Walt Disney The Story Of Menstruation

Old banned cartoon film on a woman's menstruation . A Walt Disney production.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

NARRATOR: Why is nature
always called Mother Nature?

Perhaps it's because,
like any mother,

she quietly manages
so much of our living

without our ever realizing
there's a woman at work,

while right from the beginning
we breathe, and sleep, and wake

up with no more
conscious planning

than we used in sprouting teeth.

Mother Nature controls many of
our routine bodily processes

through automatic control
centers called glands.

The story of menstruation
really begins

with one particular gland.

It's located here at
the base of the brain.

And it's called the
pituitary gland.

In our childhood years,
this pituitary gland

concentrate on producing
growth hormones,

busy little messengers
which circulate

through the bloodstream.

They order the various bones
and tissues to get growing.

And as a girl grows up
from blocks, to dolls,

to books, that means her
body is obeying the orders

issued by the pituitary gland.

Of course these orders
vary among different girls.

Some girls grow short,
some tall, some heavy,

and some slight.

But there comes a time somewhere
between the ages of 11 and 17,

though about 13 is average,
when the pituitary must

turn part of its
attention to maturing

the body which it has grown.

So it starts sending
out a new type

of hormone, a maturing hormone.

And that is when menstruation
begins, when these maturing

hormones start coming down
through the bloodstream

to the ovaries.

The ovaries themselves
are glands about the size

of almonds.

And locked within each
ovary are thousands of eggs.

Although these eggs
are too small to be

seen by the human
eye, any one of them

has the possibility of someday
becoming a human being.

Near the ovaries are
the fallopian tubes,

short canals which lead
to the uterus or womb.

This hollow,
pear-shaped organ opens

into the vagina, which is
part of the birth canal

and is the external opening
for this whole group of organs.

So, as you see, there
is a continuous passage

from each ovary through the
fallopian tubes, uterus,

and vagina to the
outside of the body.

These organs function
in a continuous cycle.

The pituitary gland
starts the process

when it sends its
maturing hormones down

through the bloodstream
to the ovaries.

Now one of the ovaries
passes on an order of its own

to the uterus.

It tells the cells which make
up the lining of the uterus

to multiply and fill themselves
with watery fluids and blood.

This begins to build
up a thickened lining

of somewhat velvety material.

At the same time, on ovary has
been maturing an ovum, or egg,

which is magnified here
so that we can see it.

About once a month,
one of these tiny eggs

passes out of the
ovary and finds its way

into the fallopian tube,
where it moves along

toward the uterus.

If the egg is impregnated, which
happens when a woman is going

to have a child, the egg
will stay within the uterus.

Then the thickened lining
will provide nourishment

for the budding human being
through the early days

of its development.

However, most eggs pass
through the fallopian tubes

without being fertilized.

When this happens,
there's no use

for that potential nourishment
in the built-up lining

of the uterus.

And so in a few days,
it passes from the body.

This is the flow which
we call menstruation.

So, as we see now, menstruation
is just one routine step

in a normal and natural cycle
that is going on continuously

within the body.

The time between periods
is usually about 28 days.

However, it may be
shorter for some girls

and longer for others.

The flow itself may last
anywhere from three days

to seven.

Yet each of these different
schedules may be normal.

For just as the
pituitary gland orders

some girls to grow short,
some tall, some heavy,

and some slight, so its
orders about menstruation

may differ widely
among normal women.

The important thing
is that you should

be fairly regular
within yourself.

Of course, a girl may be
irregular during the first year

or so.

But after that, when her
system has settled down

into a routine, her
period should always

be about the same
number of days apart

and last about the
same length of time.

Try not to throw
yourself off schedule

by getting over tired,
emotionally upset, or catching

cold.

And if your timing
goes seriously wrong

or you're bothered with
severe cramps or headaches,

you should have a
talk with your doctor.

Of course you'll want to
keep a personal calendar.

Mark the first day
of each period,

and check to see that there are
about the same number of days

between periods.

It's not only a useful
record of past performance,

but it comes in handy when
you have to plan ahead.

This calendar appears in
an interesting booklet

called Very Personally Yours.

This booklet has been
prepared to enlarge

upon what you learned
from this brief film.

Among other things, the
booklet explodes that old taboo

against bathing
during your period.

Not only can you bathe.

You should bathe, because during
menstruation your perspiration

glands are working overtime.

Just be careful to avoid
either very hot water or very

cold water.

In fact, it's not a
good idea at any time

to shock your
system with extremes

any more than to let yourself
get chilled or to catch cold.

And as for the old taboo against
exercise, that's nonsense.

Exercise is good for
you during menstruation.

Just use common sense.

When you come to think of it,
most of your daily routine

is on the mild side.

It's going to extremes that's
wrong and to be avoided.

To most girls, the
menstrual period

should bring no
severe discomfort.

Some girls have a
little less pep,

the feeling of pressure in the
lower part of the body, perhaps

an occasional twinge
or a touch of nerves.

But don't let it get you down.

After all, no
matter how you feel,

you have to live with people.

You have to live
with yourself too.

And once you stop feeling
sorry for yourself

and take those days
in your stride,

you'll find it easier to keep
smiling and even tempered.

You can do practically
everything you normally do.

Come now, we said
practically everything,

provided you take common
sense care of yourself.

Exercises to relieve cramps
are illustrated in the booklet.

Try them.

With the guidance of a qualified
person, you may find they help.

And do something
about that slouch.

Slumpy posture is
just as bad inside

as it looks outside, so stand
up straight and let the organs

function from the position
that nature intended.

One way to help them
function normally

is to avoid constipation.

You see, your
reproductive organs

lie between the
rectum and the bladder

and their external openings.

And constipation will
disturb the relationship

between these organs.

So you'll find it worth your
while to drink plenty of water,

eat plenty of fruit,
and to include

cereals, and eggs, and leafy
vegetables in your daily diet.

And incidentally, it's
smart to keep looking smart.

That well-groomed feeling
will give you new poise

and lift your morale,
especially when it's backed up

with year-round fresh air,
and sunshine, and plenty

of rest and sleep.

Because the best
possible insurance

against trouble on those days
is healthy living every day.

And that's the story.

There's nothing strange nor
mysterious about menstruation.

All life is built on cycles.

And the menstrual cycle is
one normal and natural part

of nature's eternal plan for
passing on the gift of life.

[MUSIC PLAYING]