In this article /
Amanda Bobbitt lives in Niagara Region, Ontario, and works in graphic design at a printing shop. When she’s not working, she’s cuddling her dog Cricket, performing and watching stand up comedy, reading, having dinner with friends, and camping with her husband.
Morning Rituals
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? Any non-negotiable rituals?
Dog snuggles then I shower right away on a workday; on weekends, I like to relax for as long as I can. Non-negotiable is having breakfast.
Walk us through your morning routine when you’re on your period.
It’s not that different from any other day, but in the shower is when I empty my DIVA™ Cup for the first time. It can be a bit messy and I've just always found that the shower is a convenient way to do it.
Are there any things that make you feel grounded or energized?
My dog keeps me grounded.. she's a great lap dog who loves just being by my side as much as possible. I feel most energized when I'm performing…or rather, right after getting offstage and buzzing from it.
Day-to-Day
Walk us through your typical day (if you have one!): where are you going, who are you seeing, what are you working on?
I work about 15 minutes aways from home and I use that time in the car to listen to music or podcasts. I work with three other women daily, so I see them almost as much as my husband. I work on client projects all day and am fortunate that I don’t have to bring any work home with me. My workday ends at 5pm and I’m usually home by 5.30pm, when I take the dog for a walk and unwind for a while before starting dinner. I always get home first so I usually make dinner. Once or twice a week I'm out performing at a local venue, either a booked amateur show or an open mic show in my area, where I've met a huge group of funny supportive comics.
Do you ever do things differently when on your period? If so, can you tell us about that.
My period days aren't really any different. I'm fortunate that way that I've never had difficult periods. Just takes a little more time in the bathroom during that time.
How does the Diva Cup fit into your routine when you’re bleeding?
It's convenient because I can "set it and forget it" and just take care of things when I get back home.
Lifestyle
What are you wearing today? Does your style shift when you’re on your period?
Today I'm wearing my uniform of jeans and a T-shirt. It doesn't shift on my period... I'd say maybe I value comfort even more then but style-wise, I value comfort above all else no matter the day.
Any good strategies for emptying your cup when you’re at work/ travelling/ on the go?
Luckily I can mostly deal with it at home…but I now have a DIVA™ Shaker Cup that I haven't yet used.. the test might be this summer if my period and some planned trips sync up. Including camping—the ultimate test. I've never had to empty while camping.
How does your creativity shift when you’re on your period?
I don't think I've noticed creativity shifting.. but it's sometimes fun for me to remember, “yeah, I'm doing this AND currently bleeding!”
How has your relationship with your period evolved over the years?
The first few years of my period felt embarrassing and awkward, like it does for many teens. I felt like EVERYONE could see the pads I was wearing. They weren't even that big but they felt like a diaper. I remember learning to use tampons the summer I turned 16 because I was on a beach trip to Florida.
I was very interested in reducing waste and protecting the planet and at 18, I discovered menstrual cups from a small ad at the back of Bitch magazine (my discovering feminism era). After convincing my mom to lend me her credit card so I could order it online, I got my first cup in 2003 I used that cup for 10 years and loved it. The freedom from tampons and pads was great.
At 28, I got a hormonal IUD then went over a decade without thinking about my period much at all because it ended. I was still an advocate for menstrual cups to anyone who would ask (or not ask) but I was a bigger advocate for shutting the whole thing down, which I realize is not something everyone can do, since we all react to birth control differently.
A couple years ago I removed the IUD and am back to having a normal period. At first I regretted doing that since it made things a bit more inconvenient, but I realized I don't know how many more years I have left of my period or what this next stage will be like for me, so for now, I’m embracing it.
Tell us something that might be TMI.
A bidet really helps! Someone told me this in the years ago before I had one myself and she was right! Also...using a cup allows you to really SEE what's going on. We shouldn't be scared of what our bodies are doing.
Over to you
Finish this sentence. Being on my period means..
I'm doing all this and also bleeding right now.
Who are you, who were you, and who do you want to be?
I'm 41 and unapologetic, I used to be much more shy and hope I only get braver as I get older.
If your period was an emoji it would be…
The blood drop emoji because let's not pretend it's not blood.. I think those blue liquid commercials really confused an entire generation.
One thing you’ve unlearned about periods is...
That it's bad to talk about them. Let's talk and joke about our experiences. Let's make people uncomfortable until people are no longer uncomfortable.
See Amanda in The Origins of DIVA campaign video here:
