After being on birth control for more than 10 years, I decided to give my body a break to see what it does on its own natural menstrual cycle. Turns out, what it does is give me horrible cramps that make me want to do nothing but lay in bed and eat all the food that comes across my path.

Because that's not exactly reasonable behavior for seven days out of the month, I've had to lean on some coping mechanisms. One of them is the Cora Heat Relief Patch (Buy It, $27, amazon.com), which is the closest thing I've found to relief when my period cramps are at their worst. (

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A few months ago, I swapped out my regular heating pad for the wellness brand's heat patches, and I haven't plugged that old thing in since. Because they're contoured, the patches can easily go undetected if it's a leggings kind of day (which it usually is.) Like some sort of menstrual-cramp-relieving magic, the patch uses natural ingredients to soothe with a warming sensation that lasts for up to eight hours. And that isn't even what I love most about it.

Since it's super thin and works so well, I actually forget I'm wearing it. That means I can run errands or even go to a yoga class while it's still on, which is something I could never do with my traditional heating pad. And even though it stays put throughout the day, the adhesive is gentle enough that it doesn't take a lot to remove it from my sensitive skin. (

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Aside from creating menstrual wellness products that work, Cora also gives back. With every purchase, the brand says it "provides pads and health education to girls so they can confidently manage their periods, stay in school and step boldly into the promise of their futures."

You can get the heating pads I swear by — and all of Cora's wellness products — at Amazon. Below, shop a pack of 12 heat patches to stock up for periods to come.