Bleached crotch in black underwear?!?!?! - Page 4

[mamajea]

This happens to me too. I'm glad Im not the only one.

[granola_mom]

Happens to me, too... always thought it was a CM thing. So I switched to white underwear. But I must note that I just bought a black pair of underwear made of silk a month or two ago, and it hasn't happened with these undies. Usually I wear cotton... hmm, maybe silk is acid crotch resistant?

[rgrindle]

Originally Posted by 2Sweeties1Angel

Can you imagine asking your doctor about this? Mine would give me that "WTF is wrong with you?" look.

I've had the crotch bleaching before, too, but I have no clue what causes it. Maybe I should ask my doctor next time I see him just to see how he reacts. I bet nobody's ever asked about that before.

I think I just woke up DS laughing!

[Eben'sMama]

I have only had this happen with one pair, but it was an older pair that I wore through both of my pregnancies (until they didn't fit anymore, that is). Doesn't the pH of everything change during pregnancy? Could that be it? Have any of the other bleached undies on this thread seen a pregnancy?

[dianna11]

Originally Posted by Eben'sMama

I have only had this happen with one pair, but it was an older pair that I wore through both of my pregnancies (until they didn't fit anymore, that is). Doesn't the pH of everything change during pregnancy? Could that be it? Have any of the other bleached undies on this thread seen a pregnancy?

It seems to happen to me whether I'm pregnant or not. I even remember it happening when I was a teenager.

Weird.

I'm incredibly amused that this thread is now 4 pages

It's good to know that I'm not the only one.

[J's Mombee]

Originally Posted by Eben'sMama

I have only had this happen with one pair, but it was an older pair that I wore through both of my pregnancies (until they didn't fit anymore, that is). Doesn't the pH of everything change during pregnancy? Could that be it? Have any of the other bleached undies on this thread seen a pregnancy?

I seemed to have stopped bleaching undies when I became pregnant, and now it I am not sure if it is happening anymore (bc it happened so much, I am used to it now). It used to happen before I was pg, and I think now that I am not pg, but when I was pg, everything was different.

[Mara232]

I am so glad that this happens to other people!! I have always wondered! So do we "know" officially why it happens?

[dianna11]

Originally Posted by Mara232

I am so glad that this happens to other people!! I have always wondered! So do we "know" officially why it happens?

Not really, it's been speculated that it could be a PH issue, many women have said that it happens during pregnancy, and not other times, and some say it stops when they are pregnant, and others like me have had it happen for decades, pregnant or not.

THe mystery continues! At least we know that there are a lot of us in the ...

Sisterhood of the Magical Bleaching Hoo-Hoo's

[Mara232]

Originally Posted by dianna11

Sisterhood of the Magical Bleaching Hoo-Hoo's

[dianna11]

So I bought new underwear around the time I started this thread and guess what?

They're bleachey already!!!

Ugh, can't win.

I wonder if I should just start sewing white crotches into my black underwear.

[APBTlover]

Haha... I always thought I was the only one! It started sometime in my mid-teens... pretty much any colored panties end up with the bleachy spot. It's just "normal" for some of us, I guess?

It's so crazy -- I usually hang my clothes to dry (comes with the : territory), and I hand most small items indoors: washcloths, socks, undies. I am actually not too worried about company seeing my underwear, but I am worried they might see the bleachy spots!

[grappler93]

I thought it was just me.

I also feel better knowing it isn't just me.. I have never told anyone but I am sure my husband has seen the orange/red marks.. I thought maybe it was the acid in my urine because it all started after having my kids and of course the bladder leakage started then too...lol.. I have always had high amounts of CM but never had this. So I thought maybe I am not drinking enough water... But after finding this thread I'm wondering if it has anything to do with semen/CM combination. I have noticed ever since having children that my husband's semen irritates me and also creates a strange odor..: if I don't shower immediatly afterward. I know that is probably TMI but I am wondering if this is the case with anyone else...I mean look I thought I was the only one with the super who ha that bleaches undies... It also does not happen to my satin underwear, just cotten.

[sunnysandiegan]

Enlightening thread, I must say! LOL

Add me to the Sisterhood of the Magical Bleaching Hoo-Hoo's!

However, I don't recall the timing...like teenage years, pregnancy, post-partum, etc. I'm guessing always, but have no true idea. I DO know, however, that my pH is "normal". My chiropractor tests me every visit and I have the pH paper strip roll somewhere. He tests my saliva. If I find my pH roll, I'll test my CM. Like others, I have CM nearly every day of my cycle.

