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Original poster

Anyone awake? I'm so mortified and embarrassed

218 replies

FlamingLama · 06/02/2022 05:00

I'm away for the weekend in a really nice hotel and I struggle with really heavy periods. Slept with a tampon in which I changed before I went to bed and a huge verging on nappy like pad on. Woke up amd the pad has wriggled out the way, tampon has overflowed and there is blood on the beautiful crisp white linen. I want to pack my bags and leave now. I brought my own towel with me from home to sleep on but dh said I was being ridiculous. Sat here so upset.
I'm so sick of my horrendous periods. No Dr takes them seriously and I'm expected to put up with them. They make me horrendously anaemic too. Now this. I'm literally never leaving the house whilst I'm on again.

We've had such a great weekend and this has ruined it. I want to go home. I've had other health problems too so this was supposed to be having a relaxing weekend and I can't sleep for fear of it happening again. Just sat here crying. I know I won't be the first person to have their periods on the sheets but I'm so embarrassed and I took massive precautions and it still happened.

Do I phone reception in the morning and tell them?

OP posts:

harrystylestaylorswift · 06/02/2022 12:57

So infuriating that your health concerns are being dismissed. You have nothing to be embarrassed about and like everyone else has said, the cleaners will have seen much worse. Please keep pushing for help regarding your heavy flow - you don't deserve to have your lovely hotel weekend spoiled over something that could but won't be treated because of a healthcare system that is unfortunately riddled with misogyny like everything else. Hopefully you're feeling better and manage to go ahead with your pool and spa plans. Also if there's unfortunately a next time, sleep on the towel and don't let anyone tell you you're ridiculous for it! Nothing to be ashamed of but if you think it'll minimise your chances of leaking and your weekend won't be ruined, just do it.

Justrestingmyeyes1 · 06/02/2022 13:00

Please don’t let this ruin your weekend. I’m sure, for the hotel at least, this is a non event.

Go back to your gp and insist he refers you!
I suffered horrendous periods for years and was prescribed tranexamic acid. They helped but only for a bit. I saw my gp on numerous occasions but was basically told I’d just have to put up with it. I happened to be seeing a gynaecologist about another matter and he asked about my periods. I told him everything and he asked ‘why are you suffering like this when you don’t have to’ then told me about ablations. Something my gp had never mentioned. I had the procedure 3 weeks later and never bled again.

2020inhindsight · 06/02/2022 13:00

@Moonface123

l have had mirena coil fitted, no periods since, it has been a Godsend to me.

I had this too. Mirena truly saved me and helped stabilise my anaemia with prescribed iron tablets as I was having such heavy periods. Getting up 3 or 4 times in the night to change tampons and pads. No periods no for 3 years now

GrandmasCat · 06/02/2022 13:09

I had the Mirena fitted, my period didn’t stop or became lighter but, I noticed that after a couple of weeks I was always in a constant PMS. I had it removed after 6 months, the constant rage disappeared within 10 days of removal.

It works for some people but if you are not one of them press to try other things.

Inanun2 · 06/02/2022 13:16

I am also someone who has to get up about 3 times in the night to change tampons and pads and sleep on a towel. ( I even sit on a towel or blanket on the sofa).
I have not really discussed with my GP but thanks to Op and other posters will do now. Thank you

Tempusfudgeit · 06/02/2022 13:21

My sister defaecated in a hotel bed (incontinence problems) - they didn't bat an eye. Sorry you're feeling rubbish, OP.

BillMasheen · 06/02/2022 13:24

I’ve been a chambermaid in big hotels, and worked in a few hotel laundries.

This won’t even rate on the top five worst things for today for the staff.

Like pps ive Seen shit in Wildly inappropriate places, people using towels, sheets and curtains to wipe their arses. Projectile vomit and a million other things. I only get cross when you know it is deliberate, and done purely to … well assert dominance over the poor bugger that has to clean up.

Don’t worry about rinsing the sheet or anything. No one cares. It will be topped into a giant industrial washer, bleached and boiled and any that don’t come out clean are just recycled. No big deal. It’s a cost that is factored in.

