White Scrubs and That "Time of the Month".

[Shookclays]

Does any ladies here have to wear white or light scrubs? How do you deal with your cycle and possibly spotting? I have a heavy period, depending on what I take and eat, & im scared of spotting. I'm a first semester student and we have to wear white throughout the entire program. Also I do not wear tampons, only pads and I change them every hour.

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

I'm a big fan of Nike Combat Pro compression shorts. They don't have beige but the grey can't be seen under white scrubs. I wore them all the time at clinicals. When I was on my period and felt it might get messy, I would wear normal chonies under the compression shorts. Doubling up will definitely help.

[ItsThatJenGirl, CNA]

I would recommend tampons and a pad as a back up in case of leakage.

And my doctor has me take NSAID's the first few days, which really lightens my flow. Something to look into or talk to your doctor about.

[Beldar_the_Cenobite, CNA]

Have you ever thought about getting an ablation done? You'll have fewer periods. But you'll have to get them once in a while(every 5 years?)

[jaycam, RN]

I seriously swear by my diva cup. I have horribly unpredictable bleeding that can suddenly pick up, but it has really reduced any "accidents." Even during heavy moments, it can last me six hours.

[Shookclays, ASN, BSN, CNA, RN]

Well, it may, just a little, but only the first time:roflmao:

(sorry, couldn't resist)

I'm still a virgin and that's one reason why I've refrained from using them. So I guess it would hurt?

[Shookclays, ASN, BSN, CNA, RN]

I would recommend tampons and a pad as a back up in case of leakage.

And my doctor has me take NSAID's the first few days, which really lightens my flow. Something to look into or talk to your doctor about.

Ibuprofen makes me bleed VERY heavy.

[emmy27]

It *might* hurt a little but as an adult there's a decent chance your hymen has been torn already by just living, or that it has a large enough opening for a tampon naturally anyway. I'd definitely try them- a tampon plus a pad will buy you several more hours and reduce your chance of leakage. I've also heard really great things about the Thinx panties someone mentioned above- some of the styles supposedly hold up to two tampons worth, which probably wouldn't be enough alone for you if you're changing your pad hourly, but which could be excellent backup to a tampon or a pad.

I honestly don't recommend Divacup if you're a virgin/haven't used tampons yet. It's got a pretty steep learning curve and although I was not a virgin when I tried it I found inserting and removing it extremely uncomfortable, and emptying it a very messy process that I could never have safely executed in a public bathroom while wearing all white.

Instead cups, which are a very different style and easier to insert and remove (they're like a broad flat ring with a soft plastic bottom that you fold in half and insert the long way) might work for you, though, and they're disposable so you can just toss if and insert a new one if you need to change it while out and about.

A period tracking app if you don't already use one is a good idea to help you be aware when you're needing to start wearing/carrying pads just in case. It's easy to lose track of time in nursing school! I recommend the Fertility Friend app, which has more robust functionality than most of them and is helpful to have a lot of cycle data in if you are ever interested later in becoming or avoiding pregnancy.

I had to wear white scrubs in nursing school and it was such a pain, sorry you have to deal with it.

[DeeAngel]

You might consider using your preferred method of dealing with your period and also wearing a Depends brief. They have some now that are unnoticeable when worn. This is the only thing I can think of that would eliminate all worry. There are also period panties that are supposed to take the place of pads. You could wear these in addition to your regular method of dealing, same principle as the Depends.

[Eleven011]

I also like the Thinx underwear. I got a pair for my teen daughter when she started her period and was nervous about school. She loves them! She can go the whole school day with them.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Double up with tampons and pads. Or a Diva cup with pads.

Check with your PCP -- if your periods are that heavy and you're not trying to get pregnant, some forms of birth control pills will make your periods lighter or even suppress them completely for months at a time.

[db2xs]

I swear by my diva cup! :) Technically they are good for up to 12 hours.. but if you are having to change your pads every hour, you'd probably be fine emptying the diva cup every time you go on a designated break.

Diva Cups are the best! It definitely means that you can't be squeamish about touching yourself down there to get the cup in and out, but they are totally worth it. They save money and they reduce waste!

Regarding reducing waste, you can also double up with LunaPads, which are organic cotton reusable pads. That's what I do on the heavy days: Diva Cup and LunaPad.

[amoLucia]

I had a D&C for excessive menorrhea. Sounds rather extreme but I could kick myself for not having it done earlier.

And re motrin - I thought NSAIDS contributed ANTI-coagulation properties. The anti-inflammatory process really helped the cramping but I always had to stop NSAIDS before any procedures, incl dental work.

I think OP does NOT use tampons for personal reasons. I've known some women like that also. So a cup most likely would not be an option either (wasn't on the market when I could have used it!).

Not sure if she's changing her pads hourly because she has to for excessive flow, or she's just trying to stay ahead of any leaks.