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Spilling Our Stories

Writer's picture: Charlotte NichollsCharlotte Nicholls

Embarrassing situations can stay with us; we tell ourselves that everyone else has their shit together, making us feel alone. However, from staining train seats to thinking you’ve lost part of your labia, I can safely say that not many people have their shit together when it comes to menstrual bleeds.


As I’m writing this, I’m sitting downstairs, cuppa tea in one hand, T.V remote in the other, I’m pretty relaxed, that’s until I remember that one time I completely humiliated myself. I am red with shame and can no longer stomach my warm, lovely tea.



I am reassured that period freakouts are a common occurrence in the menstrual cycle for all of us who have them. Everyone’s periods are different but there is unity in sharing our experiences. So, for your reassurance, and for our unity, I have collected some of your awkward, funny, and insightful bleeding stories.


1. Category is: BLOOD CLOT

Clots cause a third of women to soak ‘through a pad or tampon every hour for several hours,’[1] with one person saying that it causes,

'constant paranoia of leaking, it happens to me ALL OF THE TIME. I get massive clots.’

Clots can be a shock and can sometimes cause a moment of insanity as we believe body parts are falling out of us:

‘one time I had a really big blood clot, and I thought my labia had fallen off!’

The Bloody Jeans:

‘I was on a long journey home when I started a day early and as the train pulled into the stop, I stood up only to realise that I’d bled through my jeans on to the train seat. I had no choice but to leave the stain, otherwise I would have missed my stop. As I walked along the platform, I could feel the blood seeping further through my jeans. I began looking for free pads in the women’s toilets, but there were none, and I had no money on me, not even my card. Then I began going around asking people for change, or for pads, whilst my jeans gradually became damper. It was really hot and stinky. No one had change, and I couldn’t find a pad. So, I thought ‘fuck it!’ and walked all the way back to mine wearing the bloody jeans.’

2. Category is: SEX


Period sex can be messy, especially if you’re heavy. If you’re squeamish, or you have a thing against seeing blood, it’s probably not for you. With that being said, it comes with a lot of benefits including relieving cramps and having natural lubrication![2]

Murder Scene:

‘I remember having sex in the dark and thinking how great it was as I felt so wet down there. It then became increasingly apparent that the bedsheets were soaked... Turning on the lights has never been so startling, it was like a murder scene where the dick was like a dagger that had stabbed me .. several times.’

A Pretty Damn Good Time:

‘Period sex doesn’t have to be like other Sex’
‘We have sex on our periods most of the time. Mooncups are honestly the best thing for period sex. They keep it all sucked up and you can make the most of the entrance space to the vagina basically blood free. Great vibes.’
‘Having period sex for us is kinda important because there are two periods so when we’re not in sync (which is most of the time) that would write off half of the month.’
‘When you’re bleeding, the Mooncup stops blood getting to the bottom part of your vagina. A whole dick would probs just hit it and cause chaos, but when you go down on someone with a Mooncup in you literally can’t even taste blood or anything and you can like finger the entrance and have a pretty damn good time.’

3. Category is: STAINS AND SPILLAGES

It is estimated that the average American woman will have 450 periods in her lifetime. That is a lot of stained underwear and bloodied bedsheets![3]

It’s not just stains that are messy but spillages too, particularly when you’re new to a menstrual cup:

‘I tried a menstrual cup and accidentally got blood all over my white bathroom walls.’

Taking a menstrual cup out the first few times is bizarre. There’s squelching and tugging and then Pop – it’s suddenly free. If you’re not doing it over the toilet or in the shower, it may go everywhere.


Political Statement:

‘I get heavy periods, like heavy. Once, I bled all over my bedsheet, not just a few dots, but all over (even though I was using a sanitary towel). I tried to scrub at it the best I could and my mum said to then leave it out on the balcony to dry. I lived in town, so it wouldn’t have been discreet, but mum insisted it would be “fiiineee”. An hour later I could hear laughing under my balcony. I looked down to see two students pointing and laughing at my stained sheet blowing in the wind. From the balcony, mum waved down at them, smiling, and said, ‘Hi girls, it’s a political statement.’ I was sooo embarrassed.’

Impromptu Period

‘I had an impromptu hour long period and bled on my boyfriend’s bed. Because I was too scared to admit that the issue was period-y to his dad, I just said I was feeling ill and he took me home in a car with white leather seats. I spent the whole journey keeping my bum an inch off the seat. It was, all-round, quite stressful and poor little sixteen-year-old me was embarrassed.’

4. Category is: EMOTIONAL

Up to 75% of us experience PMS (premenstrual syndrome), with symptoms of mood swings, headaches, sleeping problems, irritability, anxiety, and depression (just to name a few…). [4]

Uncontrollable emotions, before and during a period is a huge part of the period experience! We’ve all cried over a sandwich which has been cut wonkily … just me? … Well, I definitely have.

A mood swing might even be our indication that we’re due on.



What some of you said about PMS:

‘Hormonal changes are savage, like I defo get PMS where a week before my period I’m like so down and I’m like WHY? And then a few days later I’m like oh right, it was just my period lol’
‘That time when you asked me if I wanted to get the bus or stay at school and do revision and I couldn’t quite process the question so I burst out crying .. then laughed .. then cried’

By sharing our embarrassing experiences of bleeding in the “wrong” places and at the “wrong” times (as well as it is hilarious) it’s made pretty clear that we’re not in this alone.


I challenge you to talk to your mates about their periods, normalise the stuff we usually keep in the shadows, in fact, why not hang it out on the balcony for everyone to see.

Conversation starter: ‘what’s the most awkward situation you’ve been in with your period?’

Resources

[1] https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/menstrual-clots#causes [2] https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/sex-during-periods#tips [3] https://www.helpingwomenperiod.org/7-amazing-facts-about-periods-that-everyone-needs-to-know/#:~:text=4.,That's%20a%20lot%20of%20periods. [4] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327490#menstrual-related-mood-disorders

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