One day I saw a post on facebook about menstrual pad alternatives. The person had sewn some cloth pads and switched from using the disposable pads. Well I found this very interesting since I am a pad person versus tampons. I tried the tampons off and on, but my flow was too unpredictable for me. And I have always been afraid of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). Reusable cloth pads sound like just the solution for me to save money and switch to something more natural.
As I said before, the person from the post, made her own. That really impressed me and I became curious about the type of fabric to use. I am all about saving money (or maybe you can call me cheap) and I am fortunate to have a sewing machine. I began researching cloth pads and other alternatives for our cycle. I was surprised at the number of alternatives that are out there. There are not only cloth pads, but there are tampons alternatives like sponges and menstrual cups.The other reason I considered switching is because there are also chemicals in disposable pads. It is believed that are health risks that may cause cervix or ovarian cancer in pads and tampons. They really are taking chances with our lives. Also, I came across a few people who switched from disposable to reusable pads that said their periods became shorter and cramped less. What in the world are they putting in those disposable pads!!!
In my research I came across several sites that sold reusable cloth pads. There's a variety of pantyliners and pads and they are too cute. They are a bit costly though. But worth the cost considering how many pads we buy over time. In the long run you will save money. But I knew if I found out the type of fabric to use to make sure I wouldn't have messy periods, then I could make my own. What I found was that many people who made their own used a lot of cotton and flannel. I got excited because I had a huge bag of scrap fabric leftover from things I previously made. Game on!!! I gathered my fabric and got to work. I traced the shape of a pad and a pantyliner on paper, cut out the shapes on a lot of fabric and made several pads and pantyliners. I used about 4 layers for my pantyliners and about 7 for the pads. Thankfully I had some leftover thick padded quilted pieces. I thought by the time I was done with the pads, they would be as thick as the old school pads we had before the thin ones. But they weren't. They weren't thin like the store bought disposables, but they were fine.Now switching over to cloth pads takes an open mind. Reusable means having to clean them. Yep, a lot less convenient than the tossing away a disposable, but I was up for the challenge. Plus I am lucky that I work from home most days so I could test it out without any embarrassing concerns. If you are grossed out easily by your own blood, then it will make you sick to have to wash out your pads. It doesn't bother me though.
When my cycle started I tested out my handmade pads and liners. My heavy days were the test. I did cheat and put a disposable on underneath the cloth pad. There was some leakage, but it took a couple of hours for that to happen. That just meant the next pads I would make needed to be thicker. The next batch I made were indeed thicker, but better protection. I have been using my cloth pads and liners for the last 3 cycles. I am still not confident enough to not have a pad underneath on my heavy days, but I can admit that they did hold up really well. Bye bye disposables.
Simpler living by saving money with reusable pads. Not to mention it is a healthier option. I have a feeling, my flow may lighten up over time. And soon I will be trying menstrual cups......really soon.
Visit the sites below to see what's available for cloth pads.
GladRags
Sckoon organic menstrual pads
No comments:
Post a Comment