Swimming during your period

[oceankisses.livejournal.com]

Does the flow of blood actually stop when you're in the water? Usually when I take a shower, the blood doesn't come out. I made the school swim team and really want to go, but the problem is that first practice is Monday (in 2 days) and I'm having my period. Can the blood actually leak when you're wearing pads in the water and swimming (make the water red, etc.)? Because that'd be really embarassing.. :(

I heard that you should use tampons if swimming during your period, but I've never used tampons before and don't even know how to put them on. How do you put tampons on, and is't easy to use? Can it cause any infection?

Comments

[lizzie.livejournal.com]

It's advisable not to wear pads in the water. The blood that is already on the pad might leak into the water. Plus, there will be water between you and the pad (after all, bathing suits don't produce a water tight seal) and some of your period will leak into the water before ever getting onto the pad.

Besides, once a pad gets *that* wet, it deteriorates pretty fast.

Try using a tampon this weekend before Monday's practice. Buy a box of the lowest absorbancy (also the thinnest tampons,since they need not absorb much), read the directions in the box, and insert the tampon. Only the first inch and a half of your vaginal wall has feeling in it-if you can feel the tampon, you don't have it up far enough (and it may come out). Applicators are very helpful when first learning how to use a tampon. They really don't hurt at all once you get the tampon situated correctly. If it hurts too much because it's not in far enough or whatever, pull it out and try again in 30 minutes or so.

And remember to relax when inserting the tampon! If you don't relax, your vaginal muscles will retract and your vagina won't accept the tampon.

[amber911.livejournal.com]

Yeah I wouldn't use pads, the pad itself would probably fall apart, not to mention you'd bleed into the water! Tampons are actually really easy to use, applicator ones are the best to buy at first.
When tampons are in properly you dont feel them at all. Try them out before Monday though so you get the hang of how to put them in etc. Remember though dont leave a tampon in for more than 8 hours! And read the instructions on the box before you use them. x

[puttysan.livejournal.com]

I got my period when I was 11, and was terrified of tampons for years. When I went swimming, I just didn't use anything. So little blood comes out, it won't make the water red or anything. And if you're swimming, the motion will disperse the little that does come out pretty quickly. No one will know. Don't wear pads though, that doesn't work. Trust me. However, once you get out of the water, it *will* stain your bathing suit quick. So once you're done, you'll need to go put a pad on.

[lizzie.livejournal.com]

Er, isn't it pretty unsanitary to bleed into a public pool like that? Even if it it a little menstrual fluid (which totally depends upon how heavy her cycle is that day), it's still emitting bodily fluid and blood into a pubic pool. It's like peeing in the pool. I wouldn't want to swim in a pool where other peoples bodily fluids (pee or periods!) have been dumped into it, even if there is cholorine in there! To me, that's pretty gross. I'd much rather someone use a tampon, or just not swim that day, then swim in water with her periodness.

[squixy.livejournal.com]

Not really, the chemicals in the pool kill any bacteria, and the ammount of fluid is really nominal compared to peeing.

But, yeah, I'd prefer them to wear a tampon too.

[clemidia.livejournal.com]

it's still emitting bodily fluid and blood into a pubic pool.

Could we make the reiteration it's a PUBLIC pool, please? Thanks!

;)

[lizzie.livejournal.com]

lol. Totally didn't catch my spelling error! Thanks! :-)

*tickles you with a tampon*

[clemidia.livejournal.com]

No Problem.

[puttysan.livejournal.com]

Well, I was never in a public pool. It was only the beach or a family pool. But since it is chlorinated, I don't see why it's a problem. people *do* pee in pools, as well as go in with cuts and such.

[neonswedishfish.livejournal.com]

but who wants blood and uterus membrane in the pool is the point. Thats why they get everyone out if someone puked or pooped.

[puttysan.livejournal.com]

Why on earth are you replying to this nine months later? Like I said, *I* was never in a public pool. There's a hell of a lot more in the ocean than the miniscule amount of menstrual fluid I leaked out at 11 years old.

