Pick the Best Time of Month to Practise
Last post I mentioned that using lots of lubricant on the tampon helps when it feels like the tampon just won’t go in. This may seem obvious, but most women I speak to haven’t tried it.
So here is a second tip that may seem obvious, but again, many women are not doing.
Pick the right time of month to practise putting in a tampon in order to maximise your chance of success.
(Of course, some of the steps I have talked about can be helpful at any time. Exploring the territory of the vulva, for example, is best all month round when you are not bleeding, as it can make things easier to see.)
But once you are up to actually practising putting the tampon in, it is best to practise this the heaviest days of your period. You want the flow to be well and truly flowing. You can’t ride the rapids unless there’s some decent flow in the river – you’ll end up getting stuck on the rocks!
For many women, the days of heaviest flow are days 1 and 2. (Day 1 is the first day of your period.) For others, the flow starts slowly, and day 1 is too “dry”. For these women, it might be days 2 and 3. For lots of women I know, the flow is slowing right down by day 3, so that might not be your best bet.
Another thing to keep in mind is discomfort. If you have an enormous amount of pain with your period, you may want to try before this really sets in. Or, you may want to have a good amount of pain relief on board. Otherwise, your body can feel a bit defensive. It’s already in pain, and it’s having to experience something new it is apprehensive about. It’s better for your body to feel comfortable in order to “trust” the new experience of putting in a tampon.
You can learn more about learning to trust your body, and retraining your brain when it comes to pain, in my e-book Outsmart Your Pain.
Countless patients who use tampons have told me they have trouble using them later in their period when the flow starts to dry up. (Stick with pads on the whole from that point, I say.)
But the point is that if women who are able to use tampons have some difficulty when the flow eases, then start when you have a decent flow going.
To keep reading about more ways to make inserting tampons easier, watch this space for the next post about getting over your squeamishness.
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About Alyssa Tait
Alyssa runs Equilibria Physiotherapy & Nutrition, a clinic focusing on integrative solutions for pelvic health issues including all types of pelvic pain, bladder and bowel control issues, fertility, and irritable bowel syndrome. Alyssa’s website www.equilibriahealth.com.au is an information hub related to all things relating to the function of the female pelvis. She aims to help as many people as possible restore balance to their pelvis through education, effective treatment and empowering lifestyle choices. Alyssa enjoys playing the clarinet and rollerblading, though (much to the gratitude of her patients), not while she is consulting. |
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