One less thing to buy: Menstrual Pads. Oh Noes!!! It's Menstruation Talk......Run Away!!!!

[TalkingDog]

Seriously...too much of this type of stuff goes into the landfill. Too much spent in producing it, shipping it and given the ongoing discussions in the news and on the Economy Board, a little information on how to save money in case of *ahem* an "economic downturn" can't hurt.


From http://hillbillyhousewife.com/sanitarypads.htm Reprinted with author's permission.

Financially, we were in a tough spot at the time. Making decisions between groceries or sanitary pads is not a pleasant place to be so I was tickled when another mom shared a link to homemade pads. I ran some simple ones up on my sewing machine that day and have pretty much been a convert ever since.

Before the 20th Century, most women used cloth pads or "rags" during their menstruation. Disposable pads didn't’t become common in America until after WW II. Among rural and low-income women they didn't catch on until the 1960's. As with diapers, there have always been people who prefer cloth to disposable. Disposable pads do not biodegrade very quickly. Plastic diapers and sanitary napkins are likely to be two of the most common artifacts that future archaeologists will find when excavating landfills from the 20 and 21 Centuries. I wonder what kind of commentary this will be on our present lifestyles? Only time will tell.


Outer Pad with Wings
Cut 2 with flap extended & 1 on fold with flap closed


Inner Pad
Cut 2 of flannel and 1 or 2 of filling or more flannel


Printing Instructions: Set Margins to 0.25 or 1/4 inch each.


To make your own sanitary napkins you need the following supplies:

*A sewing machine with a zigzag stitch.
* Flannel: Old flannel shirts & baby blankets work beautifully but new flannel works fine too. Be sure to wash it in hot water before using to prevent shrinkage.
* Thread
* Snaps or Safety Pins
* Scissors


The Outer Pad



Begin by printing both of the patterns and cutting them out. The Inner Pad is a large oval. The Outer Pad is actually 2 patterns in 1. With the long straight side extended, it is the topside. You will need to cut 2 of these. With the long straight side folded in, it is the bottom side. Place the straight edge on a fold of fabric and cut 1 of these. Look at the pictures for examples.

Make 1/2-inch hem down the long straight side of each of the 2 top pieces. Straight stitch or zigzag stitch this hem, as you prefer. Now arrange the 2 upper layers of the outer pad over the lower layer. The front hems should overlap slightly, or by about 1/2-inch.

Zigzag stitch around the outside twice. If desired you may straight stitch down the dotted lines shown on the picture to the right. This allows the inner pad to fit more securely inside the outer pad and also makes folding the wings a bit handier.



Some women apply a snap or button to the wings at this time. Place them at points "A" in the illustration. Velcro is not advisable because it has a tendency to chafe. Personally, I don't like to go through all the work of applying snaps or buttons so I use a safety pin instead. Large diaper safety pins work beautifully for pinning the wings together. To the right you will see a picture of the pad pinned closed. The wings fit around your underwear just like disposable pads with wings. Some women wear the pad with the pocket seam facing down, next to their underwear. Other women prefer the pad placed with the seam-side next to their skin. Try it both ways to see which you prefer.





The Inner Pad




The inner pad is the absorbent part of the sanitary napkin. It slips inside the pocket of the pad. The beauty of this is that you can use as many inner pads as necessary for the rate of your flow. During heavy times, or overnight, use 3 or 4 Inner pads. For a lighter flow use only 1 Inner pad. For a panty liner, use the outer pad without an inner pad. The reason you use several layers instead of 1 very thick layer is because several thinner layers are easier to wash and have a shorter drying time. Additionally, the many exterior surfaces of the pad layers makes them more absorbent than a single thick pad would be.


For the inner pad you want to cut at least 3 layers, maybe 4, depending on the thickness of your fabric. Use the same pattern for all of the layers. Use flannel for the 2 exterior layers of the inner pad. Use 1 or 2 layers of flannel or terry cloth, cotton quilt batting or another absorbent material for the interior layers of the inner pad. I used old flannel shirts, a flannel baby blanket and an old towel for my fabric. The towel was ripped and had a few holes. I used it as the interior layer of my inner pads. The flannel baby blanket was the exterior of the inner pads, and the flannel shirt was the outer pad, the part with wings.

After cutting out your layers for the inner pad stack them neatly. Zigzag stitch around the edges twice. Trim the edges if desired. I used dark thread in the picture so you could see it against the light flannel. Make 2 of these inner pads for each outer pad. They are very easy to cut and stitch, so you may want to make a few extras for heavy days.

After completing each part of the pad, slip the inner pad inside the pocket of the outer pad. Pin it in place and see how it feels. You will be surprised at how comfortable it is.

Washing and Maintenance

When you make your own pads you have to wash them instead of tossing them into the garbage. Keep a small bucket of water with a lid in the bathroom, preferably out of the reach of children and pets. Add a spoonful of vinegar if desired. Remove the inner pad from the outer pad. Soak the used pads in the bucket of water. Drain the water into the toilet before washing the pads. The water can also be used to water house plants because they like all the extra vitamins and minerals. Make sure you use cold water so that the stains will come out. I wash every morning. Some women stash all of the used pads in a pillowcase or plastic bag and wash them all at once when their period is over. I don't do this because I have a washer in the house and I find it more sanitary to wash them every day. They can drip dry or machine dry.

If you do not have a washing machine, then they may be washed by hand. Run cold water over them in the bathtub to remove most of the blood. Place the pads in a medium bucket or tub. Add a little soap and cold water. Using a clean plunger, plunge the pads until they are as clean as you can get them. Plunge for a good 10 minutes for the best results. Rinse the pads well and squeeze them dry. Hang each pad by it's own clothespin and they should dry pretty fast, even in the winter.

If you like, you can iron the pads, but do not use starch on them. Be careful not to use fabric softener either because it will make them less absorbent.

A No-Sew Alternative

If your sewing skills are lacking, or you simply do not want to go through the trouble of sewing your own pads you can try this instead. Purchase absorbent terry-cloth dishtowels. Wash them before using. Fold them into rectangles about 3 or 4-inches by 10 or 12 inches. Use safety pins to pin them into your underwear at both narrow ends (the front and the back). These are a bit bulkier than home-sewn pads. They are quite comfortable though, and are a legitimate alternative. They may be washed the same as home-sewn pads. I've also seen washcloths recommended. Fold them into thirds, or quarters (long ways) and fit them into your underwear. Apparently they stay in place without pinning because of the friction between the terry-cloth and underwear. For heavier flows fold together 2 or more wash cloths.



About Fabrics

When I made these, I used fabrics I already had in the house. You may purchase new fabric instead if you like. Use a sturdy double-napped flannel if you go this route. It will last the longest and give you the best results. Cotton quilt batting is very nice filler, but you can also use additional flannel, which is less expensive. Wash everything before cutting or sewing. Flannel will shrink. After sewing, wash the pads again before using. This helps them hold their shape better. Men's flannel shirts and flannel baby blankets make excellent flannel for your own menstrual pads. They can sometimes be found for 25¢ or 50¢ a piece at yard sales, which makes pads very cheap to sew at home. Brightly colored fabric is less likely to show stains than solid colored or light fabric is. I prefer to use patterns and dark colors for this reason.

About the Pattern

I created this pattern free hand after measuring commercially available, disposable pads. My pattern is a little bit wider and longer than some patterns available on the Internet. This is to accommodate the average woman, who is a size 14 or larger. Standard pads and liners are created for a size-6 woman. Pads made from this pattern are less likely to leak because they are large enough to fit properly. If you are a smaller woman, or prefer slightly smaller pads, there are several other patterns available online. You will find them linked below. Note: Some of the sites may refer to ideas you do not agree with. Please overlook anything you find offensive and focus on the useful information instead.

Cloth Menstrual Pads Main Page
Patterns & Instructions
http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~obsidian/mi-clothpad.html


Born to Love
(HM Tampon Alternative)
http://www.borntolove.com/d-list7-make.shtml


One Woman
Practical Information
http://onewoman.com/redspot/pattern.html

Natural Choices
The Cloth Menstrual Pad
http://www.oxyboost.com/cleaning_pages/cloth_menstrual_pads.html#articles-


Cloth Menstrual Pads
by Debi Elrod
Patterns & Instructions
http://www.diapersewing.com/clothpads.htm


Instructions for Cloth Menstrual Pads
Patterns & Instructions
http://www.millennium-ark.net/News_Files/INFO_Files/menstrual.html

Many Moons Menstrual Pads
Patterns & Instructions
http://pacificcoast.net/~manymoons/howto.html

Museum of Menstruation or MUM
www.mum.org

Everything you ever wanted to know about the history of menstruation. Fascinating!

Okay, But EEEwww . . .

I'll admit, many people have this reaction the first time they consider homemade pads. It is weird. We never see anything about it on television so that's the first sign that it's NOT socially acceptable. Sewing and using homemade pads seems like something that only weird-os and freaks do, probably off in the woods somewhere, or maybe a nice cave in the wilderness where they can commune with nature and get in touch with the moon. Nice women would never use homemade pads. After all, your hands get wet and you have to touch your own body fluids which is kinda gross. Plus you have that icky bucket in the bathroom so everyone knows that you're up to something sneaky. The whole idea is enough to make some women vomit and make some men run for cover in a sweaty, testosterone filled locker room.

Believe me, I sympathize. I had to get used to the idea before I became a convert. For some women the conversion process happens overnight. For others of us, it takes time. We have to go slow, talk it over with other women, learn a lot more about it, and try it secretly to see if it really does work (it does). If we have always hated pads, then homemade ones may seem like an even more uncomfortable way of dealing with a monthly necessity. Everyone may say cloth pads are more comfortable, but just because it works for them, doesn't mean it will be the same for us. Besides, the bucket in the bathroom is just tooooo gross. And what if the husband sees them and laughs at them or thinks that we've lost our minds. What if the mother in law visits and sees the bucket and we have to explain it to her, or a visiting preacher's wife, or worse yet, the Preacher?!!! Gee whiz, it all becomes such a statement, and honestly, this is not the type of statement that most of us want to make to the world.

Relax. Take a deep breath. It is less weird than it seems at first glance. Think about women from the past. Our hearty ancestors who pioneered this country; while they rode their covered wagons west, what did they use every month? What did Native American women use back when they owned the continent? What about Eve and her daughters? What did Sarah use? Well, Sarah was barren, so maybe she didn't need them. But what about other women in the bible? Give it some deep thought. Queens and peasants, Pilgrims and Puritans, they all have one thing in common. They had to use something to catch their monthly flow. If you visit the Museum of Menstruation, you'll discover all types of articles that inventive women have used over the years. Absorbent sea sponges and baby socks have been used as tampons. Animal fur, dried plant fibers, and various types of cloth have been used for pads.

The truth of the matter is that cloth pads are not weird. Disposable ones are. Disposable pads and tampons have been commonplace for less than 50 years. This means that pretty much all of the women who are currently menstruating have only been exposed to disposable choices for their monthlies. Pads or tampons seem to be the only option. This is very much a comment on our current society. We use everything once and then toss it away. Disposable feminine hygiene products are a big scam perpetrated by manufacturers who want to keep us on a leash so we have to keep buying their products. They are making as much as TEN to TWENTY Thousand dollars per woman over her lifetime. If you think of the millions of women in the USA alone, the profits are staggering!

At heart, I am a rebel. One of my goals in life is to be dependant upon as few manufactured products as possible. My life and my money are more valuable than that. My freedom is more valuable than that. I will not give myself over to disposable pads if there is a free or cheap alternative that gives ME control over my budget and my body. Modern consumerism is a crock. It is an illusion that makes us feel like we have a semblance of power over our lives, but really it's just newspeak for letting commercialism and it's attending obsessions consume us. Extricating ourselves from consumerism is frightfully difficult. The strings and layers it encompasses are sneaky little buggers that are hidden in all aspects of our lives. One of the ways that we can achieve more personal freedom and attain genuine control over our circumstances is to snip those strings every time we find a self-sufficient alternative. For me, this means turning to cloth pads exclusively.

I would rather get my hands wet than give Corporate America one more ounce of control over my budget or even more importantly, my body. There are so many things I have to buy that when I find something I can make for myself, it is reason for rejoicing.

