to think that I just got one of the best presents ever?

[ButterpieBride]

A friend just popped round with a present to celebrate that I had started my periods again after having the baby :D

I was sulking about it, and now I am grinning from ear to ear :)

She sometimes comes on here, so, hi if you are reading this, and THANKYOU.

This is an actual milestone, and I now feel that it has been acknowledged. Ace.

Now, time to break out the mooncup...

OP, congratulations on your periods coming back. They always signal the slow return to normality after childbirth. Mine came back when my DD was nearly four months. About the Mooncup, initially I had the same reaction that it would be yuckky but in fact it is the best thing since sliced bread so to speak. I dreaded my periods but since using the mooncup I sometimes even forget that I am on my periods. I so hated the feel of blood trickling out (tmi) I know so thankfully the mooncup sorts this out. I also change less frequently and find them highly comfortable too.

When you are in a public toilet it can be a bit tricky as you need to rinse it so I usually carry some water with me during those times. The one time I didnt have water I just used some wipes I had in my bag to give it a quick wipe and reinsert. No messy insertions like with the tampons at all, just one hand does it all. Okay I am starting to sound like I work for Mooncup now

Thanks CoupleofKooks - will def get one!

MmeL - I bought mine in Boots, you have to look carefully. They are right next to the tampons, I had missed them too and hand to ask an assistant

mmelindt yes they say even the tiny Boots near me stocks them, I must admit I was a bit [sceptical]
i'll look on bodykind, coupleofkooks, thanks. Although after the delivery I had, I doubt even the "A" cup will work.... sign....

I bought mine from the mooncup website itself. I have seen them for sale in "hippy shops"- ie the kinds of places where you buy organic lentils and eco cleaning products, as well as in some student unions.

And this is my first period after the babies birth- ie the end of me being properly postnatal, and a real "watershed" moment in my breastfeeding career. My body is recognising that my baby isn't completely reliant on me for nutrition, and so is preparing itself for a possible future pregnancy (it isn't going to to get it, but it doesn't know that).

So, yes, I do think it warrants celebration. It is the start of a new phase- I have left the "new mother" phase again now, most probably for the last time.

Herbietea- yes, my SPD has been worse recently, this is probably why. I'm still going to my GP tomorrow though!

On the subject of marketing, in a world where you can buy scented tampons (seriously, wtf?) what hope is there?

Did anyone else get the sponsored talk in school from tampax? We got told our options were disposable pads or tampons. No mention of anything else. In a state comp. Sigh.

I just got my period and DD is 1 and still bf but only one feed a day.

It was my first period in nearly 3.5 years as preg/bf/preg/bf and lordy - I felt like celebrating

However after an hour - realised I hate periods but do feel a little more settled hormonally.

I bought mine online a year or so ago. It is awesome and I truly wish I had found out about them years ago.
I carry a bottle of water round with me anyway, so if i do have to change it at work, it's no big deal, just empty in the loo, pou a little water in, sloosh it, and re-insert.
I get extremly pissed off with all the '''eeeuuww'' reactions from women. You all manage to wipe your children's arses, dont you? That's 100 times worse than using a moon cup. Honestly.

OP, what a thoughtful friend you have.

Interestingly on the Boots website, they get 5 out of 5 in the rating... got to be a good sign.

DS is nearly nine months and he's just gone from 3 to 2 feeds....and my terrible skin which cleared up during pregnancy and beyond is starting to return, boohoo, so I guess it may be on it's way.
However I like your way of thinking about it OP. I hope it will signal an end of the "postnatal" for me, it's been a tough time!

fiona if you have a lot of trouble with your pelvic floor you may have difficulty keeping the mooncup in :(
sorry you had a difficult birth
apologies if it sounds patronising but have you tried really diligently doing the exercises every day for a few months?
my pelvic floor was not quite right since having ds1 7 years ago but it was manageable, so it was only really last year that i committed myself to sorting it out through exercise
if i get lazy about it the muscles get weak again - it really is something you have to do every day for the rest of your life to make the problem go away

sorry OP we have really hijacked your thread! i like the way you and your friend have turned this event into something positive
i must admit i always felt a bit bleugh at return of periods after pg
i enjoyed the postnatal amenstrual phase and was sorry when it ended - but it's good to know you are fertile again and your body is doing all that it should

