Lesson video

Hi, I'm Ms. Lou, And I'm your RSHE teacher for today.

Thank you so much for choosing to complete your learning with me.

Today's lesson forms part of our changing bodies unit with a focus on menstrual health.

Now, because of some of the themes and topics covered in today's lesson, it's important that while you complete your learning, you're accompanied by an adult.

Our lesson today is all about menstrual health.

And by the end of today's lesson, you will be able to describe the menstrual cycle and explain how to track cycles.

Every RSHE lesson should begin with a set of ground rules.

This ensures that every conversation had in RSHE is respectful, and we're all able to learn effectively.

So Laura is reminding us that, in RSHE, we should listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond.

And when disagreeing, we challenge the statement and not the person.

Andeep is reminding us to respect privacy.

We can discuss examples, but we don't use names or descriptions that can identify anyone, including ourselves.

Izzy is reminding us to choose a level of participation that suits us.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in a discussion.

But we never put anyone on the spot.

And, finally, Jacob is reminding us that, in RSHE, there is no judgement.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without the fear of being judged.

Here are our keywords for today's lesson.

Now, because many of these words refer to body parts or bodily functions, they may be words that you haven't heard before.

So that's why we're gonna go through the definitions together now.

First of all, we have endometrium.

This is the blood-filled lining of the uterus, which sheds every month if there's no fertilised egg implanted.

Uterus, an organ, also called a womb, where a fertilised egg can grow into a foetus.

Ovary, one of the two glands that make and store egg cells.

Fallopian tube, also called oviduct, one leads from each ovary to the uterus.

And finally, discharge, this is fluid made in the cervix or vagina that helps to keep the vagina clean and moist.

So here is the outline for today's lesson.

We're beginning with our first learning cycle, and we're gonna be answering the question, what are the four phases of the menstrual cycle? Now, the menstrual cycle occurs every month, and it can last about 28 days.

There are four phases in total in the menstrual cycle.

And we're going to have a look at each of those four phases in a bit more detail together.

So phase one.

This takes place around days one to five of the cycle.

The endometrium, which as we know, is that blood-filled lining of the uterus, it is shed.

And this causes bleeding from the vagina.

Now, we often refer to phase one as menstruating or a period.

Phase two.

We can see an egg there in the ovary in the diagram on the left hand side.

So around days 6 to 13, the endometrium starts to thicken.

And this is preparing in case of fertilised egg is implanted.

Now, a fact here about the endometrium is that it can thicken to anywhere between 10 millimetres and 16 millimetres.

Now, let's check our understanding about those first two phases in the menstrual cycle.

So true or false.

In phase two, around days 6 to 13, the endometrium is shed.

Is this true or false? I'd like to pause the video now and have a think about your answers.

Really well done.

So if you said false, you are correct.

But why is this false? Well, the endometrium is shed in phase one, and this takes place around days one to five.

However, in phase two, around day 6 to 13, the endometrium starts to thicken.

So really well done if you got that correct.

Moving on now to phase three.

And if we have a look at the diagram on the left-hand side, we can see that an egg has been released from the ovary into the fallopian tube.

So phase three takes place around day 14.

An egg is released from the ovary, and it travels through the fallopian tube into the uterus.

Now, the final phase of the menstrual cycle is phase four.

This takes place around days 15 to 28.

And the lining of the endometrium is maintained in case a fertilised egg is implanted.

However, if a fertilised egg does not implant, what happens is that endometrium sheds and the cycle begins again.

Now, let's check our understanding about those final two phases in the menstrual cycle.

True or false.

Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovary.

This happens around day 14.

I'd like you to pause the video here and have a think about your answer before we go through it together.

Well done for giving that a go.

And well done if you said true.

And why is this true? Well, we know that ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovary, and this happens in phase three, which usually takes place around day 14 of that 28-day menstrual cycle.

Now, we're gonna put our learning into practise, answering the question about what are the four phases of the menstrual cycle.

To do this, you are going to fill in the missing words to complete the menstrual cycle phases.

I'd like you to pause the video here while you write down your answers.

Well done for giving that a go.

Let's go through the answers together now.

So you were asked to fill in the missing words to complete the menstrual cycle phases.

And your answers should include that: Phase one is when the endometrium is shed.

Phase two, the endometrium starts to thicken.

Phase three, an egg is released from the ovary.

And finally, phase four, if the egg is not fertilised, the endometrium is shed.

Well done for working your way through those answers.

