klingonlady: (Fringe: Olivia redhair smile SUBARA)
klingonlady ([personal profile] klingonlady) wrote2011-06-06 04:52 pm

Because we need a good post about feminine hygiene products once in a while...

Because I know everyone is fascinated by the amount of things OUT there for your period I thought I might give you all my opinion! And because I got some new pads and I have to squee about somewhere.. I know I haven't really written about this sort of stuff about me here before.. Most of that was over on my other blog, a more mommy centered blog over at xanga..

I am a green mama, some term it crunchy or granola or natural or AP (attachment parenting) but Green Mama works best for me I think.. For those of you that aren't sure what that means it is just wanting to do things in a more natural manner then mainstream society. Things about me that I consider fall into this category.. Breastfeeding my babies.. extended breastfeeding past 2 years for each of my 3 children - Co-sleeping (sharing a bed with them  when they were smaller) - Wearing my babies in a carrier instead of using a stroller - Homeschooling/ Unschooling  - Using Cloth Diapers - AND re-usable menstrual supplies for myself! - there are a few others but I don't need to offend you all at one time... :p

In this post I want to go over some stuff I have used, liked, and DISLIKED that are out there! I was talking to a friend of mine that had NO idea some of these things even existed so I thought I would blog about it and pass on some of my knowledge and experience!

Lets start with the well known, standard monthly torture devices that are readily to everyone with a grocery store or the like....

PhotobucketPads.. More specifically Always pads.. Those were the only disposable pads I could use without breaking out into a horrible rash every month!! Yes, I did try them ALL! So they were the best and only things I could handle for a while.. Till I couldn't even handle THEM anymore.. I got so sick of the itching, the excess sweating (hot flashes are a lovely thing), the run away pad syndrome .. and getting the tape stuck to my tender bits while the pad was trying to make it's way to the get away car! Always doesn't rate all that high for ME! But it rates the highest of the disposable pads!


PhotobucketTampons.. I tried Tampax first, it is what my parents brought home from the grocery store for my sister and I.. they were alright. A tad uncomfortable but I could wear them without itching and wanting to die. Someone brought home some Playtex ones one time.. It might have even been my fiance (- eh, 13ish years ago maybe, before we got married anyway) when I sent him to the store for me one time.. Those were the worst thing I EVER put in myself! Uncomfortable and I thought I was going to scratch myself to death! I may have used TWO from the box before I threw them out! When I was able to buy them myself, once I had a regular job and all.. I chose OB. I really really liked the no applicator bit as that was a huge problem with the other kinds! The applicator always just put them in the wrong place! With o.b. I was able to put them exactly where I wanted it to be! and no major itching occurred! Plus no applicator equals less trash and that is always a plus!! So my vote if I were to ever go back to disposable products would be the OB/Always combo. As that caused me the least problems... But I don't plan on doing that anytime soon!

Now here are what I use now! and have for about 3 or 4 years now... Just think of the money I have saved NOT buying disposable stuffs in all that time!  Sure these options are a little more costly at first, but then it makes up for itself in just a short time when you aren't spending money every month! I have never been MORE comfortable during my period as I have been with these items!  I will just go through and talk a bit about each one....


Just a quick little lesson about two types of pads

Two piece pads... You have the holder -the part that snaps to your panties - then it has some method of holding the actual pad part to the holder. They do this so you can control the layers you feel you need to cover your flow. That is a nice benefit for heavy or light days!

A once piece pad is just what it says it is.. Just one piece. Snap it to the undies and away we go!
 
Here are the kinds I have.

Photobucket These are Brocade Pads.. They have the pretty shiny brocade fabric on the backs ( I have the turquoise colored one)  and the part that goes against you is a soft fleece. These are a one piece pad.  I LOVE THESE! I only have one and the snap is broken so I need it repaired or I need to just get some new ones.. I would recommend these pads for sure!! I think the reason I haven't ordered more so far is I can't remember where I got them from.... I just googled the image for this post now so I am sure I could find somewhere in a link to one of the photos.. When I have more money.. They are soft and stay in place relatively good..



Photobucket Photobucket Skcoon Pads.. These are probably my least favorite pad, and the most expensive. I have 2. I bought them because they are cute and most are made with organic fabrics.. cotton and such..  They are a two part pad. That is where I don't like them. The little pockets to hold the pad in place on the holder are just too small and they bunch the pad or the pad has been known to fall out on one end, at least for me. I use the ones I have, on wash day or as a last choice. I won't be buying any more of them.

