What do you do if you don't have a pad or a tampon with you and you start your period (and you aren't at home)?

If you start your period and you aren’t at home and you don’t have a pad or tampon with you, you’re not in as bad of a situation as you may think you are. What’s comforting about having a period is knowing that half of the world is going through or has gone through the same thing. So, take advantage of that. Don’t feel too shy or embarrassed to walk up to another girl/woman and ask them if they have a spare tampon or pad handy. All of us ladies have been through one sticky situation or another, so it’s almost as if we look out for one another. Every girl hates having stained pants just as much as the rest.

This has happened to me countless times; although I advise everyone to be prepared, many times I am not. So thank goodness for any bathroom stall with toilet paper. I take it and roll it into a huge pad and place it I my underwear. It is not the most comfortable feeling but it beats the alternative for sure. If I am lucky enough to have a jacket or hoodie, and it has bled through, I tie it around my waist. The best alternative is to ask a friend or even another girl in the bathroom if they might have a liner or tampon. My daughter shrieked when I told her I asked for one recently from a stranger. ”But Mom, you didn’t even know her!” Well are all in this together and she had no problem helping me out, so just in case you feel the same way, just try it.

First, I would ask a friend for help. We all have been in this predicament before. I would be all too happy to help a fellow girlfriend in need. Picture a friend, acquaintance or even a stranger walking up to you asking if you have a pad or tampon she could have. Knowing what it is like to need one, we are all too happy to be able to help another. I have actually felt really bad when I have been asked and didn’t have anything to offer. If you don’t have anyone you can ask, there are still other options. If you’re sitting on the toilet and realize you just started your period, there are no women around to ask, try this. Start unrolling toilet paper, place one end on your underwear right where you would place a pad (if you had one) and start wrapping around and around. Then with the loose ends tie a knot on the underside of your underwear. Repeat a second time. This self-made pad should last long enough to get you through until you can stop by a store or go home for a change.