Really putting it out there!

[mrs fox]

So I have been taught that you keep these things private but having read some posts I feel I can express it all here. And it is all a bit new to me to talk about your period. My mum would be running for the hills screaming right now...

I am joining the cloth pad revolution.

I have always used the conventional products, but since ds2 I have been having Depo injections up until now.
AF has returned and I want to embrace this instead of thinking its a curse! I have had a few days of med flow, little heaviness but no cramps yet...touch wood. I am expecting it will take a bit of time to get a normal cycle.

I can not stand the thought of dumping all that waste into the earth, our earth.
Where do you buy yours? Is there anything I should look for inperticluar?
Thanks in advance!

[Hailstorm]

This is something I've seriously been considering doing also, the sposie oads I use have not been agreeing with me, only prob is Iwould have to hide them from Veg as he would freak out if he saw an unwashed cloth pad...poor chap

[mrs fox]

oh yes Ryno(DH) would dry reach at the thought let alone the sight...

[lindylou]

There is a whole congo dedicated to cloth pads and the like, called cloth pad shop (funnily enough)...some good articles there too about the types, etc and I believe a forum for cloth pad chat too!

I used post partum pads (lovely soft bamboo with bamboo velour top and a PUL backing) and I also have a cup now- but I found it uncomfy the first time I used it and packed it away for a while. Time to get it out and try again maybe I think!

[jodiemiller]

My husband actually likes seeing the washed out and soaking pads - and they don't look that gross, tbh. He likes to be reminded when I'm bleeding, so he can lavish me with extra attention. ;) Or at very least know he has no chance hassling me for sex. ;)

And I reckon modern cloth pads are quite beautiful and sexy in their own way. The velour/fleece ones repel any kind of staining.

I have a couple of blog entries about switching to cloth and menstruation rituals. Hope it's OK to share them here:

http://www.jodiemiller.net/?p=85

http://www.jodiemiller.net/?p=10

[Mercurious]

Awesome Mrs Fox. Have fun getting your stash together.

[Rinelle]

Cloth pads are the best.

I made mine, so if you're any good at sewing, they're pretty easy to make.

[mrs fox]

I can sew a bit...Tir, any tips? Would it be better to make some 1st to see if i like? then buy?
Thanks Jodie for sharing....You girls always make an uncomfortable situation feel normal....I so wish I knew you before now but better late than never....as for the hubby, I think he just needs time to adjust like I do.

[Rinelle]

They are pretty easy to make, but kind of hard to explain without pictures.

I kind of make them like this: http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/PADS.html

This one has a good photo tutorial, but I make the back all in one piece rather than two like this: http://www.tinybirdsorganics.com/organiccotton/clothpads.html

I usually use hemp fleece on the inside, because I have heaps left over from my nappy making days. A layer of polyester fleece on the outside helps stop any leaks.

[Hailstorm]

Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm about to move this thread into Watching the moon :)

[Beckstar]

I have some that I bought from etsy, some health food stores sell the ones with the clips and all. Mine are just large 3 layer flannelette squares (about 20cm square) that I fold to a thickness of 3 or 4 and they just fit in a firm pair of undies :)

[mrs fox]

thanks kyles!
:p

[Hailstorm]

No problems

[spiralgirl]

i have some lovely homemade ones but my starting point was wemoon

http://www.wemoon.com.au/

my husband im sure wasnt that keen on it, but i dont think men really want anything to do with a womans bleed- be it cloth or disposy pad! Its womens business that men dont even pretend to understand

[Savannah]

I use a combo of cloth pads and my cup. I bought some pads and made some.

My DH doesn't mind either. It is a natural part of the cycle of life for us.

[cherish]

I love using mine,, but I need to buy some more. I soak mine in a china contanier (thanks Jodie!) and try to pour my moon water on my special rose bush..

I welcome my moon time, and to honor my body I give it a bit of a rest from exercise for a few days, try and do some journalling and searching of what's been going on (my pms can be challenging.. so 'stuff'will have come up that needs to be processed..

also- I don't get as many cramps since I switched to predominately cloth

and yes- it's very fine to talk about all of this here..

as for husbands seeing.. you'll find a way!

[michelle_j_r]

not to rain on the cloth parade! LOL! but what about cups? I'm not all that into the pads, i just don't find them comfy... and i LOVE the fact that i can change the lunette cup just twice a day (or three times on my heaviest day) so i can practically forget about it. Even easier than pads IMO.

[jodiemiller]

I agree, but everyone likes what they like. I still need to use a pad/liner with my Diva cup on days 2 & 3.

[bronja]

I love mama cloth too :) Although it will be some time till I get them out again, my cycle had a two year absence due to breastfeeding after DS and DD is only 6 months now. I have made my own (using the patterns already posted) and bought a few too. They feel so much more comfy than plastic and I have converted a few friends.

