The Ultimate Guide to Womanhood

Your womanhood isn't defined by the work you do, your body parts, or the relationships you have — you define your womanhood. Womanhood involves a ton of milestones, most of which are life-changing. From finding the perfect bra to finding out what no one tells you about menopause, here's a quick guide on how to navigate some key milestones in your womanhood.

Know your bra size

If you've ever worn the wrong bra size, you know how uncomfortable it can feel. Worse still are the resulting backaches and occasional breast pain. The solution to this is to find a bra that's the right fit, but this isn't always easy to do. This is because bra sizes vary significantly across lingerie brands. What qualifies as a B-cup at one store can easily be a different size at another store. To avoid this, get measured to find your correct bra size. Most lingerie shops can measure your bust for free, but if you're an avid online shopper and are wondering, "How do I measure bra size?" the first step is to have a measuring tape on hand.

To start, wear a non-padded bra or go braless. Next, grab your measuring tape and guide it around your torso, directly under your bust. Make sure that the measuring tape is level on all sides—standing in front of a mirror can help with this—and that it has a snug hold. Whatever figure you get, round it off to the nearest whole number. If you get an even number, add four inches to this figure, and if you get an odd number, add five to it. Your band size should be the total of this calculation. For example, if you measured 30 inches, your band size is 34, and if you measured 31 inches, your band size is 36.

To get your bust measurement, find the fullest part of your bust and run your measuring tape around it. Whatever figure you get, round this off to the nearest whole number. Finally, to know your bra size, subtract your band size from your bust size, and for every inch count a cup size like this:

• 1 = A
• 2 = B
• 3 = C
• 4 = D
• 5 = DD (E)
• 6 = DDD (F)

For instance, if, from your measurements, your bust is 37 inches, and your band is 34 inches, 37-34=3, so you're a 34C. You don't need to be a pro bra size calculator with this easy bra size method.

Wear the right bra for your needs.

Hormone fluctuations, weight gain, pregnancy, and age can affect your bra size. If you're a new mom, for instance, and you intend to breastfeed, your regular bra may not be the most comfortable fit for you during this time. Luckily, nursing bras and pumping bras offer comfortable bra options to match your body's changing needs.

Most women experience a change in breast size around the time when they are five months postpartum. If you're in this stage, you'll need a comfortable bra that you can easily adjust to support the changes you may be having in your breast size. Simple Wishes' Reversible Sleep Lounge Nursing Bra is a great option for this time because it allows you to easily slip your breast out when nursing or pumping. Their Supermom Bralette is another great alternative because of its drop-down cup feature. Besides being a great nursing bra, their nursing bralette can also double as a t-shirt bra.

Alternatively, you can also try Simple Wishes' Adjustable Hands-Free Pumping Bra. What makes this bra so great is the fact that you can wear it over any nursing bra. Considered their most supportive pumping bra, it's designed to wear only when pumping. As you transition from postpartum to breastfeeding, your main priority when it comes to finding the perfect bra is comfort. Knowing this, allow your body the time it needs to recover and stay away from underwire bras.

Understand your cycles.

In most women, estrogen levels begin to fluctuate once they reach 35. At this time, the effects of these hormonal changes are mild. It isn’t until most of these women reach their 40s that they start to experience symptoms of perimenopause. During perimenopause, your body produces lower levels of estrogen. The average length of perimenopause is two years, after which you enter menopause. Your doctor will confirm that you've reached menopause when you haven’t had a menstrual period for a period of 12 consecutive months.

Going through perimenopause and menopause can result in uncomfortable symptoms such as fatigue, hot flashes, urinary incontinence, vaginal dryness, night sweats, mood swings, sleep problems, gut problems, and more. Tracking your perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms is a great way to understand your cycle to help you find relief. Some more severe symptoms may require you to seek medical treatment, and tracking your symptoms can help your doctor understand your symptoms.

Midlife health tracker apps offer the best option when it comes to helping you understand your cycle. This is because they can help you gain a proper understanding of your overall health while offering insight into some questions you may have, like: how long does menopause last?

Please note that the insight offered by menopause health tracker apps shouldn't act as a substitute for any recommended course of treatment suggested by your healthcare provider.

Simple things to make your garden more attractive

Photo by JR Harris on Unsplash

With summer now underway, you are probably spending more of your leisure time in your garden than you usually would. Perhaps you enjoy relaxing in your pool after a long day at work, or having a few friends over for a barbecue and a few chilled drinks. However, you may not fully enjoy your garden if it is less of a tranquil paradise and more of a neglected junk yard. Here are some simple things to make your garden more attractive.

1. Flowers

Your garden might currently be very low maintenance, with a cement drive way and perhaps a patch of scrubby lawn for the kids to play on. While concrete flags and untended lawns do remove hours of garden maintenance, they are less aesthetically pleasing than a garden that is bursting with color. Flowers are a simple way to add some color to your garden. Simply take a trip to your local garden center and choose the flowers that you find most pleasing and plant them in your garden. Use flowerpots if you do not have flowerbeds; these also have the advantage of being moveable, so you can take your colorful flowers with you if you move properties.  

2. Pond

Adding pond water features into your garden will bring you many benefits. A pond will attract insects and other wildlife to your garden, such as frogs and dragonflies, who thrive in an aquatic environment. Furthermore, ponds and other water features, like fountains, provide your garden with an air of tranquility in which you will love to sit in to relax and unwind at the end of a stressful day. Ensure that your pond includes a water filter to keep the water moving and prevent it from stagnating, ensuring that your pond is a clean and healthy environment in which plants and wildlife can thrive.

3. Maintain garden furniture

If left exposed, your garden furniture can experience a battering from the snow, wind and rain of the harsh winter months. It’s unsurprising, then, for them to be in poor condition when you are ready to use them again in summer. Chipped paintwork, weakened wood, and faded colors all make for garden furniture that is less-than pleasing to the eye, as well as possibly being unsafe for use. Take some time to maintain your garden furniture by adding a fresh coat of weatherproof paint and carrying out repairs, and remember to use a tarpaulin cover when not in use to protect your furniture from the elements.

4. Garden ornaments

Garden ornaments are a quick way to brighten up your garden and make you and your guest smile. Garden gnomes are outside ornamentation classics, but you could also shake your things up a bit by looking at other types of garden ornaments. For example, you could have some flamingo statues for a tropical touch, or perhaps some tasteful figurines of woodland creatures to create the relaxing vibe of a mysterious pine forest. 

Implement these four tips and you’re bound to boost the attractiveness of your garden.