How do you NOT have your period on your honeymoon?

[JadedStar]

That diva cup freaks me out. Seems so unsanitary. I would not want to pull it out full of blood. LOL

[cichlid]

That diva cup freaks me out. Seems so unsanitary. I would not want to pull it out full of blood. LOL

Neither is sitting in a pad full of blood. It's made of a very sterile material that won't harbor bacteria well (silicone). It gets cleaned daily with some special soap, rinsed out every time I take it out to empty it, and I boil it after and before every period. Pulling it out full of blood never bothered me...but I'm not bothered with stuff like that. LOL It would probably freak a lot of people out.

 

(Never liked tampons...so I won't comment on them)

[JadedStar]

Neither is sitting in a pad full of blood. It's made of a very sterile material that won't harbor bacteria well (silicone). It gets cleaned daily with some special soap, rinsed out every time I take it out to empty it, and I boil it after and before every period. Pulling it out full of blood never bothered me...but I'm not bothered with stuff like that. LOL It would probably freak a lot of people out.

 

(Never liked tampons...so I won't comment on them)

 

I don't diss those who like it, but something about a cup of blood seems a bit more icky to me than something absorbed in it. I don't like pads either, prefer tampons.

 

There is no way i would want to risk spilling that crap! Especially since menstrual blood is a source of bacteria. Easier to clean up with absorbent material.

[cichlid]

I don't diss those who like it, but something about a cup of blood seems a bit more icky to me than something absorbed in it. I don't like pads either, prefer tampons.

 

There is no way i would want to risk spilling that crap! Especially since menstrual blood is a source of bacteria. Easier to clean up with absorbent material.

Never had a problem, but hey, I think tampons are uncomfy so this is a great alternative to the pad. To each their own!

[JadedStar]

Never had a problem, but hey, I think tampons are uncomfy so this is a great alternative to the pad. To each their own!

 

Yep, to each their own. lol

[Krystal_Ivy]

I think they all suck! lol

[catwalk]

IMO, hormonal birth control is the worst thing that women are putting into their bodies.... and usually they are not warned about the very real, very scary side effects that 99% of women get.

 

By taking the pill before her wedding, it could make her very very very sick, and will most likely kill her sex drive. Doesn't sound like a good way to start a marriage to me, so I can understand her not wanting to go on the pill.

 

I would suggest getting Vitex, and dong quoi. There is also a way to FORCE your body to have a period (safely) that you can time for say 2 weeks before the wedding date.

 

Your period is based on when you ovulate, and with the stress, etc of the wedding... your cycle will be knocked off to begin with, so there's really no way to plan for sure without some kind of help. You can start to chart your temps (with a basal thermometer) which will set you up to find out what day you ovulate on the month of your wedding, which will tell you what day you should get your period. You will need to do the temp thing for at least 6 months before to learn how your body works.

 

Hope this helps!

[Batya33]

The pill also has positive side effects- it decreases the risk of certain cancers (I believe ovarian), studies suggest it can increase how long you're fertile when you get off of it, it helps period cramps (and so reduces the need for medicine while you have your period, as I well know), and can clear up your skin. I agree it has certain negative side effects which are all listed in the insert that come with the pill pack and which my doctor told me about. I do not agree that any good doctor would hide that information.

 

I was on the pill on and off for about 15 years. It allowed me to go to work when I had my debilitating cramps (these days they are not as bad even though I am off the pill). One particular brand gave me bad side effects so I switched after a few months.

 

This is not to convince the OP to take the pill, just to be sure that the previous post isn't taken as fact.

[catwalk]

The pill also has positive side effects

Hopefully your post isn't taken as fact either. The pill causes depression, loss of libido, blood clots (aka DEATH), tumors, increases risk of some cancers, worsened acne, horrible adult acne when off the pill, withdrawl symptoms similar to some hard core drugs when you try & stop taking it, weight gain, menstrual spotting, PCOS, vaginal problems, ETC ETC, and this doesn't include what happens in the first few months you are taking it. And NO, doctors typically do NOT tell women about these.

 

So other than reducing cramps & making your period lighter (sometimes).... it has no advantages other than protecting against pregnancy. There are other NON HORMONAL birth control pills with NONE of the side effects above.... where is this pill? Not in north america! Why? The drug companies can't make money off it, so they will not research it. Why would they when they make billions every year off the hormones women pump into our bodies without question.

 

The OP wants to make her day & honeymoon better, not ruin her life.

[Batya33]

No need to shout but thanks for sharing. You are wrong, actually - because you are overstating the potential side effects - yes there is an increased risk of blood clots for example just like there is in some common forms of aspirin. I am not saying the pill is completely safe - neither is aspirin - but your description of a parade of horribles is way exxagerated. I also disagree that doctors do not communicate the side effects to patients and of course the insert in the pill pack describes all potential side effects.

 

Again, please don't twist my words- I am not advising the OP or anyone to take the pill just trying to clear up your inaccurate depiction of what the pill causes and the degree of the risk.

