Alternatives

***WARNING***   This is a blog about alternative menstrual products!  Some of you might get grossed out. Still read it. And you guys can to and pass the info to your partner!




While doing some regular rounds on my blog reading I came across a blog advocating cloth pads.  Now this is not the first I heard of this, but it was the first I actually got serious about getting more info.  I started this blog with help from my lady friends in a small experiment.   I have read  about the chemical process in which cotton has to go through in order for it to be usable as a tampon or pad.  It was said that a tampon leaches a by product called Dioxin.  Dioxin is the left over chemical from bleaching. Something all modern, non organic tampons and pads are subject to.   Dioxin is believed to cause things like cervical cancers, pelvic inflamitory disease, endometriosis, and a whole host of other hormonal abnormalities.   In any case I asked my ladies to soak one tampon in a glass of water for 8 hours to see if I could duplicate the release of this chemical.   


The results, clear water after 8 hours.  So I was not able to in fact show actual proof of this happening as I was so led to believe.   All the ladies used an unscented brand of tampon(kudos ladies).  I had Playtex, Kotex, Tampax and OB tested.   So while I did not see actual chemicals being released into the water, I still have a concern about the possibility of such a chemical being absorbed.  And trust me ladies and gentlemen, the vagina is a very absorbent place and will take anything in through its walls.  Scary.   


The average American woman will menstruate for 33 years of her life!  Yes, as in 3 decades.  On average that is about 400lbs of used up grossness per woman.   As of NOW there are 152 million women in our country.   Can you say, uh HUGE amounts of waste?!  That was one of my deciding factors of changing over to a reusable product. 




I haven't used a tampon in over a year. I have been using a product called a Moon Cup.  There are Diva Cups as well and I am sure if you kept googling you would find many more.  In any case these are designed to collect your flow not absorb.   They are reusable.  I got started on one because of a review from a woman on a forum I am a part of and I am so happy I did.  The VERY first thing I noticed was any smell that I was used to was GONE!!! Yes I am not going to sugar coat this.  We all struggle with the whole "do I stink" problem when ol' Aunt Flo comes around.   Well I don't because it's being contained.  I've been better able to observe what is actually happening during my periods as well.  Oh ya, I have saved money and I haven't had to run out to get "get stuff" because I was out.     There is a small learning curve at first.  But I think after about 2 cycles I didn't have any more leaks and I was very confident with it.  Risk of toxic shock is also eliminated.    


Onto pads.  I have not used reusable pads. However after about an hour of research I found a good many women who LOVE their reusable and swear by their comfort and excellent absorbency.  Which makes sense because you aren't wearing plastic and we all know how well our cotton undies like to absorb overflow!    I have made a decision to use reusable for postpartum.  I mean anything has got to feel better than a rough, stiff pad "down there" after all that trauma.   And again I found EXCELLENT reviews on reusable for postpartum.  I found Luna Pads as what I think is my best option.   They had removable liners and it seems every convenient.  They come in all kinds of pretty colors and sizes. They aren't going to rub and chafe your legs and I doubt very much you will have an issue with stuff rolling off the top like it tends to do with plastic pads.      



By now some of you are probably going "OMG GROSS". I don't want to be that up close and personal with my period.  But the truth is you aren't getting any more personal and things are going to be maybe a little less messy.  Not to mention more cost effective in the long run and better for the world around us.  So if you are up for ladies I recommend going the reusable route.  Save some cash and space in the landfill.