Dealing with the practicalities of irregular periods

[RosyCheekedandRobust]

All my life I was very lucky with regular periods, always four weeks apart give or take a day. However in the last couple of months my cycle has gone haywire. I had a few very heavy ones 3 weeks apart and a light one that lasted 10 days. Now I haven't had one for 5 weeks, which never happened before.

Obviously it's just the start of menopause and I have to get used to it but it's bothering more than it should. I keep pads in my handbag but I'm worried about things like long walks/hiking/swimming etc.

I feel like it's kind of an idiotic question but do people just get used to the uncertainty and deal with whatever happens? I sort of feel like a 13 year old again.

Well yes. If it's because you are worried it will come on unexpectedly when out you could try wearing those period pants - my daughter has ones that aren't for use on their own but prevent leaks. They are pretty much like regular panties with a couple extra layers in the crotch. Or wear panty liners. Hopefully this will be your only symptom (it was with me).

I often get bleeding/spotting between periods and I wear cloth sanitary pads and then just wash them . It stops me feeling like I'm going to be caught out, and feels less wasteful than disposable products.

When I'm due my period, I wear a disposable sanitary pad , after about so many days in my cycle ( as my cycle fluctuates) .

Well I wore period pants for weeks after I had my coil fitted as I wouldn't know when I'd bleed or not. They work great.

I also have urinary incontinence so wear period pants when I have a cough or cold to catch stress related leaks.

I mean they are just like slightly padded normal pants, I wear the ones from Marks and Spencer.

Had this problem all my life! Just wear panty liners, you can get large ones that would catch the initial bleeding until you can get to the toilet. Period pants are good too, but I find they cause me to sweat more down there which has caused a few boils/spots.

Due to pcos, I have never been able to confidently book things like swimming or holidays in advance in case my period suddenly arrives. Never been able to use tampons so that added extra problems too.

You'll get used to the uncertainty, just keep spare pads in your handbag and wear panty liners.

There are loads of products out there now that will help.

I prefer Bodyform (Always are mainly perfumed) and Bodyform do long panty liners that are pretty absorbent. or just use a normal pad if you're out and about. If you do want a really good pad (if you can't change) Always Infinity which is foam - not perfumed- which has lasted me for hours.

You could go on the mini pill which after an initial few months of spotting etc should stop any periods completely. This is why I take it. (I was menopausal at 37 due to autoimmune issues and have been on it ever since, now 43 and no periods- I went on HRT for a while whilst taking it but found that made my periods even worse so had to stop).

I know exactly what you mean as I’m having the same issue, and always keep pads in my bag now wherever I go. I had regular periods up to 4 weeks apart until over the last year or so my cycles have got longer, sometimes 53 days. Then I had one heavy period in December which lasted 9 days so slightly longer than usual, followed by an extremely long 29 day period in January which was very heavy/flooding to start with, now nothing for 8 weeks.
I did buy some heavy flow period pants from M&S in January as I was always leaking when it was so heavy, and worried about going out anywhere, plus I was getting through so many pads it was mad. I found myself living in black jeans/leggings constantly.

Thanks for the replies. I'll look into getting some period pants. I can't wear any scented products, they really irritate my skin. I usually manage with tampons, reusable pads and disposables from the health food shop but the reusables are very bulky.