- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee boards
They are not my preferred choice but let's face it, some days you just need a little "backup" if you know what I mean.
I try not to use them often, unless it's at nighttime (when it has a tendency to be messy) or when I work out and know that I'll be doing high-intensity cardio, but even then wearing them worries me. I know TSS is only a slight risk, and it is usually caused by wearing them for an extended amount of time without changing them, but still it really freaks me out.
Also (and this might be the TMI part) sometimes right after it is inserted, I start cramping. Seriously, it happens almost instantly, which makes me wonder even more "Is this thing safe?" but if I don't wear them at night (at least the first couple of nights which are the heaviest) things get messy. Changing icky sheets at 3 am is so NOT fun, and I'm sure my husband wouldn't think so either!
What do you ladies do/use during your period?
I only wear tampons. I have never had a problem with them, I usually need to change less than every 4 hours. Thinking about going on Paragard which would mean super tampons every few hours I hear. I wear pads at night but I have never had a problem with the blood leaking, maybe because of the way I sleep?
Always tampons. I have NEVER had to use "super" only "normal" and "light". I HATE pads. I feel so unsexy with one slapped on the undies... plus they don't really fit on thongs, which is most of what I have.
Has anyone used the cup thing?
@Miss Pizzelle: I have heard really great things about the Diva Cup.
If you are cramping, are you sure you are inserting them at the right angle? Also I can only use plastic applicators (Playtex), as the cardboard ones hurt too much, especially if not inserted correctly at first.
I've been using them since I was 16 when I was going to Hawaii for 10 days that would coincide with that time of the month. I'm 22 now and have never once had a problem. I could never use a pad now because it just feels weird to "sit" in the mess.
That being said, everyones body is different and yours just may not like tampons :/ Have you looked into the diva cup? I've heard good things about them.
Tampons freak me out! All my girlfriends make fun of me for it but I seriously hate them. I am always afraid I will put it in wrong, so no tampons for me. I know I am lame LOL
i wear them the first three days of my period. i really need a tampon and a pad all together.
I use the DivaCup. Love it. I've used it for years.
I also use the NuvaRing. So I guess I just like sticking things up there? Haha 
Tampax is the best for heavy flow, if you can get past the cardboard. I put that it's all I use, but sometimes I combine it with a pad for added protection if its the beginning and I am working and moving a lot...
Sometimes I use tampons, sometimes I use pads-- depends on how I feel and the situation. I tend to use tampons if I'm going out at night, if I'm going to the gym, etc. Otherwise, I'll use pads. My flow is pretty light so I have no problems wearing pads overnight.
I've heard of the Diva Cup, but I don't know anyone who uses it.
I don't like pads, but I REALLY don't like tampons. I buy one box at a time and it lasts me for months, because I use only one or two per period, (or none, if I am not doing any activities where a tampon would be the better choice).
I use pads at night and have never had a problem with messy sheets. The worst I've had happen is having the pad shift at night and having a small amount of dried blood on my underwear in the morning. My flow is very light, almost non-existant at night. Is the amount of bleeding you're experiencing normal? It seems like an awful lot of blood to make a mess to the point you would wake up and need to change the sheets in the middle of the night.
ETA: Those Diva Cups SCARE ME!!!
@ILikePink Do you ever have problems with the DivaCup and NuvaRing overlapping and causing problems? I've been thinking about getting a DivaCup and will either be using an IUD or NuvaRing with it.
I use tampons (pretty heavy flow most of the time on it) and sometimes back it up with pads, but I really like using panty liners right near the end when it's pretty much done as a bit of a backup.
@ babyboo - I use the plastic ones too (Playtex sport - regular) and I try to relax and all that beforehand, but sometimes even if I'm relaxed and it goes smoothly, the next thing I know I'm cramping. Like you said, I think maybe my body just doesn't "like" them or something.