That's a precaution, because they don't want to get sued. Many, many times are bacteria relased into the water that they never know about, and the chlorine takes care of it.

[sulingsi.livejournal.com]

i would just like to state for the record that depending on the person, the amount of blood that would show up CAN be visible. :-/ besides the fact that getting blood into a swimming pool even in an invisible amount isn't very cool for the other people who will be swimming in it/swallowing it....

[gbsparklez.livejournal.com]

I have a question.. this may sound silly or stupid, but can a tampon pop your hymen or whatever? Since it'll be inserted inside your vagina? How do you make sure it doesn't go too deep?

And so after you wear a tampon, you just wear your underwear and bathing suit right?

[lizzie.livejournal.com]

A tampon *can* pop your hymen, but it all depends upon the person. Some women don't even have hymens to speak of. Others, tampons will stretch the hymen, but not break it. And some will actually break the hymen. It just depends upon the individual.

Tampons can never go "too deep". If you look at a cross section picture of the vagina, the vaginal opening goes for about four inches before it hits the cervix.



The tampon cannot go up past the cervix into the uterus. The cervix prevents the tampon from getting too deep. If you lose the string, then just stick a finger or two up inside your vagina to grasp the tampon and pull it out. The vagina really isn't *that* long, so it's very rare that anyone gets a tampon stuck up there that she can't get out!

[bigbottom.livejournal.com]

Do not wear a pad in the water. lizzie9208 covered the subject pretty well. I would also want to add that it would be quite embarassing, granted you got out of the pool and people actually looked and saw the water logged pad's outline through your bathing suit.

I would suggest using a tampon. Don't go without anything, like someone mentioned. Like another person, I'd like to comment that depending on how much you bleed it can show up in the water. Also that's just sick... other people swim in it and swallow the water, ack!

I think I now have a fear of public pools....

[dichotomise.livejournal.com]

I have a funny story about tampons and pools.

When I was twelve, about a year after getting my period for the first time, my friend and I wanted to go swimming but were both on our periods so we tried her mom's tampons. Well I had no idea how to use them, and to make a long story short it didn't go in all the way so the tampon made contact with the water, and tampons expand when they get wet and it happened instantaneously... OUCH. lol.

So I'd suggest doing your best to insert it properly. Read the box, and/or get a friend with experience to give you advice and hang outside the bathroom door for support. Like everyone else advised, go for the tampons with applicators. Applicators are usually cardboard or plastic, and I'd go with plastic (they slip in easier). I haven't tried them, but I hear those Pearl tampons (I don't know the brand) are supposed to be really easy to insert.

[ihatepavel.livejournal.com]

Pearls are all I use now (never got into the idea of the Keeper/Instead/Diva Cup etc). At first I felt bad for giving in to the incessant marketing, but they have a lot of cool features...the grips are awesome, they ARE smoother to insert, they never leak--ever--for me, they have a braided string so there's no worry about it ripping out, and the coolest: when you put the applicators back into the plastic hood thing that they come individually wrapped in, it folds over itself so it's neatly contained in a half-sized package.

I definitely recommend them for first time users. I'm just depressed I spent all those years using other ones.

I should be a commercial!

[bitpsych.livejournal.com]

I don't know if my vagina is just shaped oddly inside, or wide, or whatnot, but I've found that tamposn really don't prevent leaks, even while swimming.

A good alternative that won't dry you out and is much easier than tampons, I've found, are Instead cups. Very easy. You just sit on the toilet, hold the cup horizontally and squeeze the rim so it's skinny. You put it inside of you and angle it down and in -- once it goes past your pubic bone, you let go and it springs into place. It won't absorb water like a tampon will, either.

YOu can pick them up with the pads and tampons in most drug and grocery stores.

[tfapricot.livejournal.com]

I've never used tampons before either and was planning to try them out this weekend. (Thank goodness I won't be on my period for Halloween!)

Good luck to us in our possibly-with-tampons endeavors. Teehee, that sounded odd.

[faeriewings23.livejournal.com]

Even in my most dire situations I never considered swimming with a pad on!!
But, I am also 26 and still deathly afraid to try tampons. *shrug*