Women Campus | Hello beautiful!: Your Most Embarrassing Period Questions: Answered!

Is it bad to sleep with a tampon in?

According to the Tampax website, "You should never wear a tampon for more than eight hours to reduce the risk of TSS during your menstruation." So what about wearing one overnight? According to Jackson-Moore, the risk is pretty negligible. "If you're just sleeping for eight hours, that's reasonable," she says. But if you do plan on sleeping for much longer (for example, if you're crashing at 7pm the night after pulling an all-nighter), you can be extra-safe and set an alarm to get up and change your tampon after eight hours.

Will a significant change in diet affect my period?

Significant changes in diet, exercise, and stress all have the potential to alter your cycle. But if your cycle is significantly affected by a change in diet, it could be a signal that something about your change in routine is unhealthy. "For the most part, if you are losing weight in a healthy fashion, it really shouldn't affect your cycle," says Jackson-Moore.

My period is consistently irregular—my gyno says I shouldn't worry about it, but it's frustrating to deal with. What options do I have to regulate it?

If you want to regulate your cycle without hormonal medication, you first have to know what's causing the irregularity. While irregularity can be caused by a myriad of factors (including STDs, pregnancy and eating disorders), the most likely causes are stress, a crazy diet, or exercise. Try adopting a consistent (and healthy) diet and exercise plan and reducing your stress levels before turning to other options. If these don't do the trick, Jackson-Moore says you can talk to your gynecologist about possible medical solutions such as Lysteda, a non-hormonal medication to treat a heavy flow. "Taking non-steroidals like ibuprofen during the cycle does lessen the flow," says Jackson-Moore.

I don't want to use tampons, but pads are uncomfortable sometimes and can be difficult to wear in all situations. What are my other options?

Unfortunately, there aren't a ton of options out there for dealing with your period. If pads irritate your skin and tampons just aren't your thing, a menstrual cup (such as the Diva Cup or the Mooncup) could be a better option. A menstrual cup is a reusable, bell-shaped cup that you manually insert into your vagina to collect menstrual blood (instead of absorbing it like a pad or a tampon). They come in both rubber and latex-free options, and while they're less common than pads or tampons, many women find them to be a perfect solution. "I have some patients who use it, and they love it," says Jackson-Moore.

How heavy of a flow is too heavy?

This can be a tricky question to answer. "A lot of times we overestimate and underestimate the amount of bleeding we have," says Jackson-Moore. But if you're not sure if your flow is something to be concerned about or just heavy, there are a few signs to look for. "If you're passing blood clots that are very good size, or if you're bleeding longer than seven days, that is probably a tip-off that you're bleeding too heavily," says Jackson-Moore.