Many people, including those who menstruate, harbour wrong ideas about periods. One common misconception is that the blood flows continuously during menstruation, like water from an opened tap.
In reality, menstrual blood is discharged from the vagina in waves, explains Berlin-based gynaecologist Mandy Mangler.
Some women are able to train their pelvic floor so they are able to menstruate intentionally at a certain time, for example when they are going to the toilet.
Menstruating without using period products is known as free bleeding, a practice that has been prominently used by female athletes to draw attention to menstrual stigma, like runner Kiran Gandhi, who completed the London Marathon during her period without blocking the blood flow.
Controlling your menstrual flow to free-bleed at a specific time, however, requires a lot of practice and patience, says gynaecologist Mangler.
She says one option is to keep using pads or period panties until you feel confident enough to menstruate product-free, as those types of products allow you to familiarize yourself with the sensation of an unhindered blood flow step by step.
At the same time, you can begin to explore how to use your pelvic floor to stop the bleeding.