April 6, 2025 • 27 mins
How much period pain is normal? Does my weight impact my cycle? And why oh why do we get period poos?!
In Mamamia’s brand new podcast Well, co-hosts Claire Murphy and Dr Mariam discuss everything you need to know about periods and bust a few myths along the way. Plus you’ll learn about the existence of a sperm graveyard and whether there is a ‘right’ way for your vagina to smell.
Well is a podcast about the taboo, the annoying, the embarrassing and the scary. We cover the concerns you’re probably considering seeing a doctor about, from insomnia to weird periods to how to prevent dementia. The full body health check for the Australian woman - dropping every Thursday - wherever you get your podcasts.
Coming up - we delve into endo, PCOS, depression, ADHD and burnout.
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CREDITS
Hosts: Claire Murphy and Dr Mariam
Senior Producers: Claire Murphy and Sasha Tannock
Audio Producers: Scott Stronach and Jacob Round
Video Producer: Julian Rosario
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Information discussed in Well. is for education purposes only and is not intended to provide professional medical advice. Listeners should seek their own medical advice, specific to their circumstances, from their treating doctor or health care professional.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
You're listening to Amma Mea podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Mamma May acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Hey there, I'm Claire Murphy from Mamma MEA's brand new
health podcast, Well, hosted by me and doctor Mariam, a
brilliant GP and advocate for women's health. Well is a
podcast about the taboo, the annoying, the embarrassing, and the scary.
We cover the concerns you're probably considering seeing a doctor about,
from insomnio to weird periods to how to prevent dementia.
(00:41):
In this episode, we do some period mythbusting, like how
much pain is normal? Does my weight impact my cycle?
And why do we get period poos?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
I'm Claire Murphy and welcome to Well. This is your
full body health check. I've been a journalist for nearly
twenty years, the past six of those hosting Mamma MEA's
daily news podcast, The Quickie. So I have asked a
lot of questions of a lot of experts about a
lot of things related to women's health. But now I
want to know more.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
And my name's doctor Marriam. I'm a Sydney based GP
and our staunch advocate for all things women's health. I'm
also a twin mum to toddler boys, which is why
I'm always tired. I'm so happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Let us tell you why we're here. Well is about
addressing the taboo, the annoying, the embarrassing, and sometimes the scary.
We're going to cover concerns that you're probably considering seeing
a doctor about, from insomnia to weird periods to how
to prevent dementia. The difference is we're going to give
you the tools that you need to make sure that
(01:55):
you are seen and heard by your healthcare professionals, and
we won't charge you once your fifteen minutes is up.
First up, we're going to take you to med school.
This is where we're going to share something fascinating that
we've learned in the process of making this podcast. Then
it's into the checkup, where we'll explore a health topic
in a stack more detail. We'll speak to a specialist
too when we need their expertise, and then finally it's
(02:18):
the quick consult. We head off to the doctor's rooms
where we solve a dilemma on any health topic as
submitted by you today. In the checkout. We're going to
be putting a spotlight on periods, like can weight loss
injections actually help with a particular menstrual issue? Why is
period poor thing? And when do you actually need to
go and see your doctor? But first we're helping off
(02:40):
to med school.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Welcome to med school.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
So this is where I'm going to share something that
I've found out recently which will equal parts freak you
out and fascinate you. Have you heard about the sperm graveyard?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Now?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Look, I came across on my social media feed at
a doctor in the US which explained apparently the sperm
that is ejaculated inside of you, obviously when your partner
is not wearing a condom, and which does not end
up fertilizing the egg, which like is millions of them. Mariam,
(03:14):
can you please explain to us where they go? So
when a man ejaculates, it's thought that two hundred to
three hundred million sperm and to the vagina, that's a
lot of sperm. That's a lot.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
And I like to think of the vagina as like
the ultimate Ninja warrior course, right, It's designed with lots
of boogie traps to kind of kill the sperm before
it gets to the egg, so we're not welcoming it in.
We're not well, no, yeah, the vagina is not very welcoming.
So there's things that the sperm has to get through,
like the pH so a lot of the acidity of
(03:46):
the vagina will kill the sperm. There's the cervical mucus
in which some of the sperm will get trapped in,
and then the body identifies the sperm and rightly so
as foreign invaders, so will send these white cells to
kind of shoot them away. And then for the sperm
that does make it through the fallopian tube, and at
this stage that's thought to be about two hundred so
(04:08):
you can imagine two hundred to three hundred million, and
you've got two hundred sperm remaining. The rest have just
died from exhaustion because sperm is quite lazy. So the
sperm's traveling along one we hope will fertilize the egg,
and then the rest are thought to just keep swimming along.
And so the fallopian tube's actually not attached to the ovary,
(04:30):
so there's these like finger like projections called the fimbria,
and so it can actually exit out of the fallopian
tube into your abdominal cavity.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
And this is what I've heard is referred to as
the sperm that's.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Right, So like if you have a visual you can
just imagine like this just like falling into your abdominal cavity.
But do not be alarmed. Enzymes break that sperm down
and it's reabsorbed for nutrients for the body.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
What happens after we absorb it? Like are we using that?
Speaker 2 (04:57):
But if you think about it, sperm is like microscopic.
You can't even see it so like it's so so tiny,
it's you.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Know, it's there. No, we are going to actually put
that video of the sperm graveyard up on our socials too,
so if you want to go check it out. Later
in the section we are referring to as the quick consult,
Alice asks us whether her vagina smells right. But next
in the checkout, we're gonna do some period myth busting
because even though we think we know everything about our
menstrual cycle, trust me, we do not. It's time for
(05:30):
the check out, all right, let's get into it today.
We are period myth busting. I've seen videos in my
social media feed claiming that your period blood says something about.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Your overall health, like is that true? Not necessarily like
a core bullshit for some of it. So there's like
variation in the color of your period through your menstruction cycle.
At the start, it tends to be heavier, it's brighter
because it hasn't had a chance to oxidize. And then
as your period progresses you've had some of the tissue
sitting in there, it's reacted with the oxygen. You might
(06:04):
pass clots, and it might be darker brown or even
close to a black color. The color variation that's completely normal.
