A softer & greener "time of the month"

awesome post, both the content and your willingness to discuss it so completely. i have been using cloth pads for years and love them. i prefer them greatly over paper for so many reasons. i figure, i use cloth on my baby, why not me. (although, in truth, i started using cloth on me long, long before i even married the babies' dada!) i read recently about cloth and was shocked at the evolution those have gone through. you can get cloth with PUL sewn in for waterproofness, fleece for comfort, and more. mine are the first generation flannel, my first set bought from gladrags and the second set made by me. now, not only is there the keeper, there is the diva cup. i need to read more about both and choose one. i didn't buy one before kids, because there are two sizes and i didn't want to buy one before kids only to replace it after having had kids. and i have had very few cycles since i became pregnant with #1, so my cloth has been sufficient. sorry for babbling. but it seems safe here as i haven't wrapped my guts around posting so completely on my own blog! nicola http://whichname.blogspot.com

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Gee, mine are just plain beige, how dull! They are much cozier than paper, but I should add I don't like the PUL backing some of mine have because it is too slippery. Also, shopping locally is great, but in this case I think it's justified to buy them from afar if necessary instead of buying one more package of regular pads made who knows where out of who knows what.

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Funny that you mentioned this now! I just bought a LadyCup last week. I went with them because they are (supposedly) the easiest to clean. There are all sorts of forums out there for advice on choosing a menstrual cup -- I think your SIL linked to a few.

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A very timely post. I'll blame you for getting my period while I was at work today, haha. I'm like you in that I don't know it's coming until it's here and I look back and say, "ohhh that's why i was almost in tears for no reason."

This is my second or third period in a few years (miscarriage + baby + nursing) so i'm not back into the swing of things yet. I used to use the Diva cup which I loved (though I much preferred it when the bathrooms were private, rather than a stall and public sinks). I now have to get the, uh, mama size and I just haven't upgraded yet.

Last month was the first time I used cloth pads (haha, aka bella's diapers) instead of 7th Generation. I've gotten the fabric to make my own but I just have to decide on a good pattern and get ready to wave away onlookers when I use my uncle's sewing machine. Some day I'll get my own machine!

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That is so funny! They say that women who live near each other often have similar cycle patterns, I wonder if women who think like each other have similar thought patterns about menstrual cycles! LOL I hadn't seen this post when I posted mine. I bought the Moon Cup just a couple weeks ago, and was actually hoping I'd get to use it soon because shortly after I thought I was pregnant (which I'm not, pheww!). Anyway... I'm having pretty good luck with it so far, not really leaking, although I agree I'd rather use pads at night since I don't usually bleed much at night anyway. I've been thinking about making some cloth pads though, and just washing them with my babies diapers. I first got interested in non disposable methods a long time ago, before I knew about them. Glen and I have long thought about what would happen if we were living during the end times and we couldn't buy all the fancy disposable items we do now. And the funny thing is that my biggest concern was having to stick rags in my you-know-what to keep from leaking! Funny the things we come up with! So when I was following some links about the history of menstrual products and found a blog by a woman about simple living, and her post on cloth pads and keepers, I was sold! I just never got around to buying one until now. As for vegan diet and menstruation, I have no doubt the two are related. I have always had relatively mild cramps as the bleeding started, but it would quickly disappear, although they were stronger before I went vegan. Right now I do eat more cheese and ocassionally meat, but I still don't have as strong cramps, and I would consider my periods mild/medium flow. Oh, and another thing... I think people look at us cross-eyed when we talk about enjoying our periods, but I think that when women don't have as many difficulties during their periods, like bad cramps and heavy bleeding, that it is easier to celebrate it as a part of womanhood. I know midwives that wear red the day they start their period to signify the "special day" of the month. I can't say I look forward to it either, but I do kind of see it as a fresh start, and it reinforces my trust in my body and my ability to follow the natural family planning method. I'm certainly looking forward to the day (in another decade or more) when I will help my daughter to celebrate her menarche, when I welcome her into womanhood. OK, that was a LONG post, but I do think it's really funny that we both posted about it ;0)

Great Post Renee!

