In Which I Discuss Periods and Alienate Male Readers
Fair warning: I’m going to write about my period. Stop now if you don’t want to read about my period.
Want to know my favorite thing about breastfeeding? I haven’t had my period since September, 2008. Yes. Two years. For a girl who’s had a period since fourth grade, this is a wonderful and well-earned vacation.
Until recently, when it ended. I suspect this was because Miles twice slept 11 consecutive hours and I had a bunch of evening activities last week, thus we were nursing a lot less. My body must have thought, “Hey! Who’s ready to make another baby? Let’s shed our uterine lining!”
I was kind of startled when I realized I had my period. The concept of keeping tampons in my purse had long ceased to be part of my routine. I still have some tampons at home, thankfully, but I pretty much had to set my phone alarm to remind me to change them. That is how accustomed I was to not menstruating. I promise I have an alternate point.
A few issues ago, Mothering magazine did a big feature about cloth pads and keeper cups. What is a keeper cup, you ask, nervously? It’s pretty much a plastic cup you insert in lieu of a tampon. The keeper cup collects the menses, which you then discard. Afterward, you wash the cup and re-insert. I like many things about this concept.
I can tell you are already worried about several things, so let me walk you through my own fears about the keeper.
First, my dear friend P used one and found there to be a great deal of…suction. Removal was a bit challenging for her. This would probably happen to me, because I’m unfortunate. I can just imagine the public restroom: me, grunting in futile yanking while Miles waits outside the stall in his blue car stroller-thing, beeping the horn at me.
Next, I thought for a long time about public restroom removal in general. There are a great many obstacles between that keeper cup and the sink/soap, namely the pulling up of pants, the stall handle, and faucet knobs. Gross.
Luckily, the Mothering article made me feel more comfortable about all these ideas. The author suggests keeping wet cloths in your purse and getting them ready pre-removal. I’m thinking Cottonelle moist, flushable wipes (while the author meant tea tree oil-soaked washcloths) would be a wonderful solution until I can get myself to a sink for a proper wash.
At any rate, I’m curious enough to give it a shot. I have about 80 tampons left at our house, so when those are exhausted, or maybe before, I’m going to take the plunge, so to speak. My only remaining question is whether I need the one for before or after you’ve had a baby (since I didn’t deliver vaginally). So much to think about when I go to the grocery store!