Moving on now to our second learning cycle, and we are going to be answering the question, what is menstruation like? Now, menstruation is known by various names.

Sam says that her friends call it a period.

Izzy says, "Some people say menstruating." And Sofia says that she calls it time of the month.

Now, there are other names that you may have heard for menstruating, and none of them are right or wrong.

It's all personal preference.

Now, menstruation is different for all females.

It usually starts at around 12 years old.

But some people may start their period earlier.

Some people may start at later.

12 years old is just the average.

So, for example, Sam is saying here that she's nearly 12, but she hasn't started her period yet.

Izzy says that she didn't start hers until she was 14 years old.

Whereas, Sofia says that she started hers when she was 10.

Now, when menstruation first begins, it can be irregular.

It might start at different times of the month, and it might last for a different amount of time.

But by the time somebody reaches around 16 to 18 years of age, most females will menstruate once a month.

And those periods might become more regular.

Now, on average, menstruation actually stops between the ages of 45 and 55 years old.

This is called menopause.

Now, if we were to break that word down, meno means means month and pause means stop.

So when we put them together, it literally means the end of a person's monthly cycle, the end of periods.

Now, it says here that menopause can happen anywhere between 45 and 55 years of age, but it can begin earlier.

It can begin later than this.

Everybody is different.

So we're gonna check our understanding now about what menstruation is like.

True or false.

Menstruation starts at 12 years old.

I'd like you to pause the video here and have a think about your answers, and then we'll join together and go through them.

Very, very well done.

Well done, especially if you said false.

Now, why do we know that this is false? Well, we've said that the average age for menstruation is 12.

But each female is different.

Some people may start menstruating earlier or later than 12 years.

Now, menstruation or a period usually lasts around five days.

But it's not the same for everyone.

And actually periods can last anywhere up to two to seven days.

And this can change over time.

So Sofia here is telling us that her periods usually last for about six days, whereas Izzy is saying that her periods are actually quite short and sometimes they only last for around two or three days.

Now, for most females, the menstrual cycle, those four phases that we had a look at before, usually take place over 28 days.

but cycles can actually vary between 21 and 45 days.

And this is particularly relevant when first starting your periods, approaching menopause, or under stress.

Now, blood loss during a period, usually heaviest in the first two to three days.

It may seem like a lot of blood is lost during a period, but actually on average, it's only around four to eight tablespoons of blood that is lost per cycle.

Now, let's check our understanding here about what menstruation is like.

On the screen, there are four statements.

I would like for you to read through those four statements and choose which of them are correct.

So you're going to pause the video here and have a think about your answers.

Well done for giving that a go.

Let's have a look at those correct answers.

So if you said that A and C were correct statements, then great job.

Let's have a look at those two incorrect statements.

So B, we know is incorrect because menstruation or a period is not always five days.

It can last anywhere between two and seven days.

D, we know is incorrect because it isn't four teaspoons of blood that is lost during a period.

It is four to eight tablespoons.

Now, really well done if you got those correct.

Now, finally, as part of this learning cycle, we're going to put our learning into practise.

And Sam has some questions about periods.

So Sam wants to know, "Will I start my period when I'm 12 years old? Will I have a period every 28 days? And will I lose a lot of blood?" Now, with a partner, I'd like you to take turns to explain what advice you would give to Sam in order to answer these questions.

In a moment, I'd like you to pause the video and have those discussions with your partner, and then we'll go through some of the things that you could have said to give advice to Sam.

Excellent.

So with your partner, you were taking turns to explain what advice you'd give to Sam in order to answer these questions.

And let's just recap those questions quickly.

So Sam asked, "Will I start my periods when I'm 12 years old? Will I have a period every 28 days? And will I lose a lot of blood?" So in those discussions with your partner, some things that you might have mentioned include that the average age that a period starts is about 12 years old, but it can be earlier and it can be later.

You could have mentioned that periods can be irregular when they first start, but once you reach around 16 to 18 years of age, most females will have a period once a month or roughly every 28 days.

The length of a menstrual cycle can vary between 21 and 45 days, depending on age or stress level.

And, finally, you may have mentioned that it might seem like a lot of blood is lost during menstruation, but actually only four to eight tablespoons are lost per cycle.

Excellent work.

If you mentioned any of the things on the screen there, very, very well done.

Moving on to our final learning cycle, and we are asking here, how can people track their cycles? Now, some people like to keep track of a menstrual cycle.

And the reason that they do that is because it helps them to feel more prepared and in control for when they have a period.

During a period, the day bleeding starts.

