Being a girl ain't glamorous, but here are a few things that have made it easier - SheThinx edition
- noralynnbclark
- Oct 13, 2019
- 5 min read
Continuing from my post regarding my second laparoscopic surgery for my endometriosis and my journey to a better understanding of my body, here's a brief synopsis of why I decided after nearly eight years to ditch the IUD - really I decided to ditch hormonal birth control all together - and one of the products that is helping me embrace my period.
Since I was diagnosed with Endometriosis in 2011, I've researched nonstop about causes, symptoms, cures (ain't no cure baby)...and it's been an evolutionary process to say the least. There has never been a bit of information that was an "Ah-ha" moment. It's been a lot of guess work and uncertainty because everybody's body is different! Every single person with endometriosis has had a completely different set of symptoms and experiences, so looking to generalize a group of peoples experience and base any decision I'm making on that is not sound. So, I've read a lot of science and learned more about the female anatomy than I think most people think is necessary, but I have to tell you - it's been so incredibly enlightening. I still have a lot to learn about my body, but learning about the female reproductive system, how it works and why has helped me learn so much about what my body is doing. It's something I want to help other women and girls understand better!
But this post is mostly about choosing to be off hormonal birth control and a few things in particular (so far) that's been a game changer. The decision to not partake in hormonal birth control is was an extremely difficult and scary decision given my symptoms in 2010 and 2011, and after my first surgery I'd been told an IUD would help control and suppress any future endo symptoms. Of course I had a whole new set of symptoms crop up which led to my second surgery last year, so for me choosing to have one less thing in my body was (hopefully) starting with a clean slate. My husband and I are also not in a place in our lives where we want to bring children into the world, so there can be no slip ups! Lots of pressure, but I did a lot of reading.
Through my research I knew it could take me anywhere from a month to a year for my period to return to "normal", so after I had the IUD removed in June, I did some research on supplements and other products to help me regain my period. One thing I really didn't actually think about was sanitary products, which I'm sorry but I really hate that phrase - "sanitary products". Your period is not unsanitary - it is your bodies natural way of saying "Not pregnant" and "All good here". I digress, more on that later. Surprisingly, in just over a month I got my period! I was ecstatic - until I had to buy pads. I forgot how many options there where and how WRONG all the sizes are labeled on the packaging. I'd always used tampons before I even had an IUD, but given new research about chemicals in them as well as the waste the plastic containers produce, I wanted a different option. I'd never been a fan of the reusable cups, but I remembered my sister making me cloth pads and telling me about a brand called Luna Pads. However, I wanted an even simpler solution - it's 2019 y'all! There has to be a better option! And there is - I'd read somewhere about what I like to call "period panties".
Now, there are a number of different products and brands (though not as many as there should be honestly), so I made my decision based on three things: fabric, style options and price. There were other factors including feedback as well as the company's mission, but I mainly needed a product that fit me, was comfortable and wouldn't break the bank. With all that I was confident in purchasing three different styles of period panties from SheThinx. I ordered them during my second period in September after I had it with regular pads, but the arrived after my period was done. Let's not forget though that they are at their core panties, so I took them for a test run because if I don't like them when I'm not on my period, there's a good chance I won't like them during my period. Luckily the test run went well and I posted about it in my Instagram stories (which I've included in this post). I received a lot of feedback from friends curious about them, which is part of the reason why I decided to dedicate a majority of a blog post to them!
Flash forward to last week and my first period with my period panties - a huge success. Quick side story to this period: I use a TempDrop to take my temperature each night to track my cycle in part with the BBT method and I log it in my Glow app the helps chart my temperature and cycle. Based off of my temperatures and comparing my symptoms with my past charts, while my app told me I should start my period this past Sunday, I started Thursday, which I had a hunch about so I wore my SheThinx Thong to work. It was a life saver. I honestly wouldn't have noticed that my period had started if it hadn't been my attitude - very snappy. In regards to comfort and the protection from leakage, I am more than ecstatic with how the thong handled my first day of my period - always one of my heaviest flow days.
Y'all - it was amazing not to have to wear a pad. Or worry about changing my tampon. Or be worried about the placement of a period cup. The best I can describe it - well it was like wearing underwear that absorbs your period... crazy awesome right?!
And the care is really simple and basic. Do a general hand wash - I just washed them when I was in the shower - and then put in a lingerie bag to wash on delicate, then air dry. Easy! They do dry overnight, but since it is air drying having more than one pair is recommended so you can switch out each day. I think you *could* put them in a dryer, but they might shrink and it might cut down on the life of the garment.
So the styles above are reflective of what I ordered and recommend for anyone with a light to medium flow.
Now as it's been a few years since I've experienced a heavy period, so I can't speak to the styles geared towards those, but after my experience with the other styles I will happily purchase a pair if my period becomes heavier.
So now here's a list of what I'm using to manage my period and symptoms so far back into this journey:
SoulCBD drops (Love the mint watermelon flavor!)
Prenatal Vitamin (I have a certain blend I use for post-pill/IUD resupplementation for certain minerals, so I won't link to a brand until I post about them because the one I use is not available online).
THERAPY - This is a general life thing, but helpful with this new journey. Will definitely have more on this on the blog in the future.
I hope to go more in depth into each of these products and why I use them in future blogs, but each one has a very specific purpose for me and I want to make sure to break them down as to why they work. Every once in a while I get promotional discounts for these items, so I will make sure to update this post with those as I get them!
If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch! Tried SheThinx? Let me know how you like them! Tried another brand? Definitely reach out! This is a product I think will be huge in the next few years with more ecoconsciousness seeping into women's health products.
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