Non-Applicator Tampons

[ans1999]

I have been hoarding OBs recently. I look for them every time I am at Target. I hate all the other tampons and my 14 year old daughter does too. I was so desperate that I calculated how many I might need until menopause in an effort to stock up. I think I will try a cup if they go completely out of stock. 

[basilosaurus]

Nov 30, 2022 11:00:40 GMT -5 ans1999 said:

I have been hoarding OBs recently. I look for them every time I am at Target. I hate all the other tampons and my 14 year old daughter does too. I was so desperate that I calculated how many I might need until menopause in an effort to stock up. I think I will try a cup if they go completely out of stock. 

I was at guardian and watsons (both british) drug stores today and made sure to check on their stocks. Small little stores, but they had ob. The large supermarket never carries any tampon products, but I was there and checked as well to confirm nothing had changed. I think I see a future in me sending black market obs to friends in the states. HMU! lolsob. 

At the beginning of the pandemic they instituted pretty strict limits on how many masks we could send outside the country, as we never faced a shortage. I want to be ahead of the curve with tampons. Mostly joking.

[tiramisu]

At one point, the only place I could find ob was on Amazon, so I ordered there. The mini Target in a hipster neighborhood around here doesn't seem to carry them at all. I miss being able to buy a box of each absorbency I wanted with ob, instead of a multipack and ultras separately. The ultras have been wonderful for my post-paragard periods. I do find that non-application tampons are harder to insert when you're drier (duh?), so at night I just wear an overnight pad.

[wawa]

Nov 30, 2022 13:33:38 GMT -5 tiramisu said:

At one point, the only place I could find ob was on Amazon, so I ordered there. The mini Target in a hipster neighborhood around here doesn't seem to carry them at all. I miss being able to buy a box of each absorbency I wanted with ob, instead of a multipack and ultras separately. The ultras have been wonderful for my post-paragard periods. I do find that non-application tampons are harder to insert when you're drier (duh?), so at night I just wear an overnight pad.

hold please.  Wut is dis?  I'm 7 years in on mine...do I need to brace myself for what happens when my time is up?

[pixy0stix]

Nov 30, 2022 14:06:16 GMT -5 wawa said:

Nov 30, 2022 13:33:38 GMT -5 tiramisu said:

At one point, the only place I could find ob was on Amazon, so I ordered there. The mini Target in a hipster neighborhood around here doesn't seem to carry them at all. I miss being able to buy a box of each absorbency I wanted with ob, instead of a multipack and ultras separately. The ultras have been wonderful for my post-paragard periods. I do find that non-application tampons are harder to insert when you're drier (duh?), so at night I just wear an overnight pad.

hold please.  Wut is dis?  I'm 7 years in on mine...do I need to brace myself for what happens when my time is up?

Have you watched the Shining?

[wawa]

Nov 30, 2022 14:29:33 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Nov 30, 2022 14:06:16 GMT -5 wawa said:

hold please.  Wut is dis?  I'm 7 years in on mine...do I need to brace myself for what happens when my time is up?

Have you watched the Shining?

it's going to hack through my uterine wall with an axe?

[pixy0stix]

Nov 30, 2022 15:39:54 GMT -5 wawa said:

Nov 30, 2022 14:29:33 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Have you watched the Shining?

it's going to hack through my uterine wall with an axe?

Close

[wawa]

Nov 30, 2022 16:12:05 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Nov 30, 2022 15:39:54 GMT -5 wawa said:

it's going to hack through my uterine wall with an axe?

Close

I prefer to imagine there will be snow and topiaries.  tyvm.

[tiramisu]

Nov 30, 2022 14:06:16 GMT -5 wawa said:

Nov 30, 2022 13:33:38 GMT -5 tiramisu said:

At one point, the only place I could find ob was on Amazon, so I ordered there. The mini Target in a hipster neighborhood around here doesn't seem to carry them at all. I miss being able to buy a box of each absorbency I wanted with ob, instead of a multipack and ultras separately. The ultras have been wonderful for my post-paragard periods. I do find that non-application tampons are harder to insert when you're drier (duh?), so at night I just wear an overnight pad.

hold please.  Wut is dis?  I'm 7 years in on mine...do I need to brace myself for what happens when my time is up?

Oh geez, I didn't even think of that. No, I just very poorly worded it. I meant the really heavy periods I started getting after I got the Paragard in. They're finally getting better, but now I'm scared for what might be next. Snow and topiaries do sound preferable.

[wawa]

Dec 1, 2022 3:25:04 GMT -5 tiramisu said:

Nov 30, 2022 14:06:16 GMT -5 wawa said:

hold please.  Wut is dis?  I'm 7 years in on mine...do I need to brace myself for what happens when my time is up?