 

I and many women have taken the pill and have not negatively effected - much less ruined- our lives. For me personally it increased my energy level during my period, allowed me to stop missing days of work, gave me extra protection against pregnancy when needed, and decreased my risk of certain forms of cancer. I was glad to stop taking it because in general I don't like taking medication but I think it is irresponsible to post the exxagerations you did.

 

Edited to add that it looks like you forgot to tell the OP the potential side effects of Vitex.

link removed

 

talk about potentially ruining a honeymoon or harming her body if she was pregnant or didn't know it!

[catwalk]

I'm not exaggerating, you are minimizing. And the OP agrees with me.

 

You could get the same effects you got from the pill with sugar & weed. But again, I doubt the drug companies could make money off you that way.

 

Vitex DOES have a side effect of increasing fertility (because it helps to regulate your cycle), but she's not asking how to stop from getting pregnant, only how to stop her period. Since there's no way to STOP it, she'll need to explore how to figure out when her period will come as best as she can, and try to regulate it as best she can until that time.

 

If she went on the pill before her wedding, there would be a good chance she wouldn't want to have sex at ALL on her honeymoon.... so I guess that would solve her problem! 10% chance the drug companies say of libido loss..... guess what? In real life it's 70%.

[cichlid]

**pulls up a chair and grabs some popcorn**

 

This is going to be interesting with catwalk and Batya33. Personally, I'm never going to use the pill or birth control. I am kind of a hippy so I will probably be using natural family planning (not the rhythm method!!!).

 

Anyway, Krystal_Ivy, I doubt your period will fall on your honeymoon. You've got what 5 days and only 2 of those days are super heavy. Or at least that is what normally happens. The chances of it falling on your honeymoon is pretty slim if you chart your period and it is predictable.

 

And even if it did fall on your honeymoon, you can relax the days that it occurs. Personally...I think I would be so tired after I had a wedding.

[Krystal_Ivy]

**pulls up a chair and grabs some popcorn**

 

This is going to be interesting with catwalk and Batya33. Personally, I'm never going to use the pill or birth control. I am kind of a hippy so I will probably be using natural family planning (not the rhythm method!!!).

 

Anyway, Krystal_Ivy, I doubt your period will fall on your honeymoon. You've got what 5 days and only 2 of those days are super heavy. Or at least that is what normally happens. The chances of it falling on your honeymoon is pretty slim if you chart your period and it is predictable.

 

And even if it did fall on your honeymoon, you can relax the days that it occurs. Personally...I think I would be so tired after I had a wedding.

I can't chart it because there is no pattern and it is a 7 day period and 4 of those days are heavy I may just have to get on the dumb pill to regulate my cycle so I can predict my due date, but after that I'm getting off and using a diaphragm.

[Katiekate010]

Hey there are some newer ways to stop your period one of them i know of is the shot ask your doctor about cuz im not completely sure.....

[Batya33]

Vitex has other side effects that are quite unpleasant - just click on the link. I'm not saying she should not take it just that she should not presume that just because it is an herb it is safe.

I had a feeling your opinion on the pill was based on some bias against drug companies rather than facts - if you had posted a link from a reputable source that says that the pill as you claim "causes" blood clots (rather than simply increases the risk for blood clots) or a reputable link to your "70%" libido loss (never happened to me, or anyone I know) then we could have had a real discussion - here it's just you continuing your unsubstantiated parade of horribles based on your views of "drug companies." and, of course, it doesn't help the OP so let's just agree to disagree, ok? As far as the OP's view on the pill, she said herself that she hasn't received clear medical advice about it yet and wasn't strongly considering it anyway so it's not surprising that she would have at least some misinformation.

 

 

to the OP - I understand about irregularity - believe me! - but, look at it this way - given the low chance that it will happen on that day (and your boyfriend said he feels comfortable if it is just spotting) and the fact that you will have at least 50 years of having awesome sex, if the worst case scenario happens and you have to wait a few days until your flow lightens up then such is life and it wouldn't be the worst thing to get to build up the anticipation even more and see that the reality is that "man plans and god laughs" - it's the fact that it is not a fairytale that makes it much more real and that much more sweet. good luck.

[annie24]

When I was on birth control, i had HORRIBLE mood swings. (Then again, I was also going through a rough time, so it could have been that too.) Everything else remained the same more or less. Maybe even an increased libido. However, that pill was not good for me. When I go on birth control again, I'll just pick a different brand. Everyone's body chemistry is different, it's difficult to tell how someone will react until they get on it for a few months. some people have no or only good side effects, and others have bad side effects. the good news is that there are a variety of pills on the market, and you can try them until you find the right one for you.

[JadedStar]

Correction. the pill MAY cause some of those symptoms you talked about, but it is not a given. I was on the pill many years and had none of those side effects, nor did many women i have known over the years. As a matter of fact, endometriosis is a VERY common gynocological disorder with women and the pill is very therapeutic for this. The pill enabled me to have a virtually pain free life for many years.