Which brings us back to that bucket. An ice cream bucket with a lid works great. I keep mine under the bathroom sink so it's not a topic of conversation. Most women keep their disposable products in the bathroom, and the bucket is the same thing. Stash it in a private place and don't give it a second thought. When I drain the bucket in the mornings, I do it in the bathroom while I'm already in there and no one is the wiser. As I start the first load of laundry for the day, I dump the rinsed pads in there and they wash up with whatever else is in the laundry. The wet pads cannot contaminate the other clothes in the washer. Dirty clothes are dirty clothes. Mud, dust, grime, dishcloths that have been used on bloody noses, rags used to wipe up the floor, it all comes out in the wash. The clothes in the washer are getting clean and one type of dirt will not give cooties to another type of dirt. After the washer has run it's cycle, all the laundry is clean and ready to start its life anew, sort of a fabric version of baptism.

I live in a house with boys. They are blissfully unconscious of what the bucket is for. They don't even ask. When they help fold the laundry, they just put the clean pads in the "Mommy Pile" and assume it is part of the world of women that they don't want to know about. When the boys were younger, and I had to wash my pads by hand with a clean plunger, I did it in the bathroom as part of normal, daily chores. They had no idea and no care what I was doing in there. I could have been cleaning the tub or the sink or the toilet as far as they were concerned. It was all the same thing to them. Now that they are older, and one is a teenager, they have chosen blissful ignorance about my pads. Sometimes I have dried them by hanging them individually on a string strung up in the shower. I close the shower curtain and the boys ignore them completely, the same way they ignore my bras and frillies when I hang them up to dry. Fred doesn't even notice the pads anymore, or if he does, they are just a normal part of married life. He is married to a woman, and therefore there are feminine details he must get used to and accommodate.

When I must travel a lot during my period, I bring a few plastic zipper bags to store any used ones until I get a chance to wash them. In hotels they are easily washed by hand and dried by laying them over the tub, or for the more adventurous, by laying them over the heater in the room. Fresh pads can be stored in zipper bags and used as needed. Once we grow accustomed to the idea of using cloth pads, it seems like such a normal part of life, that the details become irrelevant. The details of brushing our teeth or washing our hair are mundane. No one is interested in them and we do them without a second thought. Cloth pads are the same way. Once we get into the cloth pad zone, it becomes abundantly clear that they are the best solution available. Our first thought may be "Ewww!" but our final thought is "Aaahhh!"



My Favorite Master Artist: Karen Parker GhostWoman Studios

[gollygee]

1. Divacup!

Seriously. I love the Divacup. I was SO skeptical. Now I wish I would have found it 25 years ago.

http://divacup.com/

[Kool Kitty]

3. Glad to see something like that available again.

I remember a product I used to buy back in the seventies called "Tassaway" (if I'm remembering correctly). Same principle, so convenient. Bought them for a while and then they disappeared. If I wasn't past those bleedin' days, I'd be buying them.

[Ms. Toad]

47. Those things tore me to shreds.

They had three ridges to help keep it in place - and they did their job, even when I wanted them to stop doing their job.

I really expected to like them, but the reality did not match my expectations.

[gollygee]

48. The Divacup is made of surgical-grade silicon

it's much softer than anything that would have been available in the 70s. Very comfortable - don't even feel it so long as the stem is cut off. The stem is pinchy.

[Name removed]

237. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

238. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TorchTheWitch]

179. That's what I'd be afraid of

And leaking... that's a powerful lot of stuff to leak if it happens. When I saw the size of the thing I nearly shreaked... ain't no way that thing would be comfortable in my slim space. Sometimes I can hardly stand the slim long regular sized tampons after a couple of days needing something in there.

I'm interested in those sea sponge things, but I'd be afraid there may come a time or two (or more!) that I wouldn't be able to fish it out without a doctor's help.

I think I'll just stick with regular old tampons... don't have to probe anything, look at anything, worry about not being able to get them in or out, or worry about spillage, or being uncomfortable, and it only costs about $2.50 a month. Fine by me.

[yorkiemommie1]

208. they didn't work for me either

Caused me lots of pain!

[sandyj999]

59. It was called Tassette and I had one. Great invention! n/t

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. Those look interesting

I'm willing to give them a try. Thanks for the heads up on them. :)

[gollygee]

10. You might have to cut the stem

the stem is the only uncomfortable part. But personally, I think it's easy to work with sans stem.

Here's an online support group dedicated to menstrual cups: http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/

[magellan]

8. Beat me to it

I learned about the DivaCup in a retro forum where the ladies were all raving about it. It's excellent.

[TahitiNut]

9. Now THAT makes sense.

It's always puzzled me that women would risk toxic shock and delubrication with tampons. (But what's a male to say? We're not qualified.)

[puebloknot]

61. "But what's a male to say?" Now that's a probing question!

Sorry, couldn't help myself! :rofl:

[TahitiNut]

213. Well, you know what they say about "wagging tongues."

:evilgrin: Some of us don't give it mere "lip service."


:silly: :dunce:

[NashVegas]

33. I Love My Divacup!

I wish I'd known about cups when I was a teenager.

[Le Taz Hot]

109. This is what I used to use my

diaphragm for 'cause it sucked as birth control. But thanks to menopause, I no longer need these devices. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ('Scuze me, carry on.) :evilgrin:

[emmadoggy]

202. THANK YOU!

I'm am getting me one of those!!! I have used Instead cups before and really liked them - although I never could really use them on my heavy days (I have VERY heavy periods). Now I have an IUD and they say not to use the Insteads if you have an IUD (probably just precautionary - I tried it once or twice). But apparently the Divacup sits lower and shouldn't interfere. I DESPISE my horrid periods (my IUD was supposed to help, but hasn't worked out that way). I am getting a Divacup as soon as I can get to the store in my area that carries them (22 miles away)!! I wish I had known about this a long time ago!!

Thank you so much for the tip!! :loveya:

[noamnety]

206. you can also order them online

drugstore.com carries them, and there are distributors selling them on ebay for less than what you can get them for at a retail store.

I use it with an IUD, no problems. And I find it far more reliable than the Instead cups, which had a nasty habit of shifting position, and the cup part of them was too flexible, those kinda smush into a flat I-ain't-holding-nothing position. It's like the difference between putting a plate or a bucket under a leaking faucet.

[emmadoggy]

250. Yes. I figured I could get them online.

Thought maybe I could save the shipping - although with gas prices where they are, the shipping is probably no higher than the gas to drive the 40 miles round trip. Yes, I think maybe I'll just order one.

And I know exactly what you mean about the Instead. Tended to just smoosh flat. Which is why I only used them during the second half of my period. What I loved about them though (and will be the same with the Divacup) is that you can wear them longer - on light days only changing in the morning and at night - and that you just feel so much more clean and fresh. I also love that they were so much less wasteful, for exactly that reason. During the first half of my period it's not an issue, but during the second half, I hate the fact that every time you use the restroom, you have to change your product, whether it needs it or not (which contributes to that dried out feeling, chafing etc. I never use the restroom without changing cause I hate what happens to the tampon if you don't. Eww. And that is just that much more needless waste, as well.)

I am VERY excited about getting a Divacup!! And thanks for letting me know you've had no problems with it and your IUD. I'm so happy to have found a great alternative that will work for me!

[shireen]

240. talk to your gynecologist ...

heavy periods could be due to fibroids. There are ways to get rid of them.

[emmadoggy]

257. I know.

I just had an exam a few months ago and no mention that I had them. At least nothing more than ordinary. I have ALWAYS had very heavy periods. The pill (at least certain ones) helped, but I am getting a little older and didn't want to be on them anymore and didn't like the side effects that came along with using the stronger ones I needed to get the benefits to my period.

My IUD seemed to help for a while, then it went back to how it was. I suppose I should talk to my gyno about that. :shrug:

Meanwhile, the Divacup will be a great help!

[gollygee]

241. You're welcome!

I never had a problem with the cup and my IUD. If your strings are up where they should be it should be fine. If your strings aren't where they should be, they need to get there or the IUD will come out at some other point anyway! :D

I got mine online but I bet some health food places or what-not have them if the place carries health related items (as most I've seen do).

[emmadoggy]

253. Thanks again.

It's so nice to have found a great alternative that won't interfere with my IUD. Thanks for letting me know about that. I think everything is as it should be with my IUD, so it shouldn't be a problem.

I think I will just order one online. I thought I could save the shipping cost, but driving the 40 miles round trip will probably cost just as much in gas, so why bother.

Yippee!! I can't wait!

P.S. Hopefully, it will be a long time yet, but it makes me so happy to know of an alternative like this for my daughter, when the time comes for her. If she inherits the same monthly misery as me, this could make it so much better for her. Hopefully, she won't have to suffer the hassles and embarrassments that I had to.

[gollygee]

256. If you have any problems after you get it, let me know

tip #1 - CUT OFF THE STEM. The stem is pinchy. Otherwise, it's very comfortable.

[emmadoggy]

275. Thanks for the tip.

I just ordered one! :woohoo:

[Darth Lenore]

2. Very cool! Thanks! n/t

[JVS]

4. Oh Noes!

[shireen]

5. are they available commercially? nt

[gollygee]

7. Here's one brand that's available

http://www.lunapads.com/

Those are the ones people seem to like best generally, but if you google "cloth menstrual pads" you'll find tons of options.

May I recommend a menstrual cup, though? http://divacup.com/ They're so fabulous! If you get one, cut off the stem, and you won't even feel it.

[knitter4democracy]

21. Take a look on etsy.com and see if there are some there.

The ones I've bought from small mom-run businesses are the best. I just keep forgetting to wear them instead. Pretty comfy, though.

[kwyjibo]

212. There are TONS of these on Etsy! Not too expensive, either!

http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=tag_title&search_query=menstrual%20pad

[zalinda]

11. Remember those are also useful for those

who "drip" when coughing or under stress. With fibro, I go through periods when my bladder doesn't want to co-operate, and I can't see spending money on disposable pads.

zalinda

[Breeze54]

12. ROFLMFAO!!!

Sewing? :rofl:

Like I would have the time OR the patience to make those...

especially at THAT time of the month! :rofl:

That is NOT ever going to happen at my house! :P

Fuck that. I'll use what's commercially available, Thank You. ;)

[sutz12]

31. Looking at your post and your sig line kind of pegged my irony meter.

:shrug:

:rofl:

[Breeze54]

35. Irony? huh?

What do mentruation, MFSO and Comcast Lies have to do with each other?

Nada! I fail to see your point.

[Hissyspit]

66. "Change Is Good" n/t

[Breeze54]

161. That refers to Change in POLITICS not

Change in personal hygeiene care. :P

[Dystopian]

148. You are on a roll.........

NOTHING!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


peace~

[Dystopian]

147. Too Funny!

Geesh! Just to damn funny...thank you!

And thank God for menopause!


peace~

[Rhiannon12866]

13. K&R! Very informative! Thank you!

Wish that I'd had this knowledge years ago when I visited the USSR, shortly before it fell. I ran out of "supplies" while I was there and there was just nothing commercially available there. Apparently, they also make their own.:shrug:

I had to wait until I was in Helsinki to finally buy what I needed and even that wasn't easy. First, it was a matter of finding the right store. And then I had to pick up countless packages, looking at the pictures and squeezing them before I tried buying anything, since I didn't speak or read the language. Fortunately, I ended up with one package of pads and one of tampons, but I was pretty anxious.:scared:

Looking back, it's a funny story, but I would never want to go through that again...:-(

[Ms. Toad]

56. That happened to us, too!

We ran out because our luggage (where ample supplies were packed) was lost for the entire 2 week trip - so we had no choice but to improvise. Needle, meet thread and cotton batting. . .

[Rhiannon12866]

233. How awful for you! But you're more resourceful than I was...

Wish I'd thought of that, but where does one find cotton batting in Leningrad? LOL. They said that there would be lines for things as necessary as toilet paper, but the only place that I saw a line was to get into a museum...:shrug:

I've traveled enough that I knew to bring my own Kleenex with me, so I used that until I made it to Helsinki, and tried not to stand up very much. Ewww... At least this didn't happen to me until just before we left for home, in what was then Leningrad.:-(

I had made the mistake of sharing the supplies that I brought with me with a girl I met on the plane. And I couldn't ask anybody that I was traveling with for help, since it was a peace group comprised of senior citizens, including my grandmother...:rofl:

[porphyrian]

14. I'm used to being stuck in girl conversations. I guess I lack the normal impulse to flee...

...at the sound of key words like "tampon" and "dishes." Oh well.

