In our country, there is a growing number of women who have stopped using diapers and practice what is known as free bleeding. Just as we don’t say “free urination” or “free defecation” when we don’t use conventional diapers, we should simply call free bleeding menstruation. But, because we live in a society that has completely distorted female sexuality, we have had to invent a name to refer to the control of menstrual flow.
The limited information we give Western girls to prepare them for their first period is that, to avoid staining their clothes, they have to use pads, tampons, or menstrual cups.
Clearly, this is insufficient education. But what if, on top of that, this information were wrong? What if women didn’t need pads, tampons, or menstrual cups? What if we didn’t need to wear any of these menstrual products?
The idea that women use diapers, like babies, is so devastating to our understanding of menstruation and women’s identity that we need to verify in our own bodies that it’s possible, that it’s true. All it takes is knowing how the body works, observing ourselves, and practicing.
Theoretical knowledge of free bleeding: the evacuation of menstruation
Contrary to popular belief, we don’t bleed continuously during our period. Our uterus is closed and only opens intermittently to release menstrual blood.
Free bleeding isn’t about holding in your period, but rather about feeling the urge to release it, just like you feel the urge to urinate or defecate.
It’s a signal that reaches the brain as “I feel the urge to have my period,” but it’s also felt in the lower abdomen as bloating, heaviness, tension, and the need to empty the uterus.
If you don’t have a bowel movement when the urge to urinate appears, there comes a point when the uterus releases itself because it can no longer hold it, just like your bladder does when you wet yourself.
A surprising phenomenon is that when free bleeding is practiced, the number of bowel movements is much lower. To the point that women who practice free bleeding often don’t have a bowel movement at night.
You might be wondering how it’s possible that neither you nor most of the women you know have ever heard of this signal. The answer is that culture shapes our sexuality.
In other words, if we don’t have the signal that we need to have our period, it’s because we were raised in a culture that doesn’t even allow us to consider that this signal could exist. The good news is that, once we know this signal exists, we can learn to listen to it.
Before practicing free bleeding. Fieldwork: observing evacuation
Before trying free bleeding, it’s important to pay attention to your menstrual flow. To do this, you should stop using a menstrual cup or tampon, at least when you’re at home and for as long as possible.
The first thing to notice is that we don’t have a gush of blood; most of the time, there’s no bleeding at all. Once you’ve figured this out, you need to pay attention to the sensations associated with menstruation.
Every woman has to learn what situations cause her to have a bowel movement most often, or what times she always has one. Pay attention while showering, urinating, defecating, or passing gas.
At first, it might be difficult to notice sensations in the lower abdomen, uterus, cervix, vagina, and vulva. And yes, you can feel your uterus! If we don’t have a good connection with these organs, it’s because our society never talks about them, and we grow up with the idea that we shouldn’t listen to the information coming from this area.
Therefore, patience and consistency are key. Little by little, your perceptions will increase, and you’ll notice more and more details.
Practice free bleeding
Finally, it’s time to take the plunge and see if we can menstruate without diapers and without making a mess! It’s best to start in a safe place, like at home. One helpful tip is to drink water to encourage frequent trips to the bathroom.
It’s simply a matter of paying attention to your lower abdomen periodically, and if you feel the urge to urinate or have your period, go to the toilet immediately to relax your bladder and uterus. It’s important at this time to pay attention to your sensations and check if you’re bleeding.
From the beginning, we’ll have bowel movements in the toilet. When we have an accident, let’s analyze the situation. Perhaps we waited too long after the urge to defecate (you have to go quickly; you can’t hold it as long as you do with urine).
Perhaps we completely disconnected from our lower abdomen. Perhaps we pressed on it or sneezed. Let’s continue listening to our bodies and learning.
That’s it. The technique is that simple. We can learn to recognize the signal in just a few periods if we dedicate enough time to it.
Little by little, we’ll perfect it and find our own way to combine it with the use of menstrual flow management products for when we go swimming or when we’re in a situation that doesn’t allow us to easily go to the bathroom and listen to our body.
There’s no need to overthink it. All women can see for themselves if it’s true that we’re so badly designed that we need diapers into adulthood.
While many women are reluctant to try it because they think they can’t achieve this level of connection with their bodies, those who do try it discover a true revelation in free bleeding.