As a Mom with 3 younger kids, in many ways, I feel like I am just starting to get my body back. It’s not about the weight gain (because I’ve always been a small person) and it’s not about the breastfeeding (because my ladies didn’t perform). No, I’m talking about periods! I don’t know why, as women, we still shy away from the brutal and bloody truth of this part of womanhood. So… here are my truth bombs on this natural part of life!
About 2 months ago, my husband and I decided to have my IUD removed and, instantaneously, my body tried getting back in rhythm. I had gone so long without dealing with this that I wasn’t sure what I should even use. I’ve seen so much negative news about tampons that I was terrified to go to the store to buy any, but after a day of wearing a pad, I was soooo uncomfortable that I was regretting my decision to come off of birth control!
Cue google searches… I started to learn A LOT about menstrual underwear.
Now I wish that I could have been more adult-like and actually googled it by calling it menstrual underwear, but I think my google search looked more like “period panties”. Let me also reiterate the fact that I have 3 children, so when prices started popping up as $30-$40 a pair, I began thinking that there is just no way I am ever going to wear these things! Well, after an evening of frustration at Mother Nature for blessing women with this gift of life, I found a 6 pack on Amazon in the $20 range and I had to buy them!
Here’s the truth: these things are not sexy!
The look of this particular brand screams granny panties times 100, and wearing low rise jeans is absolutely out of the question. But what I have observed so far is that they work, and at this point, that is all I care about! No worries about toxic chemicals from tampons, no scratchy uncomfortable pads, just a pair of underwear and I get to live a fairly stress-free period day. The downside is that in the particularly heavy moments, I get a little worried. I haven’t had any of those embarrassing middle school moments where it’s bled through yet, but I am on guard! So if your someone that experiences a heavier flow, this might not be the best option for you (at least not the cheaper Amazon brand). I also don’t know if I’m super self-conscious because it’s a fairly new concept for me or not. I’m worried about whether I smell, if it’s bleeding through, or any numerous horror stories that can occur from my monthly cycle. However, I feel like that’s just a bit of society’s insecurities coming out, I mean, I am almost 30 years old and have 3 children. Why am I so ashamed of something natural?
So there’s the truth of it! Periods are going to happen, I don’t think it’s ever going to be a pleasant experience, but inventors have given us options! If you feel comfortable using tampons, great. If you like pads, awesome. If you’re like me and hate both of those options, maybe try the period panties! It’s time we embrace the truth of the matter and find a way to make the process as comfortable as possible!
