This is not a worry for me, I had uterine ablation in 07, so no periods for me. A much better option than hormones or hysterectomy. Not an option for you younger girls I know.
This might be a stupid question...but why baking soda?
I am taking a gynecology course right now, so I can't help chiming in here...
Not having a period (amenorrha) if you are not taking hormonal BC pills can increase risk of endometrial hyperplasia/cancer. Not having a period due to continually taking hormonal BC pills is not harmful at all. In fact, many clinicians believe that there is no physiological benefit of having a monthly cycle.
There can actually be benefits to taking BC pills over an extended period of time (reduced risk of ovarian cancer which actually reduces even further the longer you are on them, decreased risk of endometrial cancer, and decreased risk of death from colorectal cancer).
There are risks associated with taking BC pills (predominately related to risk of blood clot formation) if you are >35, and/or a smoker. However there are Progestin only BC pills available that are safer for this population of women.
I'm not an expert by any means, but I had to learn a lot of this in school.
I am planning a through hike for 2014 with my husband, and I am not sure what I am going to do yet. Right now I take BC pills, but have a period monthly. I am considering taking the pills strait through, but I know that women can have break through bleeding with this method anyway. Still thinking about it.
I came to this thread to say Diva Cup. I love mine and though I started using it for the trail, I've been using it off-trail ever since. But there are now a bazillionty manufacturers, sizes, and colors for menstrual cups and this community is the resource (like WhiteBlaze is to backpacking) for any issues or curiosities you may be having.
Other than that, if you decide to go tampon, I recommend a ziploc baggie inside of a paper lunch sack. Then you can toss the whole thing once you hit town. I used to wrap individual tampons inside of grocery bags. Tie them. Ziploc bag them. And then that was in the paper lunch sack. But that was before Diva entered my life.
I'd be wary of the Novasure thing where they burn out your uterus using microwaves. Women sometimes have good results for the first few months and then end up i agony a few years later. Google on it an you will find forums where women post all the problems they have had long term with that money making procedure. I just had it recommended for me by a nurse who I think is getting kickbacks.
I use the Diva cup but it's not enough for my heaviest day due to clots.. I climbed a mountain during my heaviest day last month and I knew there would be no place to hide in the bushes. So I wore an adult bladder incontinence diaper that mimicked underwear. It worked great, it held up to the abuse of scrambling and butt sliding down scree slopes and it did not leak all day. The next time I have to hike on my worst day of the month I'm going to use one of those. The big pads tend to fall apart if you hike in the rain or can't change them fast enough.
I'll still use my Diva cup on the lighter days but on the heavy days it can be a disaster. A clot comes out fills the entire cup and then the cup spills it's entire contents on my pants. No good at all. If I'm hiking alone and it's not a hot day I can just put on my rain pants and just ignore whats going on, they are waterproof after all.
No hormones for me either. They are not proven to be safe.
I know this may sound dumb but, if your choice is anything other than the pill... Would bears not be a bigger concern?
That was me 3 years ago.... I couldn't make it through a class (72 minutes) even using 2 super tampax and a pad. When I told my Doctor that the excessive bleeding was "impacting the quality of my life" (ladies - note the words ...insurance companies listen to those words!), he sent me to a gynecologist, and after an evaluation, it was found that I had fibroid tumors (non cancerous tumors of the uterous).Originally Posted by Pest2
I had a DaVinci hysterectomy. WOW! Surgery on Friday, one week off, and back to work after 10 days! Yes, I was on the weak side for about a month, but OMG, this was nothing compared to the 3 C-sections, and two wrist surgeries that I have had! Even better yet - I NEVER have "that messy time"!!!!! The doc left my ovaries since they looked good, and so I still have my hormones...so, yes, I do know when it is "that time of the month" as I am generally more emotional then. However, NO MESS!!!! I SO recommend this for EVERYONE past child-bearing!!!
DIVA CUP:
Just FYI: My best friend swears that when her 2 year old daughter gets to "that age," she will be instructed on how to use the "diva cup" and not pads/tampons. My friend is a major proponent of this after 5 months of usage.
Many people are suggesting the diva cup, I've never tried it myself but you don't have to carry any tampons or pads with you. Score!! My only issue to keep it clean in the wood.
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