unless you have really suffered with your hormones you are not qualified to comment and should count yourselves lucky.
I get varying symptoms depending on the cycle to include exhaustion, brain fog, irritability, insomnia and at times I have lived in fear of it. I always feel better once it has passed. I have spoken to other women who also fear what they will say and do during that time.

I now have Acupuncture which helps massively, I would recommend it to anyone suffering with their hormones

I don't think our periods affect our careers at all - it;s patriarchy that does.

Yes to this. Just as a physical impairment doesn't stop someone from doing things, but the restrictions of society are actually the problem.

Buildings without accessibility, bosses who say "are you on your period" when you question them, etc. It's not the person wanting to work who happens to use a mobility aid, or the person disagreeing with the boss. The problem is the attitude that creates the lack of access.

Funny, isn't it, how women being "on their period" (assertive/grumpy/loud) is seen as a problem, but aggressive men riding a testosterone wave, aren't?

@MrsFrisbee Yes!

I have also noticed that there are times when I am more productive - I get that nesting feeling and I focus on tidying and clearing things from my to do list.

The problem is that I'm not good with paying attention to routine and this has taken me ages to work out and harness its power. Busy lives and contraception like the pill obviously get in the way of being more in touch with this too. ibthink it's a case of understanding that we have cycles: some stronger than others, in a positive and negayive way.

I do also worry that awareness or admittance of this impact would have a negative effect - which is a shame because it's not at all negative.

It's never affected mine.

I'd say lack of confidence/self belief is probably the biggest thing that has negatively affected my career. I'm fairly sure women suffer from this more (in the workplace anyway) than men. I am trying my hardest to push my doubts aside and have more confidence in myself as a firm feminist and someone who wants to play a part in bringing women up to an equal level with men in the professional world.

Slightly OT.

I'm not sure if I could directly link to effecting my career however I had such bad period pains during one senior management presentation that despite putting up and pushing on I went white ....the next a bit green ( they all moved back) and then excused myself as I waited for the contraction like pain to pass. the least supportive person in that scenario was the middle aged woman chairing the meeting the men were rather sweet when I went outside to regroup. It was embarrassing. I think the main problem is we all get periods which are on the whole very private...so what's heavy flow vs drama lama.....what's a real struggle with PMT versus snappy old cow. Maybe it's different for different people but some of us really struggle. Mine can be a bloody nightmare and I can feel awful. Not sure what the answer is though.

My cycle lengths are unpredictable, so I never know when my period is going to hit, and the cramps are so painful that I can't even stand up straight for the first two days. So yes, I definitely believe that my periods/hormones have affected my career. I've had to become self-employed because I can't reliably turn up for work.

For those other ladies who suffer with their periods, I highly recommend naturopath Lara Briden's book 'The Period Repair Manual'. She aslso writes a great online blog. She gives lots of excellent and scientific ways to try and reduce/eliminate period pain. These centre around trying to reduce the inflammation and prostaglandins that cause painful period cramps. She suggests things such as giving up cow's dairy and gluten, and taking supplements such as magnesium glycinate, turmeric and zinc.

If you’re talking about the average woman that has no extreme symptoms then YABU. It’s never affected me in any way.

Even my neighbor with endometriosis that had to have an emergency hysterectomy and six months off work still managed to get a promotion to headteacher aged 33.

For my most recent job I interviewed during a heavy period.

I realised during the interview that I was literally going to flood. I had to let it happen. When the interviewer left the room a man I stood up and realised I had left a big red stain in the middle of the chair. I casually stood up (my dress had kind of ridden up my back) so the blood came through my tights and knickers (and pad). And swapped the chairs!!! Arghh!

Anyway I didn’t go for that company.

I got a job elsewhere (actually interviewing only a day after)! I was better prepared.

Life has been fucking amazing post menopause

I think it's damaged my career a great deal. I had no pms for years but as I've got older I'm emotional, tired, paranoid and feel desperately overwhelmed increasingly for about ten days a month. How can I possibly perform well and consistently like like that? A few years ago I would have dismissed anyone claiming their periods affected their work as attention seeking drama Queens....well...I've gained a large amount of humility since those know-it-all days...

It damaged my career as I was unable to have a job which needed a long commute on public transport. Also needed a job which didn't have lots of long meetings and travelling. Now I've had a hysterectomy and it's so amazingly liberating, I can't believe how different my life is now.

I wouldn't say it's affected my career in the big picture in terms of choice or progression, but it has affected my performance at work.

Prior to having children mine were painful, as in sometimes curl up in tears on the disgusting stockroom floor because I'm too cramped up to stand, and lie there waiting to be found type of painful. The good news was that they were irregular and sporadic so I didn't have to go through it every month. The bad news was that by the time my body announced its arrival, it was too late for the prescription painkillers to really kick in for the first day. I always tried the soldier on approach, but sometimes I was too obviously struggling and sent home. Other times I could plough on with medication and a hot water bottle... not an ideal accessory in a room full of teenaged pupils (heat patches were a great discovery although there were times when.my shirt would ride up and horrified teenagers would ask why there was a sanitary towel stuck to my vest ) Neither heat option is the epitome of professionalism, but it was that or several times a year phone in sick and arrange cover.

I do wonder where the new uterus came from after having children. I can actually predict which week they will turn up in which is a marvellous novelty and so useful compared to guess the month! I can control any pains with regular painkillers. I do however notice that a day or two before and on the first day that my mental stamina goes and when I was working, it was not a productive time for things like catching up on marking. Mentally it is like wading through soup.

I think it would be better if we can accept that many women are significantly affected by our periods and where possible, a little flexibility to work around them wouldn't go amiss.

I must say that I'm glad my periods went this way around, partly because I'm feeling the benefit now but really because I can appreciate that women's experiences vary, and the menstrual cycle can have a clear effect on life. If I'd had these periods first, there's a danger that I could have fallen into the "they're not so bad, plough on" attitude.

I don't think so. It's part of life and we deal with it. Granted mine was never that bad anyway, no real cramps or anything. And I've been on the pill for years, so I don't have a real period, just a withdrawal bleed, that now is very light and easy to manage. But I've never been one to let such a thing
affect me. Plenty of menstruating women cope daily.

plus when you add the probably dodgy decisions The only dodgy decisions I make while menstruating have more to do with food than anything else (i.e overeating)

Prior to dc I had easy to manage periods. I doubt it affected my career. After my last dc, my periods became horrific and I was mostly housebound for days 1-3. The best protection lasted a maximum of 30 minutes. My iron levels were low enough to need a transfusion when I was checked.
I was parenting and working in that state.

Does anyone question the ability of men to make rational decisions in the grip of testosterone?

Yeah but I think I bear the negative effects, pain, tiredness, feeling low. I’m not sure how much it affects others. I think mid cycle couple of weeks high energy probably compensates. If I could have a day off I would take one- how divine would that be?

But I've never been one to let such a thing
affect me. Plenty of menstruating women cope daily

You've just stated that your periods aren't bad and yet you are dismissive to other women who do suffer.

It's no surprise that women find their careers hampered by menstruation when other women are dismissive