omg i have three really important events tomorrow a picnic and tomorrow i think my period is coming and after tomorrow i have movie night and then 2 days later i have my birthday omg

Take a deep breath because having your period will not ruin any of your plans. Periods can feel like they have the absolute worst timing, but having one does not mean you have to skip out on picnic food, movie night, or celebrating your birthday.

You can do all normal things on your period, and taking it easy when you don't feel well is fine too. A simple game plan will help you feel completely in charge of the next few days:

• Pack a small pouch with a few pads or pairs of period underwear, plus a spare pair of normal underwear just in case.
• Change your pad every 4 to 6 hours, sooner on heavy days. If you prefer period underwear, change it every 8 to 12 hours, depending on your flow.
• Wear comfy clothes like dark leggings or flowy shorts so you aren't stressing about checking your pants every five seconds.
• Keep snacks and a water bottle handy to keep your energy up through all the fun.

Cramps can definitely happen, but they do not have to trap you on the couch. A heat pad, or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel that a grown-up fills, can help too, and in a few small studies heat worked about as well as medicine. There are medicines that help period pain, and a grown-up decides if you take one, which one and how much, for your age and weight. They tend to work best when a grown-up starts them as soon as the cramps start and keeps them going for the first two or three days. Once your periods come when you expect them, a grown-up can start them a day or two before your period is due.

Most people bleed for 3 to 7 days, and a first period can be much shorter and lighter. Tell a grown-up if you need a new pad or tampon every 1 to 2 hours, your period lasts more than 7 days, you pass clots bigger than about 2.5 cm, blood leaks through to your clothes or bed, you miss normal things because of your period, or you feel tired or out of breath a lot. Also tell a grown-up if the pain stops you doing normal things like school, doesn't get better with the pain relief a grown-up gives you, or keeps getting worse from one period to the next.

If you want an easy place to keep track of these dates and how you feel, you can use the Soso app to log your cycle.