If you're anything like me, you practically mainline ibuprofen to get through your period. Seriously, I often wish I had an IV of that stuff. Ever since I got my IUD inserted in 2017, my periods have been pretty heavy and accompanied by some serious cramps, so I needed something to take the edge off.

I thought the only cure was to pop two little red pills every couple of hours. Growing up in a house where a thousand-tablet bottle was in nearly every medicine cabinet, I thought that was the cure for most things. So, it's probably less surprising that it only occurred to me this month that maybe I could hack the whole period thing without relying on ibuprofen.

 I decided to try going through a normal, five-day period without any painkillers. Honestly, it was surprisingly easy. The cramps and the heavy flow were still there (TMI: I found that my blood flow wasn't any heavier than it would be taking ibuprofen) but I found many painkiller-free ways around it. Here are a few tips I found helpful:

1. Apply Heat: We all probably do this already, but I found it particularly important to treat my pain with heat since I wasn't relying on painkillers. I've always used the sock-full-of-rice method but this month I opted for adhesive heat pads. Specifically, I picked these up from Dealz for €1.50 which were surprisingly effective. During the day, I stuck one of the heat pads on my lower abdomen and easily concealed it underneath my clothes. At night, I found them super soothing on my lower back.

2. Light Exercise: I know, I know - the tip no one wants to hear. Hear me out. A little workout focusing on your core will do wonders to regulate period cramps. I used weight machines that targeted my abdominals and my back and I felt remarkably less achy and crampy. Plus, going to the gym made me feel less lethargic and gross compared to my usual routine of lounging around in sweatpants all week.

3. Cut Down on Caffeine: I confess that I may have snuck a few cups of coffee in during the week, but limiting caffeine is crucial to preventing cramps that imitate the ninth circle of hell. In the mornings, I switched coffee out for black tea. If I went to a cafe later in the day, I'd opt for a chai latte (THE BEST warm drink).

4. Listen to your Body: I was standing in SuperValu one night and found myself staring lustfully at the refrigerator case of yogurt. Turns out, yogurt is good for cramps. More often than not your body knows what it needs before you do. Don't eschew random period cravings - it may be your body signalling for certain nutrients (just don't overdo it on salt and sugar).

All in all, my painkiller-free period was, well, relatively painless. I fully expected to be brought to tears by my cramps, but I managed to keep them at bay with these techniques. I certainly intend on nixing (or at least cutting down on) my ibuprofen intake for all my periods to come.

What do you rely on to get you through your time-of-the-month? Let me know below!

xx ASP