Having your period during the summer months can make you a particular kind of crazy—bathing suits! Beach parties! Swimming pools!—but it doesn't always have to be that way. You have options—even when you're in a bikini!
You could...be sneaky with treating cramps. Cramps are never fun, but they're super-extra-unfun when you're at the beach and supposed to be laughing and splashing around. Bring along a pain reliever, of course, but also consider these ideas: Go to the bathroom frequently (full bowels and bladder can make cramps feel worse); when you're lying poolside, elevate your legs with a stack of towels or your beach bag, or lie on your stomach and breathe slowly. Oh, and remember to avoid caffeine, which can exacerbate the pain of cramps.
You could...wear a tampon. I know, I know, duh. But not everyone feels super-secure that the telltale tampon string will stay put in her swimsuit (if you tuck it back, it totally will!). Since tampons expand to fit your body, the chance of leakage is super-low...so long as you remember to change it on schedule. Bring extras, obviously.
You could...wear a DivaCup. Menstrual cups are reusable, bendy, bowl-shaped devices that you insert in the same way you would a tampon. The difference? They collect blood instead of absorbing it. You can wear it for up to 12 hours without so much as a leak, so you probably won't have to worry about washing it out and reinserting it in a public bathroom or Porta-Potty. Plus: It's eco-friendly!
You could...wear a pad. Bear with me, this could work—depending on the situation. If you're planning on sunning instead of swimming, for example, since a pad could conceivably soak up pool water, and the sticky backing would probably come unstuck. And you could address the bulk factor with a sarong or cute shorts!
How do you navigate period territory when you're at the beach or pool?
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