We are sorry to hear of your difficulties getting to mikveh.
We do recommend an examination to confirm that the staining is from a cervical wound and not due to uterine bleeding. This is because irregular hormonal staining is not uncommon on the Mirena, and it is important to clarify that you are not experiencing uterine and cervical bleeding simultaneously. For halachic purposes, it is sufficient to go to a
bodeket. However, medically, you should return to your OB/GYN to see if further treatment is possible so you do not need to do this monthly.
In the meantime, you should soak in a warm bath to remove any old blood prior to performing a
hefsek taharah. You should go gently and slowly, and try to avoid touching the cervix during your
bedikah. You may also reduce the number of
bedikot to one each on days 1, 7, and one of the intermediate
clean days. If the doctor or
bodeket confirms that you still have a cervical wound and are not experiencing any other bleeding, you may disregard any stains found on the
bedikot. However, you still must have an acceptable
bedikah on day 1 and day 7, so if your first attempt has a stain, you should repeat the
bedikah (leaving time between attempts and being very careful to avoid the cervix) until you have an acceptable
bedikah.
We have also received anecdotal reports of women using alfalfa, vitamin C, and bioflavonoids (1000 mg 3x/day) to help reduce staining.
Finally, if this situation continues over the next few months after the cervical sensitivity has resolved, it may be worthwhile speaking to your doctor to discuss alternate forms of birth control.
Please feel free to get back to us with any further questions.
B’Hatzlacha!