My all time worst as a chambermaid is what a large coach party of very elderly tourists ALL caught noro off eachother. And it caught up with them at our hotel. Every room I went into had copious evidence of two people repeatedly failing to make it to the bathroom in time. 🤢

Phineyj · 06/02/2022 13:29

Also OP, Boots sell disposable bed cover things aimed at post partum women that are probably more effective than a towel.

ouch321 · 06/02/2022 13:29

Can I recommend transexamic acid?

You take 1 or 2 tablets three times a day from memory and it increases clotting inside so you loose less blood.

Also tampons are crap at dealing with heavy flow. It just seems to go past them. Maybe try a cup.

imamumgetmeoutofhere · 06/02/2022 13:39

Please go back to the doctor. No one should have to be doubling up on protection or laying sheets down at night to make sure they don't have leaks. Insist they see you, and if they won't see someone else.

As for the blood on the sheets, please don't worry about this. It will have happened many times before and each hotel housekeeper will have dealt with it. They will bleach the sheets and won't even think about it. It's part of life. Talk to yourself with kindness, this is not your fault at all

TheBareTree · 06/02/2022 15:43

This once happened to me. The blood on the sheets was the diameter of a football. I stripped the sheet off and it had gone through to the mattress protector below. I took that off too and found that the mattress also had a massive blood mark on it too - pretty much exactly as it had been on the top sheet. It was awful. I had to go and tell management. It was a woman and she was lovely. I offered to replace the mattress (!) but she didn’t accept!

katepilar · 06/02/2022 20:28

OP, I am sorry you have so much trouble with your periods that it makes you so miserable.

I know gynaecological care in the UK is terrible /where I come from everyone has a gynae dr the same way everyone has a dentist /. I dont know about possible underlying problems that could cause so much bleeding. If you want to look into things you can try in addition to medical care you can look into vaginal steaming which might help. I would also recommend books by Miranda Gray /The Optimized Woman: using your menstrual cycle to achieve success and fulfillment or Red Moon that talk about how we women are designed to function and how to make it work better for us in this world.
Hope you are feeling better soon. We can be so vulnerable while on period.

PermanentTemporary · 06/02/2022 20:41

Vaginal steaming has no benefits at all... you do however deserve to see a gynaecologist!

katepilar · 06/02/2022 20:53

@imamumgetmeoutofhere

Talking to a dr does not necessarilly mean they will be able to help you with super heavy periods. I come from a country where gynae drs are easily available when you need them /with check-ups every year/ and I know of lots of women who still suffer from heavy periods and drs cant help them. Some women get relief with so call alternative ways, like herbal medicines, hormone yoga, vaginal steaming and/or switching from conventional disposable sanitary products either to organic cotton stuff or cloth pads, menstrual cups, period underware or free bleeding.

Youngatheart00 · 06/02/2022 21:05

Can’t really offer much advice in addition to what’s already been given but just wanted to add solidarity as this has also happened to me.

I think I claimed to have spilt a cup of coffee all over the sheets (and in fact then did…to make my ‘story convincing’ - sure that was not needed) and so I stripped the sheets off and called housekeeping the next morning.

Your health is far more important than worrying about what a member of staff you’ll likely never see is going to think of you (and even then it’s highly unlikely they would even bat an eyelid!)

I hope you managed to enjoy the rest of your stay?

katepilar · 07/02/2022 22:49

@PermanentTemporary

Vaginal steaming has no benefits at all... you do however deserve to see a gynaecologist!

sorry if you found it doesnt have any benefit for you.

Liv999 · 07/02/2022 23:54

A few years back I was at a function with a couple of hundred people, all the seats were covered in white linen, I was a few days into my period and wearing a pad so I thought I was ok as my periods aren't unusually heavy, I stood up at one stage and looked down at my seat and it was bright red! I was so embarrassed, I told one of my friends what had happened and she told me to stand up quickly again and she would roll the linen cover off the seat when nobody was looking, she brought it home and washed it too!! I'm sure lots of people noticed what was happening 😳 anyway sorry your periods are making you miserable, hope you get it sorted soon x

PermanentTemporary · 08/02/2022 07:57

@katepilar do publish your peer reviewed study of the significant health benefits of vaginal steaming.

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