Uncover our story

A warm welcome. I’m Grace, founder of Raise the Cycle - an advocate for raising awareness of the importance of the early menstrual experience. I am committed to understanding the significance of menarche through both the lived experience and academic research.

If you are reading this it is likely that you are interested in finding ways to support your child as she approaches her first menstrual cycle. Menarche is an undervalued and underexplored milestone, shaping our understanding of our place in the world. A positive experience can develop and increase our self-esteem, improve body literacy, directly impacting our long-term health outcomes. A negative experience can introduce us to shame, self objectification and disembodiment. These themes can show up again and again across other key milestones.

In many ways this story began when I was 12 and deeply unhappy about having my first period. Despite being well supported, there was something about the whole experience that felt wrong. I recall feeling that the moment should have been beautiful instead I felt encumbered, uncomfortable and miserable.

Fast forward 30 years and I have been working in various forms with the menstrual cycle since 2018. Most notably, I have been studying at Masters level with Dr Lara Owen on her Contemporary Menstrual Studies course (Year One in 2022 and currently Year Two in 2025). My research focus has been around menarche experienced in British institutions (e.g. in care settings, young offenders and schools etc). Most recently I have presented on menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea). All elements of my research interest have led me back to the importance of menstrual education being available pre-menarche and delivered from a whole cycle perspective.

In 2021 I hosted the ‘Reclaiming Menarche’ podcast, a nine part series of conversations and stories around the importance of menarche and the benefits of reflecting on our early experience. Storytelling forms an important element of Raise the Cycle and is a core principles of our programme.

Reframe, Re-educate, Research and Community.

Raise the Cycle has been created to meet a need for parental menstrual support. Whilst there are multiple programmes and resources directed at young people, there remains little in the way of re-educating parents to provide necessary support. Research indicates that engaged parenting at menarche can reduce the negative impact of menstrual stigma and shame.

To read more about our Raise the Cycle programme please click here.