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.

[Glycerine82, LPN]

I almost feel like this is too graphic- but what the hell, we're nurses and any men reading may as well learn what they can where they can.

I have to wear a pad AND a tampon in order to not bleed right through my white pants that I'm required to wear at work.

If you want to try tampons I'd suggest to buy the variety pack and start with a "light" flow tampon and then try a "regular" if you bleed through the light one quickly.

DON"T GET SCENTED - they are known to cause itching and burning and in general are just so not good for the va-jay-jay. Also, don't forget to change it every 6 hours if not sooner.

Cardboard applicators are harder to work with than plastic. The Tampax pearl brand or the generic equivalent seem to work well for me. Be advised you need to pretty much get the part that you hold right up against your lady partsl opening before you press the applicator handle to insert the tampon, otherwise it's likely to not be in far enough.

If you can feel it, its not in deep enough or your flow is too light for the absorbency chosen. It takes a few tries at first to insert it comfortably, but once you get used to wearing them you'll be surprised at how you totally can't tell you have one in.

[Glycerine82, LPN]

as an aside, I used them prior to losing my virginity and didn't have any problems. Feel free to PM me op if you have any questions.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

My oldest daughter has used tampons since her first period at age 11. She was a competitive swimmer so needed something that would be invisible and stay put under a swimsuit. She never had any trouble being a virgin and using them.

[milliesmom88]

I second using the Depends as an extra layer of protection. I used them after my first C-Section because they were so much more comfortable than underwear hitting my scarline, and plan to do so again in a few months. They have versions that aren't bulky, and they have a greater coverage area to catch any overflow. I literally wore them with yoga pants, so under scrubs you should be just fine.

[BSN16]

i had white pants in nursing school. I always wore spanx because of the sheer component of our pants. When on my period a tampon and more spanx!

[12reasons2run]

Don't be afraid to try a cup just because you're a virgin. I've had a Mooncup (English brand) for years and started using it before I was sexually active. I absolutely love mine and while there is a learning curve, it wasn't painful except for the one time I accidentally let it snap open at the wrong time which I'm pretty sure would hurt regardless of sexual activity status (that only happened once). I wouldn't necessarily recommend a diva cup because they tend to be more stiff and are a tiny big larger than some of the other brands on the market. The brand I have is not available in the U.S. but I would try a lunette over a diva cup. If you're interested you can go on youtube and there are a lot of instructional and educational videos. If you have questions, feel free to ask. Unfortunately I don't have enough posts for PM because I mostly just lurk but I'm getting close.

If you're interested in decreasing your bleeding, a hormonal IUD is an excellent option for birth control and for decreasing bleeding (although you might have unpredictable light spotting the first three months). They can be a little more difficult to place if you haven't had a baby but its not impossible. The majority of women will stop bleeding entirely by 1 year. Other forms of hormonal birth control will generally help reduce bleeding as well. An ablation as someone mentioned above is only a great idea if you don't want to have kids as it can permanently damage the lining of your uterus and prevent you from getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term.

[Shookclays, ASN, BSN, CNA, RN]

Thank you all for your kind input! :) Ultimately I think I'm going to go with the depends underwear.

[hdreeves]

Try Thinx. It's a period type of panty thing. I've worn them with tampons/diva cup to help prevent leakage.

THINX | Period Panties For Modern Women

[klone, MSN, RN]

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

Lots of virgins wear tampons without any issues. I started wearing them from my very first period.

[klone, MSN, RN]

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?)

I'm guessing, if she's still a virgin, that she probably is not done having children yet.

[klone, MSN, RN]

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.

Ibuprofen is often recommended for heavy bleeding. The thought is that the bleeding is exacerbated by uterine inflammation, and taking an anti-inflammatory will reverse that. It works well for many women.

[h=4]Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs[/h]The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the management of menorrhagia is based on the finding that the level of prostaglandins in the endometrium of women who suffer from excess loss of blood during menses is higher than in normal women.^[7] Furthermore, elevated levels of nitric oxide enhance the production of prostaglandins via the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway through a positive feedback mechanism.^[3] NSAIDs work by inhibiting COX enzymes and have been shown to be more effective than placebo at reducing blood loss.^[7] Since NSAIDs are less effective but also associated with fewer side effects than tranexamic acid, danazol, or the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS),^[7] they are a particularly suitable option for milder menorrhagia or menorrhagia associated with pain.

While no one NSAID has been shown to be superior to another, studies have demonstrated that mefenamic acid or naproxen taken for 5 days starting at the onset of bleeding can reduce blood loss by 45%.^[4] Typical doses are 250 to 500 mg two to four times a day for mefenamic acid and naproxen and 600 to 1,200 mg/day for ibuprofen.^[3,4] Since NSAIDs are commonly associated with gastrointestinal (GI) side effects, they are contraindicated in women with peptic ulceration.^[11]

Medscape: Medscape Access

[Calalilynurse]

Our nursing school scrubs were white too. Never had a real problem except occasionally bleeding on the inside seam. I change my pads often and got those disposable always wipes and carry a tide to go pen. Also take extra underwear which I never thought off.