Meanwhile, I have a friend who is a doula and I'll ask her. She and I have the oddest conversations already, so I'm not embarrassed to ask her. LOL

On another front, I was raised by my father and HE is the one who suggested having different panties for "that time of the month". I use all-cotton panties in random colors (pink, lavender, floral, etc). I am curious about any "bleaching" effects on these... I've never paid attention to that before. Hmmm... I've only noticed it on my black and navy cotton VS panties (not relegated to "that time" LOL). I mostly wear skin-tone all-cotton panties on a daily basis.

Off to check my panty drawer now... and call my doula friend...

[sunnysandiegan]

Okay, well, I had to run off to pick up my DD from school (walking) and I called my doula friend. We had a few laughs and she was at home. She went into her undies drawer and discovered a bit of bleaching action, too. She had never thought of this before. Our conversation ultimately landed on there are a lot of factors that could cause this. I bet she checks into this further!!! LOL

Meanwhile, I haven't checked the rest yet.

[Ruthla]

Originally Posted by swd12422

Ummm.... Not to rain on anyone's parade or anything....
But are ALL of you saying (like at least 1 PP did) that the "bleaching" effect makes the fabric orange?
If so, it may be neither a girl thing nor a crotch thing exclusively. We have this issue with our sheets and towels, and I'm reasonably certain that at least some of the problem is coming from my DH! I thought he had acidic sweat or something. I can't figure it out, but there are orange smears and blotches all over my nice new towels. (Of course, the old cheap towels remain unaffected...)

But why would that make bleachy spots right in the crotch, and not in other parts of the undies, when the underwear is the same black cotton all around?

As for silk not getting bleached- I've read my Dharma Trading Company catalog enough times to know that silk gets bleached with a different chemical process than cotton, so it makes sense that whatever it is that changes the color on cotton fabric might not have the same effect on silk (or it might take longer to get affected, or something else altogether might affect the silk.)

I find it curious that many people have had their pH tested and were "normal" and have the bleaching happen- but nobody who doesn't have this issue seems to have had their pH tested at all. I wonder if you'd have to have your pH "too alkaline" to not get the acid-crotch effect.

I just had to pause posting to check my underwear drawer. I only have a few pairs of undies that don't have white crotches. I can't seem to tel if I have magical vaginal secretions or not- my purple and black undies seem "more worn out" in the crotch area than elsewhere, but it's not a distinctive bleaching effect.

[cheygirl]

The acidity in your vagina is determined by hormones, as well as the microflora that naturally live there. An acid vagina prevents overgrowth or colonization by harmful microbial flora; and sometimes a higher (i.e., less acid) pH in the vagina can be associated with yeast infections and even some STDs. Your vagina also gets less acid when you're pg....which is why some mamas noticed they didn't bleach when they were pg!

So....that makes me wonder....if you're bleachin' your undies, maybe it's just a sign of (nonpregnant) good vaginal health?

[almadianna]

Originally Posted by cheygirl

So....that makes me wonder....if you're bleachin' your undies, maybe it's just a sign of (nonpregnant) good vaginal health?

I hope so!!!

[thixle]

Originally Posted by grappler93

... But after finding this thread I'm wondering if it has anything to do with semen/CM combination. I have noticed ever since having children that my husband's semen irritates me and also creates a strange odor..: if I don't shower immediatly afterward. I know that is probably TMI but I am wondering if this is the case with anyone else...I mean look I thought I was the only one with the super who ha that bleaches undies... It also does not happen to my satin underwear, just cotten.

Well, I can't join the Sisterhood of the Magical Bleaching Hoo-Hoo's... I really want to pH test my junk now

but you aren't the only one with the semen/CM funk after sex... and only since giving birth! I hate it. I wouldn't call it an odor, more like a stench Anyone know what could cause that one?

[dianna11]

Originally Posted by cheygirl

The acidity in your vagina is determined by hormones, as well as the microflora that naturally live there. An acid vagina prevents overgrowth or colonization by harmful microbial flora; and sometimes a higher (i.e., less acid) pH in the vagina can be associated with yeast infections and even some STDs. Your vagina also gets less acid when you're pg....which is why some mamas noticed they didn't bleach when they were pg!

So....that makes me wonder....if you're bleachin' your undies, maybe it's just a sign of (nonpregnant) good vaginal health?

Holy SMokes! After 70-some-odd replies, someone knows the answer to my question!!! Thank you so much

Huh, I guess this means that the "Sisterhood of the Magical Bleaching Hoo-Hoo's" are a healthy bunch!

[boobybunny]

Okay, I have a bleaching hoo hoo too.

I have noticed that post coital odor seems "bleachy." It smells a bit like bleach to me, BUT if I go work out after sex, it gets funky, really funky, really really really funky.