My partner doesn't care, he has washed enough pooey nappies not too be fazed by my moon blood. You could make/buy a special soaking pot so her does not have to be confronted by them?

[ali_celt]

I tend to chop and change - although I love my cup, I still love my pads, and it depends exactly on which days my period comes which I choose to use.

If I have to be at work, I will always use the cup (I have a Diva) with a cloth pad backup - because I never sit down at work and am constantly on my feet moving around I tend to bleed really heavily (I bleed heavily anyway but it always seems lie more when I'm at work!) and I would leak all over the place if it wasn't for the cup.

If I happen to be at home, then I tend to stick to pads. Keep in mind my cycle is pretty much 3 days of flooding followed by 2-3 days of general flow, and coz I only work over the weekends I can often avoid being at work at the really annoying times.

DH has no issues with my cloth pads - and if Master 14 is hanging out the washing, he hangs out pads too. He knows what they're for and sometimes he puts on a bit of a 'yuck' response but all in all we're pretty matter-of-fact about that kinda stuff here.

Loads better than what my Mum did, which was hand me a brochure from the days when you had to wear a 'sanitary belt', and caution me that I should NEVER, EVER speak about periods to ANYONE, especially not any males. Not surprisingly after this discussion (which happened just before the first "so you've noticed you're changing" lessons at school!) when I did get my first ever period I was so embarassed that I didn't even tell her - and I threw my stained undies in the incinerator in the back yard to be burnt. Flow was lighter then, mind you!

[mrs fox]

I got that brochure too. and was told to NEVER ever tell anyone about it, my mum would just buy the same maxi pads she used and i had to use them too just too save $$$. oh and good girls did not use tampons.!

[emd]

I'm another convert! I started collecting cloth pads for my stash when pg with #3 baby, and started using them post-partum when I got home from hospital. I found them more comfortable than disposable, and it felt less wasteful (especially when I had some days just spotting but other days quite heavy and no way of knowing in advance what the day would be like).

I stock some Obsidian Star pads in my shop (Brindabella Baby (http://www.brindabellababy.com.au)), but sadly they just don't sell well. Am debating whether I stock a different brand of cloth pad (Obsidian Star isn't wholesaling her pads anymore) or just stock biodegradable disposables instead. I also wanted to stock Diva Cups, but they weren't wholesaling into Australia when I investigated this. I think they do now, but they're not really suitable for post-partum I think? and most of my customers are in their baby-having stage of life.

[Beckstar]

I received my first cloth pads as a gift when I my daughter was born (10 years ago). A beautiful lady that I knew from a local recycled clothing store gave them to me. I just remembered that while reading these posts.
Sweet.

[spiralgirl]

aww becky that is a lovely story :) i love hearing random acts of kindness.....ok as you were...sorry for hijack :)

[Karena]

I'm just getting back in my cycle after being absent for more than 2 years.

I love my pads, I love the velour and how soft it feels on my bits.

I have a little bucket with a lid that I put behind the toilet and DH hardly notices, I pour my moon water onto my fav plant.

I'm hoping to find some motivation today to sew some more.

[cef77]

I converted to cloth pads about 7 months ago, right around the time my period returned after DS#3. I LOVE them! I pop them in a little lidded bucket of water with a few drops of tea tree oil. The bucket lives in the laudry right next to the nappy buckey. My pads get washed with DS#2 and DS#3 nnappies. I get a warm and fuzzy feeling in my belly when I peg out a load of freshly washed cloth nappies and pads.

I have recently purchased a Diva Cup too, but having issues getting used to it, I'll keep trying!

[Bron]

i love my cloth pads, could never get into the cup. i'm not a heavy bleeder though.

i second cloth pad shop. some of the best shapes there, along with girlybits. (perhaps google that one)

http://au.clothpadshop.com/

I don't understand the eww factor. Are people really that delicate? It's not gross, it's part of your womanhood.

[Nyree]

I used to be a bit funny about it - mirroring my Mum's view of it I guess - But now I'm more "Meh! It's just blood that happens to be coming out of my vagina". I wouldn't freak out if I had blood coming out of a cut elsewhere on my body.

I love my clothies :D Got many different ones, but the ones I made are some of my faves.

DH hasn't really said anything. I keep the bucket in a cupboard under the sink, wash em & hang em out. Even he hangs them out. I figure if a man can't handle seeing a bit of blood, he just needs to get over it :2lol

[Donna]

Oh you are going to L.O.V.E cloth! Serious cloth addict here *hand up wayyy high* I have an awesome stash, and I can't help but add to it LOL

The Cloth Pad shop is a great starting point.
There is also the Cloth Pad List (http://clothpadlist.wordpress.com/) created by Obsi, unfortunately time wasn't on her side, and she had to give up any more updates.
But there is a great Aussie list there to use as a starting point.
I'm an online retailer of pads - Need to get some more in, but there are still some in stock :)

My advice when starting, go an AIO until you know how your flow is with cloth.
And it gives that added protection while you're getting used to them :)

Happy shopping! I love pad shopping!!

