posted
I really can't say for certain that I have a heavy discharge because I don't know what's normal but what I can tell you is that there have been times since I first got my period like seven years ago or something that my discharge has seeped through my underwear and made a noticeable wet patch on my PANTS. It doesn't happen often though, because it is incredibly rare that I go out without wearing a very thin pantiliner for this reason. But, I'm also aware it's unhealthy to wear pantiliners everyday. So I'm looking for some help here. How on earth do you avoid the awkwardness of an accidental wet spot from your discharge without having to wear a pantiliner every day? I don't wear them at home, but out and about I can't really risk like, leaking everywhere, y'know? I need sure-fire methods to keep up a dry appearance, because "oh keep a change of underwear just in case" is not a proactive solution and therefore is not a solution at all. Heeeeelp!
Posts: 5 | Registered: Jun 2011
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posted
It's unhealthy to wear pantiliners every day? Plenty of people do wear them that often, or things that cover more territory. I wouldn't wear tampons anything like that often, but external stuff... fine.
Honestly, in your situation, I would just figure out what kind are comfiest and where I could get them cheapest. I'd avoid the scented kind.
Posts: 129 | From: Boston | Registered: Mar 2011
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posted
Agreed; so long as you're not talking about using pantiliners with fragrance, or made out of materials that aren't so great for your genitals (like plastics), I've never heard anything to indicate that using liners daily is a health concern.
-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 68290 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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posted
Want to give us some cues about what it didn't provide for you so we can try and be of more help?
-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 68290 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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posted
It's not about not providing anything. It's about pantiliners no matter how thin being unhealthy to wear daily, and it's about not wanting to have to wear them daily but still managing to feel safe from the kind of leakage that I've experienced before. Because I don't really like the idea of being a slave to these things for the next thirty, forty years. I thought I made that pretty clear.
posted
Pantiliners aren't unhealthy, as Captain Girl and Heather have said, but if you don't want to wear them every day, have you looked into something like Lunapanties? They're pretty much just underwear (in various styles) that have an extra layer of fabric sewn into the crotch to absorb fluid.
Also, if you've never checked in with a healthcare provider about the amount of discharge you normally have, that wouldn't hurt either. It might be that you have a bacterial imbalance going on that's causing more discharge than you'd normally have.
-------------------- "Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing." -Arundhati Roy Posts: 5799 | From: Canada/Australia | Registered: Sep 2004
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Actually wearing them daily is unhealthy. It traps moisture and warmth exactly where you least want it and provides ideal conditions for fungal and bacterial growth. My balance is fine and I've actually never had a problem with it yet. But that doesn't mean I want to continue with a habit that I don't want to have and that could potentially lead to an imbalance down the road. Wearing pantiliners is exactly what I don't want to do - regardless of what they are made of. Lunapanties does not solve anything (so instead of being a slave to pantiliners I have to be a slave to ugly underwear? cool alternative) especially in my specific situation where laundry is done very infrequently for a number of personal reasons re: time, cost, availability.
Posts: 5 | Registered: Jun 2011
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posted
My sense is that so long as the liner you're wearing is made of a breatheable, natural fiber, it's really not any different than say, wearing underpants and pants, versus only one of those things. I can double-check that with the couple GYNs I call on for consult if you'd like, though.
Given all you've voiced here about your preferences, how about considering a swap, then, to pants with a looser/lower crotch or to skirts?
(Who would usually find it inappropriate to talk about the underwear she's wearing, but since she just put on a pair of said ugly underwear, feels the need to mention it, with a reminder that while I can get over other people having feelings about my clothing pretty easily, let's do try to remember other folks might not feel as immune to those kinds of judgments. Cheers!)
-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 68290 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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Aedmonton, I have sometimes worn heavy duty pads every day for months at a time. When I was pregnant and concerned about bleeding, my doctor's first suggestion was pantiliners, daily. Higher tech pads and pantiliners wick moisture away from your skin, keeping you relatively dry even when the involved parts are wet. Unfortunately, this is why they sometimes chafe, but I find that damp or bloody blue jeans and pantyhose are far bigger problems than store-bought pads.
If you don't like the consumer-based solutions (i.e., "buy this! it'll help!"), you could make your own. It takes some practice and some trial and error to make panties that perfectly suit your tastes, but there are many knitters and sewers who do it. There's almost certainly a group dedicated to that project on Ravelry.com.
Posts: 129 | From: Boston | Registered: Mar 2011
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