Nora Charles (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
noracharles) wrote2010-03-17 10:14 pm
noracharles) wrote2010-03-17 10:14 pm
Entry tags:
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.
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.
no subject
no subject
For me the cup was definitely frustrating to try, and
Gee, thanks. So then I had a cup stuck out of reach (the stem had jammed itself behind my pubic bone) and now the pamphlet was telling me I was flabby. Not fun.
But the cup users at
Worth it for camping or long airplane trips, not for every day.
no subject
I've been using a Keeper on & off for about twelve years. I often have to use at least a pantiliner with it; I've never established if this is because of an inefficiency in the design itself, or because my heavy-flow time is going to leak around anything.
I've considered cloth pads; I suspect they'd be even more hassle with office life than the Keeper is for me. Also, I'm atrocious at keeping up with laundry in general. Do not want more laundry that really shouldn't be let to sit for an extra week because it's raining and I don't want to walk the block and a half to the washing machines in the complex.
no subject
Oh, I think you're right, I can learn with practice. I think I just need a very good reason to motivate myself to practice ;-)
I assumed that I would feel like you about work and the cup vs the pads. So far I've found changing the pads so quick and hassle free that it's never once been inconvenient, but then again with my flow I can just change during regular bathroom breaks, no extra trips needed.
I hear you about laundry, though! I only wash when I have a full load, and even then only when I'm running out of clean clothes, and I don't even have to go outside, just down a few flights of stairs to the basement. But I choose to see it as a feature not a bug, because it means I remember to sort my laundry and do some washing.
no subject