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Really heavy periods -- at work
This is an awkward topic for me to bring up and I'm not sure its really a health thing. But recently (after having a kid), my period came back exceptionally heavy. And while annoying, I found I could deal with it if I wore both a tampon AND a pad. I do this for insurance against leaking and the other day, I had a lot of back to back meetings and zero time to go to the bathroom to check on the situation. By the time I got to the bathroom, it'd only been 6 hours and I had very embarassingly soaked through my light beige pants. I was mortified and luckily was able to wash most of it off and the stains were in somewhat discreet places. But it got me thinking...how are other women dealing with this??? I'm worried I'll never go back to the menstrual flows I had before kids.
Anonymous
07/03/19 at 4:45PM UTC
No kids but I do have a couple of what I call "heavy bleed days" each month. I have uterine fibroids which causes the heavy bleeding. (I didn't read all the posts so I'm not sure if anyone else already brought this up). Fibroids are benign but can cause complications like anemia and of course, pain and discomfort, and the emotional aspects of bleeding through your clothes :( In any case, before going on any forms of birth control to reduce the bleeding, I'd suggest getting checked out for possible causes. I'm choosing to leave my fibroids alone for now, but there are treatments for removal that I will consider if my symptoms and bleeding get worse. Right now my iron levels have become pretty low so I'm working on getting those up.
Sue Hung
20
06/03/19 at 3:07PM UTC
You need to take the time and just be late to the meetings so you don't have these embarrassing situations. Back to back or not, excuse yourself. We put too much pressure on ourselves to be perfect but end up being the one who takes on the consequences. Otherwise, you can try getting an IUD, I find that it immensely reduces the flow and so does the pill.
BeckyB_25Release Train Engineer. Mom of 2.
178
05/16/19 at 1:33PM UTC
Diva Cup + pad is the only thing that gets me through after kids!
Ella MolnarWife, Mother of 3, Nerd
147
05/16/19 at 1:15AM UTC
1. Keep spare pants and cardigan at your desk if possible. Also spare pain meds, heating pad, and hygiene supplies. Or, see if there's a way to keep them in the restroom, at a security desk, or somewhere that you choose who has access.
2. Go to the bathroom when you need to. You are a grown ass woman, not a kindergartener, and no one needs to know where you're going or give permission. Say, "I don't know about anyone else, but I have had meetings all morning, and I really need to take a quick break. I'll be back in 5-10 minutes (however long you guess)." Or, "I need a few minutes, so it's probably a good time to grab a coffee or a water or whatever for whoever needs to."
Whether or not you are a boss or a superior, acting with the assumption that you were invited to the meeting because you are needed, and so they won't start without you (or you aren't needed), is a way (when done graciously) of asserting yourself in the office without seeming "bitchy". The boss won't be like, "I don't know where she's going, but we're doing the meeting" if anyone else makes a murmur like "That's a good idea" or "Oh, thank goodness, I'm parched" or whatnot -- (s)he won't want to appear to be insensitive to employees' needs.
It's also a way of subtly combatting the office culture which is so traditionally misogynistic and able-ist, in ways we as a society don't even notice, but creates a thousand micro-aggressions against traditional "minorities", and drives good talent out of offices and out of work.
If someone objects, or comments on your absence, laugh and say that you've left your signed hall pass in your other pants and you hope they'll be kind enough not to send you to the principal's if you go to the restroom without it just this once. Enough people should laugh, but the speaker will keep his/her trap shut next time, and no one else will deny you again.
You can also tell the story of the astronomer Tycho Brahe who died of a burst bladder because he held it during a royal dinner rather than offend his host by excusing himself to urinate. You have too much live for to be so polite, and you hope your coworkers can understand. If not, they're welcome to talk to you about their death wishes... after you return from the restroom. (Again, cue general laughter, personal shame on the part of the speaker, and subtle combat against this horrid culture of self-denying biological needs for the imagined "greater good" of a group.)