While I applaud efforts like this and the re-emerging cloth diaper movement, I don't think they're going to really catch on until they are as easily accessible and probably cheaper than the current disposable varieties. I think I heard someone say there was a cloth diaper service in Boulder, CO, but that was a couple of years ago. Anyway, someone should seriously look into starting a business.

[gollygee]

18. It is cheaper

because you wash them and use them over and over and over and over and over again.

I used cloth diapers too. The services aren't cheaper, but if you buy cloth diapers (which have a HUGE resale value) that's cheaper too. LOVED using cloth diapers. I only got started because my baby had a recurring rash and a friend loaned me some to try to see if it worked. IT DID. I was hooked. And cloth diapers are much easier than you think they're going to be. Laundry isn't much work - you just throw them in the washer, and then in the dryer. And I didn't fold them - I'd just throw them in a basket and take them out of there. Loved it.

[porphyrian]

23. If I had the need for either myself, I'd go cloth, too. -n/t

[badgerpup]

194. Hydrogen peroxide works good for removing bloodstains from cloth...

Cotton, and cotton blends. If something is pure polyester, not so good.

Works well on...er...other body fluids too. Not sure how the chemical process works azackly, but it bubbles up and makes stains a LOT more amenable to removal with cold water and your soap/detergent of choice.

Also is good as a detection tool...say if there's a stain on something and you put peroxide on it and the peroxide bubbles?
:freak:
It's organic and came from someBODY, not someTHING...if you get me drift...

[Book Lover]

20. They are *way* cheaper...

I bought my gladrags years ago and they are still good to go; even better, now that they've gotten softer. Let's see, approx. $20 amortized over several years, or $10 a month every single month? Which do you think is cheaper?

[porphyrian]

24. Makes sense to me, but I'm not a consumer of the product.

I think availability/accessibility and the gross-out factor are still hurdles to overcome in the market at large. The success of the environmental movement right now may be just what it takes to see this happen, though.

[pansypoo53219]

74. glad rags

what one of my great-aunt's 5 husbands called em.

first i gotta use up what i already have. course i just used TP when i was younger.

[Book Lover]

76. I searched through some of the links in this thread

and I see the prince of gladrags has skyrocketed! They're all pretty much the same, I imagine, so I recommend you find something cheaper than those :-)

[knitter4democracy]

22. We had a cloth diaper service for our kids. Loved it!

Both of mine had instant nasty rashes with disposables that went right away when we switched them back to cloth. Cloth diapers really are the way to go.

[porphyrian]

25. I'm sold, though I have no need for them right now. -n/t

[LeftyMom]

49. Diaper tangent: the new ones are all in one, so they go on like a disposable

No pins, snappi or other device unless you want them, there are plenty of diapers that go on with snaps or applix (which is like velcro but much softer and more flexible.

I liked these, back when LK was in diapers. They keep a kid much drier than disposables, and they last forever. http://www.fuzzibunz.com/fuzzi_details.php

[gollygee]

55. I used fuzzibunz at night

because I could pack them full

but during the day I loved the prefolds, a snappi, and a Bummis wrap. Loved it.

[LeftyMom]

15. I've been using a variation on the pattern at diapersewing.com for years.

A small hint: trace the disposable pad or pantiliner you use now, that way you'll get something that works for you size-wise.

[Buns_of_Fire]

16. Neat idea. But I'll know they've caught on when I see Billy Mays advertising them. (n/t)

[Book Lover]

17. I use GladRags and just love them

I handwash after every use though (if I'm at work, I use a ziploc bag with a little witch hazel inside to store them until I can get home). I use the witch hazel in the handwash, too.

[Warpy]

19. I'd suggest an oilcloth lining on one side

of that flannel pouch, or making the pouch with flannel on the inside and oilcloth on the outside. That way it would be completely leakproof. You can buy cheap tablecloths at discount houses if you can't find oilcloth at a fabric store.

I am old enough to enjoy the intense pleasure of thumbing my nose at the fertility aisle of the supermarket, but I did use rags at some of the poorer times in my youth. Black ones were the best, didn't matter if the laundering removed the stains or not. Old socks with a folded soft cotton cloth inside were the best.

[LeftyMom]

99. pul works well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyurethane_laminate

Unless you've got a very heavy flow, you likely won't need it though.

[Katherine Brengle]

26. Lunapads are supposed to be great too --

I'm an Instead convert myself, likely to soon be a Divacup convert.

Less waste, more comfort, amen.

[Kurovski]

27. Of course I love the name of this company that sells cloth goods...

http://www.pleasurepuss.com/

[glowing]

28. I don't use pads.... Haven't since I was 13... Only use them now if

I get a yeast infection... so, what do you suggest for a tampon? And how in the hell do I carry around a bloody used pad at work? Put it in a zip lock baggy and stick it in my purse? That's disgusting... and I'm sorry, but not all women that time of the month smell all that great... Somehow my hormones are all messed up and I'm lucky to get 2 a year.. Should be having one soon this next month...

[blogslut]

29. There are tampons and pads made from bamboo fiber

I will try to find a link

Bamboo is amazing. Practically anything can be made from it and it replenishes quickly.

EDIT: I may be mistaken. I could have sworn somebody made tampons from bamboo fiber. They definitely make sanitary pads from the stuff:

http://www.tenbro.com/proSanitary%20Products.asp

There are those sea sponge tampons. They're reusable:

http://www.seapearls.co.uk/

[glowing]

40. bamboo needs to be left for the panda bears.. we're wiping out their

habitat for our bamboo floors and tiki huts.. sorry.. Hemp would be best.

[blogslut]

60. It's not the same bamboo

The bamboo used for making flooring, fuel and other products is not what Panda bears eat. Granted, deforestation is pushing the panda out of its habitat but there's a remedy for that. Bamboo can be grown anywhere, even in the US. In fact, there are already bamboo plantations in the US.

[glowing]

91. Thanks.... Damn... Why is is so expensive then?

[blogslut]

110. Lack of demand perhaps?

Western folks don't realize (yet) how many uses there are for bamboo and how sturdy it is. There is a bridge in China that from the late neolithic period until the 1970's, was suspended from cables made from bamboo. When treated properly, flooring made from bamboo is as sturdy as any hardwood. People build entire homes from bamboo. Bamboo can be made into coal. In the "bamboo alphabet" the only letter where a use for bamboo does not fit is "Q". Mexico is working very hard to surpass China in bamboo production/exportation. Bamboo corrects shoreline soil erosion and is a natural windbreak. It's almost impossible to kill and a forest of bamboo will completely replenish in a matter of months.

Here's some links for you to learn more:

http://www.fokal.com/designfile/knowdesign/Bamboo-and-You
http://www.inbar.int/
http://bamboocentral.org/index1.htm

[glowing]

159. I know they make excellent flooring for a home... and last so long..

but its soooo expensive. Guess that's the idea... make it like oil and only the rich can afford it.

[Ghost Dog]

277. Bamboo is very fast-growing. As is hemp.

Protection of natural environments and denizens is, thanks to us, longer-term.

[LostinVA]

141. Haruka and I got these amazingly soft bamboo fabric towels as a wedding gift

Bamboo is awesome. I still just use tampax, though.

[blogslut]

142. It is indeed amazing

:)

[gollygee]

36. Divacup!

http://divacup.com/

For more information about menstrual cups - http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/

[blogslut]

37. Those look really interesting

I may just have to buy one and see how well it does. I'm almost at the end of this monthly thang. Each month I hope will be the one where nothing happens. After 37 years, I am so ready for it to be over.

[Book Lover]

67. There are lots of reusable tampon things

Sea sponges (buy them at the fish store - the ones they sell as tampons are way overpriced). I saw a toddler cotton sock suggestion upthread that looked interesting.

And as someone who does the ziploc baggie thing at work, I can tell you it's no more disgusting than pulling out a tampon after it is full, or dealing with panties that have blood on them. Get over yourself, sister!

[Katherine Brengle]

162. Menstrual cups are a great alternative to tampons --

something like Instead or the Divacup. Way less waste and imo much more comfortable.

[Obamarama]

30. Oy vey, how disgusting. Why don't we just wipe our asses with reusable rags as well?

I suspect reusing these pads take the sanitary out of sanitary napkins. I'm sooooooooo glad I'm a guy when I run across discussions like this.

[blogslut]

32. It's okay that you don't get it

Now go along and play with the other boys.

[gollygee]

38. Who claimed sanitary pads were sanitary?

They're paper and they get thrown away, but you don't have the option to boil them before use. I think something boiled is more sanitary, personally.

If you are a menstruating woman, you will have to deal with blood one way or another. Blood is not "disgusting" anyway. It's just blood. Do you get icked out if you need a bandaid?

[LeftyMom]

51. Ya know, when we get menstrual blood on our underwear, we wash them and wear them again.

No different, only a few more layers of cotton. And no clammy feeling or funky odor, which is a nice bonus.

[BlackVelvet04]

53. I usually threw mine away when they got blood on them. n/t

[gollygee]

54. Or when you have a cut and bleed on something

or when your kid wets the bed

or when your undies get "skid marks"

It's frustrating seeing only this female bodily fluid seen as dirty when others are seen as "just what happens"

:eyes:

[LeftyMom]

57. Unclean! Unclean!

Today's random fact: 1/4 of female DU posters under the age of 50 are currently menstruating and getting icky germy woman cooties on the internet.

Don't worry, I'm sure somebody will be along to sell us all disposable, bleached, sparkly ultra-white underpants and mattresses soon enough.

[xmas74]

255. I'm in that 25%

in case you'd like to know.

Hope you don't mind my cooties.

[noamnety]

262. oh noes!

I am alerting a mod to let them know this whole thread needs to be deleted now. We can start fresh with a new one.

[xmas74]

265. But I'll just post there too.

Either way I'll spread my cooties everywhere.


(Besides, I'm on the tail end. It's pretty light now and won't do much damage.)

[Ghost Dog]

278. I think you forgot the :irony: gizmo, lwfern

uh, :sarcasm: Sarcasm is not quite the same thing/feeling as irony. A bit like schadenfreude¿?

[muryan]

144. theres quite a difference

between the normal flora of the skin, and that inside a vagina. If you cut yourself and bleed onto your clothes, its a pretty fair assumption that unless you had a massive infection the only microbes in the blood would be what was already on the clothes. The same cant be said for menstraul blood. Disposable sanitary pads were developed because the very large chance of infection developing from using cloth ones. Im not against the idea, i think itd be a great way to cut down on unneccesary waste. However i just think theres too much work required for it to become popular

[Book Lover]

145. Think this through for a minute

Scenario of use for disposable pads: Peel pad and stick it on underwear. A few hours later when it is full, remove and dispose.

Scenario of use for cloth washable pads: Assemble pad and snap onto underwear. A few hours later when it is full, remove and wash.

I'm not seeing the very large chance of pathological condition here.

on edit: spelling

[gollygee]

167. You aren't going to get an infection from using cloth pads

any more than you are from wearing underpants. Think about it. :eyes:

This attitude about how "disgusting" women's bodies are is really annoying.

And women can't avoid dealing with menstrual blood in one way or another. You have to do SOMETHING. It's just what specifically you do. I like the menstrual cup, for one reason because there's no work involved. But I used cloth diapers on my daughter and that was just as easy as disposable (I used disposables for a while first). I'd think this would be the same.

Disposable sanitary pads were developed because people are lazy and don't care about waste. It had nothing to do wtih infection.

[benevolent dictator]

259. so then where's my disposable underwear?

oh wait, wearing cloth isn't going to give you infections as long as you wash it now and again.

i'm pretty sure that disposable pads were developed because people are lazy, and because it's good business if you can convince people to spend $5-10 every month on disposable products rather than spending $20 every 5-10 years on something that's reusable.

[JVS]

273. I would venture to guess it is because washing technology wasn't as good back then

It's easy now to take the pad, toss it into the washer on hot (i.e sanitary) setting, add bleach, press the button and let it do its stuff. Consider the difference if you were still doing laundry by hand.

[Book Lover]

68. I suspect the bleach I use when they get machine washed takes care of that

Or do you think that washing cloth doesn't clean it? Man, I bet you're tons of fun with your girlfriend when she has her period.

[Quantess]

154. Cold water wash.

Cold water for blood.

[Book Lover]

155. May be TMI

I wash by hand immediately after use with witch hazel and cold water. They air dry and may be resued before my period is done. When it's all over, they all go in the washer with the towels, thus the bleach. I learned that lesson (cold water to clean blood) early on!