[Rach]

Congratulations on making the move!

[Stardust]

I love them too. Still waiting to start using them again though!

[mrs fox]

Well its done!
I purchased my 1st clothies this morning...I went with the advice you all gave me and after a few housrs research all the sites out there I now am waiting for 4 regulars from the cloth pad shop....off to the shops today to buy a little soaking something and then I just have to wait.

[Karena]

Woooooohoooooo you won't regret it.

[emd]

Yay! By the way, I don't soak mine at all. Maybe a rinse under the tap, then into the cloth nappy bucket. They don't seem to get stained. Everything in the cloth nappy bucket (which also includes manky bibs and kitchen cleaning cloths, wash cloths, wet swimmers, and sometimes smelly sports socks) gets a pre-wash rinse in cold water, then a hot wash with soap nuts (no laundry powder at our house) and (usually) line dried.

[~kaoss~]

Fantastic! After using cloth and cup for a while, the price of disposable makes me wretch! Not only will you be doing the earth a favour, but your hip pocket too :)

Jodie, is was an article that you wrote the Special Delivery a couple of years ago that really changed my thinking about reusable menstrual products, so thanks:flowers:

[cef77]

Me too Kaoss, after reading Jodie's piece on green menstruation, I made the switch. Just wish I had any amount of sewing ability and maybe I could make my own!

[mama_bel]

Do you have a sewing machine cef77? They're really pretty easy to sew. You can start of really basic and go from there. I am not great at sewing, but enjoy making pads 'cos they're easy (now I know how).

I love teaching friends and young women I know how to sew their own pads. It's a great bonding experience.

[emd]

I have been known to nick the hourglass shaped boosters from the kids nappies for use as pads ;)
And used a few hemp trifolds from pocket nappies for heavy post-partum flow.

[jodiemiller]

Haha I used to use my hemp pads as boosters in Mira's o/night nappy. Well, I wasn't using them at the time!

[mrs fox]

Guess what came in the mail today!
Guess what came in the mail today!
Guess what came in the mail today!
Guess what came in the mail today!

Not that I am excited to get my next bleedor anything!!!!
:hyper:hyper:hyper:hyper:hyper:hyper:hyper:hyper:h yper

[emd]

:2lol That's great! So what colours/prints did you get?

[mrs fox]

Here you go...I am really excieted to give em a try...hurry up AF...but just wait til I am back from camping

[emd]

Noice - the floral print is very pretty.
I don't have a stash photo, but my faves are:
black velour top with black corduroy on the bottom
Rust-brown velour top with rust-brown paisley print bottom
Black flannel top with black bottom with pentacle (star) print

[Karena]

Nice choice Mrs F, hope you enjoy AF more this cycle.

[cef77]

Do you have a sewing machine cef77? They're really pretty easy to sew. You can start of really basic and go from there. I am not great at sewing, but enjoy making pads 'cos they're easy (now I know how).

I love teaching friends and young women I know how to sew their own pads. It's a great bonding experience.

Nope, no sewing machine amd not a clue on how to use one! Lets just say that I was passed in home ec sewing out of pity :2lol. I will happily be a support og WAHM by buying my clothies online.

[mummabare]

since going to cloth I will NEVER go back to sposies..they are sooo much more comfortable, not that horrible plastic feeling that used to drive me nuts in summer.

I make my own but like beckster also use flanelette squares at home ( just folded with firm undies).

Im trying to convert friends but no success yet...some people are grossed out by washing them but honestly...its not that big a deal.

[Rinelle]

I agree MB. No way I'd ever go back to sposies. I used to hate it, feel icky, itchy etc etc, but all that is gone. I could do with making a couple more though, as I always seem to run just a few short.

[Hailstorm]

What would veryone recommend for a new convert?

[mama_bel]

I think a lot of the sellers do a starter pack. I guess liners would be the most useful long term, and you could see if you like the feel of them. It depends what disposable product you prefer. If you use tampons, a cup is the way to go, if you use pads - wings or not, long or trim...?

[emd]

Some tampon users are not comfortable with cups, but are fine with cloth pads - depends on why they prefer tampons to disposable pads.

As for what to start with, as with buying a nappy stash, I would recommend buying one or two pads to try before buying a starter pack or a full stash. If her preferred disposable pad had wings, then a cloth pad with wings is a good idea. She should also measure the length of her preferred disposable pad and compare to the length on the cloth pad she wants to buy. And try out the cloth pads at home the first time, so she gets an idea of how absorbent they are compared to the disposables she's used.

