Tampon using help

[anonyteen.livejournal.com]

Oh, right. I'm a month-over-14 year old girl.

Um, I'm going to a four-day camp on Monday, and I'm excepting my period to still be here when we go [I got it on Monday, last week, but mine always last awhile, and right now it seems like it's still going to be here..] and we're going to be swimming a lot..

..And my problem, I guess, is that I've never used a tampon before.. and I've tired to use them before.. and I can't. Is there anything I can try doing? Something I'm doing wrong, perhaps?

Any type of help, or anything, would be appreaciated..

Edit I've read all the comments, and I wouldn't know what to say to most of you, other then thank you. I think my first problem trying to use one, was not talking to my mom, or anything, first, and just stealing one from her, and trying to do it. Haha. But, thank you all for your comments, and they are VERY appreaciated.

Comments

[mercurygrrl.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry if this doesn't help, but I've never had a problem with using them, but here goes:

Have you read, and done as it says in the manual?

I recently bought Tampax with applicator (which is not normal in Norway, but I was curious) - they might be better if you don't have much experience..?

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[rockstarbob.livejournal.com]

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[birdie-82.livejournal.com]

http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/tampon.html is a link to using your first tampon. As with anything, it may not go perfectly the first time so make sure you have a few to try with. I know it took me a few tries to get it right at first, and once I did I was like 'Oh, well THERE now, that wasn't so hard'

Mostly, try and relax, don't wipe away too much stuff beforehand, since it helps lube up the vagina and is thus much, much easier to insert, especially if you are using a kind without an applicator like o.b.

Good luck :-)

[goldendarkness.livejournal.com]

I'm 22, from Asia, and I tried using a tampon when I was 20, to no success. However, I've always wanted to learn. Thanks for this info!

[xochiquetzl]

It's hard to tell what you could be doing wrong, if anything, from your description, but... are you trying to insert them at the wrong angle? It's not perpendicular to the floor, but more at an angle--the instructions say "towards your back," which I don't think is that helpful, but I can't come up with anything better.

[birdie-82.livejournal.com]

I think the best way to describe it would be that the tip of the tampon that you are inserting is pointing right to the top of your buttcrack. That's just my method thought :-)

[xochiquetzl]

That works! :)

[uniqueanlovinit.livejournal.com]

try putting one leg up on the toliet when you do and a make sure you put pretty far up so its more comfortable

[mermaiddrowning.livejournal.com]

I personally think this is the easiest way to insert a tampon. First put a little bit of spit or lube on the tip of the tampon or tampon applicator and your vaginal opening and then squat, and insert the tampon. I find squatting (instead of putting your leg on the toilet seat) makes a big difference. It really helps to shorten the length of your vagina and ensures that the tampon is all the way in.

Also, if you don't feel squimish about your body, wash your hands and under your nails very thoroughly and stick your finger inside of your self before inserting the tampon so you can get a feel of the direction the tampon will go in you. It will give you a better idea for when you do insert the tampon.

[goldendarkness.livejournal.com]

SUPER helpful for someone like me who has been unsuccessful with tampons. THANK YOU! =)

[mermaiddrowning.livejournal.com]

You're very welcomed!! I remeber how difficult it was for me the first time I used a tampon.

[wingsoflace.livejournal.com]

I would also try some lubricant on the applicator, if you can get ahold of some petroleum jelly (vaseline) that would work fine! If you can't manage to get it in, I always just take my pad off before swimming and just go. Tampons will absorb the water in the pool while you're swimming, so I don't really see the difference! Then I just slip a pad without wings on after I get out, no big deal :) but I can see how that would be annoying if you're getting in and out, etc.

[mollyester.livejournal.com]

Tampons will absorb the water in the pool while you're swimming, so I don't really see the difference!

Tampons don't absorb the water, since they're inside rather than outside. This is why lots of people prefer using tampons when they're swimming, etc.

[mermaiddrowning.livejournal.com]

Agreed!