[mzteris]

181. tepid water

works best.

Leastways that's what my momma tol' me. . .

[yardwork]

83. No one asked your opinion.

[Katherine Brengle]

163. You wash them dumbass.

Seriously, if you were going to make such a ridiculous comment, why even bother posting?

And menstrual blood does not = feces, thanks.

[xmas74]

252. It's really no different

than wiping your nose on a cloth handkerchief or using a washcloth when you bathe yourself or a child. It just sounds gross.

Bandages used to be made from linen and cotton and were washed and reused. We don't do that now because of convenience and because of bloodborne pathogens that can be transmitted from them. But for home use it wouldn't be such a big deal-especially if they are used only by one person and are washed with each use.

It's the same idea here: wash them after each use and it's not such a big deal. As to wiping your rear with something reusable I'd venture to say you're not around babies all that often. Any parent here can tell you that if baby has an accident sometimes it leaks out of the diaper. If there is bm on the outfit or blanket do you throw it away? Probably not. Instead you rinse it, you scrub it out and then you wash it, hoping you've removed most of it. If it's stained then that often means it will be thrown into the pile of outfits that are fit for home use only and not to be worn out in public.

[demnan]

34. We were standard urban middle class

but in 1968 when I started, my mother gave me cloth dipers to wear overnight. These were the dipers she saved from when we were little. They were the best overnight pads I ever had. I wore them at night through the seventies until I went to college.

[Sparkly]

39. I thought this was going to be a thread about menopause!

Great idea though, and I appreciate the info about the Divacup, too -- never heard of it! Makes so much sense!

[THUNDER HANDS]

41. so....uh.....how 'bout them Patriots?

:hide:

[Uncle Joe]

42. I'm not running away.

Kicked and recommended for the environment.

Thanks for the thread, TalkingDog.

[Quantess]

43. How is this better for the environment than tampons?

Tampons are biodegradable. What's the big deal? Life is too short to waste time washing menstrual rags.

I was not going to post on this thread, but everyone else is, and they're even recommending it, for some unfathomable reason. I just felt like speaking up in opposition.

[gollygee]

44. Tampons don't biodegrade in landfills

and the processing requires the destruction of trees and the use of lots of fresh water (more water than cleaning pads uses), bleach, and other chemicals.

[Quantess]

45. Interesting.

Why wouldn't tampons biodegrade?

[gollygee]

46. Because landfills are filled air-tight and sunlight doesn't reach them

the same reason biodegradable trash bags don't biodegrade in landfills.

[Katherine Brengle]

164. Do you have any idea how much landfill "feminine hygiene" products take up each

year?

It's astronomical.

[noamnety]

184. No kidding

Multiply that first part of the image by 300,000,000,000 women.

The garbage generated isn't just the tampons and pads themselves, but also the packaging and the manufacturing energy/waste.

[lonestarnot]

50. ugh ugh...

acky.

[BlackVelvet04]

52. Fortunately....

I don't need these products due to a hysterectomy, but I wouldn't have used them ever. I hate blood....I don't care whose blood it is or where it came from, I wouldn't deal with reusable stuff.

[valerief]

58. Great idea. Thanks. nt

[madokie]

62. way more info than I need

ain't gonna get me to wearing one of them things no how :rofl:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

63. Back in the days when I was a teenager

we were visiting my grandmother's house when I unexpectedly got my period. My grandmother happened to have some old cloths lying in a drawer somewhere and gave them to me to use.

I liked them, because they were far more comfortable than the pads that were available at the time (which were rather rigid and could be instruments of torture if they slid into the wrong position). However, back in those days, no one would ever admit to liking anything so old-fashioned.

[alarimer]

64. Not just no, but HELL NO

As someone who works in the field for 8-10 hours at a time, without access to a bathroom, this is way too impractical. I gave up pads years ago because I spend hours submerged in water. Not a good combo. Never had any issue with tampons. You will pry them from me after I am dead but not sooner.

[emmadoggy]

234. See post #1.

:)

[boston bean]

65. Are there any alternatives for me?

I can't wear the pads anymore because I am allergic to them now. I don't know what they are putting in them, but they are not for me anymore.

I can't wear tampons.

I am not ready to move to a reusable pad.

Does anyone know of a hypoallergenic, natural pad?

I looked on the net and it doesn't seem any are sold in the US?

[LeftyMom]

72. try these

http://www.veganstore.com/body-care/shaving-and-personal-care/for-women/natracare-sanitary-pads/Page_1/087.html

Most health food stores have them, and some conventional grocers and drug stores do.

A divacup would also be a good choice if your issue with tampons isn't one that would forbid anything worn internally.

[yardwork]

89. I've seen all-cotton, no-chlorine bleach pads in health food stores.

It might be the chlorine that is causing an allergic reaction. Or whatever they are using now that makes pads super-absorbent.

If you can't find the natural disposable pads, try buying cloth diapers, tearing them into strips, and making your own folded pads. If you don't want to wash them, just toss them out. That approach is probably no more expensive than disposable pads.

[knitter4democracy]

175. I had that allergy for awhile. Lunapads really helped.

The soft flannel really helped with the allergy and yeast infections and all. I was able to go back (allergy seemed to go away, but I still get yeast infections with my periods), but now I'm thinking of going cloth again. I never had all this trouble when I used cloth.

There are nice ones at Etsy.com in pretty fabrics and all the extras for not much. It's supporting small business, too.

[truedelphi]

216. There was a firm in Missouri that sold nursing supplies

And incontinence supplies and they had the old fashioned huge Kotex maxi pads, scent free and quite nice. No adhesive on them - I think that is one of the rthings that makes a woman allergic to the product. Also no plastic barrier on the bottom. Just cotton.

Then one day it was no longer possible to use those either. (Four years aggo??)

I started to buy adult diapers and cut them apart and then hand-shaped into pads - as adult diapers seemed to be free of the stinky substances that caused my allergies to the regular pads.

I would poke open the adult diaper bags at the store to determine which were not scented - etc.
Once I found a brand and type that was unscented I stuck with those.

Don't let a stroe manager find you doing that - they consider it as bad as theft. But I was tired of buying a product, driving it home, finding that it reeked, and then having to drive it back, locate the manager etc. And never compensated for my time in doing this.

[TorchTheWitch]

266. I think maybe the natural sea sponges would be good for you

No allergies to worry about, they're soft, absorbant and from what I hear you can't feel it in there because it forms to your shape (yes, I know they say that about tampons, but we all know that's a fat lie).

If you're ok with having to stick your fingers in there and fish it out and put it in, and don't have a problem washing them out in water to reuse, you might really like these.

[cgrindley]

69. Why would anyone do this?

just horrendous. unspeakable. The whole concept is just gross.

[gollygee]

70. Women's bodies are gross?

Nice.

Menstruation is a normal part of womanhood and not gross.

[cgrindley]

80. Most of what human bodies do is gross

poop is gross, pee is gross, menstrual fluid is gross, blood is gross, bile is gross, spooge is gross, snot is gross, puke is gross... there's nothing magical or sacred about any bodily fluid.

[gollygee]

86. You must be fun in bed

:crazy:

[cgrindley]

95. yeah cause like puke play is teh bomb? (nt)

under which circumstance would sex and menstrual fluid, puke, bile, blood etc ever get used in the same sentence? spooge grosses me out, too, but I'm a guy and want nothing whatsoever to do with spooge.

[gollygee]

96. Because sex involves bodily fluids

In your youth, did you object to having sex with virgins in case they might bleed?

[LeftyMom]

100. Or oral?

Damn, why did I take Human Sexuality last year? This would have made a hell of a paper.

[cgrindley]

106. When am I going to encounter blood or menstrual fluid giving oral?

or puke, pee, bile, etc? when, exactly, is that going to happen?

[gollygee]

107. I assume you don't expect women to perform fellatio upon you

I think that's the point.

[cgrindley]

112. No, I don't

I don't "expect" anyone to perform any sexual act they'd feel uncomfortable doing.

[gollygee]

113. That isn't what I meant and you know it

LOL

I assume you wouldn't want your wife to perform oral sex on you because it would be so disgusting for her to be involved in your bodily fluids.

[cgrindley]

114. I'm not about to foist my opinions on others

except through the miracle of the internet that is.

I'm not against providing oral sex. I don't think it's disgusting. I wouldn't have anything to do with it if my wife was having her period. That's just unacceptable. But there's nothing wrong with it ordinarily.

And if she doesn't want to do the same... well, that's her business and I'm not about to get all huffy or judgmental about it.

[gollygee]

116. It just sounds like your disgust of bodily fluids is a bit convenient n/t

[cgrindley]

117. What do you mean?

I spend all night dealing with poop and pee... and it really is disgusting. All those other fluids likewise... they're all pretty disgusting.

[LeftyMom]

115. I hate to tell you this, but human genitals are multi-functional.

They make lubricants, and in the case of men both urine and sperm go down the ureter, and with women, lube, menstrual blood, pee and feces all make an appearance within about two inches of each other (which is one of the reasons women are prone to infection.)

[Name removed]

119. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LeftyMom]

122. Wow. nt

[Tinksrival]

134. OMG!!!! cgrindley!

Oh! You have me laughing so hard my sides hurt! You have a way with words!~

I agree with everything you said in this post! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


I could never be with a another girl and a cup. YUK! (inside internet joke, 2 girls & a cup)

[SammyWinstonJack]

168. ...

:spray:

[JVS]

260. You should put this in an OP of its own

:rofl:

[Quantess]

153. ew! I guess you have a limited imagination!

You are the legendary person who "waits until they are ready".

[cgrindley]

102. Why would anyone want to have sex with a virgin?

that's like eating veal. No matter how you try to dress it up, it's still boring, and afterwards, there's nothing but guilt and regret.

I have had sex with one virgin in my life, and she was also my first. Afterwards, no way. That would be like installing a beta release on purpose.

[JVS]

258. Mmmmm delicious veal

etc.

[Branjor]

177. Huh..

everything "gross" except semen, huh?

[cgrindley]

218. Certainly not... semen is super duper gross (nt)

[NJCher]

88. oh it's gross all right

Goddess effed up big with this "system." What a horse's ass way to promulgate the species. Really, really bad design.

If I were of age, I'd be popping whatever pill Big Pharma came up with to totally eliminate this ridiculous imposition on my life.



Cher

[Book Lover]

90. Not sure what "of age" means for you

but I suspect you'd like http://www.noperiod.com It may be what you're looking for, or maybe it's what you wished you had availble to you...

[Book Lover]

71. This is not a snarky question

Did you forget the sarcasm tag, or is that how you really feel?

[cgrindley]

81. Yeah... it sounds as appealing as non-disposable diapers (nt)

[Book Lover]

85. Well, if you were a chick, maybe you'd understand

I *do* feel sorry for your girlfriends and daughters...

[cgrindley]

93. Why should we be inconvenienced with ick?

there's no reason to tolerate or celebrate ick. Ick is gross.

[Book Lover]

97. If you had / Once you have more personal experience with body fluids

I suspect you'd get over this ... thing you have quickly enough. I bet you never thought of going into medicine :-)

[cgrindley]

104. I am indeed a doctor

....







of philosophy...


we'd all be much happier if we were robots or full of some silly putty like substance.

[Book Lover]

108. Sounds like *you* would

Me, I like my various organs, and especially my endocrine system. I hope all your illnesses are clean ones!

[cgrindley]

111. You have no idea

I've been in and out of the hospital for nearly a year now and they've got it narrowed down to either Celiac or pancreaticobiliary disorder. It's a nightmare. Not a day goes by that I don't wish for solid state construction. This biological crap sucks.

Not to mention the new baby. At -1 week (he was born 1 month premature on November 2), he is a virtual shit and piss and breast milk barf fountain. Again... dis-gust-ting.

[Book Lover]

121. Sounds like the new Daddy is sleep-deprived

There is a point that will come after caring for your infant for a while where you can jump into the "it's not disgusting" world. I'm not saying you should or will, but the moment will come (it's from the lack of sleep, trust me...)

[cgrindley]

123. This is my second family

I've got 14 year old twins with my first wife. Their poop was also disgusting. Thankfully, they can wipe their own butts now. And I have no desire--none whatsoever--to have any knowledge of my daughter's menstrual cycles. With any luck, they will never be an issue in my life.