Oh geez, I didn't even think of that. No, I just very poorly worded it. I meant the really heavy periods I started getting after I got the Paragard in. They're finally getting better, but now I'm scared for what might be next. Snow and topiaries do sound preferable.

ohhhh, got it.  

[wise_rita]

I had NO idea there were people who preferred ob, and who struggle with applicator tampons. That is opposite of my experience, and I don't know anybody who's used ob willingly before.

Sorry there's a shortage of your beloved!

[atlas]

Nov 30, 2022 11:00:40 GMT -5 ans1999 said:

I have been hoarding OBs recently. I look for them every time I am at Target. I hate all the other tampons and my 14 year old daughter does too. I was so desperate that I calculated how many I might need until menopause in an effort to stock up. I think I will try a cup if they go completely out of stock. 

Lola is very similar to OB for non-applicator. I really like when I shifted to Lola.

[mich1]

I never tried any other tampons other than OB. I started using them in HS, right after they came on the market and used them until my period stopped. When I first started using them, they were the cheapest on the market. I used to bulk buy them when they went on sale. I haven’t even looked at them in a store in nearly 10 years now.

[somersault72]

I don't really have periods anymore (Mirena FTW), but OB is the only tampon I've really ever used because that's what my mom used. The very rare occasions I've had to use an applicator I was kinda like WTF do I do with this. 😉 I hate to hear there is a shortage.

[Michelle]

Once I got to a certain BMI, I could barely get the tampon all the way up in where it needed to go WITH an applicator. Using OB just wouldn't have been an option. I couldn't reach my vaginal opening from a standing or toilet-seated position, and there was no penetrating it no matter the position.

I also have extremely heavy flows, so I get the concerns expressed by some people about public restrooms. I have to wear a super plus tampon and an overnight pad on the days I'm menstruating, and I change every 2 hours or so to prevent from accidents. Some of us just really do seem to have gutted a fish when we exit the stall.

All that said, I much preferred OB when I was younger and smaller. I have reduced my BMI by 19 points in the last year and am much more able/agile than I was just a year ago. I need to explore the non-applicators again to help reduce waste.

But for the menstruators who need them for whatever their reason, please be considerate that they may have genuine physical challenges you never previously imagined.

[Michelle]

Dec 1, 2022 13:31:53 GMT -5 wise_rita said:

I had NO idea there were people who preferred ob, and who struggle with applicator tampons. That is opposite of my experience, and I don't know anybody who's used ob willingly before.

Sorry there's a shortage of your beloved!

I preferred them so much I still remember the little jingle from the commercial.

OB! 
It's the way it should be
keep it simple
and set yourself free
from the extras
that you really don't need
Just Try
OB
And you'll see!

[jeaniebueller]

Michelle not to be intrusive but if you haven’t, consider asking your doctor about an ablation. I had one a few months ago after periods like yours, and even though I still get a period, it was life changing. I don’t need tampons at all anymore.

[chickadee77]

I use a cup now but used to love ob when I was younger. Whoever said about the packaging-YES. I liked applicators, but if something even came close to touching them, the packaging would be shredded. Leave one in the bottom of your bag? Lol forever.

Anecdote - in HS I had to buy a tampon from the bathroom vending machine and it gave a choice of applicator or not. Being pretty young, still, I got the applicator one. Imagine my surprise when what came out was essentially an ob and a popsicle stick. Not exaggerating. And that was how I learned to put in a tampon with no applicator (because really? A stick?).

[basilosaurus]

Dec 3, 2022 9:25:21 GMT -5 chickadee77 said:

I use a cup now but used to love ob when I was younger. Whoever said about the packaging-YES. I liked applicators, but if something even came close to touching them, the packaging would be shredded. Leave one in the bottom of your bag? Lol forever.

Anecdote - in HS I had to buy a tampon from the bathroom vending machine and it gave a choice of applicator or not. Being pretty young, still, I got the applicator one. Imagine my surprise when what came out was essentially an ob and a popsicle stick. Not exaggerating. And that was how I learned to put in a tampon with no applicator (because really? A stick?).

Lol. I recently had to take a vaginal suppository, and it came with something like a stick applicator. It reminded me of a coffee stir stick. Thanks, but I'll just shove this tiny thing up there myself. 

[karinothing]

Ladies I tried to use a disposable cup today and it was a big old fail. I am sad. What am I doing wrong? I feel like it is in the right spot but I don't know. It doesn't feel u comfortable or anything.

[Michelle]

Dec 2, 2022 20:58:52 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

Michelle not to be intrusive but if you haven’t, consider asking your doctor about an ablation. I had one a few months ago after periods like yours, and even though I still get a period, it was life changing. I don’t need tampons at all anymore.

Thanks! Not intrusive at all - i put my business out there!!