Discover Livia, the off switch for menstrual pain. Get more information here

butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway:

confide–nemini:

jenniferrpovey:

geekgirl1:

kaizykat:

mychronicillnessblog:

chronicreality:

aninkyaffair:

ifididntlaughiwouldcry:

elyseeeeew:

sizvideos:

Omg I need this!!!!!

Gimme

This is just a compact TENS unit.

You can get decent, compact, TENS units on Amazon much cheaper than they’re asking here. Sure it might not be cute, but it’s cheap and honestly the cute factor is just an excuse to slap the pink tax on.

It is so important to me that you guys know this is just a TENS unit. Don’t go paying twice or three times the amount just because its little blue and has purple flowers. Like you can slap some flowers on your electrode pads if you need to. 

^important

Yeah, this is a TENS unit. Amazon actually sells one for less than $30 USD and it has a lot more functionality than this one does. (and holy fuck is it strong. like, surprisingly so)

But as for the treatment, GO FOR IT. TENS therapy is so strangely unknown for chronic pain. If you can tolerate the weird electric feeling, then it’s really quite amazing.

Sorry but flowers, pastel colors and “lady parts” are a big no for me. Reblogging for the info on cheaper options.

Some people like pastels and flowers. Some don’t. But I absolutely am reblogging for cheaper options.

Cheaper product and no cissexism? That sounds better to me.

I actually didn’t realize tens units retail so cheaply. They’re completely amazing and are one of the few things that actually help my pain.

I guess that’s one more item on the list of “things to buy eventually when the numbers work out”.

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Stuff that may happen on your period no one told you about.

annekewrites:

ms-demeanor:

oodlenoodleroodle:

megmerilees:

marvelobsessions:

amuseoffyre:

valthevaliant:

mklutz:

emmersdrawberry:

trulymightypotato:

emmersdrawberry:

xxxkyrareaperxxx:

princessandthepug:

emmersdrawberry:

So there was a lot of misinformation, and just a huge lack of the nitty gritty stuff, when I was in school and I see a lot of young kids on forums asking if something is normal or worrying about stuff and adults who have wondered their whole lives if other people feel the same on their periods. 

Here’s some stuff about periods people might not talk about;

• It can smell. But using scented pads isn’t a great idea, the chemicals in the perfume cause irritation. But here’s the thing; vaginas smell. All of them. All the time. Right now. YOU notice the smell because it’s literally part of you, but other people don’t. If it’s a foul smell and very strong you should speak with a gynecologist, but the average day-to-day odor is normal and doesn’t mean you’re dirty. 
• Diarrhea all day every day.
•  Or, alternately, constipation all day every day. 
• ALSO alternatively, a healthy mix of both sprinkled randomly across the days of your period like too much nutmeg where no one asked nutmeg to be. 
• Your first period might not look like a period at first. It might look, well, brown, and lead you to other conclusions about what’s going on in your skivvies. Then it might not come again the next month and show up on a totally different week when it does. Mine came like A LOT. It was very heavy and I bled through a pair of jeans in the middle of school it was so heavy. I didn’t know what it was and thought I was bleeding from my butt because my liar teacher said a period would only be a ‘tablespoon’. Tablespoon of lies. 
• At some point your probably going to stain the back of the toilet seat with blood. That doesn’t mean your bleeding too much, or that your dirty, but it’s a tid bit of information I wish I knew as a kid so I could have known to look for it when using public restrooms or at friend’s houses. 
• Period farts. 
• Having sex on your period isn’t gross or dirty or wrong. Put an old towel down on the bed and have at it.
• The feelings you have on your period are entirely valid and not imagined or unimportant because of your period. Whether or not your feelings are heightened by PMS they are still your feelings and should be respected. 
• The ‘average’ period is anywhere from 3-10 days with any variation in flow. You shouldn’t be concerned because your period isn’t the same as your friends is, only if it changes from what’s average for you. There isn’t such a thing as a ‘normal period’ you need to fit into.
• If you wear a disposable pad there will be a point where it’s going to unstick at some corner and when you pull it off it’s going to pull some of your pubic hair with it. This is going to suck. I am very sorry. 
• If you wear a tampon there is going to be a point you will squeeze it out of yourself when you use the bathroom. Just change your tampon each time you go. Please listen to me on this. 
• Swamp butt.
• You will get blood stained thighs at some point. It’s going to cake onto your skin and make a mess just everywhere. 
• The cashier doesn’t care about you buying pads/tampons/etc, they just had a guy buy 4 pounds of carrots, a box of Xtra Large ribbed condoms and cherry scented lube. Your pads are not on their radar of things to care about.

