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Extremely light periods on Mirena

2 February, 2016

Question:

Hi. About a year and a half ago, after the birth of my second, I had a Mirena IUD put in (apparently, the minipill wasn’t effective, resulting in my second child right after my first). I had the normal spotting for a few months, and then everything seemed to even out after about 7 months and I had normal, semi-predictable periods. The last few months, though, my periods have gotten extremely light. Last month, I didn’t even put on a pad because there was so little, it was absorbed into my coloured underwear almost immediately.

Do I need to “admit” to having a period at all? I’ve been reading about staining and kesamim that do not render a woman a nidda. I know I never get hargashos (only the feeling of dampness outside my body) and now that I’m anticipating my next period, I’m just wondering if I can consider my entire period to be spotting and avoid becoming a niddah at all. Does it make a difference if I KNOW that the stain is red, even if it’s small, on coloured garments, and without a hargasha?

Also, I assumed that my last episode of spotting was a period, and went to the mikvah. Do I need to calculate vestos if it was so light? I do not have a period kavua, so everything is calculated month by month.

I just want to thank you for this amazing website. You have helped me clarify my questions to my rav, get advice and guidance for so many of my issues over the years.


Answer:

Thank you for your kind words.

It is common for women using Mirena to experience staining instead of a period, or even cease menstruating completely.

If you only experience staining, and not an actual flow, you may take precautions against becoming niddah from the staining, even if it is your expected monthly “period.” You should wear colored underwear or disposable pantyliners, and wait at least a few seconds (ideally 15 seconds) after urinating before wiping. This way, you may disregard any staining you find on the underwear/pantyliner/toilet paper, even if you know the stains are red. We also recommend abstaining from intercourse until the staining subsides.

Vesatot are only calculated from an actual flow. Therefore, even if you considered yourself niddah from the staining last month, you are not required to calculate a veset based on that staining.

Please feel free to get back to us with any further questions.

This response has been updated to reflect the rulings of our current Rabbinic Supervisor, Rav Kenneth Auman, regarding waiting before wiping.


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