 

Your post sounds like more hype and propaganda on the opposite end than the drug companies! There are SOOO many different types of pills out there, and if one does not do well for you, don't keep taking it. Try something else. Like anything else it sometimes takes trial and error. I am also not advocating the OP or any other woman take the pill, but trying to displace some of the misplaced facts being presented.

 

My daughter, who also suffers endometriosis, has a crippling time every period if she is not on the pill, so for some women it brings aobut a lot of positive.

 

Oh and I have never had a doctor downplay side effects. They always have been very straight up with any potentials.

[cichlid]

Oh and I have never had a doctor downplay side effects. They always have been very straight up with any potentials.

 

I had doctors not even mention side effects of drugs that they were giving me other than the "it could cause liver problems so you will have to come in for blood work every 6 months." This wasn't birth control, BTW! This was drugs that contained steroids and I didn't know until I did some research. He wanted me to be on like a topical steroid and then an oral steroid. Then he put me on medication that had a black box warning on it and he failed to mention that.

 

That's when I decided my skin problems were not severe enough to be going to a dermatologist and I researched some stuff and it all worked fine.

 

With all the drugs out there, it does happen that doctors don't tell you everything but it could be that he sucked royally.

[annie24]

With all the drugs out there, it does happen that doctors don't tell you everything but it could be that he sucked royally.

 

i agree, we all have to be proactive about our health. if your doctor doesn't tell you about side effects, then ask your pharmacist. they are trained professionals, not just drug dispensers. many times, pharmacists are the ones that catch mistakes that doctors make, like if your new prescription interacts badly with another medication you are on. so feel free to ask them any questions. make sure to read all the leaflets that come with the drug, and look it up also on link removed and read the side effects yourself. If you read the leaflet that comes with the medication carefully, it contains the results of the research studies, and tells you just how many people participated in the study, and what side effects were present and in how many people.

[Batya33]

Yes, Annie I agree with all of this. There are always going to be some bad or neglectful doctors and it's great to have all that information on webmd and the patient insert. What's scarier to me is taking a non-regulated herb like vitex where you never know exactly what's in the pill/dosage you are taking - less of a risk with that with a regulated prescription drug.

[RedSoxFan84]

I've been on a low-dose BC for about a year now and I'm very happy with it. My period was not regular (anywhere from a 28 to a 38 day cycle) and very heavy for four to five days, often leaving me weak. I actually think my mood is better than before because my hormones are more stable than they used to be. And, I've experienced absolutely no weight gain. I had previous problems with acne and some hair loss and they've both improved since I've been on the pill. I've had no loss in libido; it may have even improved.

 

The thing to remember is that every woman is different. I think it has a lot to do with what her chemical balance is like before going on the pill as well as family history. My mother did fine on the pill, and so have I. I don't smoke, I'm young, and there is no family history of breast cancer, so it's worked for me.

 

Just my two cents,

 

-- Katie

[bubblyblonde11]

Depo Pill Injection, never had a period since or period pain - wonderful!!!!

[catwalk]

Pill & Depression news:

 

"Lately the papers have been saying the pill decreases the chance of cancers. ....this is misleading.

 

It reduces the chances of bowel and ovarian. Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in women, after breast and lung cancer. Ovarian cancer accounts for 1-5% of cancers in women(depending on the country). The pill does NOT protect from breast and lung. In fact, the pill increase the chance of breast cancer by around a QUARTER....I quote this from cancerresearch.co.uk at link removed

 

Please do not fall into this trap. It is extremely misleading. How dare they encourage its use when they know it increases the number one cancer in women.

 

The Pill and Depression Team."

 

Just wanted to post this

[cichlid]

No, offense, catwalk, but I'd really like to see the statistics they took to the last detail. I want to see how they collected the data, how they dealt with the data and the unwanted factors...I want to see their assumptions, what tests were run, etc. It's REALLY hard to run experiments like that...almost impossible since there are so many factors to consider.

 

In the end, they were probably looking for the most shocking statistic.

[Batya33]

Pill & Depression news:

 

"Lately the papers have been saying the pill decreases the chance of cancers. ....this is misleading.

 

It reduces the chances of bowel and ovarian. Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in women, after breast and lung cancer. Ovarian cancer accounts for 1-5% of cancers in women(depending on the country). The pill does NOT protect from breast and lung. In fact, the pill increase the chance of breast cancer by around a QUARTER....I quote this from cancerresearch.co.uk at link removed

 

Please do not fall into this trap. It is extremely misleading. How dare they encourage its use when they know it increases the number one cancer in women.

 

The Pill and Depression Team."

 

Just wanted to post this

 

 

I agree with the poster who responded. Interestingly, you never responded to the side effects of vitex which is what you recommended that the OP take. I'll post it here for your convenience (this is from the earlier link). "Side effects from taking vitex include itching, rash, headache, hair loss, fatigue, agitation, dry mouth, tachycardia, nausea and increased menstrual flow. Large doses may cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome."

 

It's also not FDA regulated so there is no way to know what is in a particular dose.