Yeah I have been pretty diligent about it. Even went to see the physio about it and she went "yeah yeah you've probably got rubbish pelvic floor like most women after childbirth", unceremoniously shoves her finger up and instructs me to clench "oh no, they're not that bad, no idea why you're wetting yourself. You're probably drinking too much water."
And thus I was discharged, to continue COMPLETELY wetting myself (like a whole bladder full) because apparently that's that.
So I'll give anything a go that might improve it - hence interest in the cones.

Glass - if your periods are heavy then just have a sanitary towel as well as back up, that is what I do on my heavy day so I never worry about leaking when I am out

oh heck that is rubbish
you should be referred to a specialist, that's really shoddy treatment you had there

fwiw i tried the cones thinking they would be a quick fix, but because of the new and exciting shape of my vagina after childbirth, they don't work for me
if you are exercising correctly i think the cones will only do the same thing - strengthen the muscles - i guess it might be worth trying just to make sure you're able to keep the weights in - perhaps the physio was wrong and you do have muscle weakness - but i would demand proper help on NHS via your gp

Yeah this was the specialist at the hospital - hence I'm a bit like, where do I go from here?! The only "positive" (?) information I could get was that I could have a c-section with a subsequent child...
Anyway, a total digression from the OP's op!

really appalled for you fiona
obviously you should not need to, but have you considered going privately?

For those worried about mooncups and public toilets - I had quite heavy periods and used to flood quite often, but you really don't have to change a mooncup as often so the situations don't arise v much. I can only remember once having to do it in a motorwa services and then I just used the water bottle in my bag. If you are using a baby change facility there is often a sink in the toilet. In a weird way, I liked the measurement bit on the side too!

Haven't had a sniff of a period yet (DD 8 months) and am a bit gutted that I will have to buy a new mooncup to fit the new me!

I'm currently pregnant so this isn't something I need to think about yet, but I had never heard of a mooncup before, but this thread alone has convinced me to try one next time I need it! Thank you!

And OP, what a wonderful friend you have! I think that's an awesome idea she had! Can I adopt her too?!

Fiona
Start a thread about your problems, I am sure there is someone on MN who can help you. The treatment you received was appalling.

Fiona-definitely go back to your doctor, that is no good!

And my periods haven't come back yet by the way, DD is 2! Still feeding at night as we cosleep so that's probably why. I don't mind though, periods are a pain.

Mooncups not a problem in public toilets at all. They don't need to be rinsed on every change. I just tip the contents down the toilet (put some paper down first as blood sinks to the bottom and doesn't disappear on flush), wipe clean with loo roll and reinsert.

Very of those who have never had to use a public loo. On heavy days, I need to empty after an hour or so. Still heaps better and cheaper than the alternatives though.

That's a lovely friend you've got OP!!

And...I love my mooncup...so wish I'd known about them many years ago. I've been using mine nearly three years now, and wouldn't ever go back to anything else. Much cleaner and easier than tampons...even in a public toilet!

tyler80, I was feeling that I was a grub until I realised that you too don't rinse if you are out and about. It's my blood, from my body, the mooncup doesn't touch any surfaces, I just pop it back in. At home, obviously I do rinse it if necessary.

I have had heavy periods all my life and neither towels or tampons, or towels and tampons would hold the flow. My daughter suggested I try a mooncup.

Now I have complete confidence in my mooncup, though do have to pop to the loo frequently and I use a towel at night as back up when the flow is heaviest. I never have to struggle to the loo, clutching a hantowel, or wonderif blood is leaking through my clothes, as has happened in the past.

My mooncup is amazing, I wish I had known about years ago, I would have saved so much money and stress and contributed far less to the mound of sanitary products that clog up our Earth. Women's Environmental Network

OP, you are blessed to have an amazing friend.