noracharles | I am not a martyr for the environment

Sure, I like to minimize my environmental impact where it's convenient for me, but using cloth pads first and foremost is about my comfort and health, and I wish the critics would acknowledge that.

There is a taboo about women's bodies that makes talking frankly about different options difficult, and that's a real shame.

It's my impression that many women find their menstruation disgusting, both for cultural reasons and because they associate it with pain, hormonal chaos, inconvenience and unpleasant smells. So the natural reaction to the idea of using cloth pads, which would seem to require more contact with the menstrual fluid is a resounding "Yuck!"

I certainly had no intention of trying them. My mother had told me horror stories about how inconvenient they were in the old days, and I didn't want to have to deal with washing them.

But gradually I developed more and more pain during my period. At first I thought the pain in my vagina was menstrual pain. Then it spread to my vulva. And the pain got progressively worse, instead of progressively better like the cramps and the hormones, so I began to suspect it had to do with the disposable pads I was using.

I had tried tampons, but they were painful to use, dried me out, and often leaked so I had to wear a pad anyway. Then I switched to pads when the modern superabsorbent ones came on the market, but there was chafing, there was the problem of the non-woven surface layer tearing, sometimes they leaked, they captured and held menstrual fluid and perspiration which smelled very unpleasant both in my clothes and in my bathroom when I disposed of the pads.

My period was definitely an ordeal every month, and on top of the physical difficulties, it was also a nuisance to always remember to buy pads and keep a stash of them at home, at work and at school, and it was annoying that I had to be careful not to tear my pad when I was bicycling.

I tried using smaller pads, and I used pantyliners instead of maxipads, which did help delay the onset of the pains somewhat, but every month, without fail, I would get swollen and tender and raw, and it was just awful. I started wearing clothes that I didn't mind getting stained and just sitting in bed reading, just so I wouldn't have to deal with wearing a disposable pad in my free time.

Then I heard about menstrual cups, which are little cups made from medical grade silicone which sit in your vagina and collect your menstrual fluid without drying you out. I sometimes wear contact lenses, so I figured a menstrual cup was worth a try.

I did some research, read user testimonies and advice, and I learned about cloth reusable menstrual pads from some of the same women who use cups. I learned that modern cloth pads have practical snap fastenings that make them as easy to fasten to your panties as disposables, and in fact much easier to remove.

It used to be that if I had gone on a bicycle ride, the disposable pad would be damaged, the glue would stick to my skin or to the pad itself, there was an unpleasant smell and sometimes splattering when I tore them loose. Not so with cloth pads: they stay put in my panties, they're easy to snap around the gusset, and even easier to remove.

I learned that cloth pads do not smell. The unpleasant odor of disposable pads is not the menstrual fluid in itself, which has a very mild, sweetish odor similar to blood. The disposables trap a lot of fluid, both menstrual fluid and perspiration, and keep it warm and with restricted air flow, which allows malodorous bacteria to breed. The cloth pads have a breathable nylon lining which keeps the menstrual fluid from going through but allows evaporation and natural perspiration, so you feel a lot drier (but not with that unnaturally dried out sensation) and there is virtually no smell.

I learned that cloth pads are convenient to change and wash. I've experimented with different methods. I have a nylon lined pouch, the size of a small clutch, and I just put the used pads in that and zip it shut. It can go directly in the wash. I've also tried soaking the pads, but I found out that that's not necessary at all. I keep a lingerie bag in my hamper and just put the pads there, then throw it in with my other laundry. I can't smell them at all, I don't have to touch the menstrual fluid with my hands or look at it for longer than it takes to put the pad in the bag, and they come out of the wash clean and fresh, same as your underwear.

I learned that I do not in fact suffer from menstrual pain. The cloth pads do not chafe in any way, they are as soft and gentle on my skin as cotton underwear is. I do not suffer from a tender, achy vulva or vagina during my period, that was entirely caused by the disposable pads. I guess I must have had a sensitivity to some of the chemicals they put in them. And I do not suffer from prolonged pre-menstrual syndrome and cramps; that must have been caused by nervous tension and fear of my period. I am more regular, and my pre-menstrual tension is much shorter than it used to be.

I am so relaxed about having my period now that I barely even register it. I change my cloth pads with the same amount of fuss as I change my underwear, just into the hamper and forget about it. I always have pads when I need them, because the brand I use, lunapads, fold into a cute little square that's easy to fit in a pocket or a purse.

I warmly recommend trying cloth pads to all menstruating people. They're comfy and soft on your skin, they're easier to change and keep a ready supply of than disposables even if you have to go to a laundromat to wash, because they can just sit in a little laundry bag between your used towels where you don't have to look at them or smell them, and they will save you lots of cash in the long run.

I used to spend about 5 US dollars per period if I remembered to stock up when the disposables were on sale, which wasn't always the case. Because I bought my cloth pads on the internet and had to import them from another country (I was so skeptical of pads that I knew I wouldn't use them if I didn't get the prettiest ones on the market), and because I wanted plenty so I wouldn't have to do extra loads of laundry, I paid the equivalent of two years worth of the cheapest disposable pads, so in another year they'll have paid themselves off. They last for five to ten years, depending on wear and tear.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

neekabe

I've used lunapads for 5 years now. Started using them in University when I wrote a sociology paper on alternative feminine hygiene products as a 'forbidden knowledge', and now I wouldn't give them up for anything. In university, I had the advantage of being able to talk about my paper, which was an allowable context, so I managed to convert several other people. Now I'll just talk about it anytime I'm given half a chance, because these things are awesome and more people ought to know about their options.

No sticking, no garbage, absorbs faster because it's actual fabric instead of a fabric-like-layer, no trapping heat next to your body, no post-shower ickey, absorbent wings if you want them, easily flexible for varying flow days, and pretty colours, and as you said, it completely changes your mindset. I've tried some of the other styles and still like Lunapads the best.

From:

noracharles

Yay \0/
Thank you for sharing, I agree whole heartedly with everything you say. From customer reviews I also suspected that I would find lunapads better than other brands, but I've never actually tried any others.

In university, I had the advantage of being able to talk about my paper, which was an allowable context

Statements like that sometimes scare me deeply. I feel that we are not so far removed from the old superstitions about women's bodies being foul and dangerous. I'm glad that you wrote that paper (awesome idea for a topic!) and that you were able to talk about these things.

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