[Quantess]

156. Perhaps you would be better suited with a male lover.

No judgment.

[femrap]

186. I think this one has

issues with 'cleanliness'....anally fixated, perhaps? Maybe it would be best if he just had sex with himself in an extremely sterile environment.

I feel very sorry for his daughters. I bet his first wife is happy as hell now.

Let's all pray to Goddess he doesn't start a 3rd family.

In sum, I gotta hit that Ignore Button!

[cgrindley]

225. I really hope we go extinct sooner rather than later (nt)

[Ghost Dog]

280. Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

What a prick!

[LeftyMom]

73. Yes, every woman on the planet before world war one was gross.

Thank you for clearing that one up for us.

[cgrindley]

82. Not the women, but certainly their menstrual fluids (nt)

[LeftyMom]

84. You have issues. nt

[cgrindley]

94. I'm just not privileging one fluid over any other

you're apparently privileging one waste fluid over other waste fluids. That doesn't make sense.

[noamnety]

130. lol

yep, some prioritizing of fluids going on here for sure. I can't help picturing you comforting one of your kids, and freaking out, going "Ewww, gross, tears!!!!" And I suspect your reaction to someone giving you oral sex is wayyyyyy different than your reaction to reusable women's products, even though oral sex involves getting it in your mouth, versus your washing machine. :)

I haven't met a guy yet who pats himself dry with toilet paper after using a urinal or peeing in the woods. I'd be surprised if you are an exception - meaning you're probably leaving a damp spot on your underwear several times a day. You must have one hell of a clothing budget if you're throwing them out at the end of each day.

I wonder if you buy a new toothbrush each time your old one's been in your mouth next to all that saliva.

My kid used to get nosebleeds regularly and we didn't throw out her clothes each time that happened. Sometimes I use a handkerchief instead of disposable tissues. I think it's a sign of how much of a consumer society we are that everything is expected to be disposable now, and things that are reused are considered disgusting.

Yet another divacup user here (different brand, I'm using the keeper cause they had it at Whole Foods, but same thing). Wish I'd known about it 30 years ago.

Here's what's REALLY disgusting (from The Keeper website):

Over 12 BILLION pads and tampons are USED ONCE and disposed of annually, adding to environmental pollution.
Over 170,000 tampon applicators were collected along U.S. coastal areas between 1998 and 1999.
In a woman's lifetime, she is likely to use 15,000 sanitary pads or tampons.
Plastic tampon applicators may not biodegrade for several hundred years.
An average woman throws away 250 to 300 pounds of tampons, pads and applicators in her lifetime.

[Quantess]

157. As though,

the only women who like semen are porn stars?

[noamnety]

187. Ooooh, I found these for you!

This way you won't have to reuse clothes that get contaminated with human sweat or other bodily fluids:





If you combined those with these, you'd be all set:



"I can no longer sit back and allow communist infiltration, communist indoctrination, communist subversion, and the international communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids." -- Dr. Strangelove

[cgrindley]

219. Your signature quotation is General Ripper, not Dr Strangelove (nt)

[noamnety]

222. oops, too late to edit. Thanks for the correction though. (nt)

[cgrindley]

224. No problem (nt)

[yardwork]

87. Do you have a phobia or something?

If so, why did you even click on this thread?

[cgrindley]

92. I'm not afraid of gross things... I just think they're gross

why wouldn't anyone think that menstrual fluid was gross? in what way isn't it disgusting?

[bicentennial_baby]

98. Wow....just...wow.

"why wouldn't anyone think that menstrual fluid was gross? in what way isn't it disgusting?"

:o

:crazy:

[cgrindley]

103. Well... come on... I'm waiting

how isn't menstrual fluid utterly disgusting?

[blogslut]

120. Menstrual blood is a cleanser

It cleanses the uterus of the unfertilized egg and lining that builds up during ovulation. Menstruation is the perfect biological self-cleaning system. If you have a problem with that then YOU have a problem with that.

[cgrindley]

124. What? Like Pledge?

menstrual blood isn't a cleanser, it's merely the waste product of an unfulfilled fertilization cycle.

Tears, by the way, are infinitely more elegant than menstrual cycles.

[blogslut]

126. No. The unfetilized egg and uterine lining are the waste products

The menstrual blood is the cleanser. Have fun in your rarefied and wholly unreal existance, Dr.

[cgrindley]

127. The endometrium is a blood filled tissue... there is NO separate blood

that acts as some sort of cleanser. it's all just waste products.

[blogslut]

128. You keep telling yourself that

Menstrual blood cleanses the uterus. You know this and you are just being obstinate because you cannot overcome your disgust - probably encouraged by a lifetime of buying into "women are unclean" media messages. I feel sorry for you but not very much.

[cgrindley]

129. For the last time... women are NOT unclean but menstrual fluid IS (nt)

[blogslut]

132. Okay

You have your reality. I have real reality. I hope when you're old there's someone around who won't be too disgusted to wipe your smelly old butt. I'm done playing with you.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

172. Poor cgrindley, stuck in an "unclean" world, surrounded by "unclean"

bodily fluids.

It must be tough to live your life so horribly grossed out by wimmin's mensteration....and that icky breastess's milk.


Oh, the impurity! MKJ

[cgrindley]

221. Breastmilk is only icky if it's spit up or pooped out

breastmilk is supposed to be consumed (by babies that is). That's its whole purpose. Menstrual fluid, on the other hand, is supposed to be discarded as a waste product, as that's what it is. Why are people having problems with this?

[noamnety]

228. I'm confused.

Was there someone here suggesting that we hoard and preserve menstrual blood instead of disposing of it?

[cgrindley]

231. I've been arguing that menstrual blood is fricking disgusting and others

have been arguing that it's the precious earth lament of the goddess...

[noamnety]

232. Why are you making up things that weren't said

and attributing it to people here?

I've seen a number of folks say it's just a normal biological part of life that serves a purpose. And I've seen women that basically said "darn, this is a good idea, but I'm glad I'm past having to deal with it." And then I've seen a few folks who find the idea of it horribly gross and disgusting.

I haven't seen any statements about it being a "precious earth lament of the goddess" except your own sarcastic one.

There's an actual world of reality that exists between your own extreme view, and the opposite extreme view you are pretending others have taken.

[cgrindley]

248. Am I corresponding with Andy Griffith?

Shucks. Golly.

You honest think, in your heart of hearts, that I"m "making up things that weren't said?" Are you honestly attempting to argue that my sarcastic comment is some sort of attempt to put words into someone else's mouth? Are you out of your mind?

My view is not extreme. It's that a shed endometrium is disgusting. That's not an extreme view, that's a perfectly normal view. To glorify expelled blood and tissue is kind of retarded.

[noamnety]

251. Nobody was "glorifying" it.

But for some reason, representing the OP's post in that way - or the posts of anyone who uses those items - seems to serve a purpose for you.

I don't glorify it when I get a runny nose from eating spicy food, but I don't go shrieking in horror that the kleenex I wiped my nose in is disgusting, you know? Just a part of life.


Edit, cause I want to add to this.

I would like you to think about what your goal here is. I know mine. Mine is to help make sure women are aware of the possibilities of alternative forms of dealing with their period, beyond a corporate disposable culture that harms the environment. My goal is also to undermine corporations and systems that prey on women by making them think that their only option is to hand over thousands of dollars over their lifetime, unnecessarily, to stockholders, as a tax on having a female body. I know that when I was younger, I didn't even know these options were available. So awareness, that's a goal. And also a side goal is to encourage women to think of their bodies as natural things that serve a purpose and are not gross, because I see that so often our culture sends that message, that women's bodies are disgusting unless slathered in products to mask their disgustingness.

So now, I am trying to figure out what your goal is. Have you thought about that? Your posts here ... are they designed to try to persuade people that women's periods are gross, if they didn't already have that view? Are you trying to encourage women to stay away from reusable and cheap products, because you want the landfills filled with used pads and tampons?

You said you had two teenaged daughters, right? (That was you, no?) Is one of your goals to make them feel that menstrual blood is disgusting, and that if they have a leak someday (and they will) they should be repulsed? If you were to sit down and have a heart to heart talk with them about it, would you tell them this blood that comes out of you is disgusting? Would you be proud and feel like you've done them a service if they read this thread and saw your comments?

Honestly, I don't understand what you are hoping to accomplish with your posts here.

[cgrindley]

276. I'm providing balance... four points

First. Honestly, if you don't think that menstrual fluid is disgusting, then you ARE glorifying it.

Second. Out of all of the many ways to fight consumerism and the corporate state, this is probably the most dimwitted, petty and inconvenient way. Modern feminine protection is a god send for women. To suggest turning back the clock to the dark ages--for what now?

You cannot even prove that the resources required to continuously wash and sanitize these admittedly biohazardous bits of cloth doesn't represent a larger environmental impact than using wholly disposable products. Can you prove that your non-disposable system does anything other than increase the sanctimony and smug levels of America while inconveniencing women? Why not simply recommend organic, non-bleached tampons or other green options?

Third. There are a zillion other way more important ways to combat consumer culture than suggest this approach. Why not cancel X-mas? We did. I bet that the trash your family produces on that one day is ten times more than a year's worth of disposable maxipads.

Four. Yes, I do have teenaged daughters, and by god, yes, they should think that menstrual blood is disgusting. And yes, springing a leak is repulsive. Yes, I would tell them that the blood is gross. And I'm pretty sure that they'd agree with me.


PS I'm getting fan mail from women who are too afraid to post in this forum for fear of being dogpiled by a vocal minority of people who have some sort of unknowable political axe to grind. Does that make you feel good, that women are actually afraid to voice their opinion on this matter?

[noamnety]

288. Oy.

Your first point is a logical fallacy called a false dichotomy. There's a middle ground between disgusting and glorified - that's what I was talking about elsewhere in this thread, things aren't by default one extreme or the other. Some of us are capable of peeing without being all squeamish about it, for example. It's urine, I'm not gonna glorify it, but if my kid when she was small and being toilet trained had an accident, well, you know, the sheets or pants or whatever go in the washing machine, and life goes on. I swear that doesn't mean I was lighting incense and dancing around hanging crystals in honor of some peegod. No angels sang. It's just work, like millions of women around the world take for granted every day.

Second. I don't know what you are on about with your resources rant. We do laundry anyway. It doesn't cost more or use more resources to put a few extra rags in a load that I'm already running. I find the rest of that part of your post unnecessarily thickheaded. If you had been listening to women here at all, you'd have seen that the majority of the women talking about the divacup or reusable pads were saying it was MORE convenient or more comfortable for them, that they had complaints about commercial pads or tampons, and that they wish they'd found out about it sooner. Not all of us like running to the store, we don't all like having to pack a hundred disposable products for a long trip, running out of them and not having a way to buy more, etc.

And if you add up the cost over the lifetime of all the disposable products a woman would use, it's expensive. Most of us have to work for that money. Free tampons and pads don't just fall from the heavens into our pockets when we need them. So when you are figuring out the inconvenience of one method over another, don't forget to figure in the inconvenience of working about a month solid or more, depending on our wages, to pay for that "convenience." I'd rather throw an extra few rags into the wash when I am doing laundry anyway, or just empty the cup and reuse it, rather than working a few hundred hours serving cranky customers and taking crap from an ignorant boss. (Not that that represents my current job, but that's the reality for a lot of working women. It's a privileged position to think that it's more "convenient" for us to throw several thousand dollars at a problem that can be solved with $30.)

Third, that's another of those false dichotomies. It's not an either/or situation. This is one way to reduce trash and help the environment. It's obviously not instead of other methods, it's in addition to.

Four, I feel sorry for your daughters if that's the message you want them to learn. I think it's sad that you are okay with your own fluids enough that you are okay putting them inside another person, but you want women to be so disgusted by their own fluids to the point where they are repulsed if their own fluids touch them in any way. That's a bit of learned male supremacy, and contempt for women's bodies, and shaming. It's not necessary or healthy, cause that same fluid is in us, all the time in some form, you know? What's the point of teaching us to be repulsed by our own bodies? That's not cool. That's dark ages stuff.

