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AIBU?

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Original poster

To swim whilst menstruating?

308 replies

awomensworkisneverdone · 20/05/2018 09:42

So funny light hearted conversation with sister and friend Friday and totally random.
I swim every Friday evening with my other half and my dc.
My sister told me it was vile for me to swim whilst bleeding. My friend disagrees and said it fine.
I did go swimming as my period was pretty much over (day 5). Would I swim whilst heavy? I would say no I wouldn’t. Would you?
Sister says it’s not fair on others swimming and friend says she’s wouldn’t care. Are there actually any rules about it? Would you? Would a tamping be suitable if you did want to swim? I’m not sure about others but if I bath whilst using a tampon it will eventually fill up with water and expand rapidly! Confused or is it just me?? Would you swim during your period?

OP posts:
jade9390 · 21/05/2018 17:31

I cannot believe you have had children yet do not know how to handle this

Turquoise123 · 21/05/2018 17:32

errr how does she thin female competitive cope ....

MummyStudentNurse · 21/05/2018 17:32

As long as your not bleeding in the pool I don’t see what the problem is

Roversandrhodes · 21/05/2018 17:32

Obv it’s ok if you wear a tampon that you know is going to be able to handle your flow

specialsubject · 21/05/2018 17:36

the mn view seems to be that the water is dirty so it is ok to be dirtier.

now you know who teaches their kids to drop litter.

danceswith · 21/05/2018 17:50

Imported a period swim cossie in from the for my 11 year dd, expensive but ace for her not to miss out on water sport school residential. Called panty prop. Also boots sell on web diary dolls that have a lining that protects. Or put in period pants/incontinence pants in Amazon. All can be used with or without a pad and are waterproof and leakproof. May need to experiment but they seem to work

Galdos · 21/05/2018 17:54

My sister swam when she was 9 months' pregnant. I was there too, swimming separately. A woman had a conversation with her, and immediately got out. She'd asked my sister when the baby was due, and my sister replied (honestly) 'today'.

Baby born a week later ...

ToftyAC · 21/05/2018 17:55

I’m not being funny, but how on earth do you think female competitive swimmers or triathletes go on? They can’t stop training or miss a competition just because it’s that time of the month. Wear a tampon, no problem.

kittyc56 · 21/05/2018 17:57

Your tampon isn’t high enough up, or possibly too small, if you’re leaking when you get out of the pool.
There’s nasty chemicals in swimming pools. If your tampon is getting saturated while swimming it’s really not good.

raisinsraisins · 21/05/2018 18:01

All those posters thinking it's weird to have a bath with a tampon must have light periods. If I don't wear a tampon in the bath then there would be blood in the bathwater. And then when I stand up to dry I would have blood running down my legs onto the bath mat, and I'd have to wash the towel each time I dry myself!

bananafish81 · 21/05/2018 18:05

The OP is confusing as there's two separate questions

There's 1 - can you swim with a tampon at all because isn't it going to fill up with water and expand rapidly (er, no)

And 2, which isn't question isn't about swimming with full flow - It's whether you need a tampon for swimming if you're just spotting and aren't actually bleeding enough to warrant using a tampon.

If there's no actual flow, but it's gross not to wear a tampon anyway, then by the same reckoning surely it's gross not to wear a tampon when you're mid cycle and have more ovulatory cervical fluid?

Icanttakemuchmore · 21/05/2018 18:15

Professional swimmers don't stop practicing etc when they're menstruating- of course it's ok to swim then. But with a tampon. Never used a cup so I don't know.

Angielester1 · 21/05/2018 18:16

This is the funniest thread I’ve read for a long time!

Poor op!!

Whatshallidonowpeople · 21/05/2018 18:17

I have horrifically heavy periods and have never had a bath with a tampon in. Do you shower with them in too??

Icanttakemuchmore · 21/05/2018 18:21

If I was menstruating I would definitely wear a tampon in the bath as I wouldn't want to wash in my own blood thankyou very much.

FrangipaniBlue · 21/05/2018 18:27

So chlorine cleanses the water?

Nope.

I am a regular swimmer.

My tattoo artist and piercer both instil in me NO SWIMMING for a minimum of 2 weeks post tattoo or piecing as they are essentially open wounds and public pools are the filthiest place ever for an open wound - guaranteed infections apparentlyConfused

SeasonedMummy · 21/05/2018 18:28

Bearing in mind how many litres of water are in a public swimming pool (2.5million Google says), I don’t think a tiny speck of brown/pink decontaminate with chlorine discharge is going to be of harm to anybody, and if it disgusts you I’d genuinely suggest you don’t go to the pool as there will be as ‘disgusting’ and far worse things in there. I doubt everybody plugs themselves up to stop vaginal discharge going in the pool? Or the pre-ejaculate from overly aroused men? Faeces from nappies (breastfed is the sloppiest)? Blood from cuts? No different surely? Chlorine is in there for a reason. None of it is ‘nice’ but it’s all part and parcel of sharing a public pool, you just need to make sure you’re not ingesting it 🤢

SeasonedMummy · 21/05/2018 18:29

Decontaminated*

Halie · 21/05/2018 18:31

No I definitely wouldn't and I think anyone who does that is really disrespectful to others using the pool and also very ignorant regarding hygiene and transmission of diseases. Quite a lot of females will shave before going swimming, a lot of men will have shaved their face in the morning and most of us will have a non-bleeding scratch or cut that we may not even be aware of. In other words - a lot of other people in the pool may have broken skin. No one wants someone elses blood getting getting into them - there's a massive risk of disease transmission. I'm not in the 'periods are disgusting' camp - they're completely natural and normal. But I don't want your blood on me and I'm sure no one else does either.

EdWinchester · 21/05/2018 18:33

a. don't swim unless using a moon cup or tampon. Bleeding in a pool, however light, is not ok.

b. speak to your gp about how much water you're taking on. This is not normal.

JacquesHammer · 21/05/2018 18:34

now you know who teaches their kids to drop litter

When I am on my heaviest I would of course wear a tampon. When I am so light there is nothing in my underwear, only a mild spot every so often on loo roll, then it’s not safe to wear a tampon ergo I go swimming without.

Banana makes an excellent point regarding other cervical secretions.

December2018 · 21/05/2018 18:45

I'm officially never getting in a pool ever again! 😜

December2018 · 21/05/2018 18:46

Or even the sea...like ever again!

polkadotpixie · 21/05/2018 18:47

My periods are only 2-3 days long and very light. By day 3 it's literally just light brown tinged CM so almost back to normal, I don't think I could safely use a tampon, a pantyliner is not even required. I'm sure I'd be fine to swim tbh, maybe this is what OP means by the last day of her period?

I definitely wouldn't swim without a tampon on day 1 when there is actual blood though, that would be gross