But the signs that you know would prompt you to
see a doctor would be if it was like a
gray or an orange tinge, that might suggest an underlying infection.
A light pink might suggest iron deficiency. There's not really
(06:27):
a strong link, but it might, and especially if that's
something new for you or there's been a change, then
that might warrant a doctor review. But no, I wouldn't say,
you know your hormones fluctuate throughout the cycle. I wouldn't
say it's indicative of estrogen and progesterone efficiency. There are
a lot of hormonal health coaches online, unfortunately, so always
check your sources. The only hormonal advice I would take
(06:50):
from would be an endochronologist, to be honest.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah, so it's not like looking at your Wii and going, oh,
I'm dehydrated. Yeah, no, it's okay.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Or your cervical mucus.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
I'm not sure how comfortable I am checking out my
cervical mucus, but maybe for the sake of this podcast,
I might have to start. I also saw another post
from someone who said they were a nutrition scientist, but
they claim that taking vitamin D supplements can actually help
with period pain. Is that true?
Speaker 2 (07:20):
So there is some evidence that it can help period pain,
though in a lot of the trials they were using
really high doses, so well above the recommended range of
normal Vitamin D. Toxicity is very rare, but I would
just advise anyone who wanted to take vitamin D get
your levels checked. If you're deficient, definitely start treatment, and
(07:41):
always speak to your doctor before you're starting any supplementation.
A lot of these medications can interact with other medications,
and you know, some medications, if they're used outside it
that recommended range, can cause toxicity. Although vitamin D is
very rare in that regard you should always speak to
your pharmacist or doctor. When should we be worried about
a period? What would not be normal is you've noticed
(08:04):
a change in the pattern of your peeriods, who it's
starting to become more erratic. You're bleeding in between your periods,
you're bleeding for a prolonged time, like for more than
eight days, you're bleeding after sex, Or there's significant pain
with your period that's not being relieved with simple over
the countermedications and it's disrupting your quality of life, or
(08:25):
you're just concerned for any reason about your period. That's
more than enough reason to see a doctor.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
And as we know, one in seven women in Australia
are diagnosed with endometriosis, which often means heavy, painful periods.
And that's something we'll be exploring and talking about in
more detail in our next episode. How much blood is normal?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
The average loss is thought to be about thirty to
forty meals, which is six to eight teaspoonfuls.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Why are we measuring in tea spoonfuls? Can we not
measure via a menstrual crap or something like at least
something we use it? No one's poised over the loo
with a tea spoon.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
But we define heavy menstrual bleeding as any bleeding that
impacts your quality of life in any way. So if
you feel like, you know, you having to change your
pads or tamp on every hour, you're leaking through your
periods more than eight days, you're passing large clots, which
we say more than a fifty cent piece, then there's
signs that something's happening. You should see a doctor.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Okay, what are my options if I do have or
I'm prone to having really heavy periods.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
So if you do have heavy periods, I would really
encourage you to speak to your doctor because there could
be underlying causes contributing to the heavy period. We also
want to ensure that you don't have iron deficiency as
a consequence of the heavy mental bleeding as well, which
is awful. Get iron deficiency or me too.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
I feel like everyone I know now has an eye
in difficiency, And I always say, like, you know, iron
supplements and iron infusions, they're kind of band aid solutions.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
So you want to kind of address the root cause,
and if that's heavy mental bleeding, then figuring out why
you're having it and stopping it from happening is really important.
So the first thing to just definitely see a doctor,
you know, and get the appropriate investigation. But while that
is happening, doctors should be giving you medication if that's
something that you want to reduce that blood loss. And
(10:18):
there's non hormonal options. The non hormonal options are something
we call transaxamic acid and that stops the blood from clotting.
That's actually quite effective in reducing blood loss. Anti inflammatories
are also shown to reduce blood loss and they also
help with the pain. You can take the two of
them together. They're most effective to start a day or
two before your period and you continue them for about
(10:38):
three days during your cycle. The hormonal options are and
the first line for all heavy mental bleeding is the
IUD and that is ninety five percent effective at twelve
months in reducing heavy menstrual bleeding. It's really effective and
it helps keep that endometrium nice and thin. And there
are the progestin only pill and combined oral contracepti pill.
(11:01):
They're actually quite effective as well. Obviously you know there's
side effect profiles that and you know preference to the patient.
So that's the options to disc us with your GP
on what you would feel would be best suited to
your life, and for the patient to have really heavy
mental bleeding that's affecting their quality of life, they've trialed everything,
we've excluded underlying causes that would warrant a referral to
(11:23):
a kindecologist, you know, for more extensive investigations and potential
surgical options if that's something that the person wanted to do.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Okay, so that's covered off on bleeding. But what about pain?
Speaker 2 (11:35):
So pain you subjective, right, So what might be painful
for me might not be painful for you. But what
we do consider normal for periods is period pain that
isn't affecting your quality of life generally. You know, you
get the peak of the pain in the first two days.
If you have a bit of pain, you take over
the counter medications like paracetamol or anti inflammatories. You're still
(11:55):
able to go about your day. It's not impacting your
work or extracurricular activities. That's normal. As soon as it's
I am having to take days off work, or you know,
it's impacting relationships or you're just staying at home lying
in bed, that's not normal.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Here's a question. If things are all happening around my uterus,
why do I get pain in my lower back?
Speaker 2 (12:19):
So we blame that all on the prostic lands and
so prostic lands ands are released during menstruation and that's
what causes the smooth muscle to contract. So the uterus
and the spine are in close proximity, so you get
that radiation in the pain. We also, like a physiotherapist
was telling me that the hormones also loosen your ligaments,
which makes you more prone to like injury, so which
(12:41):
is really interesting.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
It's interesting like the Western Bulldogs AFLW team have just
started doing something around so they've customized training around their
players mid cycles because of that very fact, and they're
wondering if you know a lot of their players are
getting acl injuries because of that kind of stuff too,
So that is really interesting.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yeah, so it's thought maybe it's causing some like spinal
instability and that could be a cause of the back
pain as well. But importantly, the back pain could also
have a root cause, so you might have an lying
condition like endometriosis, fibroids or dinomyosis which is causing that
referred pain as well. So important if it's like quite
severe doesn't feel normal. Definitely, See it's octor like if
(13:21):
you are throwing up from hain. Yeah, that's normal, that
is not oct Okay.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
This is something that we've been having a lot of
conversations about, especially in the last couple of years, is
what period products are actually healthy to use, because there's
been a lot of fear around potential chemicals in things
like pads and tampons, and then you know, menstrual cups
came along, and so what realistically is healthy Because I
know some of those studies around the heavy metals that
(13:52):
were in tampons, the research wasn't done in a way
that actually those heavy metals would even make it into
your body or bloodstream. So it was just a big
scary thing that wasn't really a thing. Can you give
us some explanation around that?
