For me, I know my period is coming because I will cry at literally ANYTHING. A sad tv commercial, a song, one of those clickbait Facebook “inspirational” stories a relative has shared. I used to get a few zits on my chin or cheeks too but luckily that seems to have calmed down over the past couple of years.
I rely on good old-fashioned western medicine to solve cramps, just pop a naproxen. I have to remember not to do it on an empty stomach though because otherwise I get a sore tummy. I use a cup too, which has been an absolute game-changer. We have a blog post about it actually, which you can read here.
We have an open discussion about period sex. I’m not a fan, especially in the first two days, because I’m so bloated and sore, but everyone is different.