Washing Your Junk:

1. When you shower (if you want a bath i’d shower before hand or dont wash in the bath itself and shower after to get clean) remember you are not actually washing inside of your vagina, you’re washing the skin around it (labia, clitoris, all those good bits). Using a soft wash cloth with either very mild unscented soap or just warm water.  Seriously, stop putting washing products inside yourself; You do not need to wash the inside of your vagina and doing so can cause infections. Unless given products by your doctor there is no need to douche or use creams or wipes or other stuff like that. They’re lies sold to you to make you think you smell bad. 
2.  You know how your parents said ‘wipe front to back’?Same with washing, you don’t want to drag butt germs all over your vagina. Don’t do it. 
3. Some people find that trimming, or shaving, their pubic hair helps them control odor, or makes wearing sanitary products more comfortable, but it isn’t required and is personal preference with different individuals. There is no health benefit to shaving or trimming your pubic hair and it will not make you cleaner than if you didn’t shave. 
4. Wearing light breathable cotton undies during your period will help eliminate odor and not give you swamp butt. Especially in the summer. 
5. Washing after sex is a great idea and not just because it’s romantic. If you’ve ever had period sex before you will k n o w but if you have not I am going to just ask you to take my word for it and plan a shower afterwards. 

Feel free to tack on other stuff if you want. Tell me all your period secrets. 

Also: keep in mind that what’s coming out isn’t just blood. It’s also uterine lining. It’s not going to smell like blood and it’s common, especially when it’s heavy, that there will be clots and chunks. These are normal. 

You should NOT be experiencing debilitating pain. Cramping, bloating, and general discomfort are expected but shouldn’t be severe. If your period is causing you nausea or vomiting, dizziness, fainting spells, blacking out, or any other severe symptoms that interfere with your day to day life PLEASE reach out to a doctor. 

I think @rattlecat made an awesome post about Always infinity pads being way better than regular pads for anyone that suffers heavy flows or prefers pads to other period methods

Pads have the curse of feeling like you are wearing a diaper so this may help people that cannot use anything but pads

(I’m on mobile or I’d find it and link directly. Sorry!)

I am a fan of ‘U by Kotex’ and the ever famous Always Infinity, both of which are often on the cheaper end of the price range and frequently on sale.  I have never had an issue bleeding through either and even during times I’ve been unable to change them for way too long (dont judge me it was a road trip) the pad stayed in place the whole time. 

On a side note, you can find free samples from just about any pad/tampon company website. I got a pad, tampon, and panty liner trial pack (all in one pack!) from Kotex that I keep in the glove box. 

If you’re one of the people that needs to reach out to a doctor, be warned that they may not believe you, especially if you’re under 20. (The number of times I’ve been told I’m overreacting or that it’s normal for things to be “weird” in the first few years of periods or that I’m making stuff up is alarmingly high – I still don’t know what’s going on because of it, and I’ve been trying for years.) Be prepared to fight for it. Find a gynecologist if your default doctor won’t listen to you. Just find out what’s going on and do what you need to to help improve things.

I want to put it out there for young people who may not be used to making their own doctor appointments; you do not need to be referred by your primary physician to make an appointment with a specialist like a gynecologist. You don’t need to do anything other than make the appointment, your primary doesn’t have to be part of that process if you don’t trust them or they aren’t helping you.

If you _don’t_ get your period regularly, or if you get it 4-6 times a year only, see a doctor – you may have an endocrin disorder. Also you can try period panties or menstrual cups – find a solution that works for you!

Adding to this because I nearly died: If you go a long time without having a period, say like, 6 months, IMMEDIATELY go see a doctor. If the lining of your uterus doesn’t shed and just sits there, it cause be a precursor for uterine cancer. Everybody thinks that going to see a OBGYN is super icky and gross but you know what, it literally saved my life.

And my OBGYN, after letting me tell my story and freaking out, said, “okay, this may seem like it’s weird to you, but I literally see this every day.”