Speaker 2 (14:04):
So I think it's actually been great that this has
happened because there's not a lot of studies on tampons
and pads.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
And what is wild is that they did start using
blood on those products until very recently with fluids but
not actual menstrul blood.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
And it's crazy, you know, I think this spotlight has
kind of forced like, okay, and rightly so females have
a right to know what they're inserting internet, and if
you know they there's potential toxins and chemicals that could
potentially cause harm later. And it's we don't want to
be fear mongering either. I think costs and affordability accessibility
(14:42):
is really important. And if you can only afford tampons
and pads, that's what you're going to use right now.
There is not enough evidence to suggest that they will
cause harm, but like I said, those studies are really important,
so we just kind of wait and watch. In the intranm,
there's like menstrual cups, there's underwear. There's this period underwear,
which is fantastic. Yeah, I've ordered some. I'm waiting for
(15:03):
them to arrive. I'm excited to give them a try.
I think it's important that like ganic doesn't always mean
free of chemicals as well. So if I had any advice,
it would be just to go for the fragrance free options.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
There's one in America that's been getting a lot of
airplane on social media. It's like confused with menthol, Like
can you imagine the burn of a pad that has
menthol on it?
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Your vagina is not a flower. It doesn't need to
smell a certain way. Yeah, that's just that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Okay, next we're going to talk about something like this
is like it's a bit gross, yeah, but it's a
common thing for most of us. Yeah, please explain to
me why period pooh is a thing. And if you
don't get period poos, it's literally like the week before,
it's like your guts go crazy and they're like just
wanting to expel everything in there? What is happening?
Speaker 2 (15:57):
You feel like it's colonoscopy prep.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
It is almost Also if you've done prepnestly, I say
that they should schedule all colonoscopies for females, right, that
makes it actually so basically the understanding is it's all
goes back to prostagland and so they're released, they cause
the uterus to contract, they act on the smooth muscle.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
They also act on the smooth muscle of the bow,
so causing the bow to contract and then comes your
period poop. Hormonal fluctuations with progesterone also play a role.
So we know when progesterone is high, you're more likely
to be constipated, and that's generally before your period and
then when it drops, the period poop comes, so it's
been held back for a while, and then the contractions
(16:42):
as well. It's all happening. And we also know that
the progesterone rise before the period is like kind of
what triggers that, you know, like craving for those sweet
and carbi foods. So we're eating crappy We're eating crappy
foods and that's what causes those. I don't know, if
you get those pesky period farts that just my husband knows.
He're like, you'll be like, yeah, it's coming. It's common.
(17:06):
So if I have general advice for females who this
you know is bothersome for it's generally keep up your
fluid intake. If you're losing a lot of fluids, you
want to replace those electrolytes. Eat food high in fiber,
you know, fruit and vegetables. You want to avoid stimulants
like coffee, processed food, chili, Try to avoid those processed foods.
But if you need it, just eat it and you'll
(17:28):
have a pesky fat here and there. That's fine. We're
all human.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
We also need to be happy. Yeah, sometimes that means chocolate.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
There's also some evidence which suggests that the fluctuations in
hormones affect your neurotransmittens like serotonin, you know, the feel
good hormones and when they're low you want to eat
trying to make myself and then yeah, so you know
you eat a cheeseburger or a big mac, and you
know you feel good for that little period and then
(17:56):
and then we then we pay for it later with
the pesky farts, with the pesky fats.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Fun. Can other things be impacted by your period? Down there?
So for example, we've had a stack of women ask
us about you and many of them have said they
get a UTI right after their period finishes. Could that
be connected?
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Yeah, So the fluctuations in the hormones, So when estrogen
rises and estrogen drops, so we know when estrogen rises
you're at increased risk of thrush and when it drops,
your at increased risk of ut eyes right, fun fun fun, Yeah,
And the hormonia of shifts have massive impacts on your
mood and quality of life. You know, for people with
PMS and the more severe form PMDD, that can impact
(18:38):
obviously you know, relationships, your work and everything around you.
And we also know that the rise in prostaglandins, especially
at day two, can cause significant cramping and that can
cause you to miss like extracurricular or sporting. And the
hormones also affect your temperature, right, and that temperature effects
(18:58):
can disrupt your sleep. So there's especially people with PMDD,
they can suffer from like insomnia, like yeah, and it'
and that sleep deprivation has that knock on effect as well.
So then the skin changes, you know for people who
get like hormonal acne and dry skin. So yeah, it's
not just all about the blood. It's it's yeah, it's
good effects everywhere.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Fun. Yeah, Okay, does your weight impact your period and
your cycle?
Speaker 2 (19:25):
It does so definitely. So changes in your body weight,
whether you're your overweight or underweight, can impact your menstruation cycle.
So if you're underweight or your exercise intensively, you may
have an underlying eating disorder. We find that there's an
estrogens efficiency and that can cause irregular or absent periods
as a result. And then we know that people that
(19:47):
are overweight, they're more likely to have heavy menstrual bleeding,
irregular periods, more likely to have underlying conditions like polycystic
ovarian syndrome and sometimes they might not ovulate at all,
and that's generally because extra fat produces estrogen, which can
disrupt that cycle.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
I got said this article via Instagram about how PMDD,
which you've mentioned a couple of times, which is like
extreme pms that people who have been taking these new
range or not new, they've been around for a while,
but they're kind of new to us range of weight
loss injectibles, so as GLP one agonists or semaglutide that
(20:23):
is actually been helpful for PMDD. What do we know
about that?
