Wearever Panties
This wonderful guest post by Jessica Harlow has her preparing for the Big M and one of its more disturbing symptoms: leakage and incontinence. She already has a remedy – enjoy!
Saving Common Cents For Menopause Goddesses
It’s coming…The Change.
I turn 40 in a few short months and I’m pretty sure I’m circling the target. The worst part of this promised physical and emotional upheaval? I have no idea what to expect or when to expect it.
Unbearable hot flashes, uncontrollable hormonal (and emotional) outbursts, uncomfortable weight gain, unexpected acne flare ups, unwanted facial hair…I’ve learned these are just a few of the unwelcome side effects.
I can’t expect my husband to relate or even begin to understand, despite his best efforts. He’ll get to go through this with me (lucky guy), but on the sidelines. I would more than likely look to my Mom for some guidance, but unfortunately she’s not here to figuratively hold my hand and tell me it’s okay and “normal”. I wish I’d thought to ask her questions about menopause when I had the chance. I miss her every day.
I’m left with being proactive. Researching on my own, finding supportive communities online, surrounding myself with other women (who are reluctantly pondering the same things) and educating myself on what to expect and how to handle it.
What I’m finding (so far) is there is an amazing amount of women my age asking the same scary questions, for example:
Am I really going to go 6 months without a period…just to be totally mortified in a white skirt at a parent teacher conference?
Will I be competing with my husband for the title of most facial hair?
Why will my jeans feel tighter even if the scales say I haven’t gained weight?
Honestly, peeing when I sneeze or cough?!
I was actually able to personally review Wearever’s reusable incontinence underwear. I wasn’t sure what to expect and I did get a smirk from my husband when I told him I was trying them out. The verdict? These panties were actually incredibly comfortable and no one could tell I was wearing them. There were no frumpy bumps and no plastic crinkling when I walked. And, they saved the day.
True story: After two hours running errands, I found myself in the last aisle at the grocery store. Picking up just a few things (with the kids in tow) is never as quick as it should be. I reluctantly passed the restroom and charged towards the registers. I really had to go, but the kids were bickering over who got to pick what flavor ice cream and it was escalating to an almost tantrum level. Definitely time to get going. I made it through an almost 10 minute checkout, another 5 minutes to get the groceries loaded and kids buckled in, drove 5 minutes home, got everyone out of the car, unlocked the door, bypassed the dog, and RAN to the bathroom…almost in time. It wasn’t a full on “peed my pants” episode, but if I hadn’t been wearing the incontinence panties…I would have been changing my pants for sure. And when you are potty training a 3 year old the last thing you want her to see is Mom peeing her pants too.
When it comes to beginning, enduring, and finishing Menopause there is no specific sequence of events, no check marked list of what to expect and when. Every woman is blessed with her own personal journey. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t share our anxieties, personal perspectives and first-hand knowledge with other women…like when we find a product that really works. Make a note: Wearever reusable panties are now on my list of menopause must-haves.
My attitude toward this inevitable journey is to find a way to embrace it. There’s no use fighting it or trying to flee. There are no detours from menopause. In one form or another, The Change is coming for all of us. So, it’s time for me to pull up my “big girl” panties (or Wearever reusable incontinence panties, as it may be) and get on with it.
Read more of Jessica’s tips for “Saving Cents While Living Life to The Fullest” on her blog. Click here: Saving Common Cents
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What a fantastic article! I will have to share this with my readers on FB, on my Problem solvers page on my site and in my Sept newsletter!
I hate the sneeze pee!
Me too, Delphina! And the laugh too hard pee.
Ha ha! Sorry, it is a little funny. Worrying about menopause and not even 40? Well, perhaps it is good to get ready but I think you have a few good years ahead of you before buying special panties. I do think it is a good thing to discuss with women because besides hot flashes, I admit I am totally unprepared for any changes to come.
I only wish I had thought about Menopause before it hit me upside the head. I actually thought that the Big M would be no big deal, how naive was I?
I remember a friend of mine who is dealing on almost the same situation. Such a great post, I enjoy reading it 🙂
Thanks, Leilani. It’s amazing how many women are dealing with this and have been afraid or embarrassed to speak up.
Fantastic write up I can only imagine it must be a scary time in a persons life when everything decides it must change again. x
Scary, but ultimately good. You end up questioning everything in your life when it seems that your very molecules change. Then you start doing the things you’ve always wanted and enjoying the Change. Menopause: it will set you free, but first it will piss you off!
I, too, am getting close to 40, and it is very nerve wracking not knowing exactly what to expect or when. Thanks for such a great post!
You are welcome, Alaina. We goddesses did not want other women to be as unprepared and unknowing as we were – that’s why we started the blog. We’re here if you need us.
Very cool product!! I have a while before I will need these for that reason…but recently having a kid…I still pee a little when I laugh!
Yes, Becca, I’ve heard that from so many women after pregnancy. And amazing how many young women have this problem too.
Great article/
Thanks, Asha!
I bet you felt sexy too when wearing those lacey undies 🙂 That’s nice that they worked for you.
Yep, prettier than Depends, that’s for sure.
Love it! I am only 24 so I have a ways to go. I like that you want to embrace this!!
Oh yes, Heather, you have a ways to go. And a lot of women don’t need these at all but it is sure nice to know they are there.
Great post, thanks for sharing! I’m not yet at the metopause phase of my life, but two natural births has sure made sneezing an adventurous task 🙂
Ha! Sneezing as adventure – love it, Heather!
Weeh! I am getting there also. Three years from now I’m going to wear that kind of undies.
Lucky for us, there is such a pretty solution now.
Menopause at 40? How Lucky! I’m 55 and just skipped my last two periods. The last one was a one-pad-per-day week event. Don’t worry about it when you’re young. Work on those pelvic floor muscles with the correct exercises and don’t forget to drink water. Concentrated urine can be nasty on a healthy bladder.
I had a few thicker hairs grow in at the corners above my lips only a few years back. I could never jump on a trampoline without peeing in my pants so be sure to exercise before you attempt it with kids or friends around. Those little exercise tramps are the worse, avoid them.
We get so busy with house work, kids and such we tend to put our own needs way down the list. If you are shopping and need to pee before leaving the store. Do it. Ask the kids to stay out of the way with the cart while you drag the baby with you and use the toilet. Paying bills and driving on a full bladder can also be dangerous and not worth the risk.
The best times for using the toilet in the store is as you enter and before the frozen foods and check out for obvious reasons. You are also setting an example to the kids and more than likely, you aren’t the only one that needs to go.
Great tips, Sarah. Thanks!
I really like Knock-Out panties. They are perfect for those uncomfortable times when there’s a bit of leakage. Well made and pretty too (even sexy!)