This post is for people who menstruate ONLY! This is a warning! If menstruation and reproductive health issues gross you out, this is not the post for you! There are plenty of other posts available on my blog, that I think you will enjoy. But in case you aren’t aware, I am an adult woman who menstruates, and I will be sharing my experiences here, so that others might feel more comfortable in their body and be willing to try something new to them. So if you’re still here, please know there will be discussion of menstruation and feminine sanitary products.
Ever since I had children my already irregular monthly cycle became a whole new monster. I’m just going to go ahead and say it Aunt Flow is a bitch! I don’t know if you feel this way as well, but I sure as shit do! I got my first cycle in 8th grade, and it was never regular. It’s always been debilitatingly painful. And the mood swings, oh boy, the mood swings.
Now before kids my flow is what I would consider on the heavier side of normal, but nothing I couldn’t control with a pad or tampon. For me, I could never get a tampon to feel “right” before having children. (I guess these dang kids really did rip my insides out!) I always wore a pad or a panty liner. Having adhd and being a teenager, and then busy young adult, I never tracked my periods; and I suppose I should have. I just let her surprise me when she showed up; ol’ raggedy bitch!
After kids my body just said “You shall now feel my RAGE!” My flow is literally out of control! Ever since I got my period back after the birth of my daughter, my flow is most closely relatable to a murder scene. I couldn’t control it with just a tampon, which I was the most comfortable wearing post birth. I had to wear a super tampon and a super pad. And even with that, I still have to change them both hourly or even more frequently. It’s literally a nightmare. My cramps are even more painful, very similar to contraction pain. I always get hormone headaches; and sometimes those turn into migraines. I really can’t fully live my life for that full 7-10 days during my period. Yes, you read that right! I have the full 7-10 flow, on full blast!
This is another small disclaimer: I personally am extremely uncomfortable with IUDS and Contraceptive Implants. The idea just freaks me out. So this is the time where I tell you I have not and will not try this method of birth control. If you prefer it, then rock on sister! You do you! Do what works for your body! I just can’t get past the idea of it!
I have been on so many different birth controls, and NOTHING has reacted with my body the way it’s supposed to. I mean, I didn’t get pregnant when I wasn’t trying, but I was still (and still am) basically incapacitated during my period. I regularly bleed through my tampon and pad hourly and stain my underwear and sometimes my pants. Like, it’s a lot.
I has this internal revelation when I was 32, realizing that I don’t have to settle for the way things are if I don’t like them. I have since began taking care of my health. It is one of my top priorities. I had to remind myself that my reproductive health is part of that! That began my journey into trying even more birth control types and new to me sanitary products.
I have tried many, many pill brands and types including the mini pill. I have also tried the depo shot. And just from my personal experiences I do not endorse any of these forms of birth control. the side effects that they had on my body not only didn’t help, but often made me feel worse; not only during my period but the rest of the month as well. I will admit I am an unusual example. Usually a person doesn’t react so negatively to hormone treatments. The birth control I am currently using is my favorite. I currently use the NuvaRing. For me the only downside so far has been remembering to put in a new one after my cycle. Having ADHD makes is hard for me to remember things. I struggle with short term retention. Otherwise, once it’s in I completely forget about it, and haven’t really noticed many negative symptoms, aside from the occasional acne breakout, and the fact that it does nothing to lessen my flow.
I just downloaded a period tracker app, 3 and a half years after my daughter was born. I have an iPhone, so I downloaded “Period Tracker by GP Apps” from the app store. This is hopefully going to keep record of my cycle to see if it is regular or not. Since starting the NuvaRing I have not tracked until now. So, I’m learning here people!
Along with this I, at my wit’s end, decided to try something new for sanitation. I needed help y’all! After a last night Amazon scroll, I decided it was time to try a menstrual cup. I’ve tried literally every other sanitation product I could get my hands on, and I hate them all, so what the hell! I purchased this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FMF2H4V?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details The Bodybay Menstrual Cup. It comes with two cups, a small carrying bag, and instructions.There are two sizes: Small for prebirth, and Large for post birth. Very minimal, which is something I like. After a couple of struggles trying to get the hang of inserting the cup, I got it in and was good to go. Just because I wasn’t 100% sure if I had inserted it correctly or if it was the right shape for me, I also put on a pad, just in case. Once it was inserted I totally forgot about it! It was amazing! The package says you can wear for 12 hours, but I was really nervous the first day or two. The first few days of my period are the heaviest. I checked it every few hours. Once I was sure everything was working and going to be fine I started leaving it longer. It was comfortable, and very easy to forget about (in a good way).
I will not be using anything else during my period, as long as I still have my reproductive organs. If anyone has an uncontrollable period like mine, I highly recommend this product. It’s affordable, sustainable, and it actually works. In a world where “The Man” enforces a Pink Tax, I encourage you to stick it to the man and make this one purchase, so that “he” can’t get any more of your tax dollars every month.
Stay safe, stay rad, and wash your DANG hands.
Comentarios