Speaker 2 (20:27):
So there's very limited evidence for that, and I would
definitely not recommend it to someone who has PMDD. We
have evidence for medication that we know that works. We
also know that some people report increase anxiety, depression, suicidal
thoughts with these medications, So you know, what works for
one or two people might not work for the general population.
(20:48):
We'd have to wait till proper studies are conducted, and
so I would always trial the medications which have been
tested and tried, and that's generally go with your doctor.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Okay, how do we now take the things that we've
learned today to make sure that we're explaining to our
healthcare professionals what's actually going on with us.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Some people will think that they're pain normal, or their
heavy flow is normal, or some people think it's not normal,
and I've seen a doctor and the doctor's dismissed it.
And for those females, I'm really sorry, because if you
think it's not normal and it's affecting your quality of life,
then it fits those definitions. I strongly encourage any person
who feels that they have symptoms that aren't normal that
(21:29):
geneals is a fantastic website with a lot of information
and they also have like a period diary with a
symptom tracker and for two cycles. I'll just encourage females
to like kind of plot what's happening in terms of
their flow, they're passing clots, the symptoms that they're feeling,
and take that information to the doctor right because you're like,
I've plotted this, I've done the work, and write down
(21:51):
all the questions that you have as well. The worst
part is when you leave a doctor's room and you're like, crap,
I had such an important question to ask. And make
sure you find a gp with a special interest in
women's health. You shouldn't have to suffer in silence. Get
that period diary. That information is so valid, write down
those questions, find that appropriate GP yeah, and hopefully you
(22:14):
get some answers.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Next, for today's quick consult, we're actually going to be
heading into the doctor's office with our very own doctor Mariam.
We are going to get some advice on a dilimit
that Alice sent in to see if we can help
her with her slightly smelly problem. The doctor will see you. Now,
just through here to consult room one. First of all, sing,
this is our very first one. Can you bring us
(22:37):
into the consult room the way that you would bring
a patient into the consult room?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Definitely. So I always start by saying thank you for waiting,
because I'm always over time, and I apologize. You've got
to give every patient the time and attention they deserve,
and sometimes it's within fifteen minutes, and sometimes it isn't,
so I apologize, but I always tell them, you know,
it might be you next that needs that twenty or
thirty minutes. So my patients are usually quite grateful and
(23:03):
they're happy to wait.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
So this is where you can have your health concerns hurt.
So if you do have something you want to ask
doctor Mariam or any expert in the health space, make
sure you reach out to us. You can send us
an email well at mumamea dot com dotter you or
you can leave a voice note. You can find a
link on how to do that in our show notes.
So at least recently reached out to us to ask
this question.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
I don't think much vagina smells right. It has a
sort of fishy smell, and when I wash it, I
notice only an hour or so later it smells bad again.
The other night, my girlfriend commented that it tasted different,
and I was mortified. Am I just not cleaning properly?
Could this be a sign that something is wrong? Joined
to see a guyano or is it GP?
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Okay, Alice, thank you so much. That's a really tough
question to put out there into the atmosphere. So we
really do appreciate you doing this. But Mariam, what should
you do?
Speaker 2 (23:55):
So I'd start by saying you don't need to see
a specialist. Your GP should be your first port of
call and they should definitely be able to get to
the bottom of it. No pun intended. So basically what
we'd do is we'd gather a bit more of a history,
see if she's got any other symptoms, like bleeding in
between her periods, any vaginal discharge. Is it just the smell.
(24:15):
I'd want to get more of a history about her
cleaning her vagina. Is she using like fragrance products. Is
she inserting anything into the vagina.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Because I see a lot of these around. They're like
there's wipes and douches.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Yeah, you know, the vagina is self cleaning. You don't
need to use these products. And the fact that you know,
there's this expectation that our vagina should smell a certain
ways just absolutely stupid. And by using these things we
can disrupt the pH balance of the vagina and it
can cause infections like thrush. So I'd want to explore
more of that with her and see if she's is
(24:48):
she overcleaning it or inserting it which potentially could be
causing We also want to exclude things like foreign bodies.
That's the thing. Retain tampons. That happens.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Yeah, okay, I've had friends who've forgotten and it happens.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
It happens like females, we're busy people, you know. You
could just push the tampon in and it's pushed the
other one further at the back and you've completely forgotten
about it. And then you want to exclude infections like
bacterial vaginoses, thrush and STIs. So definitely first pot of course,
seeing a GP, they'd gather more of a history. They'll
do an examination and take some swabs, and they'll do
(25:25):
your cervical screening test. You can also do a self collection, now, guys,
that's a thing. So if you're late for your cervical smear,
please do it. It's so easy the self collection. Yeah,
and depending on what I find during examination, I might
commence treatment if I suspect it's bacterial vaginosis prior to
the results coming, and then follow up with the results.
(25:47):
It might be so hard not to overclean when there's
a smell, yeah, because we all know the smell of
our own vaginas. And sometimes it's worse at times, like
we all know about swamp crutch after going to the gym,
or there's what's.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Referred to as cabin crutch. Give like a long flight,
you can get a little yeah, you know, steamy, and
I've heard someone refer to it as when you go
to a nightclub bath Oh my goodness, and it smells
like hot muff.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
I love it, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
So, like we know the times that it can get
a little bit much and it is really tempting to
then go in and like just do a super thorough clean,
but you reckon, like just be careful.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Yeah, so you don't need those products, honestly, just warm
water is more than enough. Like you don't need to
be aggressive, you don't need to like scrub and insert
soaps that it will just like cause more harm than good. Honestly,
that stuff is just marketed and it's in a way
unfortunately that makes us think of vaginas need to be
flowers and they don't. You know, it's normal to have
(26:51):
a natural odor here and there. That's you know, part
of our body at least.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
I hope that helped out. And maybe just pop over
to your GP and get a little bit of advice.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Yes, definitely you need to see your GP.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Yeah, thank you so much for joining us on this
very first episode of Well Again. If you have any
questions about what we discuss, any health concerns you want
us to look into, please shoot us an email. It
is well at mummamea dot com dot au or You
can leave us a voice note as well, and if
you're interested in exploring these topics and more, make sure
you sign up to the World newsletter. There's a link
to that in our show notes. And as always, the
(27:24):
advice you've heard here today is general and may not
suit your exact needs, so make sure you reach out
to your own doctor or health specialist to get the
info that is one hundred percent right for you, and
we'll see you for your appointment this time next week.
