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The o.b. Tampocalypse
Johnson & Johnson still won't explain where all the o.b. tampons have gone, beyond admitting that o.b. Ultra has been discontinued and that regular o.b. "experienced a temporary supply interruption," but is apparently being shipped again. Have o.b.'s returned to shelves near you? I haven't seen them, and neither has 44-year-old o.b. Ultra fan Dawn Allyn, who in the article explains that "to me this is like taking my right to breathe."
One place you can definitely find o.b. is on eBay, where two 40-pack boxes of o.b. Ultra are currently selling for $100. Ladies. Ladies.
they still have them in sweden, where i live. i don't know what this could mean!
And Canada. If you're desperate…
i cannot deal with this!
Naturacare and some other 'green' brand make the exact same thing in unbleached cotton (Uh, you shouldn't be putting chlorine bleached things there anyway) and you can find at any natural grocer for like $5 per box of 20. I mean seriously. Go get em!
I checked my Duane Reade today, no sign of them. They have approximately 19 more days to get this shit together before I totally lose my mind. I had to deal with Tampax last time and it sucked.
Honestly I think its weird that women have a preference with tampons. I literally end up using boxes of tampons my mom buys when they go on clearance and then sends to me in the mail.
I have to agree, anik. I use the kind that is easiest to open the wrapper of, which is the Tampax Pearl brand. I ease the guilt of using the plastic applicator kind by not buying bottled water. Sort of a trade-off, see?
Buuuut OBs are so easy to discreetly fish out of your bag and sneak off to the restroom with! In case you are also in grade seven, like me, and are too ashamed to bring the tell-tale bag along.
Does anyone remember how OB used to make a model that was smaller than Regular? I was SO bummed when they discontinued it so I feel like I've been through this before.
In the last post about the tampocalypse someone recommended the Seventh Generation tampons w no applicator, and I just want to say THANK YOU b/c the rec saved my world!
[obligatory plug for the Diva Cup.] seriously, if you're using the applicator-free tampons, you're 75% of the way there. & also, IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
One time one of my friends must have gotten the wrong size diva cup or her fingers were too slippery or something. It god stuck and she had to get her girlfriend to help her pull it out. Hilarity ensued.
Love it.
I think the most surprising part of the article was that it made me realize I had no idea women in their mid-40s were still menstruating. I'm smart, me.
It's also super depressing! WHEN DOES MENSTRUATION FINALLY END
whats so great about the OB? there is no applicator!! who wants to jam there fingers up there every 4-6 hours? and the diva cup?? *lil gag* wow! i will stick to my non hipster, un-trendy, regular ol tampons….i am not even brand loyal…cardboard, plastic, who the hell cares, just get up there and do ya job!!
Well, for me it is the expansion method. Non-applicator versions expand in circumference, while the applicator ones expand in length. The latter always leaks and hurts for me. The former is marginally better, and you really don't touch much if you do it right.
The Diva Cup is well beyond my capabilities to even fathom. I just see myself making a giant mess of things I really don't want to touch or somehow getting it all over my shirt or some shit.
I had similar trepidations, but once I finally decided to give it a shot I was pleasantly surprised. there's a bit of a learning curve (as bluesuedeshoes's friends can apparently attest) but the tradeoffs of less leakage, no string/risk of TSS (however slim), & not having to buy/carry tampons EVER, EVER AGAIN totally outweighs any other drawbacks. plus, you can put it in preemptively, which is another bonus.
I'm witchoo. I have no problem touching myself for fun, but during the blood reign, touching the gushy bloodiness isn't my thang. I would like to shoot it up there, please. I also don't care about the environment and would like to know why I shouldn't put bleached cotton in my pussy if it doesn't cause me any problems. Anyway, I do all kinds of things that I shouldn't because they're easier -frozen foods, fast food, sitting and watching TV instead of exercising, writing this instead of working- so why stop now?
I do have preferences, the Playtex Sport are nice and they have ridiculous little affirmations on the wrapper like "win the race of life" and shit. P.S. I am not sporty at all.
I have been using these tampons since high school, when I was horrified to learn that it was apparently disgusting to use applicator-free tampons. All of my friends were like, "This means you touch yourself!" I was widely mocked.
But it's true that the "natural" cotton tampons sold at yuppie grocers are basically the same.
Amush in Sweden: this means you can make $$ selling them to American menstruators.
I don't use ob tampons, but I always have the jingle in my head when I hear about them. "Ob, that's the way it should be, keep it simple and set yourself free, from all the extras that you don't really need, just try ob and you'll see!!!"
The Waldbaum's in Mattituck, LI had them on Saturday but I'm not sure if that's because they got them back in stock or they never ran out in the first place.
So if anyone wants to see just how far the LIRR goes, you could go get yourself a few boxes. This would take like a day. Or ooh, the Hampton Jitney's North Fork line is probably a better option, as they run more frequently and drop you off in front of the shopping center itself.
I like how I can litter o.b.s across the bottom of all my purses and makeup bags and then I am never without a tampon. Try that with Tampax and you end up with bits of wrapper and cotton everywhere, and also inevitably fish out a mangled, pen-marked unused tampon with your keys in front of your male boss. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything.
Missed this two days ago!!! I still get looks of disgust when desperate friends and coworkers whisper pleas for help and I offer an OB. More for me!!! One girl (an idiot) chose to bleed through white slacks rather than "touch herself, gross". I've literally dug through every single handbag and toiletry case looking for strays. You can stash them anywhere, they are that awesome. But I'll look for the hippy version next!
Check out the Diva Cup (or other products like it.) For $40 you never have to buy tampons again. Or worry about a little leakage, or create so much trash every month. I've used it for 2 years now. It's a lifesaver!!!
They're back. With an apology:
http://www.obtampons.com/apology