[littlemissnaughty]

Brilliant move, I love my cloth pads, which I mainly use as back up for my cup but they are so much more comfortable. I was on holidays recently and took my cup and standard liners and HATED them, they are so awful when you have worn so much more comfortable and better.

I'm like many others I flood for 3 days, but they are also quite variable lately, I always flood for the first 3 days and sometimes it tapers off to spotting and I don't bother using a cup or it's just a regular flow for a few more days and I don't need pad backup.

I need a naturopath overhaul at the moment as my cycles are shitting me with variable lengths, variable flows and a lot of pain

[Bee]

I LOVE my cloth pads. I got a starter pack from RadPads, at a stall at a womens seminar thingo which was in Brisbane a couple of years back. I bought them, and then very very soon after realised I was pregnant, so I had to wait about 10 months to use them for the first time lol

[jodiemiller]

Haha, that happened to me with my Diva Cup, Ang.

[emd]

I bought my cloth stash when I was pg with Billy. I was so worried that I'd never get to use them if I had a bonus hysterectomy with my elective CS (which was a fair risk to consider). Was very pleased to have the opportunity to bleed all over some beautiful brand new handmade fabric goodies :D

[mama_bel]

I bought my first cloth stash when my big girl was still in nappies. She is 15 now and was well and truly out of nappies by 2 years old!? I still have those Rad Pads in my drawer, and use them some cycles... I like to sew pads when I'm bleeding, and baby things when I'm pg. Nothing strange about that, is there? :p

[Mercurious]

I wish I hadn't thrown out my nappy making scraps now. I've pencilled in a sewing day today but have no fabric for pads.

[chaos]

got heaps of scraps round here if you wanted to come down one day or something?

[Mercurious]

That's a long scary drive for me Chaos, as I've only had my licence for 3 months and just starting to do longer drives on the hwy. I really appreciate your offer though and will keep in mind if I get brave.
It's a shame I didn't think of it yesterday, we could have used SM as fabric mule.

[chaos]

mmm, it's a long way from one end of the city to the other!

will see how my weekend pans out, I was contemplating heading in for the free market thingy if the kids are co-operative on the day, so if I do I could bring some scraps with me. which fabrics are you after?

[Mercurious]

Anything will be good. I don't have any absorbant material except for flannel. My last ones I made had PUL and I think microfibre and flannel, or maybe that was the pull ups?? It's been a long time since I've sewn anything nappy/pad like.

[chaos]

alrighty, I'll see what's in the boxes

[lucylu]

Well... I use bamboo socks... my flow is pretty light and they are really absorbant and I had them and had been meaning to make my own cloth pads but never got around to it so I gave it a go and voila! Definitely need to order a Cup though as I think it will be right up my alley, so to speak :)

[chaos]

I love my cup, wouldn't be without it :)
must remember to get one for dd one of these days

[lucylu]

OK...am i missing something? Where can I get a Divacup from? Is there an Australian distributor?

TIA xx

[cef77]

I got my Diva Cup online, it came from the US :) I will try and remember the website for you, lucylu.

[chaos]

the only silicone cup approved for sale in australia is the lunette

I've got both a lunette and a diva cup, and I prefer the lunette. everyone's different though, some people prefer the diva

[soulmama]

I detest the lunette and love my diva. Just to be facetious. :laugh

[chaos]

how unlike you C! :tongue

[michelle_j_r]

not a fan of the diva cup. Love my lunette :)
http://www.lunette.com.au/
noonee wilga also sells them (as well as cloth pads) http://www.nooneewilga.com/starpads/cups.html

[lucylu]

Thanks ladies :)

[lucylu]

Well, my Lunette arrived on the first day of my period last month. Had no problems using it... though it kind of feels big and hard, when taking it out, like it is almost tearing/hurting me - is that normal??

When I explained it to DP he said 'I don't really want to know that stuff', but I thought it was really cool. I am amazed and inspired by this invention - what a great idea they are! And it's so nice to be able to give my blood back to the earth and nourish my garden.

Soulmama, can you describe the difference? Sorry if it is personal!

[Savannah]

Did you pinch the end as you pulled it out? I've found that helps. And also changing your pelvic position as you're removing it (tilting forward or back to get the right angle)

[michelle_j_r]

definately pinch the end, to sort of break the seal! LOL! But i found some things a little awkward the first time i used it. Give it time.

[jodiemiller]

Someone informed me that Diva are now approved in Australia. I got mine at a nappy party a long time ago. Love it, but have never used anything else so can't offer any kind of comparison.

[soulmama]

I find the Lunette is a firmer silcone and it just digs into me no matter which way I put it. I trimmed the stem but it just sits awkwardly I think.. :shrug

[Mercurious]

I like the idea of bamboo socks. I saw some in Aldi once, should I look for a certain composition of bamboo?