Like many women, my uterus has been through a lot.

Over the past 20+ years it has carried babies and had more menstrual cycles than I can count. I also used an IUD (intrauterine birth control device) in the past that I eventually removed after three years of use because my body just couldn't seem to tolerate it. I now regret my decision to use an IUD, because I sincerely believe the vaginal infections that ensued after I started using it, combined with three years of no menstrual cycle, has wreaked havoc inside me.

After some research as to what I could do to heal myself naturally, I came across an article about womb detox pearls, and my interest was immediate piqued. In the past I've taken vaginal probiotic pills; however, I lead a super busy life and I'm not good at remembering to take pills, so eventually I stopped that regimen. I also figured that an internal method of restoring balance to my female parts would work way better than taking a pill.

In addition, what I learned about the physical and spiritual importance of the womb was phenomenal. Apparently, many cultures believe that the womb has other capabilities outside of its reproductive purposes. They believe the womb can also harbor emotional, physical and spiritual traumas.

With that in mind, I became even more inspired to go forward with the detox.

Womb detox pearls are sold under various names and have been used by women throughout time to naturally cleanse the womb and restore its natural balance and are believed to cure ailments such as vaginal infections, endometriosis, foul odor and fibroids. They have even been reported to result in vaginal tightening! However, womb detox pearls are not recommended for pregnant women, women with an intact hymen, or women who are breastfeeding.

The pearls are composed of a an assortment of potent herbs that have strong affinities to the female reproductive system. Each deep cleanse takes three days to complete, and several cycles are recommended for the best results. There are tons of videos and written tutorials online that provide information on how to properly use the pearls, and after weeks of research I was willing to try it. Let's just say I was excited about the possibility of having the uterus and vagina of six-year old again! The company I chose to purchase my womb detox pearls from is called Embrace Pangaea and each pearl costs $15. It is recommended to purchase at least three, because during each cleansing cycle it is suggested to insert three pearls.

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Detox pearls

INSERTION

Okay, so I'm not a tampon user, and historically my vagina tends to reject anything (artificial) I've inserted inside me (tampons, IUD, etc.). I was a bit concerned that the same thing could happen with the pearls, but to my delight it didn't. The pearls look like little mesh bags attached to a string, and to perform a deep cleanse I had to insert all three pearls into my vagina and leave them there for three days.

I chose to start the detox a few days after my menstrual cycle ended. Once inserted properly, I didn't feel the pearls, but I admit I was still a bit wary about something going wrong (because no woman wants to do harm to her vajayjay).

THE DETOX

To make sure the pearls were as effective as possible, I made sure I was drinking an adequate amount of water. I also filtered unhealthy foods out of my diet (fast food, sugary drinks, caffeine) and abstained from sex (I honestly don't see how one could, or why someone would want to have sex during this process anyway).

In place of all the bad foods, which had been part of my diet, I incorporated fruit smoothies and salads, and limited my meat intake to a small amount of fish and seafood. I also prepared myself mentally for the end results, because upon seeing pictures others uploaded online of the "interesting" fluids and substances that came out of them, I just knew I was in store for some craziness.

As I mentioned, my uterus and vagina has been through a lot and since this was my first uterine detox, I expected "a lot" needed to be released. Also according to my research, like many other "detox's" people do, side effects can occur. Some of the side effects I prepared myself for were: flu like symptoms, sinus discharge, fatigue, mood swings, as well as my personal favorite, weight loss. Throughout the entire process an ample supply of panty liners, daily exercise, meditation, and drinking half my body weight in water were key to my personal success. Luckily, I did not experience any of the aforementioned side effects except feeling a bit tired.

THE RESULTS

This was probably the most interesting grossest part of the entire experience. Though I'd already seen the results others posted after their cleanse, something about seeing it in person, coming from my own body was "life changing." Okay, I'm exaggerating. It really wasn't as bad as my mind believed it would be, but I did have some discharge, especially on the third day of the cleanser. Since then, I've completed three more cleansing sessions, and each time the discharge was less, to barely anything at all. Most importantly, my vagina feels amazing! If you're really curious about what type of discharge can be expected you can see pictures here.

Overall, I think this was one of the best decisions I've made in regards to my personal health. I feel when working to improve our health we as women often forget about our most prized possessions, our reproductive organs. Taking good care of them via eating properly, and being cautious about what (and who) we let in our vagina is crucial to our overall health as womb-men. I definitely recommend anyone suffering yeast and other vaginal infections, fibroid pain, severe menstrual pain, and/or fertility issues to research womb detox methods further in order to determine if it's for you. While I'm no medical professional, I can speak from experience and say it worked for me and is now a vital part of my overall feminine care regimen.

Featured image by Getty Images

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Originally published in 2017