[wingsoflace.livejournal.com]

Really? I didn't know that, I was just guessing.. I know some water usually gets up there while I'm swimming, so I just assumed the tampon would get wet too ;)

[scien.livejournal.com]

I always just take my pad off before swimming and just go.

That's not an option for some of us, we just bleed too damn much :) and tampons don't generally fill with water, most menstruating women use them for swimming.

[wingsoflace.livejournal.com]

Really? I was just hypothesizing, I've never swum with a tampon before :)

Yeah, I just generally have a medium flow, so I tend to be okay. Nothing running down my leg when I get out, so I'm pretty much cool, lol.

[scien.livejournal.com]

Well, do you find yourself filling with water inside when you go swimming? no? there you go then :)

And hah, oh, to live like that! I'd get blood on my legs/in the pool within ten minutes. It's fine, that's what the Mooncup is for...

[wingsoflace.livejournal.com]

You know, I was thinking of buying a cup just for swimming.. it would be really nice and convenient :)

[scien.livejournal.com]

They have a bit of a steep learning curve, but once you get the hang of them they're invaluable :) good luck if you do.

[anonyteen.livejournal.com]

But, if your bleeding, won't it get in the water? And especially if your swimming with other people.. wouldn't that be, erm.. discusting? In a sort of way? Although, I see if your not bleeding a lot, it would be okay.. but it was like huge globs on blood.. -no sence-..

We're swimming in a lake, which was discrubed as 'black' [the water colour] so, I don't think that would matter much.. but still. I wouldn't want anyone to noice.

[wingsoflace.livejournal.com]

Well, you actually bleed very little on your period, less than you would think! (of course this varies person to person, but still.)

I've gone swimming in very clear water, and I was totally fine.. I wasn't leaving a little trail of blood behind me like you might think, lol! As for it being "gross", menstrual blood is completely sanitary, and you're in a huge lake, so it would be diluted so much that it wouldn't even matter :)

[auraesque.livejournal.com]

Petroleum jelly is probably not the best thing to use for lubrication. It's very greasy, and just not something I'd want near my vagina. KY jelly and other lubes are designed for that purpose, and they are available at any grocery store.

OP: You've gotten so much great advice. Best of luck!

[wingsoflace.livejournal.com]

Well, vaseline is sort of a household item.. I assumed since she's fourteen she most likely dosen't have a job or transportation to get to a store to buy 'proper' lubricant. Better than nothing at all, it was just a suggestion :)

no to vaseline

[jbberish.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't recommend vaseline, but something water based -- ky or other lube would be better.

Re: no to vaseline

[wingsoflace.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, but since she's fourteen and most likely dosen't have a job or transportaion, I assumed she'd need to improvise a bit :) for anyone who can get to a better lubricant, though, this is good info.

Re: no to vaseline

[jbberish.livejournal.com]

KY is pretty cheap, and available in grocery stores. It's something her folks may even have around the house -- nip a bit for tampon use if you can't talk to mom.

However, maybe she can talk to mom (unlike me at that age!!!) -- it's a lot less embarrassing to ask mom for KY to help insert tampons than to ask for a trip to the doctor for a bacterial infection caused by vaseline.

Another alternative is to not wipe all of your natural lubrication away when using the bathroom, and rub the tip of the tampon in it to slick it up. I use ob, and have done this occassionally when I'd be too dry otherwise to comfortably insert.

[geminigirl]

You may have to experiement with different types and brands of tampons before finding one that's comfortable for you-they're different shapes and sizes to start, and different applicators feel different. Don't just assume that you should ones that Mom/best friend/sister uses. I like to insert tampons sitting on the toilet and leaning back, or with one foot on the edge of the tub (I find that height better than the edge of the toilet.) If you're comfortable, you might want to try the applicatorless OB tampons, which are shorter than most other tampons, and expand a little differently inside you.

