Strangest Period Experience Ever

[thevelvetsun.livejournal.com]

I'll start by saying I've been stacking my birth control for about 5 months, but I stopped on Saturday, and my period started today.

The strangest thing happened when I was showering today. A huge blob of blood fell out, so big I could feel it coming out. Like almost 2 Tbsp worth. That was weird but I kind of ignored it and kept showering.

When my shower was over, I noticed it had collected in the little cup-like drain cover. Most of the blood had washed away, but it looked like there was something solid. So I picked it up. It felt like the slimy skin you'd take off a raw chicken or something. It was about 2.5 inches long by 1 inch wide, narrower at one end. Some parts were dark red, some were bright red, some were more peachy like skin. It was hollow on one side, like I could stick my finger in there.

What was it? I assume it was some kind of skin or membrane from inside my vagina, but I have no idea why. I've never had this happen before, because I definitely would have noticed when tossing my pads or tampons. I realize it's probably nothing dangerous, but I'm curious nonetheless.

Thanks for any answers you may have!

Comments

[archangelbeth]

Uterine lining, and not vaginal at all. Often it's very painful to pass a chunk of uterine lining (also known as a decidual cast, I believe), because it's so big that it makes the cervix unhappy. But apparently not always!

It is somewhat more common, when on HBC, to have a decidual cast like that, but it can happen even with a normal period.

If you poke around the tags for VP, there are other posts -- some with pictures!

[thevelvetsun.livejournal.com]

Woah, thanks for the info! I had no idea what it was called so I didn't know what to search for, now I do!

[queensugar.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a chunk of uterine lining! Sometimes, particularly when using hormonal birth control, progesterone can act on the uterus in such a way as to, basically, produce a chunk of tissue that comes out.

Documenting this phenomenon (because it's almost never discussed!) has been one of my little missions here at VP, and if you scan back through our Menstruation: General (http://vaginapagina.livejournal.com/tag/menstruation/periods) tag, there are probably six or seven posts with pictures showing other VPers' uterine lining chunks. I bet they'll look pretty familiar!

[thevelvetsun.livejournal.com]

The pics all look pretty similar to what I saw. I had nevvver heard about that happening before, so thanks for the info! If it had happened to me when I was younger I'm sure I would've been terrified.

[thevelvetsun.livejournal.com]

Also, it sounds like a lot of the posts in that tag talk about a lot of pain happening, which is interesting because I only experienced normal moderate cramping the whole day, not concentrated at a certain time. The human body is such a weird thing.

[anthylorrel.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you passed a clump of lining.

[thevelvetsun.livejournal.com]

Yep. I'd never heard about that happening before, which is why I was so confused! Thanks for the info.

[anthylorrel.livejournal.com]

No problem! Its really nothing to worry about unless you have uncontrollable bleeding with it. I get them all the time. They can be startling though!

[etxeberria.livejournal.com]

I stack 4 months at a time to combat pms and I get the same lining discharge. It kind of freaked me out at first!

[thevelvetsun.livejournal.com]

I wonder if stacking makes it more common than using HBC regularly?

[blewoutthestars.livejournal.com]

Yep, what everyone else said! I had one a few months back (there are pics on tmi_chix somewhere!) that looked just exactly as you described. I *did* get pretty bad cramps with it, but no worse than some I've had with a 'regular' period so I see no reason why some people shouldn't have only moderate pain.

[thevelvetsun.livejournal.com]

It's kind of fascinating. I always thought the cervix was a very small opening, so it's interesting that such a big thing could come out with no discomfort at all.

[cupcakegrrl.livejournal.com]

So glad I noticed this post. Had an experience like this a few years back. Freaked me out. Nice to finally know what it was