Heavy Periods and Jury Service!!

[Verbena37]

Just got in and found a jury summons in the post.
It filled me with dread because there are a few reasons as to why I cannot do it.
The main one is having very unpredictable, heavy periods and the second is childcare.
I have a period every three weeks and therefore it's quite likely that I will have one whilst doing jury service (think the norm is 2 weeks service) and secondly, even if I use tampons, it might be that I need to change after only 30 minutes!! I surely cannot just randomly keep getting up and using the loo in the middle of a court thingy??
It says you might be called upon later in that year if you don't give dates you cannot do.

Shall I just say "call me again when I've been through the menopause"!!!
To be honest, goodness know why they ask mothers of school age kids!!

Hmm. As an ex army wife I feel I've totally done my civic duty!!

I took Norethisterone for about 4 months continuously (this was about 2 years ago) with option from gynae consultant of continuing with it after that if I wanted, if that is useful info.

Not sure I get the childcare issue for a 13 year old and a 10 year old. After school club? Wait in a cafe? Go to a mate's house? DH has to step up and take the odd half day? Can't comment on the medical issue but it must blight your whole life so worth getting sorted.

Yes Rose, it has blighted my whole life since they started age 11......including my work options......until recently, I didn't work from when I had my dd, 13 years ago.

Oven chips, yes, that's helpful although I know you're not supposed to take it for long. Perhaps your personal circumstances were different.

What happens r.e. Jury service with preschoolers?

I have 2 under 2 and no money for childcare, nor family nearby.

Would we be forced to go into debt for temporary childcare, or waste DH annual leave?

If I don't know what time I will finish each day, they can't just wait in a cafe....they would a) kill each other and b) wouldn't want to as they aren't that street wise. We don't live in a big town or city.....we live in a small, rural community.

I think they would defer you too slithy.

Because it's the random selection that makes Jury service fair etc in our society. Joe Bloggs can't rock up at the door and say 'I'd like a shot at it please Judge...'

To be honest, goodness know why they ask mothers of school age kids!! why the feck wouldn't they? Mothers should have as much input to the judicial system as the next person!

I think childcare is relevant for the primary school child (with epilepsy as well.)

Our primary after school club is full of those whose parents are going out to work week in week out. They can't take a random for two weeks.

If you are your child's carer (because he has epilepsy and needs you to be available to deal with this), you have a valid reason to defer your service. I had to defer jury service because I have a primary school aged child with anxiety who has needed a lot of support over the last year or two, plus my husband works away from home frequently and could not guarantee being available for childcare. They were fine with this. Give them a call and explain. They will help you.

Your DH can't step in because random selection of jurors is vital. The problems of someone volunteering to serve for a specific week when they know a particular case is due to be heard are obvious - that's why when you defer you can only be put off for a vague 6-12 months, not until a specific convenient fortnight.

Obviously in your case OP if your DH was biassed then you probably would be too, but it's still an important principle that jurors have to be picked from the list at random.

If your DH would love a few weeks off why can't he do the childcare for those weeks?

"You can apply to be excused because of ill-health or physical disability; you must have a medical certificate with your application. Your doctor must provide this medical certificate free of charge."

I would just ring them and explain and if necessary, go to your doctor.

I think the GP would provide a letter and you would be excused without a doubt.

I was called up when pregnant but as I had SPD I found it uncomfortable sitting for long periods of time. My GP happily put this on the relevant form/letter and I was excused (and in fact was never called back despite them implying I would be called back within a year or so).

Well you get paid by your employer to do jury service and you don't use up your holidays.

I have an anxiety disorder around being in closed places where I can't just get up and walk out. I'm fine in my own car, but can't go on a bus. If I'm in a theatre or cinema I must sit in the seat at the end of the row by the aisle. Sometimes in a supermarket I have to leave my basket on the floor and just walk out of the shop. So when I got my letter summoning me for jury service I went to see my GP who knew my problem and he wrote a letter to the Clerk of the Court saying that I had a medical condition which would prevent me from being in a closed courtroom for several hours at a time. I then got a letter from the court saying my name had been removed from the list of potential jurors.

bigkid its irrelevant because I would still have the period problemo.
Thanks ladyIsabella.... Have to say I don't have a schoo by about why it's random.....I just thought it was because it was anceasy way to select people. Tbh, can't see why they don't do volunteers first and then select others at random. The volunteers can still be at random.....it's just that they say they're available and willing, whereas a SAHP may not be quite so easily available, for example.

That's the thing Regthemonekey...... I we have to go through all this again if they didn't take my name off the register......I reckon my periods won't be much different before menopause.im only in my late 30s so how annoying to have to defer annually.

I'm astounded that some posters are suggesting you have a mirena, or even worse, a hysterectomy, to cure your period issues. Flooding is a fairly common symptom of perimenopause. Lots of women experience is. Lots of us don't want surgery or artificial hormones to 'cure' it. It sounds like your symptoms are not associated with this stage of your life, but that you have experienced them from a young age. I can totally understand why you would be filled with dread at the thought of being stuck in a jury box for hours on end.

I've read that mooncups are good for containing flooding. Maybe worth trying one of those?

I'd be surprised if the excused you on grounds of a 'periods are too heavy', especially if the clerk is a man. I would go with needing access to toilet every 30 mins because of medical condition. I doubt they'd want to delve too deep.

For what it's worth, I've just completed jury service and found it a tough but enriching experience.

If all women with children were excused then jurors would not be representative of society. Should everyone who is old, has children, has a disability,.... be excused?

Do your civic duty if you can, and if you really can't then that's that.

Thanks Agatha...... You have hit the nail on the head exactly! Yes, lots of women do have flooding and it does alter how they live their life but doesn't mean they need or want a hysterectomy!! The flooding has been mostly after having the children.....not flooding since I was 11 but I have always still had heavy periods since the word go....although not as bad when on the pill.....but don't want to take hormones if I don't have to.

Lucy.....I'm not suggesting no women of child bearing age or ode who are disabled etc should be exempt......just how that for many people, it's understandable that two weeks or more of jury service isn't an option.
At this time in my life, jury service isn't easily doable and the thought of being totally humiliated having a leaking towel or tampon in court fills me with complete anxiety. If you don't suffer from flooding, you really don't know what it's like living like that......every three weeks in my case!

You can take norethisterone for more than a week. I took it for about a month after an operation which left me unable to get to the toilet by myself.

Also, whilst you didn't post about heavy period cures, I am going to offer my tuppence worth too, sorry but it may be useful! I took mefanamic acid which didn't do a lot on its own but then got tranexamic acid too which combined make a massive difference. Similar age to you and only got it a couple of years ago.

'Well you get paid by your employer to do jury service'

Your employer doesn't have to pay you while you do jury service actually.

www.gov.uk/jury-service/taking-time-off-work