https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 05 May 2026 14:32:20 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2775017 Fri, 22 Sep 2017 21:03:45 +0000 MamaBear87 2775017@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Turtle: you can't buy them in the US, they aren't fda approved. Femininewear.uk has them on the regular though and she'll ship here.<br /> A little expensive but totally worth it </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2775006 Fri, 22 Sep 2017 20:09:32 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2775006@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaBear87: where did you get the merula cup? I can't seem to find it available in the US. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2775004 Fri, 22 Sep 2017 20:05:57 +0000 lady baltimore 2775004@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@irene: I'm with you - I just can't wrap my mind around putting a tampon in when I already have a tampon in. I don't know where it would go that I wouldn't run into the one already in there! :silly: </p> <p>That said, I am a semi-recent cup convertee (in conjunction with cloth pads). I actually find a menstrual cup to be much cleaner than tampons! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774991 Fri, 22 Sep 2017 19:16:32 +0000 irene 2774991@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh this is too funny, A few years ago I went for a pelvic exam also just to make sure I didn't leave a tampon in! Haha!</p> <p>I haven't read the comments above - but I am quite convinced that I probably won't be able to do that with my lady parts (forgetting the original one and insert another one in). There was indeed a time I forgot I already had one in and attempted to put another one in, you felt the cotton thread from the other and you will stop! Haha. I think it will be quite a lot of push I need to do in order to push the old one all the way in to fit the new one -- i have to be really drunk and I don't drink that much haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774948 Fri, 22 Sep 2017 15:01:26 +0000 Mrsbells 2774948@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks everyone. Yes I have been reading up about menstrual cups as well and see some of the risks you guys have mentioned. Why cant we just not have periods haha </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774917 Fri, 22 Sep 2017 12:07:49 +0000 PawPrints 2774917@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Another option! <a href="https://www.shethinx.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.shethinx.com/</a></p> <p>I haven't tried them, but am seriously considering it for when I eventually start having periods again, since I have a friend who nearly died of sepsis due to tampon use. I've been using menstrual cups for years but as mentioned above there's a risk any time you insert something and leave it there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774907 Fri, 22 Sep 2017 11:41:47 +0000 MamaBear87 2774907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BadgerMom: Thank you for being more eloquent than me ☺.<br /> I had always heard that tampons have a much higher risk than anything else because they create tiny tears when getting pulled in and out. Cups are safer because they don't do that but you still want to take it out and rinse every 12 hours </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774904 Fri, 22 Sep 2017 11:39:07 +0000 MamaBear87 2774904@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrsbells: glad to help! Hope I wasn't overwhelming. This is totally my soap box, I was super hesitant for years and wish I hadn't been </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774903 Fri, 22 Sep 2017 11:38:58 +0000 BadgerMom 2774903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just to you're aware, although there are MANY MANY benefits to using a menstrual cup vs a tampon, menstrual cups also come with the risk of TSS if not used properly. Tampons don't cause TSS, they just create a favorable environment for staph bacteria (the cause of TSS) to grow. The risk of creating a favorable environment increases with the insertion of any foreign body into the vagina including menstrual cups, tampons, diaphragms, sponges, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774902 Fri, 22 Sep 2017 11:37:52 +0000 sauerkraut 2774902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Happened to me in college once. I came home from a road trip at the very end of my period, and in the jumble of driving, getting home, and unpacking, I either put two in and only took one out or thought I had taken one out and didn't. I had no idea until I had sex a few weeks (!!) later, and the morning after, the wayward tampon had worked its way down and I felt it and removed it when I went to the bathroom in the morning. I was fortunately no worse for the wear, but I was always super careful after that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774900 Fri, 22 Sep 2017 11:29:24 +0000 catomd00 2774900@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This happened to my friend. It was stuck up there a good week before she realized and apparently it was a horrifying experience when she had it removed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774899 Fri, 22 Sep 2017 11:26:07 +0000 Mrsbells 2774899@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaBear87: thanks for that information. Thats super helpful. I am gonna go over to google now and look them up </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774867 Fri, 22 Sep 2017 09:05:13 +0000 MamaBear87 2774867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrsbells: the short version is its a cup made of medical grade silicone, you'll want to get a quality one to make sure it's medical grade. You fold it up and insert it, it fits under your cervix and suctions just a bit. You can leave it in for up to 12 hours depending on your flow. You empty rinse and reinsert.