Remember though, that it is NEVER appropriate for any person to directly request another person ignore a biological need simply for his/her own convenience, and that truly deserves a scathing response, not a jocular one. You're being polite to lessen *their* shame, not your own.
3. I recommend you see your OB/GYN if the heaviness continues for more than three months post-partum, and absolutely if more than six months.
Good luck!!!
Anonymous
05/15/19 at 9:39PM UTC
I had the same issue for years and it was awful! Constantly worried I would have an issue at work with long meetings, etc. I saw my OB and she gave me a large number of options. I chose the Mirena IUD and it was a life-changer! Wish I would have done it sooner!
Ladyboss101101
11
05/15/19 at 7:25PM UTC
1. See your gyn. 2. Try some discrete adult diapers as an emergency back up for your crazy days. (No one will know but you.).
MarikaCCInternational NGO Director
11
05/15/19 at 6:58PM UTC
The Mirena Coil changed my life in this area. Wish I had gotten one much earlier!
Anonymous
05/15/19 at 5:24PM UTC
I have to chime in because nobody has mentioned this yet. I suffered for 5 years with horrible periods I had to schedule around etc. A couple of my friends had done the uterine ablation procedure and recommended it to me. They both said it was very fast, easy, and they were recovered the next day even. One said she no longer had a period, and the other now had a "normal" brief and light period every month.
This sounded amazing to me, but I went online and read all about the procedure first. I found many many stories from women who had similar experiences to my friends. I also saw posts from women with horror stories of botched procedures and lasting side effects. These almost scared me off, but I kept harassing my doctor with questions and researching on my own.
Finally, I decided to do it and it was like my friends had said. It was quick and easy. I was in pain for a few hours afterward, but the next day I was fine. For the first few months I had kind of a minor period, nothing compared to what it used to be. And then after that I stopped having a period at all. Now more than a year later, I might have one slight ghost of a period like every four months or so - meaning one event of having a tiny bit of blood on toilet paper. That's it! I can't tell you how free I feel now compared to before in my 5+ years of suffering.
I saw my doctor recently and I couldn't stop thanking him and telling him how I should've had the procedure years before. He said, Everyone tells me that :). So, I'm sharing this in case it helps anyone.
Oh I should mention that I didn't have any birth control afterwards, because my husband is 'fixed', and this procedure effectively ends any chance you can have a baby (although you still have to protect against pregnancy). So, it's only for women who aren't wanting to have kids in the future.
Ella MolnarWife, Mother of 3, Nerd
147
05/16/19 at 6PM UTC
Yeah, glad you had the last paragraph.
1) the procedure (when done correctly) is permanent
2) you still have to protect against ectopic pregnancy (implantation in the tube instead of the uterus)
I want an ablation when I decide to close the baby factory. My mom had one done, and she swears it was the best women's health choice she ever made.
Nimeesha20 Years of sales and management experience.
23
05/15/19 at 4:03PM UTC
Mirena IUD saved me! I don't buy femine products anymore. No more period and I'm saving a ton of money plus I never worry about leaking . Until I read this I forgot it was a problem for us. Seriously look into it. I already have my tubes tied and got one just to control the bleeding.
Catmosphere
13
05/15/19 at 3:56PM UTC
Be sure to speak to your doctor! My periods always had been heavy, and very long, but then I had a brutally heavy period that overwhelmed all pads and never seemed to end. I had to keep an overnight bag under my desk with menstrual supplies and several changes of clothes; if I ran out of clothes, I had to go home. The last straw was a heavy cramp —at the office — that launched so much stuff that it ruined not only my pants, but also my shoes! It turns out that I had a large fibroid that fooled my body into thinking it needed to miscarry. My doctor referred me to an excellent ob/gyn who spelled out all my choices. The best choice for me was a laparoscopic hysterectomy, which he performed on Day 81 of the Period from Hell. I took two weeks of vacation time to recover, and I got my life back! I wish you all the best in finding the right solution for you. It is out there.
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