Lastly, if women are "afraid" to post that they find the stuff that comes out of their body repulsive, I'm okay with that, in the same way that I'm okay with a racist not feeling comfortable posting racist stuff here. They weren't going to serve humanity in any way by contributing that to the discussion here. Nobody is twisting their arm to use these alternatives. It's pretty freaking rare that women even find out the alternatives EXIST. One thread telling us these things exist, here's how to make them, and here's how you help the environment by using them, is something they ought to be able to tolerate. The rest of us deal with their message (women's bodies are gross) over and over and over again. If we don't get it from men, we get it from other women, and lord knows if they fall down on the job we got corporations more than willing to step in and remind us. If they thought it was some new earth shattering perspective they were going to share with the world that we'd never heard, they were mistaken.

I don't know what the problem is with your "fans" that they'd be offended by somebody stating that alternatives are out there. What's in that for them to argue about? What the hell is the problem with that? Is that something that needs to be censored in some way so it doesn't offend their delicate sensibilities? Message to your fans: If you don't want to use these things, DON'T. We don't have a squad of menstrual police coming to your house to inspect the products you use. Hide the thread if the thought sends you into a tizzy, for fuck's sake. Meanwhile, allow other women to share useful information with each other without barging in to make it about you, and about how you would never use these things because you find women who don't use disposable products to be disgusting.

[cgrindley]

293. Where did I say that my own fluids were okay? They're disgusting too.

spinning this as some sort of act of male supremacy and contempt for the female body is asinine.

[noamnety]

298. Because nobody was even suggesting

that you touch either fluid.

Were you more repulsed at the thought of a third party (your partner) coming in contact with fluid from her own body (washing pads) or fluid from a man's body (yours)? Seems to me fluid from one's own body would always be less disgusting than fluid from someone else's body. I'll cough on my own hand with less disgust than having someone else cough on my own hand, for instance. I may not like being sweaty, but I don't get grossed out by my own sweat on my armpits, whereas I'd not like it if someone else wiped a bunch of their sweat into my armpit.

You had a pretty strong negative reaction (sort of an Oh God NOOOO Why would anyone do that, that's disgusting reaction) to just the THOUGHT of a woman handling a used pad. Do you have that strong of a reaction (Oh God NOooooo Why would anyone do that) when you contemplate the thought of a woman coming into contact with semen? If you think about your partner having sex with you, do you have an Oh God Noooo why would anyone do that - that's disgusting reaction?

[cgrindley]

299. Uh if I understand your question, yeah

it's all equally gross. I have no clear understanding why anyone would have sex with me, yet for some unknowable reason, they continue to do so.

[noamnety]

301. If you really thought it was equally gross

you would refuse to take part in it. That's why people are accusing you of the double standard here, and saying when it's "convenient" for you, you miraculously manage to set aside your repulsion long enough to complete the act.

If you are okay with a partner making her own decision to have sex with you, you should be equally okay with a partner making her own hygiene choices related to her own body. You don't need to impose your will on that.

Do you think there might be a tiny bit of male supremacy involved when adult men start telling adult women they know better than the women how women should handle their own hygiene? Do you think we aren't smart enough to figure out what's most convenient for ourselves given our own circumstances?

Now that I've tried nearly all the options for handling my period and you've tried exactly none of them, do you feel you need to step in and tell me that I'm so stupid I managed to pick the ones that work the worst for me?

Did you also want to discuss whether my birth control choices are appropriate for my lifestyle, or whether you think all women should pick the option that you personally find most appealing?

Or do you think it's okay for women to share information about various options, and to make those decisions, without your input as to which options they must avoid because you personally think it's "gross" to reuse - and OMG use fingers to insert - things like diaphragms or cervical caps?

[cgrindley]

307. I thought sex was about love and togetherness and pleasure as well as ick

to you, is it only the icky stuff? that's too bad. to me, the ick sort of vanishes in comparison with all the great things about sex.

[noamnety]

308. Hmmm. I never said it was icky to me, did I?

So that's an interesting - though irrelevant - leap for you to make, that because I'm not repulsed by my own blood, I must think sex is icky. That's so illogical I can't even come up with the right logical fallacy for that. Maybe someone else can jump in to identify it. Red herring maybe?

Do you have some kind of problem with women (even ones that you don't know and don't come in contact with) making reusable pads and/or using a divacup, rather than throwing our money and waste products into a landfill?

If you don't have a problem with it, why are you, as a man, here actively using your voice here to try to discourage it and to try to squelch open discussion among women about alternatives?

What does the world gain from you telling women that they should be more repulsed by their own blood? Are you making the world better in some way by trying to strengthen the taboo on that? Are you making the world a better place in some way by strongly discouraging the use of anything but disposable products?

Why do you think that as a man who has never used any of these products and never will, you know better than people who have tried them all what works best for them?

[cgrindley]

309. I get the feeling that you're really not understanding this

cool how you're trying to force a discussion of how gross menstrual fluid is into a patriarchy issue though. Way to try to chill discussion. Way to judge someone based entirely on gender. Way to use the language of exclusion to try to limit discourse.

Why don't you take your "as a man who" arguments and stick them where the sun doesn't shine? I hate sexist arguments. They're irrational.

[noamnety]

310. This is a thread about how to make reusable pads for women

not "a discussion of how gross menstrual fluid is." That you as a man needed to divert the thread topic to that absolutely is patriarchal.

just horrendous. unspeakable. The whole concept is just gross.

THAT was an irrational and emotional response by a man designed to chill discussion among women about products FOR women and limit discourse AMONG women about alternatives.

It was extremely patriarchal, don't kid yourself.

[cgrindley]

312. No... it was an aesthetic judgment

and a well-supported and valid one to boot. A reusable menstrual pad is no more disgusting nor no less disgusting than a reusable wound dressing, diaper or those idiotic sponges that really crunchy hippies use to wipe their butts.

As there have been about 100 responses to my post, it's hardly evidence of chilling discussion, isn't it??

[Tinksrival]

136. Ha!

Jeez! You did it again! :rofl:

[TalkingDog]

182. Now you've changed the terms of the argument.... tsk, tsk, tsk....

Before ALL bodily fluids and excretions were icky.

Now: "Tears, by the way, are infinitely more elegant than menstrual cycles." Elegance implies a distinct lack of ickines.....

To continue an upthread idea....

I want you to consider that you are constantly excreting, out of every part of your body, 24 hours a day. Perspiration, CO2, Breath smells, Farts, Tears, Piss, Feces, Ear Wax, Mucous, Pus and Oils (all of which have a liquid component and carry waste or excess from the body) and then there is dander and hair. Dander which is a sloughing of old skin and hair which is made of the same material as fingernails from a much smaller orifice.

If all bodily fluids and excretions are icky, so are you. Admit it. You are icky. It's fine if you think you are icky. That's a personal choice in belief systems and I respect it.

I however am not icky. I am human.

Menstruation is no more or less icky than any of the processes listed above. Any one of them can alert us to a disorder in the body or they can simply do the job they evolved to do which is keeping the body in some form of homeostatis.

Menstrual blood (a loose tissue really...think of a large blood blister) is no more or less germ-riddled than regular tissue. It can't be if the person is healthy. You were conceived in that fluid and you lived bodily in that fluid for 9 months of your life. It helped to nourish and protect you.

Trying to argue that one (or several) bodily excretions is more tainted than others betrays your own psychological processes, authority imposed hang-ups and neuroses rather than reflecting a scientific reality.

Of the excretions listed Feces and Pus have the biggest likelihood of transmitting disease if ingested. All of the others have some small, but commonly accepted risk of disease transmission.

The only human excretions that personally gross me out? Feces, but only in certain forms. Loose stools (which indicate disease) are problematic for me on a gut level (so to speak). And vomit for the same reason. Other than that, they simply are what they are.

Does that mean I want to be covered in Pus or Ear Wax or Dandruff? No. I don't seek it out as pleaureable, but neither do I reject it as unpleasurable. It is value neutral; simply a part of a human process.

That is how menstrual blood is not icky. That is also how tears are not icky by the same standards of argument.



My Favorite Master Artist: Karen Parker GhostWoman Studios

[cgrindley]

223. Humans are by definition icky

99.9% of what we do is disgusting.

Tears are somewhat poignant. Breastmilk is useful and endearing. Every other secretion, on the other hand, pus, dandruff, ear wax, all that stuff is icky.

[TorchTheWitch]

271. which is why we are all perpetually washing it away

We spend more money on soaps, shampoos, deodorants, antiperspirants, perfumes and all the other various items to make ourselves less icky... heck, we even shave off a lot of our natural icky hair. When we encounter someone who doesn't perform these basic cleansing rituals often enough we don't want to be around them because their natural ickyness offends us.

Yes, our human bodies extrete all sorts of icky substances, and we're perpetually doing everything we can every day to get it off of us.

Menstruation is GROSS. I personally don't know of a single woman I've encountered in my entire lifetime that DOESN'T find it gross and dearly love to not have to deal with it. I assure you I have ALWAYS hated having a period every month, and I'd still hate it even if all there was to it was the bleeding. I put up with it only because I have no alternative. But in no way, shape or form do I find anything about it the least bit pleasant, and am much more pleasant of a person those weeks I DON'T have it.

There isn't a woman on this board that wouldn't prefer to NOT have them. A great deal of our bodily functions are unpleasant or even downright horrible, and I'm really resenting being made to feel like there's something wrong with me because I DO find menstruation gross, uncomfortable to downright painful, and HUGELY annoying. Because normal body function or not, it IS.

[Ghost Dog]

283. Homeostasis.

A "modern" concept / understanding of reality right up there on the level of the four-way-path.

[JVS]

263. If menstruation is a self-cleaning system that makes the blood more akin to...

leftover dishwater than a cleanser.

[Quantess]

152. Well!

MY boyfriend demands me to smear period-sauce on his face.
Just kidding, of course.
However, there are men out there who really don't give a damn what time of the month it is. I had a boyfriend like that. "Are you sure you want to do that?" :blush:

[Katherine Brengle]

165. It's just blood, what's gross about tiny amounts of human blood???

It's not like we're shitting our pants for 5 days once a month.

I agree with others, you have issues.

[cgrindley]

220. Any amount of blood and tissue is gross (nt)

[lynne]

75. Whatever you do -

- don't mix them in with the "whites only" wash. Thanks but no thanks - disposable pads is one luxury I'm going to keep.

[snappyturtle]

77. For those who don't think this a good idea, the sew your own kind

or Divacup then JUST remember what you read here. If times were to ever get really hard or supplies are interrupted it's nice to a least know and be confident in a viable alternative. Remember that plastics in tampon delivery systems (that doesn't sound right but...)require oil....You may be a grandma or more before you need to pass this info on to a younger woman. I hope that time never comes.

[Mutineer]

101. They do come with cardboard applicators, not just plastic

Seriously, I'm willing to do my part but this is just ridiculous.

[gollygee]

105. I really did used to think so

but I heard some people describing live with the Diva Cup. Like you forget you have your period. Except for the heaviest day you only have to empty it in the morning when you wake up and at night before you go to bed. It's so comfortable and easy. I understand how you feel because I did feel that way but I assure you it isn't really that far-out of a thing. I do it because it's so much better than the alternatives in my experience. There's no way to avoid blood - it's just how you deal with it - and the cup, to me, is far and above a better way to do that.

[noamnety]

135. seriously

the cup is way more comfortable than tampons. Those things are like shoving communion wafers in yerself - they suck the moisture right out of a person and plaster themselves onto you and won't let go sometimes.

[feminazi]

150. Oh damn. ...a communion wafer!

That's hysterical and so true. I remember those days. Thanks to a hysterectomy several years ago, I no longer have to deal with this. It was so much fun giving away my extra tampons to my SIL and nieces.

If I WAS still having a period, I'd definitely try the Diva cup.

[snappyturtle]

230. Yeah, I remember those little beauties! And of course, you can get

the gauze bullets with no applicator! Goody. I'd like to have all the money I put out over the years to Kimberly-Clark et. al. .

[nonconformist]

246. I use OB tampons.... no applicator.... and the best tampons ever made

They're fantastic.... I'll never use another brand again.

[xmas74]

264. A couple are a good idea to keep around.

You don't have to wear them regularly but they do come in handy for those late nights or during nasty weather when you run out of supplies. You can think of it as being extremely prepared if you have two or three of them in a drawer.

We've all had those times where we either thought we had more product around or had freeloading friends and relatives clean us out. Most wouldn't dream of snatching these and, I must admit, they work better than toilet paper. Plus, you don't have to immediately rush out of the house.

[tammywammy]

139. The reusable pad isn't something I can get used to

Yet at least.

