(no subject)

[deathchicken.livejournal.com]

haha...funny. i'm a twenty-year-old woman and i've never tried tampons before. i've always been afraid of tss and of hurting the environment, and (gods know why, because i've been having sex for three years now) putting something up inside me. but i was looking through my toiletries drawer and found some of the applicator-less kind we got as free samples from the school. out of curiosity, i decided to try and see what one felt like, and....it felt fine. i'm wondering if i should be using these from now on...they're certainly smaller than pads, and more convenient, and as i'm going to be in europe for two months this summer, convenience is a good thing, especially because i will be backpacking and have limited space. so.

ladies, tell me what using tampons on a regular basis is like. it's silly to ask this, but is it really worth it? i'm sure some of you will say no, but i'm curious, because pads really are annoying.

Comments

[moonrose.livejournal.com]

If you like the applicatorless aspect and really want to save space, you might want to try sea sponges. I've been using them for about a year now and have noticed that they actually feel less uncomfortable to me than tampons, and protect against leaks better since they are already expanded. Plus, you could carry just a few sponges with you rather than a box of tampons - the disadvantage while traveling being that you do need to rinse them out a couple times a day or so. Disinfecting is pretty easy - I just soak mine in a bit of hydrogen peroxide and rinse with warm water before I store them at the end of the month, and they sit happy in their little muslin bag till I need them again.

Don't know how hard they would be to come by in your area, but the ones I get you can buy online from Sea Pearls Sea Sponges (I forget their URL). From what I gatehr, there isnt such a chance of TSS with them if you forget to take them out, plus you aren't subjecting your vagina to the coarse, bleached cotton each month for a week.

just my friendly regular advertisment for my favourite menstrual product :D I'm sure you'll get the same from Keeper/Instead fans ;)

[eiluned.livejournal.com]

I've been using the OB no applicator tampons for a couple of years, and those things are wonderful. They'll fit in your pocket discreetly (without half of it poking out to let the whole world know you're on the rag), and you can carry a ton of them in your bag.

I'd definitely recommend them if you're going to be backpacking.

[beautiful1096.livejournal.com]

i am a fan of sea sponges...i stay away from tampons at all costs.

[brandyshea.livejournal.com]

I hate pads!! I have always used tampons. Usually ones with an applicator, but when I lived in Germany for a year I used the O.B. applicatorless ones and like someone else mentioned they are a bit more discreet.

[geminigirl]

I've found that for me the ob applicatorless tampons have been the best form of menstrual blood catching. I've yet to try a keeper or instead because I have concerns about allergic reactions to the materials, but I know a lot of people here speak quite highly of them. I think it's totally worth it; I had to start using tampons because I was a swimmer while I was growing up, but it took me til college to try the OBs and I've never gone back.

[touchablysoft.livejournal.com]

I also never used tampons until I had sex (which wasn't until I was 22). Plus I always stuck firmly to the idea that I liked my body flushing out the blood. BUT, I was getting awfully tired of the terrible chafing on my thighs from walking with even the thinnest pad, and the constant "wet diaper" feeling which is rather gross. I went right for the OB non-applicator tampons and I haven't looked back since. I tend to use them during the day on my heaviest days, which is usually about 3 out of the 5 days of flow. The lightest days I stick to a pantiliner or very tiny pad. And at night, I always wear a pad because then I still feel like I'm flushing out the blood, plus I don't like to get up during the night at all once I've fallen asleep. I think it's totally worth it though - there is nothing like the wonderful feeling of going about everyday life with no wet diaper underneath you. They're less messy, too.

I haven't tried any of the other internal alternatives (Instead, sea sponge, Keeper) but I'm sure I would feel the same about those as well. Any alternative to pads for the bulk of my period is just fine with me.

[ex-rents163.livejournal.com]

I've always used a good mixture of both, according to the circumstances. I think it really depends on mood. Sometimes I just can't be bothered with tampons, sometimes pads are the most horrendous things. My general rule is wear a pad when at home, use a tampon when I go out.

[janedoe.livejournal.com]

I like to use tampons all the time. I suggest getting a box with a mixture of sizes, just for the simple fact that your flow varies. Also watch out, I just learned that tampons can cause bacteria to build up which leads to infections.

[melonaise.livejournal.com]

I have had fewer problems with tampons than with pads. Horrible, horrible chafing issues with pads.

The only warning I'd give about tampons is that when mine are full-- they are *full*. There're no indicators that I better change out soon, it's already too late (for my underwear, at least, and in a few minutes for my pants). This normally isn't a problem, but sometimes my flow is a lot heavier than normal or I'm in a situation where it's hard to excuse myself.

I'm going to try cloth panty-liners soon. Paper panty-liners just don't work for me, they bunch up into this little, ineffective wad. But that way I won't ruin any more clothes. You might consider that for your trip in Europe, too. They'd be easier to wash out than the only pair of jeans you brought, but less annoying than paper.

[adelaide.livejournal.com]

i just started using tampons too (same fear...putting something up there, although i've been having sex...lol). also, i never got them to work...at least the applicator ones. so i got brave and bought OB tampons and I LOVE THEM. since there's no applicator you know exactly how far to go up, etc...plus they're better for the environment.

Keeper-woman to the rescue! sortof.

[ramona-romaine.livejournal.com]

Let this be an opportunity for me to free up some guilt.

I had a friend who recently went backpacking Europe and her biggest complaint was the mentrual product dilemna. It wasn't until AFTER she got back that I facilitated her discovery of the magic of the keeper.. (and i've always felt a little bad about it) :(

Why the keeper is just SO 'backpacking in europe' chic?

i) All you have to carry in your pack is a little rubber cup, the size of your palm (as opposed to wholesale boxes of pads/tampons)
ii) if you are in the woods camping out you won't have to find suitable disposal grounds for your used products (just dump and rinse)
iii) if things should get really exciting and you ..maybe end up in river or something, you won't have to worry about your stuff getting wet.
hmmm..
and all the reasons you identified.
..no tss worries
..better for the environment

mmm.
and really, there is a 3 month money-back guarantee, so if you aren't leaving for two, then order one and try it out...

Okay! So... now I have offered the keeper side of things,..
i just hope I can save some lovely lady the curse of carrying pounds of menstrual products around the european countryside.

take good care.