[alitaorg.livejournal.com]

i second all of this. the first time i tried to use a tampon, it was my friend's jumbo super plus that looked more like a missile. it hurt A LOT. so don't use one of those, and definitely try to lubricate it. it sounds gross, but the more you're bleeding, the more slippery you'll be and the easier the tampon will be to insert. i also think that plastic applicators slide in easier than cardboard, but that could just be me.

even with all that, you do probably have a hymen of some size that might it a snug fit the first couple of times. it will stretch over time and make tampon-using easier - i know mine did, and i was wearing tampons for years before i tried sex. just take it slow the first few times, be gentle, and don't be afraid to waste a few tampons in the process.

good luck! ;)

[olesotia.livejournal.com]

your icon is amazing. that is all.

[alitaorg.livejournal.com]

yes, i loves it too. =) it was happily passed to me, so it's free for the taking.

[rebbles.livejournal.com]

oh my god i am in love with that icon. princess bride lover/bush hater. *high five*

but the tampon issue: try using one of the playtex ones that's designed to be really skinny. it really helps. then if your flow is too heavy, try something different.

just say no to vaseline

[jbberish.livejournal.com]

From http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/2015.html:

In fact, when mixed with water, petroleum-based care products get a little looser, but they also hang around, allowing bacteria, body fluids, lint, etc. to make their homes in vaginas, anuses, and on penises the world over. This can lead to infections in and around these areas — an outcome not so hilarious to their hosts.

Using petroleum jelly and oil-based products as lubricants on condoms can also make for sticky situations, as they tend to break down latex (the stuff that many condoms are made of), making them less effective in protecting against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Water-based lubricants intended for vaginas, clitorises, et al., abound in drug stores and sex shops off and on line. Some lubes are definitely better than others, so you might want to sample and test a few out to see which one(s) slide right for you and/or your partner. Rolling a little lube between your thumb and index finger will give you a pretty good idea of which ones work; if it dries and gets sticky quickly, you might want to shelve it. But, if it takes a lickin' and keeps on slippin', you've got your brand.

[bronwe.livejournal.com]

Make sure you're using one with a plastic applicator, or no applicator at all. If you're using one with an applicator, put some lube on it, and just push it gently up your vagina. Make sure the applicator is all the way in before you push the tampon out.

[juliesgotagun.livejournal.com]

yes use one of the tampax 'pearl' ones, the applicators are smooth plastic and very easy to use.

[yamantha.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was going to say this. The first time I tried to use a tampon it had a cardboard applicator and it WOULD NOT GO IN! Then I tried the Tampax Pearls and I am hooked.

[newperspectives.livejournal.com]

My first tampon experience was at a summercamp when I was about 14. I was incredibly nervous, hadn't talked to anyone about using tampons, but knew I wouldn't have enough room in my camp trunk for pads (nor would I want to wear them while horseback riding etc), so I packed tampons.
Took me about 15 minutes to get the first one in right, and it was uncomfortable at first, but not awful. Got the hang of it pretty quickly though.
Best of luck to you- it can be done!

[ic-shy-girl.livejournal.com]

This is off topic, but I'm so, so impressed that at 14, you're comfortable asking questions and stuff about your body on the internet! I was so horribly shy when I was your age and if i'd just had the courage to ask about stuff, i would have been so much better off.

I hope this doesn't sound patronizing. I just think it's rocking!!

Everyone else has said what I was gonna say, but I just wanted to through out some kudos to you for your maturity and stuff. Good luck!

[eyeninetyfive.livejournal.com]

use a mirror, it will take some practice. i couldn't use a tampon until i was 17 then i tried with a mirror and BOOM! haha good luck

[shhstupid.livejournal.com]

Crouch down on the floor and push it in from all the way underneath you instead of sitting on the toilet or standing up with one foot up! Worth a shot, worked for me and I didn't think I could use tampons either.

[shhstupid.livejournal.com]

Also, make sure you try the smallest kind you can find? I used to just take random tampons I found around the house and try them, they were big and painful and wouldn't go in even half an inch and I didn't know any better. ^^ The super small ones are a incredibly different and easier.