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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

OMG Just leaked period onto a white chair at work

193 replies

catgirl1976 · 28/10/2014 17:02

Just been in a meeting in the partners office. Me, Director of OPs and Sales Manager

I;ve got a really heavy period

Sat on a white leather chair

Stood up to leave and there was a bit of blood on the chair.

Walked out with the Sales Manager.

Ops Director and Partner still in there

I am dying of embarassement

What do I do? Do I pretend I haven't noticed or balls it out and go back in with a cloth, apologies and clean it up

Maybe they haven't noticed and will just think it's paint or something?

I want to die I am so fucking embarraseed

OP posts:
theonlygothinthevillage · 28/10/2014 17:21

DEFINITELY don't do anything. Consider:

  1. They probably don't scrutinise the chairs regularly, so if they notice it they will not realise it has only just appeared, and will think it may have been there for a while.
  2. They might not realise it's blood.
  3. If you go back in, they are likely to work out what you are up to (especially if they've already seen the stain) and you will become an office story. 'Someone period leaked onto the chair, we think it was Catgirl' is better (and more quickly forgotten) than 'Catgirl burst into the office desperately trying to cover up the fact that she period leaked onto the chair'. And the former is the worst case scenario if you do nothing - as I've said, they might not notice.
  4. Maybe casually mention that you're planning to go swimming after work? That might make them think, 'Well it can't be Catgirl, she obviously doesn't have her period' :D
Mrsfrumble · 28/10/2014 17:22

It's daft that we feel ashamed isn't it? And yet I'd be mortified too.

Go in with a damp cloth say "sorry to disturb you, but I wouldn't want anyone else to sit in this", wipe, and leave quickly before they get a chance to comment. Would that work? Leaves some ambiguity over what the "this" is and who's fault it is anyway Grin

catgirl1976 · 28/10/2014 17:23

I'm doing the very grown up senisble thing of hiding in my office, waiting for them to leave and eating the emergency Gold biscuit I have in my top drawer

And trying not to cry

OP posts:
theonlygothinthevillage · 28/10/2014 17:25

Catgirl, having read your last but one update, I think it unlikely that they will notice. AT WORST they will think it might be blood. And think carefully: you say you glanced at it and walked out. I think that if it had been a serious stain your heart would have stopped and you would have made some excuse to wipe the chair straight away.

Mrsfrumble · 28/10/2014 17:25

I like theonlygoth's last idea.

Maybe make like a Sandro ad and go in on roller skates wearing tight white jeans. Everyone knows you can't do that during your period unless you're wearing some really awesome protection, so it can't possibly have been you!

londonrach · 28/10/2014 17:26

Hands catgirl another gold biscuit and a glass of cold cava and a tissue. Please dont cry. You a woman, its happened to most woman at one point. What would a man do? ((((((Hugs)))))))

Chippednailvarnish · 28/10/2014 17:26

Most blokes are oblivious.

Eat the biscuit and then sneak back in.

londonrach · 28/10/2014 17:27

Agree if men they wont have seen it.

Chippednailvarnish · 28/10/2014 17:27

What would Uncle Brian do ? Grin

KoalaDownUnder · 28/10/2014 17:28

Ahhh, you poor thing. I had period leakage in front of an entire school of teenagers once. In a foreign country. It was HORRIBLE. Thanks

catgirl1976 · 28/10/2014 17:29

I think it's too late for me to go back in now.

I've got to leave to pick up my DS in 4 minutes, so if they don't come out before then I am going to get in early in the morning, get the cleaner to open the door and clean it up.

Then I will never say anything.

As people have said,

They might not notice

They might think it's blood, but they may well not.

And they might think it was me, or they might think it's been there all day and they've only just noticed.

I feel a bit better now. Thank you all Thanks

It's crazy that it's this embarassing. I reckon a man would just go "Oh, sorry guys - I've bled on that" and clean it up. I wish I could be more confident and do that because really, I should be able to !