Thanks Mariam bybe Well is produced by me Claire Murphy,
Our Group Executive producer Georgie Page, and senior producers Sasha Tanic,
(27:45):
with audio production by Scott Stronik and Jacob Brown. We
hope you enjoyed this episode of Well. If you're after
more women's health news like this, Well is your full
body health check and drops episodes every week on a Thursday.
Coming up, we delve into endo, pcos, ADHD, depression and burnout.
There's a link to follow us in the show notes.
You're listening to Amma Mea podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Mamma May acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Hey there, I'm Claire Murphy from Mamma MEA's brand new
health podcast, Well, hosted by me and doctor Mariam, a
brilliant GP and advocate for women's health. Well is a
podcast about the taboo, the annoying, the embarrassing, and the scary.
We cover the concerns you're probably considering seeing a doctor about,
from insomnio to weird periods to how to prevent dementia.
(00:41):
In this episode, we do some period mythbusting, like how
much pain is normal? Does my weight impact my cycle?
And why do we get period poos?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
I'm Claire Murphy and welcome to Well. This is your
full body health check. I've been a journalist for nearly
twenty years, the past six of those hosting Mamma MEA's
daily news podcast, The Quickie. So I have asked a
lot of questions of a lot of experts about a
lot of things related to women's health. But now I
want to know more.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
And my name's doctor Marriam. I'm a Sydney based GP
and our staunch advocate for all things women's health. I'm
also a twin mum to toddler boys, which is why
I'm always tired. I'm so happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Let us tell you why we're here. Well is about
addressing the taboo, the annoying, the embarrassing, and sometimes the scary.
We're going to cover concerns that you're probably considering seeing
a doctor about, from insomnia to weird periods to how
to prevent dementia. The difference is we're going to give
you the tools that you need to make sure that
(01:55):
you are seen and heard by your healthcare professionals, and
we won't charge you once your fifteen minutes is up.
First up, we're going to take you to med school.
This is where we're going to share something fascinating that
we've learned in the process of making this podcast. Then
it's into the checkup, where we'll explore a health topic
in a stack more detail. We'll speak to a specialist
too when we need their expertise, and then finally it's
(02:18):
the quick consult. We head off to the doctor's rooms
where we solve a dilemma on any health topic as
submitted by you today. In the checkout. We're going to
be putting a spotlight on periods, like can weight loss
injections actually help with a particular menstrual issue? Why is
period poor thing? And when do you actually need to
go and see your doctor? But first we're helping off
(02:40):
to med school.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Welcome to med school.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
So this is where I'm going to share something that
I've found out recently which will equal parts freak you
out and fascinate you. Have you heard about the sperm graveyard?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Now?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Look, I came across on my social media feed at
a doctor in the US which explained apparently the sperm
that is ejaculated inside of you, obviously when your partner
is not wearing a condom, and which does not end
up fertilizing the egg, which like is millions of them. Mariam,
(03:14):
can you please explain to us where they go? So
when a man ejaculates, it's thought that two hundred to
three hundred million sperm and to the vagina, that's a
lot of sperm. That's a lot.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
And I like to think of the vagina as like
the ultimate Ninja warrior course, right, It's designed with lots
of boogie traps to kind of kill the sperm before
it gets to the egg, so we're not welcoming it in.
We're not well, no, yeah, the vagina is not very welcoming.
So there's things that the sperm has to get through,
like the pH so a lot of the acidity of
(03:46):
the vagina will kill the sperm. There's the cervical mucus
in which some of the sperm will get trapped in,
and then the body identifies the sperm and rightly so
as foreign invaders, so will send these white cells to
kind of shoot them away. And then for the sperm
that does make it through the fallopian tube, and at
this stage that's thought to be about two hundred so
(04:08):
you can imagine two hundred to three hundred million, and
you've got two hundred sperm remaining. The rest have just
died from exhaustion because sperm is quite lazy. So the
sperm's traveling along one we hope will fertilize the egg,
and then the rest are thought to just keep swimming along.
And so the fallopian tube's actually not attached to the ovary,
(04:30):
so there's these like finger like projections called the fimbria,
and so it can actually exit out of the fallopian
tube into your abdominal cavity.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
And this is what I've heard is referred to as
the sperm that's.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Right, So like if you have a visual you can
just imagine like this just like falling into your abdominal cavity.
But do not be alarmed. Enzymes break that sperm down
and it's reabsorbed for nutrients for the body.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
What happens after we absorb it? Like are we using that?
Speaker 2 (04:57):
But if you think about it, sperm is like microscopic.
You can't even see it so like it's so so tiny,
it's you.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Know, it's there. No, we are going to actually put
that video of the sperm graveyard up on our socials too,
so if you want to go check it out. Later
in the section we are referring to as the quick consult,
Alice asks us whether her vagina smells right. But next
in the checkout, we're gonna do some period myth busting
because even though we think we know everything about our
menstrual cycle, trust me, we do not. It's time for
(05:30):
the check out, all right, let's get into it today.
We are period myth busting. I've seen videos in my
social media feed claiming that your period blood says something about.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Your overall health, like is that true? Not necessarily like
a core bullshit for some of it. So there's like
variation in the color of your period through your menstruction cycle.
At the start, it tends to be heavier, it's brighter
because it hasn't had a chance to oxidize. And then
as your period progresses you've had some of the tissue
sitting in there, it's reacted with the oxygen. You might
(06:04):
pass clots, and it might be darker brown or even
close to a black color. The color variation that's completely normal.
But the signs that you know would prompt you to
see a doctor would be if it was like a
gray or an orange tinge, that might suggest an underlying infection.
A light pink might suggest iron deficiency. There's not really
(06:27):
a strong link, but it might, and especially if that's
something new for you or there's been a change, then
that might warrant a doctor review. But no, I wouldn't say,
you know your hormones fluctuate throughout the cycle. I wouldn't
say it's indicative of estrogen and progesterone efficiency. There are
a lot of hormonal health coaches online, unfortunately, so always
check your sources. The only hormonal advice I would take
(06:50):
from would be an endochronologist, to be honest.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah, so it's not like looking at your Wii and going, oh,
I'm dehydrated. Yeah, no, it's okay.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Or your cervical mucus.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
I'm not sure how comfortable I am checking out my
cervical mucus, but maybe for the sake of this podcast,
I might have to start. I also saw another post
from someone who said they were a nutrition scientist, but
they claim that taking vitamin D supplements can actually help
with period pain. Is that true?