A few vegan friends of mine ALSO say they have no cramping before their menstrual cycle begins. I've also noticed as well! Aaand yes, I still get teary eyed. I wish there was a diet to stop that as well!! HA!

Oh, and research... there really is no end is there!? LOL

I found this link - I don't remember where now! oh goodness I still have baby brain. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, making this change. So glad I found your links for making these and resources. I hope you don't mind, but I posted the links in my sidebar under "Tutorials from other folks" - although I think I'll start a category called Green Links...or something like that! Thanks for talking about this.

-genny

I've never been able to get the silly cups to work (tipped uterus, long story). If anyone's having the same issue, try sea sponges. look for the really small-pored kind. (don't get synthetic ones...) There are a few caveats...like if you know it's full, don't shout, laugh or heaven help you, sneeze. it is a sponge, after all...but, I have never been so comfortable.

My partner (significant other, basically husband, whatever you want to call him) thinks this is so funny. The idea that women talk about and swap menstruation tips he finds not only funny, but odd and kinda bizarre. We won't even get into this concept of non-disposable. He is still getting used to the idea that my son and I use handkerchiefs instead of Kleenex. He isn't ready to really know about this. However, I am very thankful you posted it. I've been looking for quite some time to find an alternative when I get my IUD removed (thankfully soon!).

Hi, I just have a question.... I have a conviction about the paper products and a desire to use cloth ones, but I haven't followed through on it yet. Since I work everyday, I'm trying to imagine what I would do with a used cloth? I imagine I would want to clean it before, what? sticking it in my purse to carry home? and smelling extra gross for the next how many hours? Also, I'm hypothyroid and tend to bleed too often and too heavily. The doctors can't seem to do anything about that, so I'm trying a diet based approached. I don't generally keep track of my cycles, but one month I bled for 17 days. this month, one week after I ceased a normal cycle, I started another, heavier one. (I am 44 years old this month). I can't imagine the mountain of napkins I'd be carrying around, both used and unused and the smell (coming from two locations). Disposable seems more agreeable at the moment. Does anyone have any suggestions?

p.s. I can't imagine trying to clean a used cloth napkin in the ladies room at work.

I have another question...

as I read these various articles about the cups, I hear women saying things like after they had babies, etc. I've never had babies. and I don't have a husband, so I'm not active. Would I have any problem using one of these cups?

Merry,

A reply to all your questions:

I can't speak directly to the situation of working outside the home but this is what I do when backpacking with my paper products and it might apply to using cloth in the workplace. I use a ziploc bag tucked into a pretty cloth bag (that I have sewn for this purpose) tucked again into another ziploc. When I get home I dispose of the pads. I don't use cloth in the woods because I haven't figured out how to clean them adequately on the trail - still working on that one. I don't see why you couldn't use this idea at work also. Tuck the whole thing into a backpack or large purse and no one has to know. Put your used pads in the inner bag (don't wash at work - that would be tricky). When you get home rinse and soak the pads and launder them as you would otherwise. Wash the ziplocs and you're good to go. Not sure about what to do about your long cycle but if you are determined to use cloth "where there is will there's a way". With such a long period that might be all the more reason to go natural.

Any woman can use a cup (from what I understand) babies and partners aside.

if you get lunapads you change the liner instead of the whole pad. You can also carry around a wet bag.www.lunapads.com

What a great post. I have a mirena iud (not getting pregnant is too hard to accomplish and with three kids already i had to stop it somehow!!) which means i don't get my period, however in about six months time it will be getting to its end of use time and i have been wondering how to return to handling my period, thankyou so much for the great information. My oldest daughter is now also stepping quite quickly on the road to beginning her period and at ten I want to give her the options of non chemical reusable products as well as the disposable ones. Thanks, i'll be back to read more.

Interesting. My grandmother used to tell me about how she HAD to make her own and wash them. Now, we are choosing to use them.

It's not just you. I ceased to have pms and low back spasms after adopting a vegetarian diet. It was HORRIBLE for me before then.

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