Also, if you have any of the above problems, especially pain, and your doctor tries to dismiss them as “lady troubles” and tells you to take paracetomol or painkillers and deal with it, don’t let them overrule and dismiss you you. If it’s that bad, kick up a fuss and make them listen. Take a list of symptoms. Keep a diary of incidents. Make sure they know exactly how bad it is and when. Make it so they won’t try and dismiss it as just period pain.

Wash your hands before inserting tampons/cleaning up/etc as well as after. This probably isn’t a problem for people but I’m forgetful about washing before and I just think it’s important, especially when you’re at work or school or just generally can’t remember where your hands have been since you previously washed them

Be sure to remember that you should never leave a tampon in for more than 8 hours, less if it’s a high-absorbency tampon. Vaginas have a lot of resident bacteria that, under normal circumstances, keeps it healthy and happy, but when you have what is essentially a big reservoir of blood and tissue just sitting there, that bacteria (specifically Staphylococcus aureus) starts to proliferate (breed out of control) and creates infections that can lead to Toxic Shock Syndrome. If you think it’s impossible to forget you have a tampon in, believe me, it’s not (especially when the string gets “lost”). If you have memory problems, or are just really busy and distracted, it can happen. Using reminders on your phone that go off every few hours can be really helpful in making sure you change your tampon regularly. 

Hormonal contraception can make periods irregular, and can even stop periods. It can also ease cramps and lessen flow if you feel your flow is too heavy and interferes with life. 

You might become anemic when you start your periods. Pay attention to signs of anemia (light headedness and dizzyness for example), and make sure you eat well, including protein. 

Related to eating: an eating disorder can also stop your period. So can stress. And like, I know, when your period mysteriously stops, it’s like a gift from the goddess. But it really should be taken seriously. Tell a doctor. 

I used to get super, super dry for like a week after my period because tampons absorb EVERYTHING (and we are talking DRY, like too-dry-for-sex-the-lube-it-stings-ow-why-does-this-tampon-HURT dry) but I felt like I didn’t have other choices because my period was too heavy for pads and anything other than the super absorbency tampons for the first three-four days of my period would just squirt out so it was just like big tampons all the goddamned time. But for real if that sounds familiar try a menstrual cup – I have a heavy flow so I empty it every 4-6 hours which leaves me with a very small amount of leakage, I don’t have to worry about the damn thing working its way out, it’s super easy to clean, my periods are actually shorter (three to four days for the WHOLE THING now as opposed to six or seven) AND MY VAGINA IS SO HAPPY <3<3 it’s not dry after my period anymore and extra bonus points a reusable menstrual cup is cheaper than buying literally any other method (~$45 and should last at least 5 years) and produces basically no waste (one shipping box, basically). Like I didn’t want to be one of those folks who got a menstrual cup and then had to start telling everyone how great the menstrual cup is but, everyone, listen, it’s so great.

Also just go out and buy yourself a 5-pack of black underwear right now, there’s always going to be leakage and spotting and staining and if you just wear black undies on your period the stains won’t bother you as much.

OTOH, I used menstrual cups for a few years and then realized that for some reason on my particular body they made cramps much worse.  So I can sometimes use them later in my period but not in the first couple days when things are heaviest and most cramped. 

I’ve been told I have a tilted uterus, and this apparently sometimes happens to folks who have that.

phan-is-sempiternal:

mousathe14:

gehayi:

profeminist:

Tampons are a “luxury item”

Once I worked as an intern in the state capital. One of the representatives I worked for was this middle-aged guy. And he hated the tampon and napkin machines in the women’s bathrooms. Hated them. He insisted that they weren’t necessary.

I found out why after I’d been working there, oh, about a month. My period started suddenly, as it sometimes does, and I asked to excuse myself to go to the ladies’ room. He wanted to know why. I told him.

He started ranting about how lazy women were. How we wasted time. How we were so careless and unhygenic, and that there was no call for that. He finished by telling me that I certainly was NOT going to the ladies’ room and that I was just going to sit there and work. He finished this off with a decisive nod, as if I’d just been told and there could be no possible argument.

“If I don’t go,” I said in an overly patient tone, “the blood is going to soak through my pants, stain my new skirt that I just bought, and possibly get on this chair I’m sitting in. I need something to soak up the blood. That’s why I need to go to the bathroom.”

