Flooding periods and office work

[Conflictedboobs]

I’m about to return to the office from maternity leave (DS is 7 months). Since giving birth, I’ve had a problem with absolutely insane periods where all of a sudden, my body ‘let’s go’ somehow and I suddenly lose a lot of blood all at once. It’s usually around half a pint but it has been more and there’s a lot of large clots. I have these floods around 2-4 times a month, usually close-ish together but often with no warning at all. So I won’t have any bleeding or anything and then all of a sudden it will just come and there’s nothing I can do.

I’m going back to work on 29th. I’ll be 3 days from home and 1 day from the office but what if I get a flood on an office day?? How on earth do I deal with it? What if it happens on the train?

I currently wear period pants whenever I leave the house because I do get other random smaller bleeds all the time but they can’t cope with a flood. Today for example I had a flood wearing period pants while sitting on the kitchen floor feeding DS - I had to mop the floor and the puddle was about a foot diameter once I stood up.

I’ve been to my GP who has referred me for an ultrasound but the referral wait time is almost 10 months in my area. I’ve had bloods done and I’m waiting for those results too.

Any thoughts on how I manage this or anyone with similar experience who can give advice much appreciated!

Op I had to go home this week to change but it doesn't normally happen it was embarrassing! Thankfully it doesn't happen when I'm sitting.

Why does this happen sometimes? How can some women loose so much blood??
What do the clots mean?

It is hideous that so many suffer from this, with little respite (usual caveats about NHS being horrifically, chronically underfunded/resources/staffed apply)

Can you take pictures of the blood when you flood to show the GP? Might help them realise the scale of the problem for you.
Good luck!

Incontinence pants? Would they hold enough for you to bolt to the toilet?

What brand of period pants are you using?

We tried several with DD and Wuka pants are really thick and hold a lot.

Are you changing your pants regularly during the day? On DDs heavy flow days she wears the heavy flow or overnight versions.

However to be extra cautious she has one pair over night, change in morning, change at lunchtime (keep spare pair in bag), change when get home, then change for bed time.

Its a lot of pants to buy and wash but it works for her. Wuka pants are amazing. They have never ever leaked compared to other brands (but that may be because we change regularly)

A private ultrasound is about £120-150. If you cannot afford it could your DH? Mum?

But I too would go back to your GP and push for a more urgent referral. There is flooding and there is this.

I had this problem for years. Tranexamic acid helps. Incontinence products help with the volume. Spare clothes at work and on your person. Wet wipes. In the end I had a Mirena and it stopped my periods completely. I was also advised I could have a hot water ablation of my womb but this would have meant not being able to be pregnant in the future. I am so sorry, this is a horrible thing that no one talks about much but it is so disruptive and upsetting. And painful - I used to get clots the size of my finger and it was excrutiating.

@Postmanpatsucksdick

It's fucking disgraceful that women have to put up with an issue such as this. There must be a way for it to be sped up?

Yes to this! It’s great that people have given you some brilliant ideas and advice but it’s just absolutely insane that you’re expected to accept the situation for another 10 months. I think this is one of them where you need to keep pestering/begging your GP. Photo evidence every time it happens and don’t take no for an answer

Oh and don't be "I can cope". Tell your GP you are worried about work/cannot excercise/killed your sex life - so it is seriously affecting your quality of life. This may - rightly- push you up the priority list.

I has this just once after getting a Mirena coil and genuinely thought I was haemorraging, for the doctor to say "oh this happens sometimes". I think you should tell your boss so they can make a reasonable adjustment e.g. WFH and also try Tranxemic acid. I have a pack in my bathroom in case it happens again.

Yes, yes to photo evidence. The average woman loses less than 80ml per period. You are losing 5 times this 2-4 times a month. So 10 x this.

Push, push, push.

Also - have you been checked for an underactive thyroid. My flooding was horrific then - though nowhere near as bad as you.

I feel for you OP . I suffered with this for around 2 years. Long , unbelievably heavy periods, large volume flooding, huge clots.

The GP didn't think tranexamic acid would help, sbd I was inclined to agree, so didnt try it fir ages.

The difference it made was literally unbelievable. I curse myself for not trying it sooner. It was like turning a tap off. And after 4 or 5 months using it, I don't need it any more. Life changing

This happened to me 12 years ago, a few times, was caused by copper coil used as back up emergency contraception when my baby was 6m old, as I was out of time on pill 2 of MAP. I don't think period pants were available then. I've leaked onto various chairs and into the floor of Boots at lunchtime. I ended up having an endometrial ablation. Best thing ever, but my family was complete

I haven't read the whole thread but these pads are BIG and cope with flooding

https://www.honouryourflow.co.uk/extremely-heavy-flow-66-c.asp

I’d suggest you tell your boss OP what is happening, and ask to work from home fully until hopefully you find something that works in stopping the flooding. I feel for you and what you’re having to put up with. Best wishes OP.

I’ve read your post to my DH who is an A&E doctor. He is still ranting. But he has said next time it happens, take photos, go to A&E, and you will get an ultrasound that day. Hope that’s helpful.

Reading all these posts has really opened my eyes to how tough some women have it.

Half a pint ??!!! That is a lot more than you are supposed to lose for the whole period, really does warrant a gynae visit.
I had horrendous but thankfully short lived peri meno flooding, and I found that washable towels held a lot more blood than disposables. Period pants too.

I posted above but just to add, I used the honour your flow pads, better than any others. I also have underactive thyroid which is linked to heavy periods

This happened to me at work. I totally destroyed the office chair I sit on. Had to go home, bled over the floor. It wasn't as awful as I thought it would be. I think because it was quite shocking everyone was actually really helpful and sympathetic. The blokes very politely just pretended to be busy and the women helped. I had lots of sympathy and offers of help for quite a while afterwards.
I would try and be open about this as a way of coping. Head it all off, get help in place, store extra clothes at work. Take a cushion. I once flooded without realising and the cushion saved the day as it protects the chair and then I could use it to strategically mask my clothes on the way to the loo. Ditto train. People will just assume you have a bad back and need it to be comfortable.

Ibuprofen taken regularly starting just before you come on and throughout your period. If that doesn't cut it, naproxen. The latter was a game changer for me but ultimately I went back on the combined pill to make mine more bearable.

I was wondering as well about your DP- can he help you with saving for a private scan?

OP I really feel for you, I had this for years and all the tests came back normal. Tranexamic acid helps (you can get it over the counter in a chemist) but what fixed it for me was getting a mirena. I resisted for ages but after an incident in a public toilet I gave in. It’s changed my life, my periods now are a handful of spots.

If you're losing 1/2 a point at a time I would:

1. Start measuring it if at all possible (weighing it, or literally measuring volume) - gross but a useful quantifier.

1. Keep a diary of every time it happens and amounts, impacts, changes of clothes, how it's impacting your life.

1. Take photos.

Then go back and push for an urgent referral, contacting your CCG's PALS department if necessary to push further.

I'd also be pushing for regular blood tests to check your iron levels as if they aren't being brought up by 7 months of tablets that suggests a different technique or treatment option is needed.

I'd also be really concerned about overall blood loss: if you're still bleeding all the time and then also losing 1-2 pints a month in flooding I'd be really genuinely worried about your long term health.

If you're tired (I know, you have a seven month old, who isn't?) you need to flag this to the doctor and not minimise it. You should also think about and note if you are breathless at all.

Go to A&E.

I wasnt as bad as that but similar after the birth of my second last year - sudden huge flooding and I'd have to go straight to the toilet and had already leaked through underwear and trousers/skirt. I found getting a coil inserted (the one with a little bit of hormones) has helped massively- in fact problem solved.