Experience with "leakage"

[gardener]

I thought I would pass on a little trick I discovered. For you peeping toms, this may offend you, but I doubt we care.

I was on my period when I was first getting certified. I didn't think about it since I was using tampons. I was careful to change tampons before I got to the class to make sure I would not have to worry about any embarrassing situation. An hour later, in the pool, no problems. I got out of the pool and sat on the side with my classmates. As I got up I noticed a pink puddle under me. I was very embarrased and ran to the bathroom. I changed tampons again and went back to the pool. Got in again, same problem when I got out. I couldn't understand it! The tampon wasn't full.
On my second trip to the bathroom I figured it out. The string was absorbing the water and wicking the blood outward.
Since then I have used this simple trick whenever I was going to a pool or near water. I tuck the string up into my body. Problem solved! I also use tampons that don't have cotton strings like OB.
Just thought I'd pass on my method for avoiding an embarrassing situation. Hope it is helpful to some of you.

 

[aquababe]

thanks for the advice. i do have one question: so far i've been avoiding diving during my period. so does it feel any different? i mean does it ease the pain or it feels worse? or it doesn't matter at all...
thanks..

 

[chickdiver]

I have been diving for 16 years, and for the past 10 it has been almost a weekly activity. I have never noticed that it feels any different or changes anything at all. If you feel good - go diving, you'll feel even better!!

 

[Natasha]

Hi gardener:
Welcome to scuba board.
I agree with chickdiver. I would rather not have my period while on a dive trip, but it hasn't made any difference in how I feel or dive.
Have fun!

 

[gardener]

I have never had any discomfort diving while on my period. In fact, there's something about being in salt water that seems to soothe any discomfort I have.
There is another option if you are on the pill. It is possible with the pill to change the dates that you will have your period.
If you are going on a one week dive vacation and your period will be that week, just start taking the green pills a week earlier. Then start taking the blue ones when those are gone.
My doctor said this would not cause the pill to be less effective as long as I started taking the blue pills when the green ones were gone.

 

[Kaffphine]

Dry suit ladies, dry suit.

I have lived in the water for months on end (wetsuit) and best trick I've ever found was my dry suit!!

 

[gardener]

I'm working on the drysuit thing. I'm working on a way to get money to grow from seed, but it's not working yet...

 

[rebelrph]

Having a wife and daughter who are both divers I figured I could use the education...
Being a pharmacist I can offer suggestion for moving your period more than one week. I won't use colors as there are many brands and many colors of BC pills.

But, you can take all the active tablets as directed and rather than skipping the next 7 days as usual you can start a new pack of pills . You will not have a period until you finish the new pack thereby moving your period 3 weeks.
A bit of a warning -- when you do have your peroid it will be much heavier than normal as you have twice as much lining to "sluff" off.
And I don't recommend doing this often but that once in a lifetime live aboard trip might be a situation where you might want to.

Anyway , for what it's worth....

todd

 

[gardener]

Todd,
Thanks so much. It is great to have a pharmacist help me explain this. You said it much more eloquently than I did.
I really hope this info helps some women. It seems a shame for a woman to feel that she has to miss out on something.

 

[DameDykker]

Hi rebelrpn

Thank you for your advise. However, I don't like to chage my body chemistry on a regular basis and therefore, is not on the pill. (Using inter uterin devise for anticonseption). My period is not a problem usually but on a live aboard it would be a bit in the way. Is it in your oppinion possible/advisable to postphone the period with hormone pills if you'r not a regular user? If I ever was going on a live on board I would probably ask my doctor but what do the pharmacist say?