I don't like pads for a couple different reasons (they hold odor & "sitting" in the mess) but I feel safer wearing them, and they don't hurt. I know tampons are the preferred method for many women, but I have never once felt 100% comfortable wearing them.. about the Diva Cup, I had never heard of it, and was just now reading some info on it. Very interesting, but I don't know if it's for me..
tampons only... even when sleeping, i'll set an alarm if I have to. pads gross me out and are not comfortable... i don't care what brand
@ Miss Apricot - It's usually relatively heavy the first 2 days, then slows a lot. I don't have to change sheets EVERY night, or even once every period necessarily, but it has happened more than once in the past, so I just started wearing tampons at night for the first couple of days. My periods are normal though :) I turn and move a lot in my sleep, so even a little bit of blood can be grody if it "escapes" :P
@okqueenbee - Maybe I'm just lucky then? Even on my heavier days, I've never bled onto the sheets, (and I'm a crazy sleeper too, hehe!).
BTW...ever noticed how it's usually the "TMI" type posts that get a lot of action? I'm thinking I'm going to start putting "TMI" in the subject line of all of my threads from now on! 
I use Instead. I forgot to bring someone with me to work this time and used a tampon. It was awful comparatively. I can't imagine using tampons or pads full-time anymore. Instead is awesome.
okqueenbee: There is actually a reason you start cramping when you wear a tampon. I've heard that vaginal dryness makes cramps worse, and so the absorbency of the tampon could be contributing to that. Maybe try a lower absorbency tampon combined with a panty liner?
I hate wearing pads because they are so uncomfortable, but I usually wear a regular tampon with a thicker pantyliner even though I have a "super" period (haha, not really super!) so I don't feel so dry up there. I find that pantyliners are more comfortable than the average pad, they stay put much better, and I actually don't find a huge absorbency difference between a thick pantyliner and a regular pad.
I hated both pads and tampons until I started using Seventh Generation. Their pads are sooooo much more comfortable than big brands and don't develop smells. Their tampons don't have an applicator, but that's easy enough to get used to, and I don't worry about absorbing chlorine/dioxin into my lady bits (apparently regular tampon use is linked to endometriosis/fertility problems). I still avoid tampons if I can help it.
@alisha: I think you can figure it out from this picture...
Yeah. Good times in the TMI threads.
I use pads. Tampons only if it's a last resort. Whenever I use tampons I have to put a pad on too because I find that I still get a lot of leakage. So I don't see the point in using both, might as well just use the pads alone then.
Tampons only! I only use pads on my last day. I use them like a panty liner. I have also bled onto sheets when trying to use pads. I don't think of myself as a particularly heavy bleeder, but I have messed up many sheets/shorts/cute underwear in my day. I am loyal to Tampax Pearl though. Plastic applicator (soooo much more comfortable) and they have a braided cord which really seems to help with leaking.
I use the DivaCup because it makes my period shorter. And it doesn't have all the bleach and nasty chemicals that tampons do.
ya know what i hate.... my period full stop! LOL i can't stand pads... they gross me out. I use tampons. recently i've had to go from a med flow tampon to a light flow for some unknown reason... my flows have just gotten a little bit lighter.
I'll put a tampon in just before i go to bed and take it straight out as soon as i wake up in the morning.
i'm a little worried about TTS but i've read that if you wash your hands before and after insert and making sure you dont use a tampon if you have any cut or sores down there then its very very rare. I'm going to talk to my doctor about it next time i need to go there as i would like to know a bit more about what it is.
@Ilikepink - bleach? chemicals? what tampons have that on it? ewww
Seconding Minutiae on the organic feminine products! Regular tampons creep me out (bleach in my vagina? oh hell no), and yes, they definitely exacerbated my cramping (I get absolutely ATROCIOUS cramps every other month, so they DO NOT need exacerbation to make my life terrible. I use Seventh Generation tampons, or other organic brands if I can't find those (but I like Seventh Generation best), and I really think they're a million times better than regular as far as comfort goes (plus they're better for the earth).
I used the Diva Cup for several years as a teen, and liked that it didn't contain any harsh chemicals, was reusable and so very cost-effective and eco-friendly, and could stay in you without needing to be dumped for hours and hours, AND was really leak-proof. Honestly...I don't know why I switched back to tampons! Hmm.
I hate pads though...I always feel so unattractive when wearing them and I find they always get all shifted around and stuff. Blah.
I wear ONLY tampons.. I hate pads.. they are so gross and messy when i use them.. I'm really getting interested about this DivaCup.. I have never heard about it and want to research it now.. My period come regularly and they last 6-7 days. Its way too long and annoying.. Really could use something to make them end faster.
