Can you ‘hold your period in’? These women think they can

For many people, periods are the bane of their existence.

Whether it's PMS, insatiable food cravings, tender breasts, painful cramps, relentless fatigue and backache - it's clear that bleeding anywhere between two days to sometimes over one week a month is quite the ordeal indeed.

So, it's understandable why women and people who menstruate are keen on finding ways to ease their monthly cycle and attempt to speed up the process.

In an ideal world, we'd all be able to simply 'hold in' and almost 'pee out' our period at a convenient time that suited us - that way we'd definitely avoid awkward leakage situations!

Now, that's unfortunately not how it works, but that's not stopped some women rushing online to share their experiences of allegedly 'holding their period in'.

One Redditor shared: "I'm 22, and for a long time I've been able to sort of hold my menstrual blood similarly to how I hold pee. It doesn't hurt or anything, I don't even feel it, it just happens.

A women's health expert has revealed if you can actually 'hold your period in' (HUIZENG HU / Getty Images)

"The only way that it comes out is if I sneeze really hard or go to the bathroom and 'pee' it out.

"I use pads, and they never get more than a few drops in them, but when I use the restroom (or I have an accident), I can see how heavy or light my flow is that day.

"I always thought it was normal, like, everyone was doing this until I was talking to my friend, and we got to this topic. Then I went online and couldn't find anything on it. It seemed so normal to me that I never even felt the need to mention it to my doctor. Now I'm a bit freaked out. I really don't know if it's a bad thing or how to stop it."

A second chimed in: "I guess I can squeeze just right to hold it for a minute as I flip out of bed and run to the bathroom? But it’s more like choosing not to push out the first uncomfortable gush that happens when you switch to vertical."

"I mean sort of yes, but not guaranteed," explained a third. "I can usually 'hold it' as well, and then when I’m in the bathroom I can actively 'push it through'.

Women have shared their experiences of being able to 'hold their period in' (Photographer, Basak Gurbuz Derman / Getty Images)

"I don't think this would be possible for a heavy flow type of situation, and all it really takes is one sneeze, cough or wrong stretch to throw off your plan, but yes, I can 'hold it' and mostly just wear panty liners on my period and go to the bathroom a bit more often."

And a final Redditor questioned: "If it's impossible to hold in your period blood, why do I feel like I can? I can feel the blood coming down my vagina (it feels like a ball), and all I have to do is clench a bit, and the feeling goes away until I sit on a toilet.

"But if I sneeze, cough, laugh, run, hike all day, etc., of course, it'll come out unexpectedly in those cases. But people say it's 100% impossible...so why do I have this experience?"

Well, we sat down with an expert to get her verdicts on such claims and her expertise doesn't seem to line up with these women's reported experiences.

Josephine Smith, BsC Health Science, Supplement Hub’s in-house Practitioner and women’s health expert, explained to Tyla: "Muscle contraction cannot suppress a period.

Strong pelvic floor engagement may reduce leakage when standing or moving (Emilija Manevska / Getty Images)

"There is no proven, natural way to consciously 'stop' a period once it has started. The body’s hormonal regulation is largely involuntary.

"What is true is that strong pelvic floor engagement may reduce leakage when standing or moving, or momentarily slow visible bleeding, but this is not the same as suppression – your period will continue to accumulate and will exit once muscles relax."

Unlike the bladder or the bowels, Josephine explains that menstrual flow is not 'contained' like urine or stool; it is actively shed tissue.

"Menstrual bleeding is the result of hormonal signalling (a drop in progesterone) that causes the uterine lining to shed," she said. "The blood and tissue exit the uterus due to uterine contractions, which are involuntary, and hormone-driven; contracting pelvic muscles cannot stop the uterus from shedding its lining.

"Muscle contraction to suppress your period is never something I’d advise."

The expert urged against muscle contraction to suppress your period (Antonio Hugo Photo / Getty Images)

In fact, the doctor warned, it's something she actively advises against. If someone is repeatedly contracting their muscles in an attempt to hold their period, they risk:

• Pelvic floor hypertonicity (over-tight muscles)
• Pelvic pain
• Dyspareunia (pain during intercourse)
• Worsening cramps due to opposing uterine contractions
• Increased tension and stress response

"I’d also warn against attempting to suppress your period with extreme dieting, herbs or ‘hacks’, as these can cause amenorrhea (the absence of menstruation) and long-term fertility issues," Josephine concluded.

Well, the more you know!