Why Winter Cycles Are More Painful & How To Optimize Your Reproductive Health Over the Holidays

Have you ever noticed that your period is more painful or intense during the winter months? Why is that? This blog post will reveal the many probable causes that lead to women having their "worst cycles" during or after the holidays. Whether you're a seasoned fertility expert or just starting to look for ways to improve your reproductive health throughout the year, this post is for you.

A few years ago, my sister and I were out for a run in the snow during our Christmas break. Our slow, easy long runs are often where some of our deepest thoughts are shared and many ideas are sparked. As we overlooked the snow-covered East Grand Traverse Bay, we somehow got on the topic of periods and how we were both dreading our January cycles, as we agreed that the first menses of the year seemed to be the worst for both of us. Why? We didn't know.

We speculated that maybe it had something to do with lower Vitamin D levels due to less sun exposure in the winter months, meaning we get less of the anti-inflammatory benefits from Vitamin D. Or perhaps it was a result of eating and being exposed to a lot of hyper-inflammatory and endocrine/hormone disrupting foods & products (gluten, dairy, sugar, alcohol, omega-6's, fragrances (think holiday-scented candles, lotions, soaps, air fresheners, perfumes, etc), foods being bathed in toxic cookware, etc., all of this leading to higher estrogen levels and lower progesterone levels, causing more painful periods and heavier bleeding. Or maybe it even had to do with the cold...being cold means less blood flow to organs, which would mean less blood flow to the uterus, leading to more painful cramping...or the cold numbing our motivation to exercise, and maybe that could cause more painful menses? That one was a stretch.

Fast-forward a couple of years, I was in the car stuck in traffic listening to a podcast about hormonal health and how it's affected by diet, exercise, and stress. Low and behold, guess what one of the topics of discussion was? You guessed it. Why is my January (and sometimes December or February) cycle the worst one of the year? Turns out that my sister and I were onto something...or a lot of the things. Here are some of the culprits that cause periods to be heavier and more painful during the winter as well as what you can do to combat these to optimize your reproductive health over the holidays:

1.  LOW VITAMIN D LEVELS: This is often a result of less exposure to the sun (especially here in the Midwest). Vitamin D is anti-inflammatory, and also influences hormones that help regulate the menstrual cycle. To improve vitamin D levels during the winter, try getting outside during daylight hours for 15-20 minutes a day, even if it’s cloudy or cold. Another option is to try taking a quality vitamin D supplement and/or using a sun lamp.

2. POOR DIET/EXERCISE: The holidays are notorious for delicious meals, sugary treats, and restful time with family. I don’t think the solution here is to avoid all yummy foods and rest, but I do think that being more mindful of food choices and trying to get some light exercise in, even if it’s just 15-20 minutes of walking in a day, would be beneficial. If possible, try eating less foods that are inflammatory (less gluten, dairy, sugar, alcohol, and omega-6’s), and instead, try choosing foods that help fight inflammation (think higher fiber, protein, antioxidants, omega-3’s, etc). 

3. COLD: The cold quite literally makes your blood vessels shrink (vasoconstriction). When it’s cold, your body shunts blood to your vital organs (think brain and heart), meaning less blood is circulated to the uterus. Blood contains oxygen and nutrients to supply to your tissues to help them function properly, so being cold means less oxygen and nutrients sent to the uterus, which can lead to worsening cramps during menses. To help combat this, try turning the heat up in your home, bundling up in blankets and warm clothes, taking a hot bath or warm shower (epsom salt baths are great for relaxing muscles, helping reduce cramping, and detoxing), eating hot foods, or sipping on hot drinks (bonus if you choose anti-inflammatory drinks like matcha, golden milk lattes, ginger/turmeric, bone broths, etc.).

4. STRESS: Stress is perhaps the most influential culprit making periods worse in the winter. Holidays are full of joy and excitement, but can also leave us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. All the preparation, anticipation, buying food and gifts, cooking, wrapping, hosting, traveling, socializing with family and friends, cleaning, and tending to children can tell your brain that now would NOT be the best time to bring new life into this stressful world. As a result, ovulation can be delayed (hello double peaks!), the inflammatory stress hormone (cortisol) spikes, and your cycle is thrown out of whack. PMS symptoms are worse than ever, cycles are longer than usual, cramps are more painful, and bleeding is heavier - all thanks to high stress levels. Stress is one of the hardest things to fix. Some ideas to try reducing stress to better reproductive health include: prayer, meditation on the Holy Family during the Christmas season, frequenting the Sacraments, deep breathing, listening to peaceful music, finding places of rest, peace, and quiet, turning off electronics, taking a break from social media, decreasing stressors, getting regular light/moderate exercise, consuming a healthy diet, getting quality regular sleep (ideal is 8-9 hours a night and asleep between 10p - midnight). 

In the midst of today’s hustle and bustle holiday culture, I hope these tips help you find peace, rest, comfort, and more manageable menses during this Christmas season. May the beauty and miracle of the birth of Our Savior, Jesus, bring you warmth, light, and joy. God bless and Merry Christmas!