And the day it stops can be noted in a diary or a calendar.

Repeating this for a few months will help to find the average cycle length and the due date of the next period.

Now, you may not know this, but there are actually many apps that are available for people to track their cycles on as well.

So let's check our understanding here.

Tracking a menstrual cycle can help predict when the next period is due.

True or false? I'm gonna ask you to pause the video here and have a think about your answers.

Great work.

If you said true, that is excellent.

And why is this true? Because we know that by repeatedly noting down the day that bleeding starts and the day it stops, people can actually calculate an average cycle length.

They can then use this to calculate roughly when their next period is due.

Now, some people might experience symptoms before their period starts, and these symptoms include breast tenderness, changes to the skin.

Your skin may become oilier and you might experience more spots, or it may become dry.

Tiredness.

Abdominal cramps, which is something that we quite usually associate with menstruation.

Now, these are experienced kind of below the bottom of the ribs to the pelvis.

And it can feel a bit like twisting or dull aches.

Now, if your cramps cause you a lot of pain and you actually struggle to manage daily tasks because of the pain, it's important that you speak to a trusted adult or a medical professional about this.

You might experience lower back ache, heightened emotions, or discharge which happens around two weeks before.

Now, discharge, we know is a fluid that's made in the cervix or vagina.

It's nothing to worry about.

In fact, discharge is actually there to protect the vagina from infection.

The amount of discharge will usually depend on the day within the cycle.

So healthy discharge is usually odourless and looks clear and white.

And discharge can actually change consistency and texture throughout the menstrual cycle.

So after menstruation has finished, discharge is usually quite dry and sticky, whereas right before menstruation, so when menstruation is imminent, the discharge actually has an egg white consistency.

And it's typically white and stretchy.

However, if there are any changes in the smell or colour of discharge, it's important to seek medical attention.

So all these symptoms can help a person to recognise if their period is due, which means that they can prepare more easily.

So this might mean that they carry a period product with them.

It might mean choosing outfits carefully or adapting their work or social commitments.

So being aware of the way that a person's body feels around the time of menstruation, keeping a track of a cycle start date can help a person feel much more prepared for menstruation to begin.

So let's check our understanding here about how people can track their cycles.

Which of these symptoms might indicate that a period is due? Is it a, an ear infection; b, heightened emotions; c, lower back ache; or d, a sore arm? I'd like you to pause the video here and have a think about your answers.

Excellent work.

Now, if you said that b and c were symptoms that might indicate that a period is due, very well done.

Moving on now to the final task in today's lesson, and we're gonna put all of our learning into practise about how people can track their cycles.

I would like you to answer the following questions.

How can people track their menstrual cycle? Why is tracking a menstrual cycle useful? And what are three symptoms that a period is due? So have a think about your answers to those questions, get them written down, and we'll join back together in a moment to go through them.

Good luck.

Very well done for giving those questions a go.

We're gonna go through those answers together now.

So your answers to these questions might have mentioned: One, people can track their menstrual cycle by using a calendar or a diary.

For a few months, they record the date that bleeding starts and when it stops.

And what this does is it gives them an average cycle length and when the next period might be due.

Tracking a menstrual cycle is useful because it can help people feel more prepared and in control of their body.

And finally, three common symptoms that a period due is due include abdominal cramps, lower back ache, and heightened emotions.

Excellent work there.

Well done for answering those questions.

So in summary, our menstrual health lesson, we learned that the menstrual cycle has four phases, that usually lasts around 28 days, but this can vary between 21 and 45 days.

We learned that during the cycle, an egg is released from an ovary, travels to the uterus through the fallopian tube, and if the egg is not fertilised, the endometrium sheds from the vagina.

We also learned that this phase where the endometrium sheds from the vagina happens in phase one, and it's often referred to as menstruating or a period.

We learned that the menstrual cycle is different for each person, but tracking a menstrual cycle and recognising symptoms, such as abdominal cramps, lower back ache, or discharge, can help people to feel prepared and predict when their period is due.

Now, if you have been affected by anything mentioned in today's lesson or you want to learn more about menstruation and the menstrual cycle, there are places where you can go to get support.

The NHS website, which provides advice about health and prevention, such as how to access services.

And childline, a website and phone line, which is able to offer confidential advice and support.

And I would like to end today's lesson with saying thank you for choosing to complete your learning with me.

It has been a wonderful lesson.

And we have learned so much about menstrual health and the menstrual cycle.

I hope to see you for another RSHE lesson soon.