I won't take it personally (mostly because I'll never know) if you clicked out of here as fast as you could! For those sticking around, here's one more warning: I'm posting about menstrual pads now. Feel free to run if you are not ok with that. I don't mind.
So I have to say, this came up because I started. I don't mind so much, but even with birth control pills, my cramps were hell for this round. But my topic is cloth pads, not periods.
I use, and highly recommend, cloth pads. I know, I know..... you are thinking "the mess", "EWWWW" or "Gross", right? I did too when I first heard about it. I thought about it years ago, pre-husband..... then saw how expensive they were to purchase from Glad Rags and the other few companies out there at the time.
Well, about a year and a half ago I had a horrible eczema break out *there* in the middle of my period. Talk about painful, and inconvenient, and literally a pain in the.... well, you know! I was miserable! Called the dermatologist, but there are very few eczema creams you can use on your labia. So, I went online. It tuns out there's bleach and fragrance and other non-skin-friendly ingredients in maxi pads. (I'm not and have never been a dedicated tampon user. Rare and occasional...) Ingredients I am allergic too! Well, hello! I had NO IDEA! Bleach? Really? I banned that from my house years ago! (Except in Comet, which is only used by DH if I have a serious mold problem- and I have since found out that vinegar and alcohol work for mold!)
Reading online, I found out that there are quite a few women who advocate cloth pads. But the cost!?!?! So I kept reading. Well, guess what? I own a sewing machine! Yep. There are instructions and patterns out there for cloth pads! There are SO MANY different kinds! I used my Always (my maxi of choice back then) as a template at first, but read the instructions on the blog of The Hillbilly Housewife (AWESOME site! Go now, I'll wait!) among others. Once I figured out what to start with (flannel, cotton batting, old ratty washrags...all stuff I had here already) I was gung ho!
I have to admit DH was a *little worried*. He has sisters, he knows about girl stuff, and was even good about an emergency run to the drugstore for supplies if I wrote out *exactly* what I needed. (Brand, size, etc) But, make my own pads? He thought I was completely bonkers! Until I showed him the math. When he realized that I'd save money making my own over the life of my menstrual cycles, AND he'd never get sent on an emergency run again...... well, let's just say I wasn't *quite* as bonkers!
I have several thicknesses, and a couple of different styles. All are flannel (one upcycled sheet, and some leftovers from other projects mostly. But, I did have to go get a yard of pretty flannel once they "turned out") topped, and bottomed. The thicker ones have a layer of flannel, then cotton batting then terrycloth then cotton batting then flannel. Most are just flannel with a couple of layers of batting. All have snapping "wings" to hold them in place. All are at least 8" long. I'm a big girl, I need coverage here! My favorites are not actually the curved (harder to sew, longer to make, "cuter") pads. My favorite are squares, folded in thirds, with wings and snaps placed on the middle third, with the other two thirds folding under. A couple have extra batting in the middle. Those are for those rare times I have to take progestrone before starting a new pill because my period stopped completely. Again. They are great for overnight, too. My second favorites are just rectangles with wings. The curved ones? Yeah, they are more conventional looking. But really, my body "shapes" the rectangles, they aren't all that wide (maybe two and a half inches across not including the wings), so they are comfortable. So I have more of those. They were WAY easier to stitch.
So, go out there and read up. The statistics on how much waste is created by disposable pads and tampons are out there. I don't feel the need to cite it all here. Patterns are out there. Other women's reasons are out there. If you don't want to make some to try them, both Ebay and Etsy have SAHM's and other women who make and sell them. Glad Rags are still out there, hey, even your local natural food store probably has them. (BTW, I *DO* have a "Party In My Pants" pad, I just had to get one because their name made me giggle. Plus, they have whys and statistics on their webpage. Google them. I double dare you!)
Here is what you need to know:
It's not as "gross" as you think.
I have a soaker bucket. It's just a cheap dollar store container with a lid. I just could not bring myself to use my Tupperware to soak menstrual pads. Mine is clear-ish, and DH just ignores it. Now, I have read that some women pour the water out onto their plants. But, I add castile soap with tea tree oil and don't know that my plants would be ok with that. So I don't. I put cold water, a little castille soap and a little borax in my container. I change my pad a few times a day, just like I used to with disposables. I put the used pad in the water and screw the lid on. When my period is over (usually just three or four days), I dump it all in the washing machine with a little laundry soap and colored clothes. ( I refuse to wash a teeny tiny load of laundry like a dozen pads. That's wasting water) I dry mine on medium in the dryer. Where I live, I can not have a laundry line, and I don't have room to hang them inside anywhere. Notice there was NO fabric softener. If you end up with lots of static in your normal laundry, use vinegar in the rinse water for your pads.
And that "period" smell? Gone. I don't smell my menses at all anymore. Even when I'm "heavy", it doesn't smell. I've leaked through twice, but they were both because I forgot I was wearing a pad at all. I don't use a waterproof barier. My pads are as comfortable as just wearing panties.
Ok that's my stance. I make and wear my own menstrual pads. I keep a couple in my emergency kit in the car. I am going to make the sisters a few for their emergency kits.
Even if you don't switch completely, you might consider having a few in your emergency response kit. Just in case.
Granted, I didn't start this to do my part to save the environment. But using them has made me more aware of what else I throw away. I no longer use paper plates, disposable forks, etc.... I've had the same roll of paper towels for about a year. (Microfiber cloths really do work better) In my home, we use things that can be used more than once. I hardly use zipper bags (raw meat only), cling wrap, or foil.
What started as an eczema breakout from hell has really made me more aware. I'm more aware of my cycles now. I'm more aware of what I use in my home, and for my body. What a lesson!