But I think I'll try out that Diva Cup. I used to use those Instead things as an alternative to a tampon, but they're kind of difficult to get in right.

[OzarkDem]

78. On the "rag"

That was the expression we used back in the late 60's. My sweet great grandma overheard us calling it that and told me a story about how they used rags back in her day - late 1800's early 1900's.

Its natural and better than using chemically treated paper products.


Rag, Mama, Rag


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW5B2GF4J8c


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7F0zbapPkk&feature=related

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

79. I don't think I could wear plaid that close to my privates

I think women should be given five paid days off from work each month so we can sit bare-assed on the ground and let our essence flow into mother earth. (I read that as a menses ritual somewhere, along with soaking homemade pads in water and using it to water your garden. Like Dave Foley, I have a good attitude toward menstruation but c'mon.)

[Heidi]

149. Plaid next to one's privates is

so very "white shoes after Labor Day." :rofl: :spray:

[tavalon]

118. Thanks! This is great!

[Digit]

125. I am past the time of needing to use products such as these, but...

The cost of pads and tampons from the store are way out of line for what materials they contain.
I am not up on the current cost, but if you figured out the yearly cost for one female, you would be astounded.
I had to work up the cost back in the 80's as part of my divorce/custody workup to show what I spent on my daughter. When you are forced to look at what you actually spend on these things, it will floor you.
Cotton and cardboard....go figure.

Oh, and with the store-bought brands, you always have the potential of having the tape wings come into contact with body hair which can be brutal!

[femrap]

189. Thankfully I don't have to

worry about periods anymore...but you're right, the cost is phenomenal! And the cost of birth control pills has gone up outrageously too. I was shocked.

I hate corporations as much as Talking Dog. The sponges and the toddler socks sound great.

And all of you who are grossed out by this....just wait until this financial house of cards collapses and the US becomes something like a 3rd world nation...I guarantee you that you'll use your money for food instead of commercially produced tampons/pads. Never say Never!

[Raejeanowl]

131. This Is Great Information-Thanks

It's been so easy to do the "modern" (or what we erroneously perceive to be the more antiseptic) thing and divorce ourselves from our bodily functions, but I'll admit that this attitude has been an expensive and not always convenient or healthy proposition in our household with many female members.

It's also a little difficult to reconcile with thong underwear; I was horrified to learn they actually make pads for these. WTF?

Commercial feminine hygiene products are outrageously priced, either awkward and uncomfortable or dangerously forgettable, difficult to dispose of, and just not ecologically efficient.

I just might consider doing up a batch of these for my girls the next time the old sewing machine comes out. I already have an idea for a design improvement.

[struggle4progress]

133. OK: you've convinced me. But I'm a guy, so I'm really not sure how to spread the word.

Should I just print out your post, make up fliers, and hand them out on the bus?

Or would it be better to try it as a friendly pick-up line: {i]Hey! Ya wanna come over t'my place and see my homemade pad patterns?

[TalkingDog]

183. One day while out with your best gal pals say: Hey! guess what I saw the other day?

Some will have (what shall now be forever known as) the "cgrindly" reaction (aka: Ewwwww......ohgod!ohgod!ohgod!...that so SOOOOOO GROSS!!!!), some will think it's cool. And yeah, you could email them the link to this thread as an FYI type thing. I often do that with my variously gendered friends.

And if you are serious about the flyers, trust me, post them on collge campus BBoards and you will meet some of the most awesome women. You'll definitely be able to suss out which ones are not squeamish about their cgrindlies. Hell, I'll even design you one. Just PM me.

And cgrindly you do know this is gentle teasing, right?


My Favorite Master Artist: Karen Parker GhostWoman Studios

[noamnety]

185. If you have a gf or wife

who asks you to pick up tampons or pads at the store, that's your opening. Or like another person said, put fliers on a bulletin board on campuses, then there's no face to face weirdness. Or you could become a distributor, or ask your local store to sell them - so your contact is with retailers, not with women who haven't solicited your advice. It'd be really nice if local drug stores sold these things. Or find someone at a farmer's market who sells fabric crafts of some sort, and pass the idea onto them.

[juno jones]

314. Real men are OK with real women

After the exchange above, thank you struggle for restoring my faith in 'man'kind. Xeroxing a few to leave at kiosks ( at a local co-op perhaps?) would be a considerate thing to do if you wished to.

Thank you for this thread, OP. Much food for thought here. (I will forever chuckle at the thought of menstruating women cooties on the internet. Take that, Patriarchy!)

[Sugar Smack]

137. I. LOVE. You.

I make my own out of TP. Wrap, wrap, wrap, then tie. Cheap & no leaks.

[Withywindle]

138. This is a really interesting thought.

Because of my endometriosis, I can't really tolerate tampons (or anything that involves sticking anything up there when the cramps and internal swelling are happening) and disposable pads really do seem so wasteful it's starting to bug me.

I guess a psychological barrier for me is (a) my total lack of domestic skills like sewing and (b) the fact that I use a communal washer/dryer in an apartment building. Embarrassing! But I should work on getting over that.

[LeftyMom]

143. You could always buy instead.

There are some really cute ones on both amazon and ebay, and somebody else mentioned etsy as another source.

One of the really cool things about buying them is that most are made as a small business by work-at-home moms, so you're helping to support another woman and her family instead of some big corporation. And often there's a real emphasis on pride of workmanship, aesthetics (a lot are made with really high grade quilting fabric) and good materials designed to make that monthly chore a bit less of a drag.

[knitter4democracy]

176. Try Etsy.com for pre-sewn ones, and washing by hand's no big deal.

I can't do tampons, either. I swear I get mild TSS whenever I wear one, even the organic bleach-free ones. I get chills and feel nauseated and ill.

I'm thinking of going back to cloth (I did before kids). It really wasn't a big deal to wash a mini-load in my bathroom sink. Oxyclean gets them very clean.

[tomreedtoon]

140. We recommend Cherokee Hair Tampons!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee_Hair_Tampons

Also use coat hangers as dream catchers!

Lesson: Ecological Robitussen-heads will believe anything!

[TalkingDog]

188. Unclear on your intentions.

Ummm... so history up until 1960 was full of deluded earth-muffins?

My point was not that this is superior because it is less wasteful or less polluting. (although both are correct)

Nor was I suggesting that this is a viable alternative for everyone.

I'm merely sharing information on an option. One that some will take up because of the reasons I listed above, others for reasons listed in the thread (health concerns,etc. Dioxins from bleached paper inside a sensitive body membrane can't be good for you) And some will do it because they have come to a choice between feeding their kids and buying a wasteful product.

If you only intended a humorous commentary, that didn't come across. If you intended snotty superiority instead, that came zipping right through.



My Favorite Master Artist: Karen Parker GhostWoman Studios

[tomreedtoon]

247. Congrats! You recognize anger when you see it!

That puts you ahead of the Democratic congresscritters who can't get angry at all.

Did you see the episode I mentioned? Did you read the script, posted on line? Do you realize that what you're doing is exactly the same thing as Cheech and Chong selling Cherokee Hair Tampons, except that you're not making a profit off it?

If you DID see the episode, you'd also see the woman in that Hole Foods/Traitor Vic type store recommend that instead of getting a needed kidney transplant, a kid should drink lemon juice and cayenne pepper. In other words, the same kind of nonsense as this post.

Well, maybe you can recognize anger, but you probably can't recognize what you are doing.

[noamnety]

249. I don't understand your analogy at all.

How is showing someone how to make a cheap homemade reusable product that saves some environmental waste the same as a script about lying to people, misrepresenting products for profit and withholding necessary medical care?

[tomreedtoon]

279. Because you're using a gimpy, incompetent solution!

The existing stuff works. Also, it carries infectuous biological waste that is much better burned than to be thrown into our water system through washing it out of fabric. And in the final analysis, you're doing what women did in the 19th Century when they had their periods; you're telling them to stuff themselves with rags.

The only real solution to getting rid of feminine hygiene products is to get rid of women. And since I don't want to do that (not all that often, anyway) and that's the solution the Taliban is offering, I'm willing to put up with this minor bit of inconvenience.

[noamnety]

289. Oh, now we have the taliban involved. Perfect. :)

(alright, that was kinda funny, I'll grant you that. Let's not get rid of women, we agree there.)

The infectious biological waste argument would carry more weight with me if you told me that you burned your feces instead of flushing it. But since most people in fact do flush their feces in this country, I think we can disregard that entire line of logic.

There is one set of alternatives that works which is disposable. There is another set of alternatives that works which is not disposable. The fact that one set of alternatives has existed longer than the other does not, in and of itself, make it have more or less merit. There are pros and cons of each, and from this thread I've compiled this:

Pros of disposable pads:
- no need to make them or put forth an initial investment if you buy them
- no need to bring dirty ones home for laundering
- throwout and forget

Cons of disposable pads:
- costs hundreds/thousands of dollars long term
- some complaints about how they smell and feel
- concerns about toxic chemicals in them
- have to pack a lot for travel
- a lot of landfill waste
- sometimes sits in trash can for days
- may be caught not able to purchase them while traveling
- have to carry a purse or have large pockets to leave the house. Or convince the husband/boyfriend to carry them in his wallet, which they do seem to be conveniently sized for.


Pros of reusable pads:
- saves hundreds or thousands of dollars long term
- can be made from scrap fabric for no money at all
- natural fabric doesn't have unpleasant chemical smell or nasty feel some complained about here
- no landfill waste
- only need to pack a few for extended vacations

Cons of reusable pads:
- May sit under sink (vs. in trash) for a couple days until laundry is done. Not ideal for dorm life. :)
- need to make them or put forth a small investment to buy them once
- If you need to change it while not at home, you need a way to transport it home after it's used.

Pros of disposable tampons:
- no need to put forth an initial investment if you buy them
- throw out and forget

Cons of disposable tampons:
- expensive long term (hundreds/thousands of dollars)
- sometimes uncomfortable to remove/communion wafer factor
- often have to walk around with pee-soaked string in your underwear
- have to pack a lot for travel
- a lot of landfill waste
- sometimes sits in trash can for days
- applicators wash up on beaches regularly
- can contain toxic chemicals
- have to carry a purse or have pockets to leave the house.

Pros of the divacup:
- saves hundreds or thousands of dollars long term
- if you can get the hang of inserting and removing it, more comfortable than removing half used tampons
- no different than using a diaphragm really, for those who used to use that for birth control
- If you have it with you, you never need to worry about running out of supplies, even if you are hiking the Appalachian trail for half a year.
- Can go out without pockets or a purse.

Cons of the divacup:
- initial investment of about $35
- newbies may have to practice putting it in/taking it out

[TalkingDog]

286. As we say down here: "Oh, Bless your heart." n/t

My Favorite Master Artist: Karen Parker GhostWoman Studios

[travelingtypist]

146. Since a seamstress I am not,

and since I never had kids and my periods are ultra light,
I can get away with using a product called Insteads. They
look basically like a mini-diaphragm. They're great.



Other reusable products --
http://www.dynamicdoula.com/menst.html

[NMDemDist2]

151. DU never ceases to amaze me

:wow:

I'm past all that, but I think these are a great idea

I was a 'cup' user as soon as I found them, sorry I never heard about Divas when I was a consumer of such products.

as for the 'ick' factor, as a feminist from the 70s, we were taught not to buy into the 'women are unclean' crap. I didn't, don't and am sad to see so many who still do

a covered bucket next to the toilet would have been fine in my house, how easy to just pour it down the toilet and wash the cloths

but the Diva still would be my choice with it's re-usability and less likelihood of leaks

[Katherine Brengle]

166. Amen - I'm actually shocked at some of the posts in here.

[gollygee]

169. Me too

If my husband thought I was "unclean", I wouldn't stay with him. Hell no.

I read him some of the posts to see if it was just some kind of "guy thing" but he was shocked too.

[femrap]

193. I, too, am a feminist from the

'70's. What a great time to come of age. The culture back then taught women that what is inside (spirit, intelligence, humor, kindness, courage, etc.) were much more important than the outside. I never wore makeup, would never have thought of coloring my hair or styling it (except maybe to put in a ponytail or braid when it was hot)....it was the time of Nature and Natural. Comfort was important. And if a woman did place emphasis on the outer, she was deemed Shallow!

Our culture today is beyond Shallow...Below Shallow. It saddens me to see these young women jumping through hoops to get their bodies, hair, clothing, stiletto heels, etc. into that Sexee Shape that the Patriarchy demands....they have fallen for The Big Lie.

