Home remedies to relieve period cramps

Get to know your cramps and what you can do about them

90% of women get period pain, 90% that’s exceptionally high, and probably why you are reading this blog. You are not alone. 

I’ve been there, my sister, my friends, my mother, and my clients. No one of us is immune to period pain. It’s terrible isn’t it? 

What if you could get rid of your cramps without even leaving the house? That’s probably why you are reading this blog too. 🙈

Well, let’s get into it then!

First you might want to know what the correct termfor period cramps. Cramps fall under the term Dysmenorrhea (in case you are going to talk to it with your doctor). This is the term used to encompass all period pain. 

Why do we get period cramps?

It’s our uterus contracting the blood from our uterus. It’s specifically the prostaglandins that do that job. Too many of the wrong prostaglandins make it painful. Prostaglandins are highest on days 1 and 2 of our period, and that is why you often have bad cramps on those days.

We want prostaglandins, because they help remove the blood and keep it flowing, but we want the right balance of prostaglandins. 

There are other structural reasons why you might get period pain.

These are:

• A 'tilted uterus'
• A misaligned pelvis - from wearing high heels too much
• Sitting incorrectly on the sacrum
• Trauma on/around or impacting the sacrum

 If you struggle with any of the above, it's best to book in with a trusted practitioner, book a 🩸 Period Power chat with me if you'd like to chat more about your period problems.

How do you know what is causing your period pain?

Process of elimination - first you fix the balance of prostaglandins in your body (more on that later) and then you work through the structural alignment of your pelvis.

What if your period pain lasts longer and is more intense? 

You may fall into the category of secondary dysmenorrhea - and this is caused by one of the following conditions;

This is caused by one of the following conditions;

• Endometriosis
• Uterine Fibroids
• Adenomyosis

Please seek out professional help if you think you fall into any of the above conditions. As they go beyond the scope of this blog.

How to fix your cramps at home

Supplementing with Omega 3

Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid, meaning your body can’t make it, you must consume it. This special, amazing, essential fat is what turns into the ‘good’ anti-inflammatory prostaglandin. This means more of this will reduce your period cramps.

Choose a quality supplement with high levels of omega-3. Or you can eat more foods containing Omega 3’s. 

Foods that contain high levels of omega-3 are;

• Salmon
• Sardines
• Flaxseeds
• Walnuts
• Mussels

Try eating more of these foods, especially in the week before you get your period - it will increase the amount of anti-inflammatory prostaglandin and you’ll find your periods to be much less painful.

Reduce Omega 6 

It’s likely that you are consuming too much Omega 6, maybe 15x too much! Omega 6 turns into the prostaglandin that causes inflammation and pain. This is the culprit of your period cramps. 

In the week leading up to your period (or all cycle long) you want to eat less of the following foods;

• Canola oil
• Margarine
• Sunflower oil
• Corn oil
• Deep fried foods

I know that can be hard because, in the week leading up to our periods, we can be feeling like eating extra carbs and fatty greasy foods to feel better. But in reality, they won't make us feel better when we have our period, and if you want fewer cramps, it’ll pay to eat fewer omega 6 foods. 

Have an orgasm

Yes, that’s right! Here is your permission slip to receive or give yourself an orgasm. When you reach your peak, you release a (beautiful) hormone called oxytocin (or queen oxytocin) and that hormone will counter the effect of the prostaglandins mentioned above. 

So more oxytocin= less cramps

Of course, there are other ways of getting oxytocin into your system without having an orgasm. Whatever you can do that makes you feel good, is releasing oxytocin. You know that relaxed, blissful feeling - yeah that is oxytocin.

(Click here to get your free period cramp checklist )

Make an oxytocin list and put it on your fridge, so maybe if you forget one of the kids will read it when they open the fridge for the 500th time and do one thing on there.

Here are some examples to get you started

• Lay in the sun
• Have a cup of tea
• Get a massage
• Lose yourself in a novel
• Have a cuddle for 20sec or more
• Eat something nourishing and sweet
• Add your own oxytocin-boosting activity to this list

Inside this facebook group you can come and see what we're talking about, maybe you'll pick up another oxytocin boosting trick to add to your list!

Take a magnesium supplement

I know you have one, somewhere in the back of your cupboard,  but, please, just check the best-before date on it. Magnesium is used in many systems in our bodies and its getting harder and harder to source from food. 

We still haven’t left the house yet have we? Isn’t this great! 

Your next task is to

Keep yourself warm

This means putting socks on your feet and a hottie on your womb. This is an ancient Chinese medicine one - and its such a soother. It probably works by boosting oxytocin and improving blood flow (because warmer blood flows easier). 

So get in the bath, pop some relaxing oils in and soak away till your all warm and fuzzy and the cramps have reduced.

If the cramps get worse when you get warm - stop getting warm and book an appointment with the Dr, as this can be a case of secondary amenorrhea (endometriosis, fibroids, and so on). 

This works for babies too - whenever my babies have been quite upset and being in my arms hasn’t soothed them we’ll get in the bath together - and it always works. 

One of the things I talk about in this period cave checklist is getting all your things ready for your period - having salts on hand is one of them.

Move your womb

Sometimes our womb is a bit stuck and stagnant, or a clot isn't coming through our vagina.  Movement can really help with this - nothing excessive of course, because you’re in a state of rest (low hormones make us feel like rest, and we need to listen to our bodies, not the gym buddies). 

So try some gentle yoga poses or intuitive movement. Try this site for some yoga moves to relieve your cramps

Cramps are calling you to rest

When you think about WHY you might be getting cramps - I often tell my clients (and friends and family) that your cramps are your bodies way of asking for some rest. 

Mothers especially are prone to overworking and overexerting themselves. We are not robots, and our bodies need to rest in order to rise. There is a reason I call this phase of our cycle the Crone, read more about that here. When you think of a woman in the Crone season of her life, think 75 years plus, she isn’t rushing around madly, trying to please everyone - she is calmly watching, waiting, and surrendering to what life is like in the moment. Embody her energy while you bleed. 

So take note of all the above, and then rest it out. Resting can be hard if you’ve forgotten how to do it - so maybe take some cues from your children. Do they lie on the floor and listen to music, flick through books, walk slowly outside - take a pause in your busy busy life and rest - your womb will thank you for it.

And there you have it - how to relieve your period cramps without leaving the house.

You can now rest, relax and release in a pain-free way. Remember that slight discomfort is normal and natural, but intense cramps that require medication are not. Try these at-home remedies and let me know how you get on. Which one was the winner tip - or did you try them all? 

Want to make sure you will remember all these great cramp-busting ideas, I’ve got just the thing for you. 

Print this guide and pin it to the fridge or pop it in your period box so you can remember what to do next time you womb is cramping. Click here to get it now