Be honest with me.
Exactly how old were you when you became a responsible adult and remembered to pack tampons/pads/those crazy rubber insertable devices/etc. into your purse JUST IN CASE?
Please tell me I’m not the only woman who is most likely peri-menopausal with regular periods that STILL can’t get that right.
I’m even still struggling with getting my underwear on right-side-out on a regular basis.
Just so you don’t think I’m a total nincompoop, I have never applied a pad and THEN put my underwear on inside out. However, if you have, please fess up to take away a bit of my humiliation.
* The approximate number of menses** I’ve had.
** Funny how menses and mensa*** are so similar.
*** I bet menstruating mensa members remember to pack tampons.
Hmm, well, I think I was 17. Why? Because I got my period at boyfriends house and didn’t have anything and I was staying the weekend.
And I had to ask his MOM if she had anything. And she wasn’t one of those cool, hip moms either*. Embarassment like that will always make me put a tampon/pad in my purse/bag/etc.
*You might think that letting her sons girlfriend stay the night would make her a ‘cool’ mom. However, the only reason I was staying over was because we were going to a concert early the next day that took place closer to his house, she begrudgingly allowed me to stay over.
By: Heather on September 3, 2009
at 10:51 pm
Sometimes I have something in my purse from the last time, but I never stock up in advance. Of course, the only places I ever go are home and work and I have stockpiles at both places.
However, ever since they stopped putting tags in my underwear, it takes me a looong time to figure out which way is right side out. By the 5th washing, the printed label is usually missing, and I can’t seem to tell by the seams.
By: a on September 4, 2009
at 6:59 am
I now only have a few periods a year. YEAH! Bring on the change on life, YES!
I often forget and don’t want to more since I currently have what is most likely a lifetime supply. I really should put some in my purse. Thanks for the reminder.
By: Not On Fire on September 4, 2009
at 8:01 am
When you have periods like I had b.c. (before contraception) you learned from jump street to always have something tucked away in your purse. I remember being in 10th grade, in broad daylight, walking home from school with my hoodie tied around my waist because I bled through my maxi and through my putty colored cargoes.
I keep a little hot pink tampon case in my desk drawer, there is a box of “supplies” at teh trailer, there are always at least 2 tampons & 2 panty liners in the little secret zipper compartment of my purse.
I guess it just depends on how many episodes of public embarrasment you’ve experienced.
By: Catizhere on September 4, 2009
at 9:42 am
Your last hunch is a tongue twister I’m going to teach my boys. I bet it will be a hit on the schoolbus.
I didn’t bleed for the first time until I was 15. I didn’t want anyone to know I didn’t “get mine” yet so I carried pads in my locker in case anyone needed one in an emergency. I was oh so hip.
What do you mean these are like mattresses! No! I don’t have a tampon!
In my 20s or 30s if I was a day late, I’d wear white. Never failed that I’d get my period if I was wearing white.
I’m like clockwork now. Never unprepared. My uterus sends out a memo a day before AND calls ahead.
By: Amy on September 4, 2009
at 10:16 am
I should amend the last note to say: I bet menstruating mensa members remember their mooncups.
It has a much better “flow”.
By: DD on September 4, 2009
at 10:39 am
Always (with wings!) go with the tongue twister for better flow. No matter how heavy or light.
By: Amy on September 4, 2009
at 10:48 am
Hmmm. I have a drawer full of “products” that haven’t seen daylight in 18 months. YAY!
Maybe I could put them in a bag and BigD would drop them off at goodwill*
*refer to my comment on your last post.
By: onlyhalfnuts on September 4, 2009
at 11:55 am
heh…. I’m ALWAYS caught without supplies… even in my HOME!!!!
I also have extenuating circumstances. However, it will probably be a LOOOOOOONG time before I go out in public again without some “backup”. I’ve had no less than TWO humiliating experiences so far this year…. some days it really sucks to be a woman…
I’m going back to my chocolate coma now….
By: PottyMouthMommy on September 4, 2009
at 1:53 pm
I have supplies at home and in my office. Since I had S THREE years ago, I am very irregular. Which sucks because I was always regular before. I also have a much lighter flow than I did before. I’m sure I”m perimenopausal as well. Sigh.
By: Kellie on September 4, 2009
at 2:34 pm
Oo, irregularity hadn’t even crossed my mind…I’m having my first period in nearly 2 1/2 years! Hmm…
By: Orodemniades on September 4, 2009
at 7:47 pm
I have a tampon and a liner in my work bag so no dice on my days off/w/ends.
By: Betty M on September 4, 2009
at 2:50 pm
I forgot supplies on a 1 day business trip. I was late to a meeting because I had to stop at a walmart in the middle of north carolina to get tampons.
Oh and just this past fall I was standing in line to use the bathroom (fortuitously) before the 1/2 marathon that I’d trained for when I got my period. No supplies. No supplies in the bathroom. I ended up not doing the race and going home really really pissed off.
By: Suzanne on September 4, 2009
at 6:11 pm
At least you didn’t forget how far to insert it.
Ahem.
By: Orodemniades on September 4, 2009
at 7:51 pm
I think I just started remembering this year, to be honest. For the longest time, I used the ones with cardboard applicators and paper wrapping, and it always seemed like they would tear while in my purse. I wasn’t about to use one that was open in my purse, so I never carried them. Then I started using the OB ones. They’re tiny enough that I just keep a couple in my purse at all times.
Mind you, they’re also tiny enough that they get caught in the edge of my wallet sometimes. It’s a bit embarrassing to pull out your wallet to pay for something and have a tampon fall out.
By: Erin on September 4, 2009
at 8:35 pm
I *love* OB. They are small enough (just like Erin says). They are amazing! Plus, they have awesome carriers that keep a couple together in a little package so even if they fall out, it looks like a little coin purse.
By: mrssoup on September 8, 2009
at 11:28 am