[jyotisuntha]

I'm 39, when i was young i use to have very easy periods(menstrual cycle) those days i never bothered about diet during that period.but  after having a baby I started having painful periods. i feel very weak for those seven days. what kind of diet should i take during those days? please suggest

[elainewestcott]

Hello! I'm just now seeing your post- hope you've found some relief since you first posted!

Despite what we've been told in our culture, PMS/period pain is *not normal*. Rather, all the "typical" PMS symptoms that we women have been told to solve with medication are really symptoms that something is out of balance within us--sometimes this is a nutrient deficiency that we can resolve by changing our diet, sometimes it's something else.

I would recommend reading Dr. Jolene Brighten's blog posts <drbrighten.com/articles/> to help you find out what's going on, so you can solve it! She is an expert in women's hormones and has written a great book to help us demystify what's going on with all our symptoms. I'm currently reading her book "Beyond the Pill", and would recommend you check it out from the library/buy it!

I personally have found that making a tea with raspberry leaf is very helpful for cramps. You can find this at an herbalist, spice shop, apothecary or online.

In the meantime, here's what Dr. Brighten recommends for painful periods--though it's always good to figure out what is the underlying cause!
*Magnesium (glycinate or citrate): 300-600 mg daily
*Turmeric: 1 g daily (and/or use in food!)
*Cramp bark extract: 1 tsp 2-3x/day 2 days before your period and for the duration of cramps

[diana_m]

I'm 39, when i was young i use to have very easy periods(menstrual cycle) those days i never bothered about diet during that period.but  after having a baby I started having painful periods. i feel very weak for those seven days. what kind of diet should i take during those days? please suggest

Personally, I believe that you must visit your OBGYN first since you've mentioned the changes after the birth.
I twice that teas - like camomile, raspberry leaf - might reduce the pain. Try to add more magnesium to your diet and watch for your iron levels (red meat, beans, tofu, and pumpkin seeds are all good sources of iron). Low iron level is usually what makes your weaker during the period. Stay healthy!