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Original poster

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:
Siarie · 28/10/2014 20:54

Don't go back in there, just pretend it never happened. They won't mention it if they saw, you won't mention it. Eventually it will blow over.

ginnycreeper5 · 28/10/2014 21:31

Been there. Done that. Twice, would you believe! Blush

Once at school during a Science lesson. The bell went, I stood up to go to the next lesson and my friend quietly pointed out - ''you've left blood on the stool''.
It wasn't much. I quickly wiped it and I don't think anybody else noticed.

Fast forward 20 yearsand I was at a fancy dress party, wearing a white dress Shock.
Wine was drunk a lot. I sat down, stood up (must have had a gush, which I'm prone to), danced, chatted, really enjoyed the party, only to get home, take off the white dress and notice a lovely red circular mark right on the bum area Blush. It had probably been there all night without me noticing!

The thing is OP, most of us have had this happen to us. It's part of being female. We have periods. Even though we try really hard - Accidents STILL happen.

Don't beat yourself up about it. And don't try and explain - You did nothing wrong.

BewitchedBotheredandBewildered · 28/10/2014 21:36

All this covering it up and pretending is awful.

We really ought to be able to be upfront and open about it, at least with other women surely.

'Oh bollocks I've leaked, can you keep an eye on t
he kids, I'll just shove this cushion in the wash and go and change my trousers/skirt. Pop another cork could you!'

The more we all deal with it along those lines the easier it will be.

northernlurker · 28/10/2014 21:45

This has never happened to me but it's surely only a matter of time and yes the more matter of fact we are about things the better.

Original poster
catgirl1976 · 28/10/2014 21:59

Thank you for all the stories which have cheered me up no end

I got home, told DH what had happened. He said they probably wouldn't have noticed and even if they did they are grown men with wives and daughters and would just think "Oops poor Cat - let's never mention this"

He then took DS whilst I had a nice bath and put my clothes in the wash for me.

I'll get the cleaner to let me in the office tomorrow so I can clean up if it's still there.

OP posts:
Jenda · 28/10/2014 22:01

This happened to me in work canteen. Sitting opposite my director and when I got up there was a pool of blood on the plastic chair. I had to just sit and wait until everyone had gone back to their work so I could clean it up, was very late! Mortifying Blush

Jenda · 28/10/2014 22:02

Oh that's good, very kind and sensible DP Smile

StillStayingClassySanDiego · 28/10/2014 22:07

Happpened to me once when I was in 5th year, pale grey cotton skirt for summer uniform. I shudder when remembering

Sympathies OP, it'll be forgotten soon enough, if they saw it at all.

LoveBeingGetAGrip · 28/10/2014 22:08

Fab dh

YoBitch · 28/10/2014 22:15

Poor you, and what a lovely DH.

I once lost my brick-like sanitary towel at school Blush At some point during the day I realised it had just gone...always wonder who found it...

Carrierpenguin · 28/10/2014 22:15

I had this happen at my parents house. Got up from sitting on their new cream sofa to see a big red patch Blush I was mortified, we are not a close family in that sense. My dad scooted off to bed, as did my mum, so I cleaned it as best I could and turned the cushion over....

BewitchedBotheredandBewildered · 28/10/2014 22:18

There's a good reason to tell our nearest and dearest men when it happens to us, not hide it.

Then husbands/partners/sons will hear about these incidents from their mothers, sisters and girlfriends and will be better equipped to respond in a helpful way to other women.

Original poster
catgirl1976 · 28/10/2014 22:22

That's very true Bewitched

OP posts:
ginnycreeper5 · 28/10/2014 22:24

I agree Bewitched, it's a normal part of being a woman. Nothing to be ashamed of and yet we are Hmm

KatoPotato · 28/10/2014 22:28

Your DH sounds very lovely. One of the first times I stayed over at my boyfriends parents house, I realised I'd come on, while we were watching Carrie of all things!

He was so amazing, and helped me scrub it clean and just joked about it.

Reader I married him

londonrach · 28/10/2014 22:29

Now slightly in love with ops dh. What a lovely sensible man. Hold onto him op. Bewitched is right re not hiding it. (Not sure ill be brave enough)

londonrach · 28/10/2014 22:32

Just mentioned it to dh and he said he wouldnt have noticed it.

Pipbin · 28/10/2014 22:32

I completely agree that it is normal for 50% of the population and therefore is to be ashamed of.
However if someone had shat themselves at work, and everyone poos, they would be embarrassed too.

Azeroth · 28/10/2014 22:40

mooncup next time ;)

PossumPoo · 28/10/2014 22:40

All these poster's saying go in and tell them whoops I leaked, and start damp cloth cleaning, really? You'd be so fucking brave? Hmm I say bollocks you would be.

cat it's nothing to be ashamed of as one woman to another but dont bloody walk in there all Betty Draper and proclaim you've got blood on the seat and you'd like to clean it off.

Ask the cleaner to let you in and save your dignity, this is a time you really don't need to do I am woman hear me roar.

I had something similar happen to me last year at a team off-site. Lucky my team is all female so while I went off and bought new underwear and jeans they sat around drinking coffee and didn't bat an eyelid and I have pushed it so far from my memory, it couldn't possibly have happened

CurlyWurlyCake · 28/10/2014 22:41

Your DH sounds lovely and I bet no one in the meeting noticed.

Who has white chairs at work!!

HowDidThatWorkOut · 28/10/2014 22:42

I flooded while in a work colleagues car. We had just arrived at my house and when I got out the car I saw a bright red 10 cm mark on the front seat. Blush. There was no hiding it so I went with line that I wasn't embarrassed about it and I just brazened it out. Confused. I was totally upfront and apologised. I think because I wasn't embarrassed she wasn't embarrassed. It was fine. I insisted on cleaning it and that was the end of it.

Now I'm peri menopausal Im thankful and surprised each time I get through period without flooding.

NorksEnormous · 28/10/2014 22:43

About a week after having dd, on my first outing with her we went to a shopping centre. I was still quite sore after having a c section but was taking my time walking around, showing her off. I was wearing light denim maternity jeans, when a woman came over and tapped me on the shoulder and whispered to me that I had blood over my trousers. Confused I tied my jacket around my waist and practically ran to primark for pants and new trousers, even though it was sore to move!! I went to the toilets to get changed and sobbed for about 10 minutes Sad

BewitchedBotheredandBewildered · 28/10/2014 22:47

Interesting comparison Pip, my experience indicates that shitting yourself at work is usually the result of mistaking a fart for a shit and choosing to take a risk.
Whereas menstrual leakage is unpredictable in terms of frequency and quantity.

And I assume there is a missing 'not' in your first sentence.

Smile
EBearhug · 28/10/2014 22:53

If you really want to throw them off the scent you should breeze in wearing white capri pants and announce you're going to cycle to the park and climb a tree.

Nah, they'll have seen the sanpro adverts. They'll definitely know if you do that.

I've leaked a couple of times at work, but fortunately, I was wearing dark clothes and on a dark chair, and it was the end of the day. (Agree with madness of white/pale chairs in the office. Or indeed anywhere.) I did think about whether I'd see anyone and what they'd say if they noticed, and figured I'd go for brazening it out, on the grounds that they'd probably be far more embarrassed than I would be. I have occasionally mentioned period pains, and it's quite amusing to see them look a bit unsure about how to react. Last time was last week, as in, "I didn't think it was possible for period pains to be the preferable option, but compared with this project, they are not the worst thing I'm suffering at the moment."

Periods are such a rubbish way of dealing with things though - we learn to hold our bladders and bowels until we're in a convenient location, so why not menstruation? Rubbish bit of evolution.