21 People Reveal The Weirdest Things They've Used In A Period Emergency

By Editorial Staff in Confessions On 24th February 2017
advertisement

#1 A pair of bikini bottoms

"My period arrived unexpectedly at university, when I had nary a toilet roll to my name. I did, however, have a pair of bikini bottoms in my drawer from a recent vacation, and figured they must be absorbent. So I climbed into them and dashed into town to buy some tampons. Turns out bikini bottoms aren't as absorbent as all that, and I had to tie my sweater around my waist to hide the spreading stain in my crotch. I was only wearing a T-shirt underneath and it was a the middle of winter, so yeah, I always carry tampons now."

#2 A bit of a diaper

"I got my period while wheeling my baby brother around [a department store], so I nipped into their baby-change bathrooms and tried to rip up one of his diapers while he looked on, nonplussed. Do you know how hard it is to rip up a diaper, though? Really, really hard. I hurt my arm doing that, and the worst part is that I can't tell anyone about the injury because it sounds so stupid."

advertisement

#3 An ENTIRE diaper

"Didn't know what to do, so shoved a whole diaper into my pants and walked with a very wide stance for the rest of the day. Really absorbent, though!"

#4 Folded-up paper towels from a restaurant bathroom

"I was in a long line for a busy bathroom, and when I got to the end I yanked loads of paper towels from the dispenser, then ran into the cubicle. When I came out I'm sure everyone in the line knew what was going on, because no one would meet my eye."

#5 McDonalds napkins

"I wasn't loving it :("

#6 Newspaper

"Do NOT recommend! SO uncomfortable!"

advertisement

#7 A sock

"I was caught short on a night out, and there was no toilet paper in the bathrooms. Cue some improvisation and one slightly cold foot on the walk home. The sock was discarded afterwards."

#8 A PAIR of socks

"I was on the train from London to Penzance with absolutely no sanitary items (although I did briefly consider my empty chips bag), so I used one sock for half the journey and the other for the other half. Immense sock-and-sanitary-towel shopping spree when I got to Penzance. Immense."

#9 My little sister's Winnie the Pooh flannel!

"I felt so bad, but I had a really heavy flow and folded-up toilet tissue just wouldn't have cut it. I have since replaced her flannel."

advertisement

#10 Travel tissue

"They are already handily folded into rectangles! Then I lined my pants with the plastic tissue packet to prevent the tissues leaking, and felt like a genius."

#11 Cotton wool and tape

"Double-sided the tape in the gusset of my pants and stuck the cotton wool on top of it. Lasted for hours! Felt like Bear Grylls or something!"

#12 A bath sponge

"Thought I was being clever by choosing the most absorbent item in the bathroom. However, it was shaped like a starfish and made me look as if I was smuggling bunnies in my leggings. Although I maintain that it was absorbent."

#13 Some gauze from a first-aid kit

"I stole it from work, praying that no one would have a serious cut later that day on my floor of the office."

#14 One of my mother's fancy linen napkins from Christmas Day :(

"As a side note, it should be made law for all mothers to have spare tampons in the bathroom when their children come to visit."

#15 Breast pads

"These are meant to be used by breastfeeding women in case of random spills, but when my period came without warning I snuck one from my sister's stash and put it in my pants. Felt weird, but worked."

advertisement

#16 A pair of incontinence pants

"(Don't ask)"

#17 A folded-up pizza menu

"(Don't ask either)"

#18 My boyfriend's T-shirt, folded up

"He was wearing a jumper but it was his favorite T-shirt, and he was awfully nice about it."

#19 A strip of cardboard packing from an Amazon package

"Not recommended for long periods! (Pun not intended)."

#20 Paper towels from the kitchen

"Really reliable and surprisingly comfortable, although I'm not sure how hygienic it was after being out in the kitchen the whole time."

#21 A leaf

"I got my period while camping. Luckily it wasn't a nettle or poison ivy leaf."