Two of the biggest things about the holidays is going on vacation or traveling to see family. Going away is always fun, but that all changes the moment you get your period. It quickly turns into one of those hilarious unexpected period stories. You end up pacing the bathroom thinking “do I run to the drug store? Do the toilet paper trick? Rummage the bathroom to look for any period product I can find?” Whether you’re going on vacation or seeing loved ones, packing for your period always involves planning ahead of time. Here’s how you can do that to avoid “that one time you had your period and panicked.”
Develop A Vacation Plan
It’s always important to look at your cycle and develop a strategy you can follow to avoid any bleeding through. While you should never be ashamed of bleeding through (because it’s a natural part that happens to all of us), you don’t want to leave a spot on the hotel sheets or your aunt’s guest room sheets.
Gather information about your cycle and use that information to think about what period products to bring with you on your trip and how many you should bring along too. Do they have a pool or hot tub? Bring tampons. Will you be hiking or walking around all day with no bathroom? Bring pads or period underwear. Whatever you’re doing, think if they’ll have a bathroom for you to use and determine from there.
Track Your Period Before Your Vacation
You should be tracking your period already and if you aren’t, now is a perfect time to start. You could do a 28 day calendar countdown or use an app that tracks your period for you. I use my Fitbit app to track your phone but most period trackers work the same way.
Put in the date you got your period and the app shows you when you’ll ovulate. It even predicts your next 3 periods based on the data you enter. What I really like about period trackers is you can also use it to log any other symptoms you may be feeling that day. These can pertain to how light or heavy your flow is, the symptoms you’re experiencing that day, your mood and what your vaginal discharge looks like. You can also track what type of intercourse you had, if you had a positive or negative ovulation test or if you took the morning after pill.
For Each Day, Pack 6 Products
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), you should change your pad every 4 to 8 hours. In the case of your period, it is always good to overpack rather than under pack, especially on vacation. If we do the math, every 4 hours would mean 6 changes in a day. While you may not run to the bathroom every 4 hours, it’s always a good idea to pack as if you are changing every 4 hours, especially if you have an unpredictable flow. You always want to be safe and prepared when it comes to your period. So if you’re going away for 5 days and have your cycle all 5 days, pack 30 pads and/or tampons to help you survive the trip.
Tell Someone You Have Your Period
This one is only if you’re staying at a family or friend’s house. You definitely want to tell who you’re staying with and trust about your period. Don’t just tell anyone about your period because you could feel a little awkward if they just shoo it off.
Tell someone who is currently menstruating or in menopause. They would understand what you’re going through and assist more than someone who’s never had it. Pull them aside and simply say “I have my period, could you show me where you keep your menstrual products or take me to a store where I can get menstrual products.” If you tell the correct person, you can feel comfortable knowing you have someone on your side.
Wear A Sustainable Period Product
Wearing a sustainable pad or period underwear ensures you have the protection you need. Sustainable products hold more than disposable period products so if you’re going to a light show or hiking somewhere, it’s probably best that you wear a sustainable product when doing so.
Remember, your period happens. While you can get mad that your period came at an inconvenient time, if you plan for it on your next family visit or vacation, it’ll be like you don’t even have it. So pack those disposable period products, sustainable products or even both for your next trip! You’re gonna need them.