Incontinence underwear.

[WhisperingSilence]

Ok so I get like really heavy periods , I have a diagnosis of pcos . So my periods are at the moment and have been for the past couple or so months really intensely heavy .. pads won’t do anything on their own. So I’ve had to resort to using incontinence underwear or more commonly known as adult nappies /diapers. They completely stop the worry of leaking menstrual blood. I know they are not supposed to be used for this reason, but I also have stress incontinence too. This where when I laugh, sneeze or cough and I also have a mild urge incontinence . Which I’ve accepted as part of having dyspraxia as even as a child I can remember having issues with this - such as if I need to go to the toilet I have about 10 mins max or I am in ‘trouble’. I went to London all day the other day and I wore one of these incontinence underwear things and it honestly like gave me so much freedom.
I haven’t actually discussed this with anyone ( the wearing of the adult diapers/nappies/incontinence underwear) because :
1 . I am 34 and honestly feel quite embarrassed about it.
2. I have no idea how to actually approach the subject with my mum etc, because of course I can toilet myself etc .. but at the same time I feel like I have a security protector when wearing them not just in terms of menstrual cycle and my period etc but in terms of knowing that if I sneeze or cough or laugh I’ve got some protection.
3. There’s quite a lot of stereotyping around this issue as in oh it’s usually older people that have this issue etc..and when I’ve googled it just comes up with stuff about adult babies and adults who act like babies. Which isn’t the case with me.
4. I know this is a need and necessity as it means I can go out to places like London and not have to worry about how close I am to a toilet etc. And in terms of my periods/ menstrual cycle it gives me the protection I need at night in terms of not leaking everywhere etc.

Also I know that there has to be others out there like me. But because it’s not something often talked about it’s hard to find much out there about it etc.

[¯|_(ツ)_|¯]

I have incontinence issues but I wear period underwear for absorbency. There’s nothing wrong with you for wearing diapers and having that extra layer of protection. You don’t have to tell anyone if you don’t want to but if you do want to tell someone like a family member you can explain it like you did to us, it’s for periods and incontinence and it helps you feel comfortable and protected when leaving the home.

I think that more people need to speak up about wearing incontinence products at younger ages. I’m in disability Facebook groups and there are people who use these products and are very open about it. Perhaps a group for those with chronic illness can help you?

If you’re ever looking for ways to help with the incontinence there’s pelvic floor physical therapy. They’re doing internal work with me but the physical therapist told me we absolutely do not have to. People think it’s all kegels and being “loose” is the issue but it’s not always the case! I actually have tight pelvic muscles and due to being slow to relax she actually recommends against kegels for me specifically.

[WhisperingSilence]

Yeah there is like hardly anything out there on Google from what I could find about incontinence underwear in younger adults. There was a few things about teens and bedwetting but that was about it. The only other info there was about severely disabled young adults using them. But that was like all I could find.
I used to use sanitary towels for light incontinence but was finding that they bunched a lot. I might give the period pants a try. But I’m not like going to buy those till the ones I currently have (adult diapers which are more like pull-ups) have run out.

Weirdly I find the pull up pants comfertable and don’t seem to be getting sanitary towel rash. Which is another reason I switched to them during my period. And the fact that I am fed up of all the stains from my periods.. on my underwear, bedsheets and pyjamas.

[¯|_(ツ)_|¯]

I’d keep a few of the products you have now while you’re trying out the period underwear in case you find the underwear don’t work. So don’t wait til you’re completely out. You don’t want to be left without anything at all if you find they don’t meet your needs.

Nothing wrong with finding them comfortable and it’s great that you’re not getting rashes!

[WhisperingSilence]

thats a good idea.. i might do that, and period pants would be less bulky too. yeah I saw a thing on TikTok about sanitary towels and how the plastic in them can like cause rashes etc. I will have a look on amazon tomorrow. I saw a video on Facebook where this girls who's like 19 who has MS uses the incontinence underwear/adult diapers, she was on a tv show called this morning. I can't remember her name though. I will see if I can find the video/clip.

[Mindfulness.]

Hi there,
Having heavy periods are just awful!
At the end of the day, it's your body so whatever works for you is none of anyone's business and it's great that this works for you.