Nishmat's Women’s Health and HalachaIn memory of Chaya Mirel bat R' Avraham

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Uncomfortable asking about stain

13 April, 2005

Question:

I am 3 months post partum. I did a hefsek and moch dachuk yesterday. Both were clean. Did a bedikah this morning, and was clean. Noticed a light brown stain bigger than a dime on my underwear this morning. I should probably do a count starting tonight right? I know I should take my stain to a rav, but I have 4 kids, and I don’t have time to go to the shul to drop it off, and I am too embarrassed to pick up the envelope containing my underwear afterwards…thanks.


Answer:

Mazal tov on your new baby!

Not all colors put a woman in niddah.  This is the case with some browns.  If the stain is a light brown (the color of coffee with milk) with no reddish hue, it is acceptable and you may continue your count.

If the stain is darker or appears reddish, you should continue counting your clean days and drop off your underwear when you have an opportunity.

If you are willing to sacrifice the underwear, it may be less embarrassing for you to cut out the area around the stain.  Just be sure to write down that it is from underpants and not a bedikah.  Alternatively, you could send your husband to drop it off for you.  There may also be a yoetzet halacha in your area; a list of yoatzot in North America and England is available here. For a referral to a yoetzet in Israel, please write back or call our hotline.

If the brown is not a problem, you would get to the mikveh sooner.  If it did invalidate your clean days, your bedikah from the following day could be relied on as a new hefsek taharah.


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