The thought of doing your boudoir session while on your period might be intimidating. But fear not –in this blog post we’ll share valuable tips on what to do if you get your period during your boudoir photo shoot, ensuring that you feel comfortable, confident, and prepared throughout the whole process.

Communicate Concerns With Your Photographer

Your photographer wants to support you, so don’t be afraid to speak up! They can keep an eye out for things like tampon strings, be mindful about poses and angles that they put you into at your boudoir photo shoot. They may also have additional tips and options to make your life easier. I’ve shot with many clients who have been on their periods – but you’d never know from how comfortable they look in their shoot photos.

Prevent and Minimize Bloating With Self Care

Drink plenty of water and herbal tea! This will help reduce period bloating. And of course, talk to your photographer. When my clients tell me they’re worried about bloating, for instance, I’ll implement special techniques and strategies to help visually de-emphasize this for them.

Wear Boudoir Photo Shoot Friendly Menstrual Products

While boudoir tends to be bedroom photography, for most shoots we likely won’t be doing many up-the-coochie type shots unless that’s important to you. So you may not have to worry about using specific period products at all! However, if you’d rather not have your photographer angle out or otherwise hide menstrual products on set, some options will be easier to hide from the camera than others. Here are some options I recommend: 

What to Do If You Have Cramps

Severe period pain might be common, but it’s not normal. So before I get into some pre-session tips on period pain, please know that if you’re experiencing period pain that impacts your daily life, or your ability to participate in things you enjoy – like your photoshoot – you should seek medical care. Women’s pain is serious, and you deserve a doctor who will listen and help. 

If you want some tips on how to deal with menstrual cramps before your session, there are a few things that can help. Drink a lot of water – you seriously can’t drink too much. And the night before your session set aside time to indulge in some serious self care. Prep an herbal tea, get your heat pad, and watch or read something you enjoy! You may also find de-stressing activities such as meditation and exercise additionally helpful, and there’s of course no shame in needing a little extra support in the form of period pain relief medications.

Schedule Your Session Around Your Period

If getting your period during boudoir photo session is a hard stop for you, you'll want to keep this in mind when booking your session. If you know when you’ll be getting your period, consider this factor when scheduling your session dates. When booking in advance, be sure not to schedule your session for the last possible second before you'll need your photos or products – should you need to cancel and reschedule, you’ll thank yourself for the extra cushion of time.

If You Absolutely Need to Reschedule

It’s not always possible, but try to reschedule your session in advance if you realize you won’t be able to enjoy your boudoir session because of your period. Depending on who you hire, you may have a specific window of time in which you can reschedule your session without losing your initial retainer.

Put Your Empowerment First

Your period does not make you dirty or unclean. While it might be easy to feel un-sexy on your period, you still deserve to celebrate yourself regardless of the time of the month.

With a little preparation, self-care, and open communication with your photographer, managing your period during your boudoir photo shoot is entirely achievable. Embrace these natural fluctuations of your body, and view this experience as a testament to your strength and resilience, no matter how you choose to handle it.