Speaker 2 (07:20):
So there is some evidence that it can help period pain,
though in a lot of the trials they were using
really high doses, so well above the recommended range of
normal Vitamin D. Toxicity is very rare, but I would
just advise anyone who wanted to take vitamin D get
your levels checked. If you're deficient, definitely start treatment, and
(07:41):
always speak to your doctor before you're starting any supplementation.
A lot of these medications can interact with other medications,
and you know, some medications, if they're used outside it
that recommended range, can cause toxicity. Although vitamin D is
very rare in that regard you should always speak to
your pharmacist or doctor. When should we be worried about
a period? What would not be normal is you've noticed
(08:04):
a change in the pattern of your peeriods, who it's
starting to become more erratic. You're bleeding in between your periods,
you're bleeding for a prolonged time, like for more than
eight days, you're bleeding after sex, Or there's significant pain
with your period that's not being relieved with simple over
the countermedications and it's disrupting your quality of life, or
(08:25):
you're just concerned for any reason about your period. That's
more than enough reason to see a doctor.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
And as we know, one in seven women in Australia
are diagnosed with endometriosis, which often means heavy, painful periods.
And that's something we'll be exploring and talking about in
more detail in our next episode. How much blood is normal?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
The average loss is thought to be about thirty to
forty meals, which is six to eight teaspoonfuls.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Why are we measuring in tea spoonfuls? Can we not
measure via a menstrual crap or something like at least
something we use it? No one's poised over the loo
with a tea spoon.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
But we define heavy menstrual bleeding as any bleeding that
impacts your quality of life in any way. So if
you feel like, you know, you having to change your
pads or tamp on every hour, you're leaking through your
periods more than eight days, you're passing large clots, which
we say more than a fifty cent piece, then there's
signs that something's happening. You should see a doctor.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Okay, what are my options if I do have or
I'm prone to having really heavy periods.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
So if you do have heavy periods, I would really
encourage you to speak to your doctor because there could
be underlying causes contributing to the heavy period. We also
want to ensure that you don't have iron deficiency as
a consequence of the heavy mental bleeding as well, which
is awful. Get iron deficiency or me too.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
I feel like everyone I know now has an eye
in difficiency, And I always say, like, you know, iron
supplements and iron infusions, they're kind of band aid solutions.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
So you want to kind of address the root cause,
and if that's heavy mental bleeding, then figuring out why
you're having it and stopping it from happening is really important.
So the first thing to just definitely see a doctor,
you know, and get the appropriate investigation. But while that
is happening, doctors should be giving you medication if that's
something that you want to reduce that blood loss. And
(10:18):
there's non hormonal options. The non hormonal options are something
we call transaxamic acid and that stops the blood from clotting.
That's actually quite effective in reducing blood loss. Anti inflammatories
are also shown to reduce blood loss and they also
help with the pain. You can take the two of
them together. They're most effective to start a day or
two before your period and you continue them for about
(10:38):
three days during your cycle. The hormonal options are and
the first line for all heavy mental bleeding is the
IUD and that is ninety five percent effective at twelve
months in reducing heavy menstrual bleeding. It's really effective and
it helps keep that endometrium nice and thin. And there
are the progestin only pill and combined oral contracepti pill.
(11:01):
They're actually quite effective as well. Obviously you know there's
side effect profiles that and you know preference to the patient.
So that's the options to disc us with your GP
on what you would feel would be best suited to
your life, and for the patient to have really heavy
mental bleeding that's affecting their quality of life, they've trialed everything,
we've excluded underlying causes that would warrant a referral to
(11:23):
a kindecologist, you know, for more extensive investigations and potential
surgical options if that's something that the person wanted to do.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Okay, so that's covered off on bleeding. But what about pain?
Speaker 2 (11:35):
So pain you subjective, right, So what might be painful
for me might not be painful for you. But what
we do consider normal for periods is period pain that
isn't affecting your quality of life generally. You know, you
get the peak of the pain in the first two days.
If you have a bit of pain, you take over
the counter medications like paracetamol or anti inflammatories. You're still
(11:55):
able to go about your day. It's not impacting your
work or extracurricular activities. That's normal. As soon as it's
I am having to take days off work, or you know,
it's impacting relationships or you're just staying at home lying
in bed, that's not normal.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Here's a question. If things are all happening around my uterus,
why do I get pain in my lower back?
Speaker 2 (12:19):
So we blame that all on the prostic lands and
so prostic lands ands are released during menstruation and that's
what causes the smooth muscle to contract. So the uterus
and the spine are in close proximity, so you get
that radiation in the pain. We also, like a physiotherapist
was telling me that the hormones also loosen your ligaments,
which makes you more prone to like injury, so which
(12:41):
is really interesting.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
It's interesting like the Western Bulldogs AFLW team have just
started doing something around so they've customized training around their
players mid cycles because of that very fact, and they're
wondering if you know a lot of their players are
getting acl injuries because of that kind of stuff too,
So that is really interesting.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yeah, so it's thought maybe it's causing some like spinal
instability and that could be a cause of the back
pain as well. But importantly, the back pain could also
have a root cause, so you might have an lying
condition like endometriosis, fibroids or dinomyosis which is causing that
referred pain as well. So important if it's like quite
severe doesn't feel normal. Definitely, See it's octor like if
(13:21):
you are throwing up from hain. Yeah, that's normal, that
is not oct Okay.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
This is something that we've been having a lot of
conversations about, especially in the last couple of years, is
what period products are actually healthy to use, because there's
been a lot of fear around potential chemicals in things
like pads and tampons, and then you know, menstrual cups
came along, and so what realistically is healthy Because I
know some of those studies around the heavy metals that
(13:52):
were in tampons, the research wasn't done in a way
that actually those heavy metals would even make it into
your body or bloodstream. So it was just a big
scary thing that wasn't really a thing. Can you give
us some explanation around that?
