What is instinctive flow?
You can watch Melissa Carlier live on Flux instinctif.
Free instinctive flow, also abbreviated FIL, is a solution for retaining menstrual blood by contracting the muscles of the perineum until the time comes to evacuate it. It’s an ecological and economical method that doesn’t require the use of periodical protection and that allows you to rediscover the sensations of your body and listen to your menstrual signals.
In other words, Free Instinctive Flow is a natural method that consists of retaining menstrual blood using the perineum before letting it flow when you go to the toilet. This practice allows you to control the flow of menstrual blood, so you no longer need to use sanitary protection.
The instinctive flow, its process
How does it work?
Free instinctive flow is practised thanks to a natural function of the body: the contraction of the perineum.
The perineum is a set of muscles and tissues that extends from the pubis to the coccyx and supports the entire pelvis, including the genitals. We rarely pay attention to it, yet it’s super important because it helps prevent incontinence and even organ descent (yes, it’s a hell of a job every day)!
The magic of the perineum is that you can contract and relax it as you wish. It’s an organ over which we have total control.
When we go to the toilet, we relax our perineum muscles, usually at the same time as we urinate, to say goodbye to our menstrual blood.
How do you go about it?
To practise FIL, you first need to understand your flow, listen to your body and practise.
Observing and understanding your menstrual flow
- The arrival of your period: know how to predict with certainty when your period will arrive in the next few days and understand your premenstrual symptoms and your cycle.
- Key times: identify the times of day when blood generally flows and when it doesn’t, or when it flows very little.
- Quantity: on which day of the cycle and at what time of day is the greatest volume of blood lost?
Trying instinctive flow at home
When you first start using instinctive flow, you’ll probably need to go to the toilet regularly to evacuate the blood. We therefore recommend that you try it out for the first time in the comfort of your own home.
Listen to your body
- As soon as you feel a liquid draining from the cervix, you will be able to contract the muscles of the perineum, which will allow the vagina to tighten.
- After holding back your bleeding, you can go to the toilet or shower to drain it off.
The disadvantages of instinctive flow
- After childbirth or a difficult pregnancy : the perineum is less toned and its long-term contraction is compromised. Perineal re-education is therefore the first step.
- Long-term sport: The risk of spillage may be increased.
- When you have haemorrhagic periods or a copper coil: this means going to the toilet several times an hour, which can be complicated if you’re not at home.
- Without access to a toilet: if you’re away from home or without access to a toilet throughout the day, you won’t be able to evacuate.
3 good reasons to practice free instinctive flow
- It’s free: You don’t have to spend money on feminine protection such as tampons, sanitary towels, etc.
- It’s environmentally friendly: there’s nothing more natural and environmentally friendly than free instinctive flow!
- It’s healthy: there’s nothing safer for your health than free instinctive flow, as no foreign bodies come into contact with your blood or your vulva/vagina.