OP posts:
honeysucklejasmine · 28/10/2014 17:29

Oh my gosh, I feel so bad for you. But then I don't think you should feel bad, beyond your control. Stay calm, good luck.

magoria · 28/10/2014 17:31

It's chocolate that you were eating in your car on the way to work and dropped a piece of obviously!

You thought you had got all the melty bits off but clearly missed some...

catgirl1976 · 28/10/2014 17:31

Right

I've got to go home

I have to walk past the office in question

If the Director of Ops is sitting in the chair I vacated (he was standing when I left as only 2 tub chairs) then they haven't seen it.

If not, then maybe they have but hopefully not.

OP posts:
VeryThelma · 28/10/2014 17:32

It could be some chocolate on someone's trousers lets me honest if they are anything like my husband they will not notice and if they do they wont even think about what it is.

Go home and have a glass of wine

Preciousbane · 28/10/2014 17:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

celestialsquirrels · 28/10/2014 17:32

Leave it. Someone will notice it at some point - probably a cleaner tonight - think it is coffee, chocolate or unspecified grime, and wipe it off.

If the partner sees it, connects it with you and identifies it as blood you can be sure he is hoping nobody mentions it ever again. He almost certainly will fail to do one or all of these things and you scuttling in with a rag will just flag that up.

A bloke wouldn't even think of cleaning anything he had left on a chair up and neither should you.

Head high and move on!

RandomFriend · 28/10/2014 17:33

Tell the cleaner.

TeaAndALemonTart · 28/10/2014 17:34

Do nothing.

You know nothing.

It's the only option in this situation.

Doobiedoobedoobie · 28/10/2014 17:35

Oh you poor thing.

This happened to me at work 2 months ago, I'm a nurse and stood up in the staff room after having my lunch and one of the doctors mentioned I had blood on my dress. I tried to brazen it out (work in A&E so not so uncommon to be fair!) but it was very obvious what had happened (awful fuck off leaking right on the back of my dress Sad). I had to change into scrubs and was so embarrassed.

Whatever you do, it'll be fine in a few days. Frankly, if I were you I'd do nothing. They didn't see you'd leaked iyswim, just possibly a few smears on a chair that could've been there before. Leave it, eat chocolate.

bonkersLFDT20 · 28/10/2014 17:35

Be brave. Men need to know that women have these issues.

Knock. Go in. Say "I'm terribly sorry, I've just been to the loo and realised my period started and I need to wipe down the chair. I feel very embarrassed so please excuse me".

The going to the loo thing will explain why you've waited a while to go back and also a white lie about your period just starting makes it look like you just got caught short. These men must all know women who have periods.

They will applaud you and you will be able to hold you head up high.

If they've noticed it and you go in with some cock and bull story they'll see right through it and everyone will be even more embarrassed.

TSSpectreDNCOntheParanormal · 28/10/2014 17:36

Has she made it?

Pipbin · 28/10/2014 17:36

Oh no!
Can you say something to the cleaning staff? Although he locks the office the cleaners must get some access.

Hopefully they will notice and give it a wipe.

This happened to a friend of mine. She didn't realise until someone asked if she had spilt some gravy on the chair.

bonkersLFDT20 · 28/10/2014 17:36

Oh, I see it's too late. I guess it's one of things you need to not think about too much and just do on the spot.

Forget about it. Tomorrow it will be gone.

Topseyt · 28/10/2014 17:37

I have always lived in fear of this sort of thing when either at work or in other people's houses, particularly as I am now peri-menopausal and that has seemed to make me prone to flooding. By flooding I mean just that, with nothing able to stop it.

I am with the dropped earring idea. Have a cloth or a wet wipe discreetly in your hand.

If very heavy periods are a regular problem to you then visit your GP. There are some methods of controlling them, not all of them hormonal. I have to take Tranexamic Acid tablets for three or four days each month at the start of my period, when it would be heaviest. If I didn't I would be near enough house-bound for those days. It has worked for me. It also generally ensures that I don't have to leap out of bed at 3.00 am and kick hubby out too so that I can change the sheets (that has happened).