The lowdown on tea???

[achtungbaby80.livejournal.com]

All right, I've done search after search on this site as well as read through the FAQs and I can't seem to find the information I need, so if anyone can point me to it, I would greatly appreciate it!  Basically, I've been on a tea kick lately, but I avoid the green tea because I heard/read that it can compromise your protection if you are on HBC.  What about black tea and white tea, though?  I'm not currently sexually active and haven't been for a bit, but it's always a possibility and I don't want to make my pills useless by guzzling this tea.  Also, what's the deal with green tea--is it true that it adversely affects birth control because it supposedly speeds your metabolism, or is that just something somebody came up with to freak everyone out?  Thanks, everybody!

Period ?

[beachgurl122.livejournal.com]

Just curious...Could stress make your period LIGHTer then usual??? I had it for a week now, but it's not it's usual heaviness...Thanks Girls!

weird smelling pee; bloating (the two hopefully unrelated!)

[loveofdaisies.livejournal.com]

okay. so, I know that UTI's can have varying symptoms and things, and I'm suspsecting that's what it is, but I wanted to post here and double check.

I've had some rancid smelling pee over the past few weeks. truly horrifying. the best way I can think to describe it is cat pee. god.

it's not normal. I'd say it's been smelling this way (on and off, some days more, the other days not as much) for about a month?

however, I've had no pain. I haven't had the need to pee more frequently. the only thing off is the smell.

is that a UTI, or something else? I know it can't be normal. or if it is, god help me. I'll just keep a can of air freshener with me at all times.

secondly, BLOATING.

is it normal to have more extreme bloating during some menstrual periods as opposed to others?

my stomach is as round as a basketball, and has been since I started my period.

I kind of pride myself on my flat stomach, so it's bugging me. I've even had to unbutton the top button my jeans the past few days.

or hell, maybe I'm just gaining weight.

but stillll. is there anything I can do to lessen the bloating? more water? less salt? stand on my head? I'll do anything at this point.

thanks girls!

Hair removal

[nildro.livejournal.com]

So, I was out shopping today and stumbled upon a product for hair removal. It's called "Moom" and it looks waaay too good to be true. All organic hair removal that smells like lavendar and leaves skin hair free for up to two months. Has anyone tried this product and had good results? I'd like to give it a try as shaving my bikini area is a massive pain in my butt but I don't have the money for a professional wax.
Thanks!

Best at-home Hair Removal

[how-will-it-end.livejournal.com]

So i'm thinking about waxing my legs and other body parts myself.  What would you recommend?  What works best for legs?  And what works best for bikini area?

Any information would be much appreciated!
TIA

The Pill and Time

[giggles37.livejournal.com]

I recently got the pill from my local planned parenthood, and I tried to get the pill early because I'm going on a trip to Europe for 3 weeks (without family or anything) and I wanted to figure out how it made me feel before I left. Unfortunetly, I was not aware that they say you should use the Sunday after you start your period method, and since I will be getting my period sometime during the first week of my trip, I find this to be very unfortunate.

However, my real question is about time because of the time changes. I have to look up the change but I am going to France, Italy, and Greece, and I believe that France and Italy are 5 hours ahead and Greece is 6.

I'm trying to figure out how to schedule taking the pill conveniently there and having it at a convenient time when I come back how. I read that the pill is best to take at night or around dinner to avoid nausea, so maybe I should try to take the pill around 11 pm there and when I come back it will be around dinner time that I will be taking the pill.

My question is, what exactly do they mean by taking the pill at the same time each day. Does that mean at the exact same time or roughly within the same 2 hour span each day?

IUD

[lunarflame.livejournal.com]

I've been on the pill for nearly 6 years. I do not like this. I HATE the idea of being on hormones for such a long time.

I am considering getting an IUD. I read the vulvapedia, and scanned some memories, but I'd really like to hear some personal experiences with the IUD.

Have you had them fall out? Is insertion painful? Have you gotten pregnant on it? Please share your opinions and experiences. thanks.

Today sponges -- remotely reusable?