Speaker 2 (14:04):
So I think it's actually been great that this has
happened because there's not a lot of studies on tampons
and pads.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
And what is wild is that they did start using
blood on those products until very recently with fluids but
not actual menstrul blood.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
And it's crazy, you know, I think this spotlight has
kind of forced like, okay, and rightly so females have
a right to know what they're inserting internet, and if
you know they there's potential toxins and chemicals that could
potentially cause harm later. And it's we don't want to
be fear mongering either. I think costs and affordability accessibility
(14:42):
is really important. And if you can only afford tampons
and pads, that's what you're going to use right now.
There is not enough evidence to suggest that they will
cause harm, but like I said, those studies are really important,
so we just kind of wait and watch. In the intranm,
there's like menstrual cups, there's underwear. There's this period underwear,
which is fantastic. Yeah, I've ordered some. I'm waiting for
(15:03):
them to arrive. I'm excited to give them a try.
I think it's important that like ganic doesn't always mean
free of chemicals as well. So if I had any advice,
it would be just to go for the fragrance free options.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
There's one in America that's been getting a lot of
airplane on social media. It's like confused with menthol, Like
can you imagine the burn of a pad that has
menthol on it?
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Your vagina is not a flower. It doesn't need to
smell a certain way. Yeah, that's just that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Okay, next we're going to talk about something like this
is like it's a bit gross, yeah, but it's a
common thing for most of us. Yeah, please explain to
me why period pooh is a thing. And if you
don't get period poos, it's literally like the week before,
it's like your guts go crazy and they're like just
wanting to expel everything in there? What is happening?
Speaker 2 (15:57):
You feel like it's colonoscopy prep.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
It is almost Also if you've done prepnestly, I say
that they should schedule all colonoscopies for females, right, that
makes it actually so basically the understanding is it's all
goes back to prostagland and so they're released, they cause
the uterus to contract, they act on the smooth muscle.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
They also act on the smooth muscle of the bow,
so causing the bow to contract and then comes your
period poop. Hormonal fluctuations with progesterone also play a role.
So we know when progesterone is high, you're more likely
to be constipated, and that's generally before your period and
then when it drops, the period poop comes, so it's
been held back for a while, and then the contractions
(16:42):
as well. It's all happening. And we also know that
the progesterone rise before the period is like kind of
what triggers that, you know, like craving for those sweet
and carbi foods. So we're eating crappy We're eating crappy
foods and that's what causes those. I don't know, if
you get those pesky period farts that just my husband knows.
He're like, you'll be like, yeah, it's coming. It's common.
(17:06):
So if I have general advice for females who this
you know is bothersome for it's generally keep up your
fluid intake. If you're losing a lot of fluids, you
want to replace those electrolytes. Eat food high in fiber,
you know, fruit and vegetables. You want to avoid stimulants
like coffee, processed food, chili, Try to avoid those processed foods.
But if you need it, just eat it and you'll
(17:28):
have a pesky fat here and there. That's fine. We're
all human.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
We also need to be happy. Yeah, sometimes that means chocolate.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
There's also some evidence which suggests that the fluctuations in
hormones affect your neurotransmittens like serotonin, you know, the feel
good hormones and when they're low you want to eat
trying to make myself and then yeah, so you know
you eat a cheeseburger or a big mac, and you
know you feel good for that little period and then
(17:56):
and then we then we pay for it later with
the pesky farts, with the pesky fats.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Fun. Can other things be impacted by your period? Down there?
So for example, we've had a stack of women ask
us about you and many of them have said they
get a UTI right after their period finishes. Could that
be connected?
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Yeah, So the fluctuations in the hormones, So when estrogen
rises and estrogen drops, so we know when estrogen rises
you're at increased risk of thrush and when it drops,
your at increased risk of ut eyes right, fun fun fun, Yeah,
And the hormonia of shifts have massive impacts on your
mood and quality of life. You know, for people with
PMS and the more severe form PMDD, that can impact
(18:38):
obviously you know, relationships, your work and everything around you.
And we also know that the rise in prostaglandins, especially
at day two, can cause significant cramping and that can
cause you to miss like extracurricular or sporting. And the
hormones also affect your temperature, right, and that temperature effects
(18:58):
can disrupt your sleep. So there's especially people with PMDD,
they can suffer from like insomnia, like yeah, and it'
and that sleep deprivation has that knock on effect as well.
So then the skin changes, you know for people who
get like hormonal acne and dry skin. So yeah, it's
not just all about the blood. It's it's yeah, it's
good effects everywhere.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Fun. Yeah, Okay, does your weight impact your period and
your cycle?
Speaker 2 (19:25):
It does so definitely. So changes in your body weight,
whether you're your overweight or underweight, can impact your menstruation cycle.
So if you're underweight or your exercise intensively, you may
have an underlying eating disorder. We find that there's an
estrogens efficiency and that can cause irregular or absent periods
as a result. And then we know that people that
(19:47):
are overweight, they're more likely to have heavy menstrual bleeding,
irregular periods, more likely to have underlying conditions like polycystic
ovarian syndrome and sometimes they might not ovulate at all,
and that's generally because extra fat produces estrogen, which can
disrupt that cycle.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
I got said this article via Instagram about how PMDD,
which you've mentioned a couple of times, which is like
extreme pms that people who have been taking these new
range or not new, they've been around for a while,
but they're kind of new to us range of weight
loss injectibles, so as GLP one agonists or semaglutide that
(20:23):
is actually been helpful for PMDD. What do we know
about that?
Speaker 2 (20:27):
So there's very limited evidence for that, and I would
definitely not recommend it to someone who has PMDD. We
have evidence for medication that we know that works. We
also know that some people report increase anxiety, depression, suicidal
thoughts with these medications, So you know, what works for
one or two people might not work for the general population.
(20:48):
We'd have to wait till proper studies are conducted, and
so I would always trial the medications which have been
tested and tried, and that's generally go with your doctor.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Okay, how do we now take the things that we've
learned today to make sure that we're explaining to our
healthcare professionals what's actually going on with us.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Some people will think that they're pain normal, or their
heavy flow is normal, or some people think it's not normal,
and I've seen a doctor and the doctor's dismissed it.
