To think you can't swim when you have a period?

[lostinmiddlemarch]

Just that. How can it possibly be done?

I couldn't, even with tampax super plus.

Can understand if you have heavy periods that you don't realise how different your experience can be to others. I have one or two days a month where swimming would not be possible.

How would competitive female swimmers train to a high standard if they couldn't swim for up to 7 days a month. If you periods are very heavy seek medical advice, I would if I felt my periods interfere with daily life ( mirena coil so period free)

Without being too graphic tampax expand length wise. I never found them good as they can and do leak. Stick to one that expands width wise only, say lillets. They will contain your flow.

I tend to have one very heavy day per period & on that day I'd rather not risk it TBH.

On any other day, yes, it's fine. Just use tampons & change before and after. Maybe try another brand? Tampax aren't hugely reliable for me either - but the non-applicator types work just fine.

There are a couple of days a month when I wouldn't want to risk it (or anything much due to flooding), but otherwise a tampon or mooncup is fine.

Thanks for the advice. Off to buy lillets!

Normally I have awfully heavy periods for a good 3-4 days, on those days I wouldn't feel comfortable swimming because of worrying about leakage. But I am usually on birth control to make them more normal, and when they are like that then there I would never bleed that horrendously so feel confident to go swimming at any point, just wear a tampon if necessary. :)

not compulsory but perfectly possible.

don't swim in a pool without wearing internal protection, unless you are able to levitate out horizontally. Even if you can do that you may well leak blood into the pool.

the sea is big enough to cope.

Agree with all who recommend LiLets or other non- applicator tampons. I have never got on with Tampax but LiLets super plus are perfect.

If only it was as simple as seek medical advice if you have heavy periods. The medical 'advice' to me was that there was nothing to be done if I didn't want a hysterectomy or endometrial ablation in my late twenties!

I can have very heavy periods and we swim every week as a family.

I just put lil lets tampon in just before we leave. Never had any issues with leakage or the tampon getting wet. I find the gentle exercise helps with the pain (I have endometriosis so am in agony on my period)

Tampax are long in my opinion and so I cannot use them as I feel them expanding downwards.

New tampon just before your swim, job done. Exercise helps to relieve cramps too. I find Lil-lets ideal - good widthways expansion, Tampax are terrible.

I don't if really mega flooding, but with a super, super plus lillett I manage ok (have to or several holidays would be ruined). I do slightly worry but in 35 years of doing this there have been no major incidents.

And yes, I totally agree the swimming exercise really helps my cramps/mood during a period.

I have extremely heavy periods and I can't on my heavier days. But I can on the more "normal" days with my mooncup.

I'm saying I can't.... I've never really tried, but I wouldn't feel comfortable enough to iykwim

Why cant you rely on them. Do you have bifurcated womb/vagina?

Usually a tampon should be adequate

I don't have a problem with tampons but my mooncup fills up with water so I don't like to rely on it. Only time I use tampons is for swimming (which I do several times a week). And actually it's only one day of my period where it's really an issue, since I got an IUD fitted I have one very heavy day (empty my mooncup every couple of hours during the day and then have mooncup and pad at night). Prior to that I never had a particularly heavy day but my periods are pretty light TBH.

YANBU. I can't. I'd get a lovely trickle of pink water down my leg on getting out of the water.

I do, fine with tampax. DD won't though, she avoids school swimming on her period.

I use a mooncup but also need a super pad, I've leaked on many occasions. There's 1/2 days every month I bleed profusely.

unless you are able to levitate out horizontally

I use a mooncup, but my periods aren't particularly heavy.

Yes but change it as soon as you get out

I use a mooncup now, and I've not had any problems swimming.

Used to use tampons and found the lilets type (expands widthways) to be far better than the tampax type (expands lengthways).

I could swim with lilets but not tampax, although that only affected the first day usually.

You can just fine. Just dont go swimming with sharks.