Photobucket Imse Vimse.  Another one piece pad. These are a SOLID WORKHORSE PAD! Not at all pretty, but hold a megaton of what it needs to! It does suffer from a bit of wanderitis.. But that only seems to happen at work and I have an active labor job.. (walking 10 miles and getting in and out of the car like 200 times) These are a good standby that don't cost that much. I have like 6 or something.. in two different sizes. (Sizes are measured usually by length on cloth pads).. I would buy more when they wear out. But they have been going strong for over 3 years now!

Photobucket Glad Rags -  They do the job, they are comfortable. They are a two piece pad. They are one of the better of the two piece pads that I have, I only wish I had longer ones. I'm not exactly a little girl, but a skinny girl could handle it just fine I am sure! I would buy more in a heartbeat if they were longer! I am sure there are longer ones and when I look to buy more pads I will look into it..

Photobucket Luna Pads - I have about a dozen or more of these ones as they sell them in packs of multiples and even the packs offer a variety of sizes and prints within the packages! They are comfortable and stay in place pretty good. They are a two piece pad but the little lines of rick rack that hold the pad on the holder do a fantastic job!! These are great and what I wear most often because I have the most of them. My only complaint is I wish they were a little bit wider. Otherwise they are great! What I really really enjoy and probably one of the main reasons I got these in the first place is the customer service and website layout were FANTASTIC!! These people that run Luna Pads are amazing!! I even follow their Twitter and Facebook pages. They affiliate with all sorts of blogs and WAHM (work at home) sites and have give-a-ways and contests and stuff! They really try to make it easy for people to deal with them and get their hands on their products!! I will buy more just because I know I can easily find what I want and will get it in a timely manner because they run an efficient business!

Photobucket FuzziBunz - THESE ARE OUTSTANDING! OMG!!! These are the ones I just got and OMG!! It's like I am not even wearing anything AT ALL!! (I have the red ones, 3 of them - one in each size - I got the sample pack) They are a one piece pad, they are lightweight, beautiful, soft - SO SOFT, and stayed EXACTLY where I put it!! and it held a TON!!! I slept with one on my heaviest day and my Diva Cup (getting to that)  was full and I wore the pad as a back up and it held a TON without leaking itself after my Diva Cup did! I want more, LIKE NOW!! I will definitely be ordering more of these, like later this month when I get paid!! FuzziBunz is a name I know from when my daughter was still wearing diapers.. she had some diapers by them too. They were some of my favorites to use on her so it would stand to reason the pads would be excellent too, so I ordered them! :D I am so glad I did!! They are my new favorite pad!

Photobucket The Diva Cup - This, in my opinion, is the most brilliant period invention ever. A silicone cup, it holds an ounce. You slip it in, wear it a while, take it out, empty it into the toilet, give it a rinse in the sink and you are ready to go again! No risk of Toxic Shock. You can wear it your whole period. I usually do, and on heavy days I use one of the above pads as back-up. I don't even feel it. It is flexible, it warms to your body, moves with you. It's just perfect! It is a little tricky to use at first if you aren't use to getting up close and personal with your own body. The suction takes a little getting used to when getting it in and out while you are using it, but once you get it down you will never want to go back to tampons! I know I won't! Mine has held up really well, I have been using it for about 3 years now. It cost me $35 dollars 3 years ago. It isn't recommended for someone with an IUD though as it has caused the IUD to slip out of place because of the suction.  When mine wears out, or I just think I need to get a new one I WILL BE DOING SO!! 

Well, those are the things I use! And clean up on them isn't hard and icky like some might think. Just throw them in the wash (separate from regular wash - for their protection, not your other laundry's protection) and you are all good to go again! 

Happy Day everyone! Thanks for reading through.. if you did! 

[identity profile] beauty-within16.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 12:11 am (UTC)(link)
I never knew there were so many things for your period. I might check these out. Thanks for this post.

[identity profile] tiah15.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 12:27 am (UTC)(link)
This post sounds insanely complicated lol

I'm assuming that I've never heard of most of these (besides ob and always) because they don't exist here but I'm happy with what I have. That includes my happy pills :D

[identity profile] risskabob.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 12:28 am (UTC)(link)
I've been thinking about getting a Diva Cup for years.

[identity profile] misspopuri.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
My mom used OB tampons, but I never thought they were very comfortable myself. I've got no hand/eye coordination to do it sans applicator.