I wear tampons exclusively in the States. (here I can't get them, so I use the ones I've brought with me sparingly, meaning I usually do pads for my heaviest day and tampons the rest of the time, which cuts down my usage by about 50%)
In college I had to research TSS for some science class, and what I remember finding (note that this is old memory, so don't accept me blindly as fact, haha) is that if you're going to get TSS, you're going to get TSS, and the 6 hour thing only ups the chances a little tiny bit. And even if you wear tampons all the time, the chances of actually getting TSS are still really low. At least, that's my understanding.
I move around a LOT when I sleep, so I also have leakage problems at night - but tampons do the trick for me. I really like Kotex - Tampax and Playtex both leak like crazy for me, day or night, and they shift downward, instead of staying where they're supposed to be. Kotex are a little bigger, and I attribute their staying power to that. Also, I love their plastic applicators - so easy to insert!
Is it possible the cramping is related to your nervousness about using the tampons? I hesitate to say "all in your head" but, you know, your mental perceptions CAN affect your physical well being!
Where can I get this diva cup? I hate tampons and pads! I only use pads because I'm afraid that I may not be able to get the tampon out! What if the string breaks?
mandiehoward - you can get it online, or I saw one at Whole Foods.
I wear tampons, although since I barely get a period on some days with LoEstrin a pad is once in awhile a necessity. i really hate them, though.
Oh man, tampons all the way. Pads just don't cut it, they feel bulky and horrible, and I hate wearing them. I have super heavy periods for the first few days, so I wear a "super" tampon in conjunction with a pantyliner. Usually have to change every 3-4 hours. When I exercise, my flow gets even heavier. Ugh.
I used to always use a tampon with a pantyliner for leakage UNTIL I tried OB which has no applicator. I find that since you have to kinda "open" the end yourself to insert it conforms to my body much better, and I have ZERO leakage problems. Even when the flow is heavier than I thought and the tampon is FULL, I've still not had any spottiness. I know some people have a problem with the "finger yourself" self-insertion thing, but I am a strong and vocal support of OB! Plus, they're tiny, so tossing one in a pocket or even just palming it makes for a super discrete walk to the bathroom when I'm at work=)
Currently, I use nothing at all 
I have a Mirena IUD, and for about 3.5-4 years after it's inserted, I don't get my period. This is my second Mirena, and I'm enjoying the whole "no period" thing again. With my first one, I remember thinking I was coming down with a nasty stomach bug, until I realized that it was actually cramps due to my period - it had been so long since I'd had one that I had forgotten what it felt like!
When I'm actually having a period, though, I prefer tampons all the way. I can only use the ones with a plastic applicator. I've tried cardboard and applicator-less, and they just feel weird.
I use Tampax pearl tampons! Usually the regular or light sizes.
I generally have very little flow during my whole period. I use tampons for the first 2 days, but after like day 1 and 2 of my period, I only need to use a Kotex Lightdays pantiliner which is more than enough coverage for my "light days."
I also use Instead cups and I love them! It's gotten to the point where I don't even need to use a pad as a back up. I've saved so much money and I don't know if it's in my head but my periods are so much shorter. The next step is to get a Diva Cup.
i almost always use tampons, unless i run out and i'm too lazy to go to the store, i have a backup of thin pads to get by until i can get to the store.
although, growing up a 1.5 generation korean, i was always taught never to use tampons (how funny korean moms are sometimes)... i didn't even try a tampon until senior year in high school on spring break. (i was 18, got my period at 12 -- so believe me, it was a LONG six years with T's)
:P
I don't use them the first day or two of my period -- they're painful for me on those days. I generally prefer pads over tampons anyways.
If you ever want to read crazy stuff about tampons and pads, I highly suggest the book "C*nt: A Declaration of Independence" :)
You must log in to post.
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| Brielle | 44 |
| ndreighton | 36 |
 vorpalette |
29 |
| caseyleigh10 | 27 |
| les105 | 24 |
| ellisrobertson | 24 |
| mypinkshoes | 23 |
| fishbone | 23 |
| lionskitty | 22 |
| SouthernGirl | 21 |
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| UpstateCait | 1 |
| pert86 | 1 |
| HeyKaraoke | 1 |
| BodyByViGirl | 1 |
| happyface |
1 |
| zerlina | 1 |
| StaticInMyHead | 1 |
