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Swimming While On Your Period

I am 17 and I'm now out for summer break. My friends and I are going swimming tomorrow and I just started my period. Tomorrow (my 2nd day) is usually my heaviest.

I've never been on my period while going swimming (as I always went swimming when I wasn't on it) so I'm scared about what to do.

I know that the pressure in the water can stop your period temporarily, but will it do the same thing for a heavy flow?

I already plan to wear some sort of pantiliner but I also want to make sure that i'm safe knowing without them

I will NOT use tampons so please get that straight.

So will I be safe swimming on a heavy flow? (without tampons as I am not comfortable using them)
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Avatar universal
I've been a swimming teacher for 11 years and I explained to all the girls before they started there periods .. You can go swimming (if your not on a very bleeding ) if you are having bleeding take a quick light upside down shower .. If you understand that !? And away you go but I would only suggest 20-30 mins max with few  hours out of the pool between going for another swim .. And on normal days wipe yourself clean enjoy the water and when leaving the water don't stand around chatting you will last 2 mins to get to the toilet .... And since explaining this to the girls ... Never has any off them missed a day swimming with there class mates even with boys in the water
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134578 tn?1693250592
COMMUNITY LEADER
What did you decide to do?
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Avatar universal
with out a tampon dont go swimming the water washes away the blood a short time you are still flowing and it will show once out of the water in form of red watery drips and tampons take practice and relaxing the vaginal muscles to properly insert or it may fall out so you probly wont get the use down by the morning if you are not comfortable
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134578 tn?1693250592
COMMUNITY LEADER
Water pressure "stopping the flow" is an old myth, it doesn't work.  If you are having a heavy flow, it will just come out into the water.  And a pad or liner will just get bigger and look odd, and also stop being absorbent as soon as it is saturated with water.  You're likely to climb out of the pool with a soggy spongelike thing in your swimsuit, hopefully not accompanied by red drips.

The only thing you might do in order to swim is practice again with tampons, tonight or tomorrow morning.  Get the smallest size, the ones only about as big around as a pencil, marked "Junior" or "Lite Days" or whatever.  (I think Tampax even makes a mixed-size box, so you can get small ones along with larger ones and don't have to buy all the sizes separately.)  Get the kind with an applicator -- Tampax, with its smooth cardboard applicator, works well and doesn't pinch.  If you can, also buy a small tube of K-Y Jelly when your in the pharmacy section (it's sometimes stocked by the condoms), and dab a little onto the end of the tampon for lubrication when you insert it.  Then follow the instructions in the packet, and insert the tampon.  *Remember, if you can still feel it, you haven't pushed it in far enough.*  Once it's in, you really shouldn't find it uncomfortable at all.  Even if you don't wear tampons all the time after this, at least you can for swimming.

If this practice session makes the uncomfortableness of tampons go away, go on to your swimming party and just put in a new tampon right before you swim.  No hassle, no spongy wet pad, no problem.

If you don't like tampons because they are emotionally uncomfortable as opposed to just physically uncomfortable, then you might have to sit out the swimming.  A pad is just not going to do.

Good luck!!!

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Avatar universal
you shouldn't wear a panty liner while swimming. it will just soak up the water and it won't do you any good. I would just wait until you are comfortable using tampons.
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