<br /> I boil mine between cycles and you should replace them every 5 to 10 years.<br /> The idea of them freaked me out but once I started using one it was insanely easy and no trash. I never have to worry if I remembered a tampon while out. If I have to change in a public restroom I just use a baby wipe and reinsert if there are stalls.<br /> The merula is an awesome cup for any cervix height.<br /> Sorry for the novel! I just think cups are awesome and they saved me from solely using cloth pads after I had my little because tampons pretty much stopped working for me with the change in my flow.<br /> I'm happy to answer any other questions you have </p> <p>Oh and virtually no risk of tss! Because it collects not absorbs. (There's been 1 case maybe connected but I believe the woman had also been using tampons) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774854 Fri, 22 Sep 2017 07:49:30 +0000 Mrsbells 2774854@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@beachlilly: @Mrs. Lemon-Lime: @DesertDreams88: @cyndistar3: Haha glad I'm not the only one! Yes I'm terrified for tss too. I avoided tampons for years until after DD.</p> <p>@lamariniere: @Portboston: @MamaBear87: Thanks for all the cup recommendations. I feel like i need to educate myself more on the cup because I;ve heard of it and read about it but I still feel like i dont understand how it works. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774827 Thu, 21 Sep 2017 21:49:56 +0000 beachlilly 2774827@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This actually happened to me in college. I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but I think I was out one night and thought I had taken one out, so I put another one in. This was at the very end of my period, so I took the newer one out later and then didn't have to use any more. After WAY longer than I would like to admit, I was having weird symptoms and thought I had a yeast infection or something. So I went to the Dr. and she found that I still had a tampon in! It was so embarrassing! She said I was pretty lucky to not have TSS, but said this happens more frequently than you would think. They gave me a round of pretty strong antibiotics. This was years ago, and I'm still mortified! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774814 Thu, 21 Sep 2017 19:36:42 +0000 lamariniere 2774814@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just chiming in to also suggest switching to a cup! It’s so much more practical and economical than tampons! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774809 Thu, 21 Sep 2017 19:03:57 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2774809@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Actually this happened to me once not too long ago. All I can say was that I probably left the first one in too long that I thought I needed a tampon altogether not a replacement. When I got the holdover it was gross. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774800 Thu, 21 Sep 2017 18:48:46 +0000 DesertDreams88 2774800@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I put a 2nd one in once, and then realized it 6 hours later went I removed the one. TSS scares me, my friend got it in high school and she was out of school for SO many weeks and then had to be put on heavy medication that basically stopped her cycle/hormones for 6 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774790 Thu, 21 Sep 2017 18:04:34 +0000 cyndistar3 2774790@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I put a second one in once and that was enough for me, then I was always terrified that I would do it again. I switched to a cup over a year ago and it has been all around better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774778 Thu, 21 Sep 2017 16:32:39 +0000 Miss Ariel 2774778@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With pregnancy and nursing it's been almost 4 years since I've needed to use one. But I remember in high school taking one out and being shocked I still had another one in! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774771 Thu, 21 Sep 2017 15:26:48 +0000 Portboston 2774771@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No. I always knew when I had one in because they made me sick!!! I switched to a cup and haven’t looked back. I highly recommend it. Once you get over the gross factor, it’s soooooo much better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774752 Thu, 21 Sep 2017 14:14:18 +0000 MamaBear87 2774752@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Switch to a menstrual cup! So much more comfortable and better for you and the environment. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774745 Thu, 21 Sep 2017 13:43:16 +0000 peachykeen 2774745@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No but I was always super paranoid about it! I still haven't gotten my period back after DD2 but I'm not sure my 2 kid mom brain can handle tampons anymore... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/retained-tampons#post-2774735 Thu, 21 Sep 2017 12:47:02 +0000 Mrsbells 2774735@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Over the weekend I drove myself crazy because I couldnt remember if I took out a tampon before putting the next one in. Of course I googled it and horrified myself. I ended up going in for a pelvic exam on monday just to clear my mind and turned out i had taken it out. But my OB told me its surprisingly common that people leave them in for weeks and forget about them! I am so scared of tss I didnt realize it was that easy to retain a tampon and not know about it. I think thats scaring me off them a bit.<br /> Have any of you forgotten a tampon in or accidentally put in two? </p>