I love Tampax Pearl. They are a bit more expensive, but they have a nice smooth applicator that doesn't scratch me.
crazed_delusion: (Default)

[personal profile] crazed_delusion 2011-06-07 01:03 am (UTC)(link)
Hmm I may have to try the cup, I've always used the tampax pearl because I never could get the ob in properly by hand. And can't stand the feeling of pads, well the feeling of the blood and it coming out an sitting there even with the really absorbent ones.
crazed_delusion: (Default)

[personal profile] crazed_delusion 2011-06-07 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
I've been looking through the different kinds, have you tried any of the other brand or just used the Diva Cup
crazed_delusion: (Default)

[personal profile] crazed_delusion 2011-06-07 01:23 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah I saw the moon and a couple others. Ok *orders a diva cup on amazon*
crazed_delusion: (Default)

[personal profile] crazed_delusion 2011-06-07 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
Well reading everything on it looks great plus I try to stay as green as possible and goin through all the tampons/plastic always bothered me so heres hoping *crosses finger*

[identity profile] naushika.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 01:44 am (UTC)(link)
Ugh, I am in love with OB tampons. I remember their old ad campaign used to be "the only tampon designed by a woman" and I can really believe that. It was a bit of a mental hurdle to get over using the applicator since you get more up close and personal with the blood, but eventually I figured hey.. it's my body. There's nothing really horrifyingly gross about it. I think a lot of the period-products industry centers around trying to make women feel disgusted by their own bodily functions.

I'm not sure I could ever deal with a diva cup though, lol.

[identity profile] spaciireth.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 08:55 am (UTC)(link)
It was interesting to see you say that you use the OB ones because they don't come with the applicator. Over here (at least I'm fairly sure, it's been a long time since I used tampons), the inclusion of the applicator is less common and the "alternative" to the ones you insert yourself. I tried a few different brands of tampons and stuff because I had quite a heavy flow (still do, but it doesn't freak me out so much anymore), but I could never get them comfortable, with or without applicator. So I have happily stuck to pads for the last ten years. I'm... kinda intrigued by the cloth ones. So they're like diapers, you just take it off, put on a clean one and wash it out?

[identity profile] spaciireth.livejournal.com 2011-06-09 08:40 am (UTC)(link)
Awesome! I had a quick look at these but have bookmarked them to go back to when my essays are out of the way (so many things to do when that time comes, haha!).

[identity profile] nakeisha.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 09:18 am (UTC)(link)
This is a very interesting post - thank you for sharing this.

I shan't be changing my method (I'm not even sure this kind of thing is available in the UK) as I'm happy with Tampax, but it's really good to know for people who want something different or can't use conventional pads/tampons such things exist.

Do you mind if I ask you a question, given how personal you've been I doubt you will. How do you cope with the cup if you need to wash it out in a public loo, i.e where the wash basin isn't in the cubicle but in the main area. Do you feel uncomfortable having to wash it out publicly?

I ask partly because I was watching a programme whereby new product producers were trying to get their stuff into our big stores. One lady had come up with a sponge and she was saying she was really blaise about coming out of the loo and washing it publicly, made a thing about it in fact, announced the fact she had to do it - and actually she said she had women ask her about it.

I can't conceive of doing something like that, I'd be mortified. But then I can't say the idea of washing bloody pads appeals to me either. Maybe it's part of never having had or wanting kids.

Anyway, I hope you don't mind the question.

[identity profile] weird-fin.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 01:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Heh, applicators...my mum used to use them a bit...but yeah as spaciireth said you hardly see them here anymore.

I've always thought about cloth type pad options when I read about women/girl warriors in my YA Fantasy books and the good ones that deal with that issue (ie Tamora Pierce). And I was always interested in it and go 'But WHERE are they?' I knew they'd be out there somewhere and here you come along and do a lovely post about it all! :D

Maybe when I have the money in a few years I'll search out a few...I don't think I'll ever be 100% re-use, but I'm sure 50% or so.

I'm adding this to my memories for sure!

Do you mind if I rec' this on my journal?

[identity profile] a-lot-of-heart.livejournal.com 2011-06-07 06:20 pm (UTC)(link)
I'll never buy pads, not matter if disposable or not. I just hate the feeling of them and I have tried a lot! I always came back to tampons. I knew there was this DivaCup, but I never thought of trying it so far. I may check prices here, but since I'm on birth control, I don't need more than three tampons/month anyway.

[identity profile] a-lot-of-heart.livejournal.com 2011-06-08 05:24 am (UTC)(link)
Well, it's not like it has always been like that for me either ;-) I have to take BC because I have hypermenorrhea and ended up in hospital once for loosing far too much blood. So I have gone from one extreme to the other.