His face turned oatmeal-gray; an expression of pure horror spread across his face. He leaned forward and whispered, “Wait, you mean that if you don’t go, you’ll just keep on bleeding? I thought that women could turn it off any time that they wanted!”

I thought,  You have got to be kidding.

Several horrified whispers later, I learned that he wasn’t. He actually thought a) that women could shut down the menstrual cycle at will, b) that we essentially picked a week per month to spend more time in the bathroom, i.e. to goof off, and c) that napkins and tampons were sex toys paid for by Health and Human Services. I didn’t know the term then, but he believed that tampons were dildos. Which was why he and a good number of his friends considered them luxuries.

And that’s how, at twenty, I had to give a talk on menstruation to a middle-aged married state representative who was one of my bosses. American politics, ladies and gentlemen.

That’s.., that’s insane.

what the fuck did i just read

Doctors Are Now Saying That Menstrual Cramps Can Be as Painful as Having a Heart Attack

lipsredasroses:

sourcedumal:

foryoursexualinformation:

And in other news, water is wet

We told y’all asses.

Well thank heavens us ladies aren’t hysterical anymore!

Doctors Are Now Saying That Menstrual Cramps Can Be as Painful as Having a Heart Attack

So… the turning of the year has been interesting so far…

(MAJOR AMOUNTS OF BABBLE and a bit of TMI below the cut.  Sorry… :P)

First off, I ended 2015 SUPER stressed and bummed out.  As a result, you’ll have noticed I haven’t been around much and my queue keeps running out.  One of the reasons is that my final Worker’s Comp hearing was on the 30th and YET AGAIN a judge completely fucked me over for things that were beyond my control.  And even though I was expecting it to go that way (because I always expect the worst when it comes to having faith in systems and people), it was still a major blow and I wasn’t as ready for it as I expected to be.  There’s a part of me still sitting around wailing “But that’s not fair!!” as if that part of me somehow, despite all evidence to the contrary, EXPECTED IT TO EVER BE FAIR.  *shakes head at self*  So, yeah.  Major bummer.

Anyway, the New Year came and the Old Year went and I caved in when my sister suggested we go back to Weight Watchers.  And that was a HUGE mistake.  I’d been feeling pretty low all week and just generally cranky and I was exhausted and the meeting was early and for any of you who caught all my angst yesterday… yeah.  That’s what that was.  Needless to say, that one meeting was enough to convince me that the direction they’re currently taking their program is NOT going to work for me and I canceled the membership I’d just bought… and I’m OK with that.  When I’m ready to take the weight off, I will.  But right now, my mental battery is already running down by 5 PM most days and I just don’t have the energy to deal with that.  So, I won’t.

One of the reasons that they pissed me off so much was that they’re taking this new “holistic approach” to weight loss that amounts to “if you feel good about yourself and develop excellent self-esteem and are completely mentally healthy, then the pounds will just magically disappear!”  And you know what?  They’re not entirely wrong there… but IF IT WERE THAT SIMPLE, I WOULDN’T NEED A WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM, NOR WOULD I NEED A THERAPIST AND YOU ARE NOT A TRAINED THERAPIST, MS. WEIGHT WATCHER LEADER, SO KINDLY TO GET OUT OF MY HEAD PLEASE AND THANK.  ugh.  So, yeah.  That fucked with my head something awful.

Here’s a funny thing, though.  After the meeting when they gather the new people to explain the program, the leader said something snooty to me about “Well, do you have your little book?  Are you going to take it out?” and I just slowly raised my head and stared her down and said, “I have it. I’m good.”  And the best part is that when my sister and I were talking afterwords, she said to me, “OMG, though.  Your response to her was amazing.  I can’t believe she even said that.  I know not to even talk to you when you have that look on your face.  That’s why I didn’t say anything to you all meeting!”  And that was both hilarious and reassuring, because these days, a lot of the time, I feel like my sister and I have drifted so far apart that we barely even know each other, you know?  So, to know that she can still read me that well was really nice.  ^_^  (This is the same look, BTW, that caused my misogynist shithead of a boss–who always used to interrupt me and make me work on my break instead of bothering the boys–to say, “You know what, actually?  Never mind.  You look comfy.  I’ll get one of the boys to do it,” and then slowly back out of the room and flee.  It was HILARIOUS.  XD  …and that should have been my first clue.  :P)