And for those females, I'm really sorry, because if you
think it's not normal and it's affecting your quality of life,
then it fits those definitions. I strongly encourage any person
who feels that they have symptoms that aren't normal that
(21:29):
geneals is a fantastic website with a lot of information
and they also have like a period diary with a
symptom tracker and for two cycles. I'll just encourage females
to like kind of plot what's happening in terms of
their flow, they're passing clots, the symptoms that they're feeling,
and take that information to the doctor right because you're like,
I've plotted this, I've done the work, and write down
(21:51):
all the questions that you have as well. The worst
part is when you leave a doctor's room and you're like, crap,
I had such an important question to ask. And make
sure you find a gp with a special interest in
women's health. You shouldn't have to suffer in silence. Get
that period diary. That information is so valid, write down
those questions, find that appropriate GP yeah, and hopefully you
(22:14):
get some answers.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Next, for today's quick consult, we're actually going to be
heading into the doctor's office with our very own doctor Mariam.
We are going to get some advice on a dilimit
that Alice sent in to see if we can help
her with her slightly smelly problem. The doctor will see you. Now,
just through here to consult room one. First of all, sing,
this is our very first one. Can you bring us
(22:37):
into the consult room the way that you would bring
a patient into the consult room?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Definitely. So I always start by saying thank you for waiting,
because I'm always over time, and I apologize. You've got
to give every patient the time and attention they deserve,
and sometimes it's within fifteen minutes, and sometimes it isn't,
so I apologize, but I always tell them, you know,
it might be you next that needs that twenty or
thirty minutes. So my patients are usually quite grateful and
(23:03):
they're happy to wait.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
So this is where you can have your health concerns hurt.
So if you do have something you want to ask
doctor Mariam or any expert in the health space, make
sure you reach out to us. You can send us
an email well at mumamea dot com dotter you or
you can leave a voice note. You can find a
link on how to do that in our show notes.
So at least recently reached out to us to ask
this question.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
I don't think much vagina smells right. It has a
sort of fishy smell, and when I wash it, I
notice only an hour or so later it smells bad again.
The other night, my girlfriend commented that it tasted different,
and I was mortified. Am I just not cleaning properly?
Could this be a sign that something is wrong? Joined
to see a guyano or is it GP?
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Okay, Alice, thank you so much. That's a really tough
question to put out there into the atmosphere. So we
really do appreciate you doing this. But Mariam, what should
you do?
Speaker 2 (23:55):
So I'd start by saying you don't need to see
a specialist. Your GP should be your first port of
call and they should definitely be able to get to
the bottom of it. No pun intended. So basically what
we'd do is we'd gather a bit more of a history,
see if she's got any other symptoms, like bleeding in
between her periods, any vaginal discharge. Is it just the smell.
(24:15):
I'd want to get more of a history about her
cleaning her vagina. Is she using like fragrance products. Is
she inserting anything into the vagina.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Because I see a lot of these around. They're like
there's wipes and douches.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Yeah, you know, the vagina is self cleaning. You don't
need to use these products. And the fact that you know,
there's this expectation that our vagina should smell a certain
ways just absolutely stupid. And by using these things we
can disrupt the pH balance of the vagina and it
can cause infections like thrush. So I'd want to explore
more of that with her and see if she's is
(24:48):
she overcleaning it or inserting it which potentially could be
causing We also want to exclude things like foreign bodies.
That's the thing. Retain tampons. That happens.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Yeah, okay, I've had friends who've forgotten and it happens.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
It happens like females, we're busy people, you know. You
could just push the tampon in and it's pushed the
other one further at the back and you've completely forgotten
about it. And then you want to exclude infections like
bacterial vaginoses, thrush and STIs. So definitely first pot of course,
seeing a GP, they'd gather more of a history. They'll
do an examination and take some swabs, and they'll do
(25:25):
your cervical screening test. You can also do a self collection, now, guys,
that's a thing. So if you're late for your cervical smear,
please do it. It's so easy the self collection. Yeah,
and depending on what I find during examination, I might
commence treatment if I suspect it's bacterial vaginosis prior to
the results coming, and then follow up with the results.
(25:47):
It might be so hard not to overclean when there's
a smell, yeah, because we all know the smell of
our own vaginas. And sometimes it's worse at times, like
we all know about swamp crutch after going to the gym,
or there's what's.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Referred to as cabin crutch. Give like a long flight,
you can get a little yeah, you know, steamy, and
I've heard someone refer to it as when you go
to a nightclub bath Oh my goodness, and it smells
like hot muff.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
I love it, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
So, like we know the times that it can get
a little bit much and it is really tempting to
then go in and like just do a super thorough clean,
but you reckon, like just be careful.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Yeah, so you don't need those products, honestly, just warm
water is more than enough. Like you don't need to
be aggressive, you don't need to like scrub and insert
soaps that it will just like cause more harm than good. Honestly,
that stuff is just marketed and it's in a way
unfortunately that makes us think of vaginas need to be
flowers and they don't. You know, it's normal to have
(26:51):
a natural odor here and there. That's you know, part
of our body at least.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
I hope that helped out. And maybe just pop over
to your GP and get a little bit of advice.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Yes, definitely you need to see your GP.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Yeah, thank you so much for joining us on this
very first episode of Well Again. If you have any
questions about what we discuss, any health concerns you want
us to look into, please shoot us an email. It
is well at mummamea dot com dot au or You
can leave us a voice note as well, and if
you're interested in exploring these topics and more, make sure
you sign up to the World newsletter. There's a link
to that in our show notes. And as always, the
(27:24):
advice you've heard here today is general and may not
suit your exact needs, so make sure you reach out
to your own doctor or health specialist to get the
info that is one hundred percent right for you, and
we'll see you for your appointment this time next week.
Thanks Mariam bybe Well is produced by me Claire Murphy,
Our Group Executive producer Georgie Page, and senior producers Sasha Tanic,
(27:45):
with audio production by Scott Stronik and Jacob Brown. We
hope you enjoyed this episode of Well. If you're after
more women's health news like this, Well is your full
body health check and drops episodes every week on a Thursday.
Coming up, we delve into endo, pcos, ADHD, depression and burnout.
There's a link to follow us in the show notes.
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