I will never forget the day my first period came. What made it unforgettable was who was there with me — the matriarchs of my family.
This image will forever live vividly in my mind. My first bleed—I was so young, probably in 4th or 5th grade. I laid on my aunt’s couch, crying, confused and holding my belly. Mi abuelita came through the kitchen with a hot tortilla, fresh off the press, and laid it on my womb space. It helped for a moment, but the pain lasted all afternoon.
The pain came and went in fluctuations. I can still remember the sadness on my mom’s, tias’, and abuelitas’ faces. They knew this would be my entire life: painful cycles; each one complained of discomfort; My mom had a hysterectomy. None of them knew or was taught how to understand their hormones or how to nurture a healthy connection to their womb. All they knew was that with each month came pain.
I was one of the youngest in my friend group to get a period. Every cycle I’d sneak into the bathroom with the largest Always pad so I wouldn’t have to change them often or risk leaking. That’s how heavy my bleeding was. I felt shame and had to live in secrecy. Each month I’d whisper to a friend, “do you have a pad I could borrow? I didn’t bring enough.” My periods grew heavier, longer, and more painful as the years went on.
Fast forward to my early 30s: my mood swings were out of control. I had huge ups and downs and still didn’t understand my hormones. What was estrogen? What did progesterone do? I didn’t know it dropped after ovulation. Cervical mucus disgusted me— I disliked seeing it in my
underwear. All I knew was that I hated my period, hated three days of cramps, and was afraid of what my mood swings were doing to my current relationships.
One day while scrolling Instagram, I stumbled across a post about menstrual cycles. I don’t remember the exact content, but I clicked through and found the profile of the woman who would become my teacher. Her page overflowed with information about hormones, nutrition, and the phases of the cycle. I booked a discovery call to discuss what I was feeling. After some Google searches, I suspected estrogen dominance and even wondered if I had PMDD. She explained her methods and program, but it was too expensive at the time. I declined and promised myself I’d try to help myself.
I thought I lived a healthy life. I ate well, exercised, and loved being in nature. But I also worked a high-stress restaurant job in Chicago—five days a week, 50+ hours, 10-hour shifts, no windows. I drank almost every other day for nearly two years. Chicago barely gets sunshine. It was brutal. I had no idea how much it all affected my stress, cortisol, and hormones.
Weeks passed, then I saw more posts from my teacher—she was taking on students to train as Holistic Hormone & Cycle Coaches! I was immediately drawn in. I wanted to do this! I wanted to help myself, learn about my body, and support my friends and family. Every womb-holder I spoke to had some sort of disconnection or menstrual discomfort. I knew I could turn this into my career. I had taught children before, I could certainly help anyone suffering from cramps, mood swings, and heavy periods.
Soon I found myself in a classroom with people from all over the world while I was in Denver, Colorado. Behind me rose the Front Range, the sun shining 200+ days a year, gloomy days rare. I was no longer working a stressful job. No longer drinking daily. No longer living under constant pressure. I manifested this life back when I was still experiencing erratic mood swings in Chicago. I made the hard decision to move away from friends and family because I knew there was a better way to live—and I found it.
Now, in my early 30s, I no longer suffer from these mood swings, heavy periods, or cortisol dysregulation. I’ve taken charge of my daily rhythms and built consistency into my nutrition, movement, and light exposure. My relationships feel steadier and more mature because I understand my hormones and how my choices affect both myself and those around me.
Did the little girl in the picture ever imagine there existed painless periods? I don’t think so, I give younger me so much love and grace because she endured so much. I now know there is a path to harmony—a way to release the shame and discomfort I once felt about my menstrual cycle. Today it feels beautiful, powerful, and natural.
I hope my story inspires others to discover the same.
it took me 20+ years to figure out that the ancestral healing modalities i was taught, is what would heal my relationship with my menstrual cycle. 20 + years was way too long!
when that moment came it changed my life and relationships.
I no longer experience debilitating cramps, chin acne, or heavy periods.
& i teach women all over the world how to live cyclically and look forward to each phase of their menstrual cycle!
Saludos !
Hey there, I’m Lizbeth!
Cycle Seeds, IPHM- Certified Holistic Hormone & Menstrual Cycle Coach
Student of Ancestral Healer, Pānquetzani, Indigescuela
The Illinois Institute of Art— Chicago Associates in Culinary Arts
*Currently* Student with Chloe Skerlak- Charting Champions
Multi-talented baker, native plant gardener, hiker, traveler, kitty mom of two, Montessori teacher, and wife.