A bridge too far ...?

My friend gloomily refers to her knickers as a 'Three peg job', which made me laugh.

My mother was embarrassed about hanging knickers on the line to dry because our yard was visible from the street and from our neighbours' houses. She would hang them with 1 peg and close to the back door. Me, I open mine out with 2 pegs and usually have about a dozen or more flapping in the breeze. It might be the only thrill my elderly neighbours get these days.

When I buy mini towels (just in case) I've never really given much thought as to where they go in my shopping bag but I guess I wouldn't put them on top.
When I worked in an office one of the ladies would shove a sanitary towel surreptitiously up her cardigan sleeve and then go to the loo with her arm at a slightly strange angle for fear it would slip out. It's silly really to feel ashamed about them but that was our generation.

Quite agree and why do they always seem to be on at lunch time? I know perhaps we shouldn't have the tv on whilst eating but I do like to watch Loose Women with my lunch. Not so keen on the ads for bodily function apparatus though.

ladyinspain?...... Just don't tick the box for that particular item if you don't want it. I just tick box for required medication....

We used to call having our period 'handbag week' amongst my group of friends, because whatever you were doing, you always took your handbag to the loo with you.

Men do use incontinent pads,my Husband has just discovered them, and isnt embarrassed at all, in fact he is more sympathetic towards ladies who need panty liners/pads etc.

margarithea unfortunately pelvic floor exercises don't always work and an operation is necessary. My op left me with urge incontinence so when I need to go it's immediate. Doctors in England shrugged their shoulders but a lovely lady gynaecologist here didnt and tried me on different tablets until one was satisfactory. So now I just wear a light Tena pad 'in case'.

Purchased a box of TENA a few hours ago in the Chemist, the lady behind the counter asked if I would like a bag, but I declined as my car was outside the shop, if I had had to walk a distance I think I would have accepted.

Lovely to hear from you again bellsnwhistles.You were mentioned a few months ago at our meet up in Staines.We were talking about our earlier meetings in Dorking and the fact that sadly Gertie's has now closed. Sorry to hi-jack the thread.I am reading it with interest and agree with the OP.It is going too far.

grandtanteJE65 I was just thinking of posting that our granddaughters will probably find their mothers terribly coarse in their attitude to tampons, panty liners, Tena pads etc etc. These things go in cycles and by then the pendulum will have swung back to reticence about personal bodily functions.

I regularly openly carry packs of Tenas around. They are for my customers and I have never given it a moment's thought! Maybe I will now.?

There isn't anything embarrassing about it.
Its just personal, for me, anyway.
Coincidentally, some of the best care homes I've worked in take a very dim view of residents pads being left out on show in their rooms, or being discussed by staff in front of anyone other than the person they belong to.

Perhaps someone can explain exactly what is so embarrassing about having a period or going to the toilet? All women have a period. Everyone goes to the loo. So 50% of the population use tampons or panty liners or sanitary towels and EVERYONE uses loo paper.
Now farting while I walk (WTF??)...... that's embarrassing!

I buy my pads every 3 months or so, which means a number of packets in the delivery boxes. When the Tesco delivery driver said I'd emptied the shop haha, I really complained. It's not their place to comment on my shopping. This being upfront about personal stuff has gone too ar in my view.

Well, what a laugh I’ve had this afternoon. Brought back so many memories. I’ve done all those things with brown paper bags. My mother often used to say to me “standards, don’t lower your standards”. Applies to so many things now.

Oldbatty - Jenny Eclair is currently doing tv adverts about bothersome vaginas! It must be so awkward watching these with young children.

Reminds me of the old joke. 'I couldn't have any more children because of trouble with my fallopians.'

'What a shame. Keep jumping on the pram, did they?'

What the hell is a bothersome vagina!!

The adverts are getting even more personal - it seems we are now having trouble with a 'bothersome vagina!' ?

So, how is this for embarrassment. I recently advised to buy a more organic form of panty liner and ordered through Age Concern which were the cheapest. They subcontracted to a company called Choice Shops who delivered direct to me in a box emblazoned with not only the name of the product, but also the type of product and even what the product is used for. The poor delivery guy was so embarrassed, but not as embarrassed as I was. I immediately complained to both Age concern and Choice Shops and was offered quote 'in the way of a small apology' a postage refund which I think was £2 ish!! I hadn't written for monetary gain so I was even more insulted and offended. I have since received an apology from both (and a full refund!) but I hope that I never see the delivery man again. As it happens, I almost had to leave a note on my door to leave package with a neighbour as I thought I might be out so thank goodness I was in when it arrived or my whole village would know by now!!

For me, I'd just like a bit of dignity left.

Personally, I never wanted to walk around with STs or tampons on show, but I have accustomed myself to the fact that toilet paper is sold in transparent plastic bags, so large that they don't fit into a shopping bag.

I wouldn't want to walk around with ointment for haemorrhoids on display either, or tena or adult nappies, or condoms, but that's just me

Here in Denmark where young women in the 1970s and '80s saw no reason to keep their periods a secret, I notice that the younger generation now don't want to advertise it, and seem much shyer about discussing bodily functions or sex than we were.

Bodily functions are certainly not something to feel ashamed of (my mother also bought pads from the local draper in secretive mode involving a brown paper bag!) but I don't see that anyone needs to make a point of flashing tampons about, or discussing feminine matters openly. The problem - and I do see it as a problem - is that nothing at all is private now, everything has to be openly discussed, and on social media, and absolutely nothing is taboo. It's just not necessary. Rant over.

My mother has become incontinent over the years and she wouldn't go to see the Dr for years because of her embarrassment. This has impacted her life in so many ways but particularly her relationship because urinary overload in your pants is not often a sexually attractive attribute. It is attitudes about keeping it all private that contribute to her embarrassment. I'm not proud of my "OMG, I've sneezed" moments but I am not going to be embarrassed about the fact that age has made those moments somewhat damper than they used to be.