Oh man. I’m retired from this crap now, but in nearly 40 years of menstruation (that’s about 500 periods, folks ) I had spillage every livin’ month. No matter how careful I tried to be, floods or at least spillovers happened. I used tampons + pads (yes, sometimes multiple tampons!) and still managed to have accidents.
I cheered the day they started making pads with wings - it’s just bleeping impossible to get blood stains out of elastic.
I’d be going out and buying more black underwear today but I don’t feel like actually having to go out and move too much. You know when you sit down at your desk or whatever and feel you have reached an equilibrium? Getting in and out of the car will disturb that precious, precious equilibrium.
For those who don’t know - hydrogen peroxide and a little friction will completely remove relatively fresh blood stains, even from white fabric.
I only stain if I haven’t been paying attention and missed all my usual signs my period was about to start - being on painkillers the past 2 months hasn’t helped, especially since I’m on them for back pain…“Oh, that’s why my back was hurting more!”
I have no trouble using just tampons since I know my period rather well and know how long I can go before I have to change it. I’ll often wear a pantyliner on the first day or two if I think I’ll be busy enough that I won’t make it to the bathroom on time, but I’ve never leaked off of that.
My period underwear are just boy briefs or bikini briefs (is that what they’re called? I’m not up on underwear names!); as long as they have a full bottom, I’m good. Any colour, any pattern; I don’t keep certain pairs aside just for my period. By day three or so, I can use thongs if the rest of my clothes “require” it, but I generally don’t.
Rinsing thoroughly in cold water and washing them immediately seems to be enough for me (or at least to my satisfaction). I buy underwear often because I like to wear different styles, so none of them get too ratty before they get replaced.
I thought I was the only one!!! 
During the day, I wear tampons. All is well. When I’m sleeping, though, I use pads because I’m paranoid of TSS. I don’t know what’s going on, but whenever I wake up, I find that it’s hit or miss for me in terms of staining. So annoying.
TSS cases were largely because of the type of material used to make tampons in the eighties, from what I’ve read; tampons now can be safely worn 8 hours. (And in my case, because I’m terribly forgetful, I can assure you that they are fine after 12 or even 15 hours.)
I got an IUD exactly four weeks ago and have been bleeding constantly since then, to greater or lesser degrees. I’ve gotten through it with a combination of tampons, pantiliners, and just throwing up my hands and saying “fuck it” and wearing black underwear. There’s been quite a bit of the lattermost.
If you don’t have a reason for the change, that could be indicative of something you’d want to get checked out by a doctor.
… At once?
I’ve done that, when I’ve been in the first day of my cycle and know that I’m going to be away from an opportunity to swap them out for more than an hour or so.
What is that I don’t even
I once had two tampons in at once, but it was by accident, when I failed to remove one before inserting a new one. I can’t even imagine inserting two dry tampons at the same time.
Believe me, when I’m at that stage, nothing’s “dry.” It’s just as easy to insert two as it is to insert one.
I use the OB non-applicator type, that might make it easier for me.
I mean, from an objective, logical standpoint, it makes sense. All you’re doing is doubling the amount of absorbent material you’re sticking up there. But something in the back of my head can’t help but go, “Ewwwwwwwwwwww!”
Heh. It’s not the greatest thing in the world to do, I admit, but like I posted before, the first 24-36 hours are a flood, and sometimes, it’s the only option.
I’m the only female in my department. I have a large selection of comfy, work-appropriate cargo pants that are great for toting tampons to the restroom. I also prefer tampons that have “noiseless” wrappers. Bonus: the brand I use now prints encouraging, sports-related phrases on the wrappers. It’s usually stuff like “Victory!” or “Neither one of us is a giver-upper!” There’s also one that says “Stretch yourself”. (I can provide a picture of that one.)
To answer the OP’s question…I have spillage once or twice a period. Changing frequently usually prevents the problem – most of my spillage seems to occur due to wicking (the thread is always saturated when I have spillage). Typically I reserve my most worn-out panties for “period panties”; however, I’m now running out of worn-out panties. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.
I thought this link was interesting. There are several “green” reusable menstrual products that get rave reviews. They may not be something for work and you save a lot of money over time and tree’s.
Sometimes if you’re wearing a skirt you can discreetly stick a tampon into it by your hip, stuffing it half under your underwear elastic, and hide the top part with your shirt. So you don’t have to take your purse.
Women who’re reporting really heavy flows: Are you on any kind of hormonal birth control? If not, have you ever considered using some to try to lighten the flow and/or stop it completely? Care to share why or why not?
I’ll start.
I’m not on any hormonal bc because 1) it’s only the first 24 - 36 hours of my period in which the floodgates open, and I’ve got a successful system down for handling the mess and the pain. It’s not interfering with my life to a significant degree. I was on the pill for 15 years and just don’t want to go back on it unless medically required. I don’t feel that my current situation requires it.
Ha! So I went to get the Pill when I was 16 for heavy periods. Doctor gave me triphasic pills. Let me just say when I got my period after that first month, I was at a clinic getting prescribed a pill they give hemophiliacs for clotting. I didn’t think I would bleed more.
So next month we got me on a monophasic pill. I’ve been on it for 7 years now. I only let myself have a period 2 or 3 times a year, so I just cope with it.
Before someone comes in and says OMG YOU’RE ONLY 23 THAT CAN’T BE HEALTHY/I’D BE AFRAID I’D BE PREGNANT IF I DIDN’T GET IT EVERY MONTH!, I’m very single and also very childfree for other medical reasons.
Interesting. Once I started hormonal birth control, I never, ever wanted to go back again. (The IUD I have now is a Mirena, and the only reason I have an IUD is that I’m never allowed to be on normal hormonal contraceptives ever again because of a pulmonary embolism.) If the reason you stopped was that you just didn’t like the hassle of taking a pill every day, have you considered some of the newer options (e.g., NuvaRing)?
Awwww, you headed them off before we could tell them to shove it.