I'm generally a prude and wouldn't post what I am about to share with everyone, but I feel that women out there trying to do things more naturally or women that are tired of throwing money every month to the big corporations should keep reading. Men that love their women and care about these things, I suggest you keep reading as well. Men from prior generations, those grossed out by the thought of blood or the mention of the words "period" or "that time of month" or "menstruation" or "feminine hygiene" please click away (or keep reading and your eyes may be opened).
I'm not going into graphic detail about anything, I would just like to highly recommend a couple of products that I have been using religiously since the Fall of 2010. I haven't received any of their products for free nor do they know I am recommending them. Those products are Party in my Pants cloth pads and the Diva Cup menstruation cup. I was at my wits end because I found pads and tampons to be uncomfortable and gross and a general pain to deal with. That was a bad thing because I was only 23 at the time and still had a long time for monthly bleeding ahead of me. I was annoyed by the fact the these products cost most women $5-$10 a month to use, add up to a lot of garbage in the landfill over the menstruating life of a woman and are generally uncomfortable to use and can be cumbersome and bulky.
With that said, I started to do some research and look into different options. The first reusable pads that I tried (GladRags), I thought were bulky and not 100% leak proof. They had additional liners that could be added to the pad to absorb more, but the backing was just cloth and if you have a heavy flow and are busy, leaking is a huge possibility. So I decided to keep looking. I came across Party in My Pants (AKA PIMP pads) and they are amazing. They are thin, soft, and have a backing that is leak proof. They also have multiple sizes and types of pads depending on your flow. I sing praises to the two sisters that invented these things. I've told a lot of women about them. I've found that those who are my mother's age are usually grossed out by them and remind them of pads from their time that they had to strap in with a harness or something like that. Women my age (mid-later twenties) are generally more accepting. I think since there is a lot of green washing in the environment now (that can be good and bad), a lot of people are trying to make better decisions and are considering the environment and waste that is produced from making decisions. Some people are grossed out by the fact that you have to wash the pads, I have no problem with that though. People with reusable baby diapers wash them all of the time, and I think washing poopie diapers is worse than washing something with blood trapped inside. If you don't want to wash them with your clothes, wash them separately. I think I can guarantee that you will be super happy with this product. I am!
The second product I would like to recommend is the Diva Cup menstruation cup. It's a silicone cup that you insert "kind of" like a tampon (no applicator- but technique is required) and it collects the blood. Changing the cup depends on your flow. You might have to change it every few hours or every 12 hours. When you have to empty the cup, the contents can be dumped into the toilet, the cup wiped or rinsed off and then reinserted. It took me a few tries to get it to go in easily and without pain (don't let that scare you off) but once I figured it out, it only takes a few seconds and is super comfortable. I am not able to feel it at all, which is something I am not able to say was true for me and tampons. I bought one of these for my friend before she moved to Ecuador in 2010 and she loves hers and uses her every month as well. I had another friend that just recently got married and wanted me to buy one for her shower gift. I didn't buy her one because that's not a fun personal shower gift, but I think she may have ended up purchasing one for herself. I am happy with the Diva Cup, but there are other brands out there as well. My sister in law thought the Diva Cup was uncomfortable (too long even after she cut the stem off) so she purchased a Lunette Cup and that works for her. I also talked her into using reusable pads as well and she is stocked up with PIMPs as well.
I use both of these items in tandem every month just to add extra protection. If I'm busy or not near a restroom I do not want any embarrassing leaking to occur. I'm not one of those women that worship this time of the month and think it is special. I still view it as an inconvenience as I did before. Now I just view it as a less costly less uncomfortable inconvenience. I've probably spent $180-$200 on reusable pads and the two Diva Cups since 2010 (I accidentally killed one when I was boiling it to sanitize it. When water runs out, silicone will eventually melt- whoops!). That cost divided over 3 years is $5.55 a month, but I plan on having all of these items at least 10 years if not longer ($1.67 a month). So the price is only going to go down the longer they are in use. Think of all the garbage that you are not making as well! Give it a thought and consider "investing" in reusable feminine hygiene products. Your wallet and the land fills will thank you! The big corporations on the other hand, may dislike you- but who cares?
Keeping in mind saving money, do a search before you buy the products below. I found the Diva Cup for around $22 rather than the $40 suggested retail price through Amazon and some vitamin website. I bought the pads from the manufacturer. Free shipping over a certain price point and a bulk discount as well. If you sign up for their emails, a few times a year they have additional discounts!
http://www.partypantspads.com/
http://divacup.com/
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