Interviewed by Meaghan Sullivan, Google Workspace Marketing Customer Programs Lead
Based in Wicklow, Ireland, Rachael Butterworth (O’Hegarty) works in the sustainable tourism industry with a background in project management. In her spare time, Rachael is a ceremonial cacao facilitator, menstrual cycle awareness facilitator, and sacred space holder on a mission to spark remembrance in women and help them reclaim the power and wisdom of their menstrual cycles.
Let’s get into our first question! Can you talk to us about your first period?
I got my first bleed at 15, and I was the last of my friends to get it. I felt delighted that I was the last of my friends to get it because my whole concept around it was that, you know, my life is going to be destroyed once I get it. I thought to myself, “It’s going to be really inconvenient.” I have three younger brothers and no sisters. So I was like, “Well, I have to do this on my own.” I remember it was the morning of a hockey match, and I was playing on the junior team. I went to the bathroom and realized that I had started my period. My instant reaction was “Oh sh**, I have a really important game to play.” I remember my mom being like, “You know, you don’t have to play today,” and I was like, “I’m not going to let it stop me, I’m going to play.”
I’m sure many of us can relate to what you said, especially with sports. I’m just sitting here bleeding, and yet I’m expected to continue on. It’s such an interesting concept. As an athlete, did you have any other experiences like that when you were worried about your period’s impact on performance?
Yeah, absolutely. Back in 2019, so before I was 30, I was trialling for the Irish touch rugby team to play in the World Cup. We had a fitness test one day, and you had to reach a certain level to qualify for the team. That day was really important, and I obviously really wanted to make the team and represent my country at the World Cup. I had my period that same day, and I was playing on the mixed team (men and women together). I was like, “Okay, right. I’ll just get on with it. I’m going to do my best.” At the first whistle, about 10 seconds in, I just had to step out. And I remember stepping away to the sideline and like bawling, crying because I was like, here I have something that is natural to my body as a woman, it depletes me and was causing me pain, yet I’m having to compete for a position on this mixed team even though I have my period. For me, my periods would have been quite painful, and naturally, I would need to slow down or take it easy. We’re not supposed to go and exert ourselves and all this sort of stuff. So, that kind of sparked it for me because I was like, “How are we meant to compete the same as men or women when we are on our period, and how is it not considered or factored in?” So, that kind of set off a whole other tangent of things, and that’s what led me to the menstrual work. I came across a woman, Kitty Magguire, who’s an incredible menstruality leader in Ireland, and that’s who I did my training with. We learned the physiological, physical, emotional and hormonal components of the menstrual cycle. At 31, I could not believe I did not know my own body! We did a whole rewriting of our menarche (first bleed) ritual, which was so beautiful. We revisited how it actually was for us, and then we could rewrite how we wish it could have been. I wrote down how I would have liked [my first period] to have been celebrated. I would have liked to have had the information, the knowledge, and the feeling of a sense of joy and pride with [my period] coming. I feel like [this exercise] healed the negative perspective I had of [my first period].
You mentioned your conversation with your mom about the hockey match when you started your period. Talk to us about how you were first taught about menstruation. Was it in school? Was it through your parents? How did that conversation go down?
So obviously, we would have had sex ed classes in school, which would have spoken about it. My mom would have spoken to me about it, but I don’t remember anything significant. The only thing that I can remember and that sticks with me is them saying, “Don’t have sex, you’ll get pregnant.”
What are some misconceptions you had (or still have) around periods?
No two menstrual cycles are the same. I think that’s the biggest misconception and lie that is fed to young girls. We learn that “This is what it should look like, 28 days with ovulation on day 14,” and then you get your period, and it’s so different. It’s just not like that.
This kind of brings us back to the importance of embracing our period. What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of menstruation?
I think it was all pretty negative prior to doing this work. Words like ‘inconvenience’ would have been quite accurate in how I felt when my bleed would arrive. During days when I’m bleeding, it would be words related to feeling tired or even feelings like being “clumsy” or “foggy”, not being able to cognitively think properly. If you think about it, it’s your body saying, “Check out for a bit and rest.” And now, with a more intimate connection to my cycle, the words would change for me throughout the cycle. But when I think about menstruation, the word that I feel for it is “power.”
