What do you call sanitary towels?

I used the discrete advert the London Rubber Company used to place in women's magazines to get their free booklet (sent in a plain envelope) about methods of contraception.

It got passed round my convent boarding school so that we were all left school generally knowing far more than other girls. When I went to university, I was quite shocked by the general ignorance that prevailed.

Shinamae

My aunt used to say “are you unwell?”

That was the term used a lot in my youth
''I have turned unwell''
We also celled pads Dr White's
When I was in hospital having my first baby I can remember an older midwife referring to them as ''Manhole covers''.I will probably get flamed for saying that but this was what she called them. '

They were just "pads" in our house. I soon moved on to Tampax with the horrible cardboard applicator as our games mistress was adamant that periods were no excuse for missing swimming lessons. Towards menopause I used a mooncup and wished that they had been available years before.
I now wear pants similar to period pants for occasional bladder leaks. They are fabulous and save money and the planet.

Back in the day They were just called Dr Whites.

I call them pads or towels. I use the cloth pads or a Mooncup although my periods are now few and far between. My preteen uses period pants which are great.

My mum called them “ things”.
Having a period was” having a pain”. I was lucky in that I rarely did have any period pain.

Luckygirl3

I am intrigued by the whole period pants thing - I used two large tampons and two max pads at the same time and still used to flood the bed! - how in earth do period pants suffice!!??

My periods were so light that I could have worn them.
But my poor granddaughter suffers terribly with heavy periods.
She is on medication and has a Drs certificate to show the school for her first 1/2 days of her period. On those days she just sleeps and sleeps.

When I started my periods just called them Dr Whites they where horrible and you had to wear a sanitary belt which double hooks on back and front. So glad when the stick to your pants sort came out. But there where thick and bunched up. Glad when I had total hysterectomy aged 38 never had to wear them again.

My husband went to buy them for me once from a chemist and the woman wanted to wrap them up so he wouldn't be embarrassed . But my husband was never embarrassed so walk out holding them high so everyone could see. Normally got them from the supermarket he brought our daughters to.

Why is that everything has to be so PC nowadays? Takes all the fun out of life.

Dr Whites in my teenage years too.

When my own children were very small they were 'Mummy's nappies' so sometimes we were all in nappies at the same time!

A friend of mine always called them manhole covers. I found it funny but a bit shameful...

Weren't those belts and thick pads horrible and uncomfortable. I absolutely hated having a period, and we did PE in our navy knickers and you could see who was wearing one. When I was 15 I got a stretchy bikini and I used to wear the bottom part when I had a period, so comfy , held the pad securely. I could never master tampons.

STs in the 50s and 60s., and our periods were a visit from ‘Aunt Jane’. My mother never mentioned either..

My mum and gran always said "unwell" too. My sister and I used to say "I've come on". I always remember a nurse coming to our school doing health checks, and she asked each girl "Do you have a monthly visitor?" We joked about that one for years!

This reminds me of my son when he was a cub. Probably about 9. They were asked to make up a First Aid kit and he has always been very independent so found a plastic box made a label with a big red cross and wrote First Aid to decorate it.

He then went round the house collecting plasters, safety pins, etc. unknown to me he included a sanitary towel neatly packed like everything else. He came home and said he got top marks but the leader said that item wasn’t needed. Poor kid thought it was some sort of bandage or dressing.

I can remember we also called them planks - it was certainly like having a plank between your legs!

My mum worked in a MacVities factory and said one afternoon they were all heading out of the factory after work, and a young boy was outside waiting for his mum. He'd been to the dentist, had a tooth extracted, and gone home to find something to stop the blood. He was standing there with a sanitary towel across his mouth, and a loop round each ear!

My periods where so heavy from first the first one,nightmare at school,I used to have to wear plastic pants that you could get as well,many times sent home from school due to flooding.
I had a total hysterectomy at 40,I cant imagine period pants and a mooncup being adequate when superplus tampons and maternity towels couldnt contain and I would go through a box of 40 and and 2 packs of towels in the first two days.
The relief I felt at not having to stay home for 3 days every month was liberating.

I'm one of many daughters, periods were constant in our home. Dad bought supplies on errands during lunch or after work (mum didn't drive). I don't remember the name to the pads.

S.Ts or tampons back in the day, depending on which you used. I have a friend called ST and I have never told her ( she has an unpronounceable name, everyone calls her ST ).

STs. I moved on very early - certainly by 16 - to tampons, in spite of my mother telling me dubiously that she didn’t think you could use them until you were married. 😉

A slightly older friend once told me that at maybe 10, she found some strange white things in one of her mother’s drawers. They looked rather like the little hats that were fashionable at the time - and even had handy loops to go round your ears!
So she wore one to go and meet her mother from work - no need to describe the mortification of her mother, exiting her workplace with a dozen colleagues!

downtoearth

My periods where so heavy from first the first one,nightmare at school,I used to have to wear plastic pants that you could get as well,many times sent home from school due to flooding.
I had a total hysterectomy at 40,I cant imagine period pants and a mooncup being adequate when superplus tampons and maternity towels couldnt contain and I would go through a box of 40 and and 2 packs of towels in the first two days.
The relief I felt at not having to stay home for 3 days every month was liberating.

Poor you! I do sympathise because I played hockey with a girl who had such heavy periods that her mother had to replace her mattress at regular intervals. She bled so much that even with 2 big STs on plus a bath towel under her it often soaked right through into the mattress. Also they were not very regular so she was often caught out when not wearing enough protection.

My first ward as a student nurse and I had the job of distributing the 'Bunnies' every few hours - same doing Obstetrics the year later - Bunnies.

henetha

A friend of mine always called them manhole covers. I found it funny but a bit shameful...

Several of the comments before this made me smile but this one made me laugh out loud! 😂

It's far better than the latest nonsense from trans activists: "bonus hole" which, if I have understood correctly, is essentially an open wound in a man who wants to be a woman.

My mum bought ours from a local dress shop!!!! We just called them by their trade name which I can't remember. They were lacy pants with two poppers inside the pad and had two holes for the poppers to click through.
She didn't like it when I bought Tampax myself.
I seem to remember the whole family and friends calling it the "Curse ".Or at school, we just said 'I'm on". Everyone knew what you meant.

downtoearth

My periods where so heavy from first the first one,nightmare at school,I used to have to wear plastic pants that you could get as well,many times sent home from school due to flooding.
I had a total hysterectomy at 40,I cant imagine period pants and a mooncup being adequate when superplus tampons and maternity towels couldnt contain and I would go through a box of 40 and and 2 packs of towels in the first two days.
The relief I felt at not having to stay home for 3 days every month was liberating.

I was the same - I had a hysterectomy at 42 and it was such a joy afterwards. There was only a tiny fibroid in there so the copious bleeding was inexplicable but had been present from day one.