Because later that day?  CRAMPS.  SUCH CRAMPS.  UGH.  And really, my low state, my increased anxiety, my attitude, THAT LOOK (which I can only ever manage at the heights of PMS), and my general irritation with everyone and everything, should have clued me in, but didn’t.  😛  I’M A BIT SLOW SOMETIMES.  And of course, my mom, sister and I were going to see a show in the city that night (last night) and I was supposed to be seeing the new SW movie with a friend this morning.  In spite of crampiness, though, I went to the show with my sister and mom and we had an AMAZING time.  We really did.  ^_^  And I was even in a better mood this morning and said friend and I had a really pleasant drive out to the theatre… only to find that the movie was STILL SOLD OUT EXCEPT FOR THE FIRST ROW, ARGH.  *hangs head*  WHY DID I NOT CHECK???

But she was really philosophically good-natured about it and said, “Well, we can come back tomorrow and it was a good day for an outing, a pleasant drive, and good conversation!”  And you know what?  She was right.  ^_^  So we got our tickets for tomorrow (which isn’t even CLOSE to sold out and if I’d thought about it, I’d never have suggested Sunday to begin with :P), got a drink at Starbucks and headed home. 

And halfway home?  CUE MASSIVE 2ND DAY EXHAUSTION.  EVERY. FUCKING. MONTH.  O_o;;;  Seriously, I’m like clockwork.  On the second day, it’s like every ounce of energy I have just drains out of me and I can barely keep my eyes open.  But I made it home and we talked a bit more, then parted ways, and I crept upstairs and put my pajamas back on and laid down in bed with a book.  THREE HOURS LATER, I WOKE UP.  -.-;;;  That second day is the only day I can nap and not feel worse when I get up.  Like, I’ve found that if I give in to the exhaustion fully and completely and just sleep, when I wake up I feel almost normal.  No more uber-low, cry-about-every-little-thing feelings.  No more CRUSHING EXHAUSTION.  It’s like a reset button and it’s fucking amazing.  I’m still not going to push myself too hard today, but really, I feel much better.  ^_^

(Also, I got an amazing pair of messages from @elissa-nerd-writer-24601 telling me things that I think I really, really needed to hear and that lifted my spirits SO much that I think I will be writing things this afternoon.  ^_^  So, THANK YOU.  ^______________^)

And really, just… general thank you to all of you who have been supportive this year.  I’m not the only one who had a hard 2015, and it means so much to me that no matter how low we’ve all felt, we’ve still been there supporting each other, and it’s really mean so so much to me.  I’m not going to name names, just in case I forget someone, but you all know who you are and you’re amazing.  (And if you think this is about you, it probably is.  ^_~)

I love you all and I’m so glad I have you in my life.  ^_^

And even though the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016 were kind of rough, here’s hoping this accidental three hour nap was a reset on more than just my physical energy.  Get at me, 2016.  I’m finally ready for you!

2brwngrls:

cordjefferson:

We had a great panel of women talking about their periods and menopause and leadership.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(the last gif)

I’ve said this before and I’ll point it out again –

Menstruation is caused by change in hormonal levels to stop the creation of a uterine lining and encourage the body to flush the lining out. The body does this by lowering estrogen levels and raising testosterone.

Or, to put it more plainly “That time of the month” is when female hormones most closely resemble male hormones. So if (cis) women aren’t suited to office at “That time of the month” then (cis) men are NEVER suited to office.

If you are a dude and don’t dig the ladies around you at their time of the month, just think! That is you all of the time.

And, on a final note, post-menopausal (cis) women are the most hormonally stable of all human demographics. They have fewer hormonal fluctuations of anyone, meaning older women like Hilary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren would theoretically be among the least likely candidates to make an irrational decision due to hormonal fluctuations, and if we were basing our leadership decisions on hormone levels, then only women over fifty should ever be allowed to hold office.

timemachineyeah  (via arnericasinger)

“If you are a dude and don’t dig the ladies around you at their time of the month, just think! That is you all of the time. “

(via misandry-mermaid)

i’ve reblogged this before, but after watching “last comic standing” with my boyfriend and hearing way more period jokes than i thought would pass in 2014, gonna just put it out there again.

(via tutupig)