[laurensellscorn.livejournal.com]

A curious thought emerged in my head when I read about women washing and reusing one Instead cup for a whole period with no ill side effects. On the package, it says that they cannot be reused.

I was researching OTC female options and those little Today fuckers are expensive! 24 sponges for $70! Ridiculous, in my opinion.. I could never afford that! I was curious.. would it be possible to thoroughly rinse, let dry, rewet, and re-saturate one with spermicide? I mean, spermicide = all around germ killer, right? But, I've also read the sponges rip and fall apart easily, so it may be a bit of a moot point anyway. I thought it might be worth a thought, since Meditteranean women did the same thing with natural sea sponges..

Any thoughts? I'm not seriously considering this by a longshot, but my frugality begs the question. :P

pain on ovary?

[solipglossed.livejournal.com]

For about two months now I've had pain on the left side, I'm assuming it's my ovary. It comes and goes but sometimes it's sharp pain. I'm planning on trying to get an appointment sometime soon, but in the meantime what could it be and what can make it feel better?

I'm on ortho to keep my face clear, and no sex if that helps any. No stds. Currentlly on my peroid, and using menstrual cup. It hurts at the moment, but I don't have to be on my peroid for it to hurt.

help. please.

[punkemogurl-xo.livejournal.com]

2 days ago i seen my bf (we are long distance so we decided to make the most of our time) i gave him a blowjob and afterward he wanted to finger me,but i didnt really want him to yet mostly because my pubes were very bushy and i was embarassed so i told him i wasnt ready...so he just felt me through my jeans (though he did it really hard at times) this went on for a while.

now my clit, mostly the right side is very sore and swollen. it hurts when i walk and it kills me to sit down, i have to try and lean all my weight on my ass. i get a little relief if i cross my legs really hard.

its not possible that its a STD or anything, im guessing some kind of infection or maybe it just got irritated from all the rubbing? but please help me if you have any idea what it might be. i cant afford 80 euros to see my doctor and then another 50 for the medication if its something that can be treated easily.

Breakthrough bleeding?

[shortygirl0509.livejournal.com]

My period isn't due for another week, but I'm having a brown discharge similar to the kind I get at the beginning/end of my period. There's no odor nor is there any itching. I was wondering if there would be any other explanation other than breakthrough bleeding. I take my pill [Loestrin 24] at the same time every day, and I've never had any breathrough bleeding on this pill before.

Thank you. This community is amazing. =)

Horny or need to pee?

[kimberle.livejournal.com]

Ok, this is a horribly immature question, but how do some of you tell the difference from when you are starting to feel horny and when you need to pee? I usually know mentally before I know physically, but there are times when I can't always tell... anyone else? Anyone?

HBC/First time pelvic woes

[http://users.livejournal.com/_littlestranger/]

I'm 19 and sexually active and my regular doctor told me that it's time to get a pelvic, but I'm still freaked out about it. Is there anything painful or awkward that I should be prepared for?

Also, what are your experiences with alternative HBC (the patch, nuvaring, etc)? I'm a college student and my schedule is generally kind of bonkers so I'm not sure if the Pill is the right way to go, but I don't really like the idea of the patch and I've never been able to find my cervix.

Just HOW much does HBC increase your boob size?

[ms-octopus-lady.livejournal.com]

I have never been fitted for a bra before, and it always seemed like around 34Bs fit me best. Well, my roommates INSISTED that I, in fact, did not have B size boobages, I was definitely larger. Thanks to their prodding, I finally made my way over to Nordstroms and asked for a fitting.

Well, it turns out, to my shock and confusion, that I am actually a 32D. I wasn't expecting that in the least. I've always had relatively big boobs, but they were never THAT big, or so I thought. I have been on the pill for almost exactly a year now, and it seems like that have gotten bigger since I've been on it. But then again, it was around that time that I started taking the pill that I was getting to know myself sexually. Before, I never really thought too much about my boobs, but now, I'm very aware of them, so maybe they just seem bigger to me because I have been...getting to know them better, if that makes sense.

Basically, my question is, has anyone experienced this kind of significant change in their boobs while on the pill?