WARNING NOTE: In this post, I discuss a female bodily function and the products associated with it in more detail than some people are comfortable with. If this is likely to bother you, DO NOT READ THE POST. I am not interested in OMG UR SO GROSS comments. THANK YOU.



A Lunapad, showing off its flannel-y goodness.


Some backstory to this post: I bleed. I bleed thick and heavy. At irregular intervals. With serious cramping and fatigue from anemia. And I can't for the life of me use a tampon without excruciating pain.

That means I've been heavily reliant on disposable pads since I was 12 years old, but disposable pads have not been good to me. They give me diaper rash and suck the moisture out of places that should never be dry. They chafe and poke me in sensitive places. They produce a huge amount of icky and socially awkward trash. And I ALWAYS seem to run out at the end of one period and not have one in my purse when the next cycle comes around.

It wasn't until I took a women's health course in college that I found out there were other, more environmentally friendly and body-friendly, options available. There are reusable latex or silicone cups that catch blood (the Keeper, the Moon Cup, the Diva Cup), natural tampons made from sea sponges that can be rinsed and reused, and--what meant by far the most to me--menstrual pads made of cloth rather than plastic and paper. The standard design is a flannel top layer, an inner absorbent core of terrycloth or fleece, a layer of nylon mesh to prevent water leakage, and then a plain cotton backing. Wings extend from either side--they wrap around your underwear and fasten with a snap to keep thing in place. A simple but extremely functional design. Some designs add a pouch or bands across the front and back of the pad to hold an insert, which allows you to wear the same pad longer by simply switching out the insert.

Some additional research into cloth pads turned up two different ways to acquire cloth pads: buy them from someone else or make my own. Patterns and advice on what materials to use are freely available on the web, and in fact there are diy_pads and cloth_pads communities on LJ that are MORE THAN HAPPY to tell you how to do it. I, alas, have no sewing machine and little free time to make pads. Buying it was.

Lunapads is one of a couple major web retailers of cloth menstrual pads and alternative menstrual products, GladRags being another. There are also many, many smaller sites, cottage industries essentially--there's a good list of them with comparison information here. I chose Lunapads because they had the best deal on a kit that would give me enough cloth pads for an entire period, because they had a holder/liner design that made it easy to change pads, and because their pads came in the most varied and interesting fabrics. Yes, yes, the love of pretty fabric is shallow, but if there were ever a time of month where I need a little superfluous pretty in my life, my period is it.

Since the kit was rather expensive, I asked for it as a Christmas gift (and praise be that I have a very understanding mother). This turned out to be perfect timing as I started bleeding on Boxing Day. By the end of that period, I was convinced that I would never go back to disposables. I have now been through a second period with my Lunapads, and it has only cemented my resolve.

So what convinced me? First, they are much more comfortable than any disposable I've ever tried. Blood is wicked away from the skin, but internal secretions are not. The fabric breathes well and prevents diaper rash. IT IS SO DAMN SOFT AGAINST MY SKIN. It is the difference between wearing flannel underpants and a diaper, that's how comfy it is. Most of the time, I don't even remember that the pad is there. Also, the lack of chemicals and wet plastic means that there isn't the horrible stagnant blood smell of a used disposable pad. (For those of you who are wondering how I hold onto a piece of bloody flannel if I'm in a public restroom, the kit came with a small, opaque nylon envelope. I simply fold the pad over so the bloodied surface is on the inside and slip it into the envelope. No mess at all, and I don't have to search for a trash can.)

Second, there's the self-sufficiency and the money saved. As long as I have my Lunapads, I do not have to remember to drop a ridiculous amount of money on glorified napkins every month. Nor am I forced to rush to the store if my period shows up unexpectedly. As soon as I do my laundry, I am completely restocked for the next period. (A note on cleaning: it's really not any worse than tending to a pair of panties that got bled on. All you have to do is soak in cold water before tossing them in the washing machine and they're as good as new.) At the rate that I use them, the pads will pay for themselves within 8 months, and they're designed to last for 5 years or more.

Third, there's the environmental impact. Disposable pads and their packaging are a huge amount of bulky, very non-biodegradable waste. Reducing my personal contribution makes me feel much better about myself.

The fourth reason is all about the feeling better about myself. Having more control over my period just puts me in a better mood, makes it less of a mental burden and more of I can do this. This is something that is echoed by a lot of women who have switched to cloth pads, that the choice simply makes them feel more connected with their periods and less antagonistic towards the whole process.

For any woman who reads this, I would wholeheartedly suggest considering cloth pads or another alternative menstrual product. If you feel that it's not right for you, there's nothing wrong with that. Every woman has her own preferences. But it's not right that women are, by and large, not aware of real, viable alternatives that exist if disposables just don't cut it. Informed, personal choices about menstruation may not be as literally life-and-death as choices about HRT or contraception or abortion, but they nonetheless are a women's rights issue and should be treated as such.