I love that. Now, we’re going to dive into the dialogue around fostering supportive and inclusive environments, and how this shows up in our workplace, community, and so on. So first off, do you believe open conversations about menstruation should be encouraged in settings like our communities, schools, workplaces, the home, and beyond? What are your reasons for your perspective?
Yes, 100%. When we speak about it and when people share, they show their vulnerability, which allows other people to be vulnerable and open too. For me, it is so important. Particularly in the women’s circles that we do, I always do a cycle check-in at the start. Maybe for the first couple of sessions or the first couple of conversations around this topic, where it hasn’t been the norm, you’re sitting back and maybe thinking, “Oh god, I’m not ready to speak about this. I don’t want to talk about it.” But then you hear and witness another woman being really vulnerable in what she’s sharing. It can help resonate something in you, spark curiosity, and show you the possibilities of being able to share and speak on the topic in the future. This is a collective [conversation] that women are having to unlearn and reclaim, together. These are small steps that you can take for your own self in taking back control and living in the society that we live in today.
How can we foster supportive and inclusive environments across communities, schools, workplaces, homes, and beyond, so that talking about menstruation is comfortable, normalized and even celebrated?
It has to start with the individual to become comfortable speaking about [menstruation]. For me, there was so much unlearning, reconditioning, and reclaiming to do before being able to speak so freely and comfortably about it. It’s all about having those conversations and also recognizing that many people are going to need different avenues or different settings for those discussions to be facilitated. Whether that is through a book (like Wild Power), or having a close friend or group to discuss and share or through attending women’s circles.
Are there any best practices or policies that you’ve seen or you’d like to have seen in your workplace that are vital for tackling these menstruation-related challenges? Any wellness initiatives that you think are really important to support menstruators?
This question brings me back to a previous role I was working in. I was in severe pain with my bleed one month, and it was very intense. That day, I remember being like, “Oh my god, I actually can’t work today. I can’t sit at a laptop. I can’t function. I literally just need to curl up with a hot water bottle, switch my mind off.” I felt such anxiety to have to ring my manager and say, “Look, I have my period. I need a day off.” But I literally could not work. So I rang him, and he responded with “That’s totally fine.” Of course, he didn’t dwell on the subject, but I felt such a relief afterwards. However, if there are menstruation days available, I don’t believe they’ll be abused. I actually think it’ll give women more comfort knowing that those days are there to take if needed.
Yes! Sick day policies aren’t being abused because they continue to be used year-over-year in corporations across the world. I’m hopeful that’s the future for menstrual health days. It almost reminds me of the concept of mental health days. You truly need those days, and you want to be able to use that time for what it’s meant for. The same idea can be applied to your period.
Exactly. You want to give that autonomy back to the individual. I think that’s what’s really important. If we’re talking about periods in the corporate world, it’s also beneficial to learn more about your cycle so that you can start to plan meetings or presentations when you’re in your ‘inner summer’ or ovulation phase. That’s the phase when you may feel you have more energy and more confidence. Obviously, there are going to be days when you’ve got a big meeting in the middle of your bleed, but you will get through it. What is really important then is to take time after that to rest and replenish.
What advice would you give to an individual who may feel uncomfortable discussing their menstrual health needs?
My advice would be to have an inviting, open, and vulnerable space. Our menstrual cycle is not only physiological but also emotional. So, if someone is uncomfortable with it, it’s a chance to figure out the why behind the discomfort. Then, you can go back to how they were brought up. Was menstruation discussed? Was there shame around the topic? How did you feel about your first bleed? There’s a lot of shadow work that comes with having to understand, remember, and relearn all about your cycle. But that is also where the magic and beauty emerge. I implore all women to get curious about their own unique cycle and learn to live life WITH your cycle rather than against it. It is potent.