And the white boy-led corporations are laughing hysterically at them as they BUY BUY BUY....breast implants, plastic surgery at 30, thong underwear, etc. These rich white boys think women are a stupid joke...."We've put them back to where they belong and made them nothing but 'holes' again. It's better than the '50's."

[NMDemDist2]

281. right on Sister!

it's sad isn't it?

and the young gals take reproductive freedom for granted never realizing how close they are to losing it again.

[Enrique]

158. mods please move this

to the feminine hygeine forum. :-)

[Vinca]

160. This thread has made me grateful to be old. nt

[uppityperson]

170. This thread has made me glad I have enlightened friends.

[gollygee]

171. This thread has made me grateful to have a husband who doesn't think I'm disgusting

I had no idea "progressive" men went for that "unclean" meme.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

174. LOL, it seems cgrindley has major issues, no?

I can picture him at a podium, pointing a shaking finger at a group of women, indignantly bellowing, "IMPURE, UNCLEAN, SATAN'S HANDMAIDENS!"



MKJ

:silly:

[greiner3]

173. Not a funny subject;

However after living with 3 women and raising 2 daughters, I can say that the topic is not taboo, for me at least; oops, did I forget to mention that I'm a middle aged male? I would imagine that talk of menstruation amongst males might be akin to penis leakage and bloody discharge from malfunctioning prostates to women. Maybe not on a one to one basis that is, but at my age, menstruation is ending for them while it is just beginning for our problems.

[piesRsquare]

180. Not the same thing

Menstruation isn't a "problem", nor is it related to disease.

[noamnety]

290. While piesRsquare has a point,

so do you. Yeah, it's not a malfunction on our part, but the end result is kinda the same. Here's stuff coming from our bodies that we could do without, but there it is, so now we have to figure out the best way to deal with it, and it's an experience so many of us share, it's normal to discuss potential solutions of one sort or another.

And as other women have pointed out, sometimes they come with cramps and all sorts of unpleasant side effects that we also have to cope with, so I imagine there are as many similarities as differences.

I've sat through some stories by bosses about prostate problems in my day. :)

[Danger Mouse]

178. One time when I worked at Ames I ended up having to clean out the 'sanitary box'

in the ladies room. Something was seriously wrong there because the stench...holy shit :puke: Some idiot hadn't put a lining in there...and so it was this groddy mess. And it was really stinking up the ladies' room. It couldn't have been normal, so someone who had used it must've been sick or had something wrong 'down there.' I know this is a weird story, but it was just something that confirmed in my mind that I really really hated working in retail. Employee discounts are cool, though. I miss those.
As for using these things...hey if it works for the ladies, I don't really care. And the plus side: if more women used them, then poor schmucks like me would be spared from the horrors of the 'sanitary' box in the future.

The men's room was just as bad. Trust me. I picked up turds off the men's room floor. Shitty underwear stuffed into the toilet tank. People are gross.

[Lisa0825]

190. Not unless it were the absolute LAST RESORT.

I'm kind of shocked at how few people will admit thinking this is gross. Maybe because the few who did were met with such strong reactions. This has nothing to do with being taught that I am "unclean." Menstrual blood IS gross. I don't like getting it on me in the same way I don't like getting poop on me, and both are from normal bodily functions. I am not some screwed up, oppressed creature because I find menstrual blood to be yucky. I love the convenience of modern products, and I would not be willing to give them up without it being a last resort. That doesn't make me a villain, or a mental case. It makes me a typical woman, considering the vast preference for these products. In fact, the main reason I am on the pill is because it makes periods so much less to deal with. Does that make me bad too?

[noamnety]

192. I'm not sure what this has to do with "getting it on you"

We're just talking about doing laundry here, nobody was saying you should take the unwashed pads and wear them on your head like a little bonnet or anything.

I know it's part of our corporate/capitalist culture to act like these decisions affect only ourselves, but the reality is that when we use disposable products, other people (generally those with less privilege) end up bearing the overwhelming burden of our decisions. When you use disposable products, what you are really deciding is that you would like other people to have to cope with the results of your menstrual blood, rather than dealing with it yourself. It's not like those products you use just *poof* vanish into thin air when you are done with them, even if that's the perception you have from your standpoint.

Every decision about consumption has consequences. If you use the pill (and hey I'm pro-choice, I'm not knocking your decision, I'm just saying how things are), the hormones wash into the water supply, they don't vanish into thin air either, and they don't get removed through water sanitation processes, and it does have a cumulative effect on the environment.

Every day all over the world, millions of women take the oral contraceptive pill. The substances in the pill may be altered a little by the body but for the main part, pass through the bloodstream and eventually into the urine. Urine ends up in water supplies and eventually back in the drinking water - so what has happened to those hormones during this process? Well, much of the hormonal material is still present but very diluted - so diluted in fact, that it is hard to say what effects it is having. Hormone replacement therapy employs similar hormones and these also get into the water supply. This issue is beginning to cause concern for a number of reasons ..."

http://www.insiderreports.com/storypage.asp?StoryID=20009617

Our decisions have a ripple effect, they don't just stop with us.

[Lisa0825]

196. This is the kind of thing that comes up on DU regularly.....

Most of us here make a lot of personal choices and decisions to lessen our impact on the plant or to improve certain issues or situations. I conserve energy. I recycle. I protest the war. I campaign for progressive candidates. I do volunteer work. No one is perfect. We all make the decisions that we feel are right for ourselves. I do not feel guilty about the decisions I make that are right for me.

[noamnety]

205. It's true that none of us are perfect.

We make compromises, because we have to get by in our modern culture, few of us can afford land to be self-sufficient - unless we work to be able to pay for the land, which usually means transportation, and then we aren't self-sufficient. Hard to break out of that work/consumption cycle in industrialized countries.

But normally when we talk about those compromises we have to make, we try to speak as if we understand and regret that we have to make those choices. We don't defend them in arrogant ways, and act like we are superior to people who are less wasteful. I saw below that you accused someone else of being judgmental, which is funny because I read your first post as being incredibly judgmental about women who use recyclable products - calling it gross, and even being offended that more people didn't feel comfortable making a stand to state that it was gross.

I didn't read your post as a regrettable compromise you make, I read it more as trying to convince others NOT to be environmentally responsible, and trying to convince others to be repulsed by the ideas being discussed here. That's like trying to convince others that breast feeding is a bad thing, something that is eww gross ... I can understand if you chose to bottle feed because you are at work all day and can't cope with breast pumps and all, but why go out of your way to put down women who do what really is, at the end of the day, the better thing for their baby and for the environment? Why would you decide to take a public stand AGAINST being healthy and environmentally responsible? What's the goal in that?

If you don't feel you can be environmentally sound on this issue, if you feel you are too squeamish or whatever to deal with your own waste, why not accept that as a failing in yourself quietly, instead of proclaiming it to the world like you are proud of it, and like it's those other people that ought to be ashamed for some reason?

[Lisa0825]

207. I think it is more a matter of those on opposite sides of the issue

reading more into what others say. What one says doesn't tend to sound as judgmental to oneself as it does to whom it is directed. I didn't say others were gross for doing anything, but that I would not want to deal with handling used pads and carrying them around with me, and I don't think I should be judged or looked down on for that, and it doesn't mean I have issues with accepting myself as a woman. However, you should most definitely do whatever you choose to do.

And I have seen the "regret" card played on DU many times as well. Gas prices (vs some folks needing a large vehicle for work) and choosing not to be a vegetarian are two topics that often get that kind of reaction. I don't feel regret about my choices. I don't think I should be made to feel like I must defend those choices. But those who feel superior about their choices often try to play the guilt trip on those who feel differently. These are the kind of arguments that drive people away from causes... people end up feeling that no matter how much effort they make where they can do good, if they aren't perfect, they need to feel guilt or regret. It's really counter-productive.

[noamnety]

210. On environmental issues, there is often a right and a wrong side.

And those on the right side - intellectually or in actions - are doing the right thing to promote environmentally responsible choices.

Being wasteful out of personal preference (driving an SUV because it feels "cool" rather than as a work requirement) is not morally equivalent to driving a car with better mileage. The people who make environmentally sound decisions ARE superior in that one decision to those who argue against it. Superior as a whole person? That's not the issue. Nobody here is judging your entire personhood or worth to society, though you are arguing is if that's an issue being debated. We don't need your entire resume on whether you are a do-gooder or not.

They are saying, or at least I am saying, that on this ONE issue, you are on the environmentally wrong side. So perhaps it's best to quietly and individually recognize that and accept it or not, instead of going out of your way to promote the view that being environmentally wasteful on this ONE issue is morally equivalent to being environmentally responsible. Polluting is not equivalent to not polluting, right?

Don't go around publicly suggesting that reusing/recycling is gross (even if you personally find it gross), because you are promoting harmful attitudes and habits in others when you do that.

[Lisa0825]

214. Single issue debates don't get the cause anywhere.

Unless we all move to 100% self-sufficient communes, no one here can claim to be the best. So even if you feel superior to me on this issue, that doesn't matter. Ridiculing people for personal decisions is not right either. And posting about single issues where someone who disagrees is looked down upon just pushes people away from more mainstream recycling and environmental choices. (So, if I want to consider myself an environmentalist nowadays, I have to give up my tampons?? Good grief!LOL) This is so far removed from liking a suv because it is cool. This is a highly personal choice.

Also, as far as I know, anything posted here is open to discussion, so please do not tell me what can and cannot be said here. I am not promoting harmful habits, I am just promoting the radical idea that someone can still be an environmentalist even while making other personal choices about feminine hygiene products.

[noamnety]

226. Once again, this is not about judging your worth as a person.

We're discussing ONE issue in this thread. I don't know why you are acting like we are saying you are a bad environmentalist on the whole, when we're only discussing what is the environmentally sound way to handle menstrual blood. If you promote ill will and poor attitudes against any environmentally sound habit on this board, you should expect to be criticized for those comments. If I argued against growing your own food, saying it was gross to eat food that wasn't prepackaged, I would expect people on DU to smack me down on that issue whether or not in the rest of my life I am a good recycler and take public transportation and all.

"I am not promoting harmful habits"

Yeah, you kinda are. when you state, unequivocally, "Menstrual blood IS gross" in response to a conversation about reusing/recycling, you are promoting the use of disposable products. That's the message you are sending.

I also think you are being a bit hypocritical, because your own post came across as ridiculing and judging people for their personal decisions - which were the CORRECT ones, environmentally speaking, in this instance. You came off sounding like you think people who opt for reusable products like the OP promotes are doing something gross. And now you're acting like you're offended by anyone judging the personal choices we make.

Only you have interpreted this thread to mean that you can't call yourself an environmentalist if you don't make this one choice.

The rest of us understand that the thread is saying "Here is one thing you can do for the environment that is better (and cheaper) than this other thing you might be doing."

[Lisa0825]

229. What I am saying is that

The attitude rampant in this thread is that people who think menstrual blood is something unpleasant and who have another way they prefer to deal with it are being ridiculed here. Sure, some have dished it out as well, but I feel I have not been unreasonable about it, yet I was immediately called sad and pathetic.

I am not saying that using disposables is better for the environment. What I am saying is that people here don't necessarily have to be so arrogant and insulting toward those who make other choices in this particular area.

[noamnety]

235. You yourself were insulting, though, as were others.

That's why I don't understand the outrage on your part. You came in here, and instead of saying "this is a great thing, I'm sorry I'm too squeamish to do it myself," you came in stating that this thing that is a normal biological part of being a woman IS GROSS.

Nobody was "ridiculing" people for using disposable products, but they were criticizing the practice for being wasteful. That's a valid criticism.

You, on the other hand, along with others, did try to represent some women's choices as being disgusting.

"people here don't necessarily have to be so arrogant and insulting toward those who make other choices in this particular area." Indeed. That's why people objected to your initial post so strongly.

[Lisa0825]

236. Oh baloney.

edited to delete: On second thought, there's obviously no use in trying anymore.

This thread is so full of bias and inability to see any other viewpoint it's incredible.

[LostinVA]

296. Great last paragraph

I'm on your "side," here.

[Book Lover]

195. Bad? No. Pathetic? A smidge.

Typical? I couldn't say. The women in my circle, including my elders, have zero problems like I've seen in this thread. Menstrual flow is blood and connective tissue - big deal. It doesn't carry bacteria in the same way feces does. I have tried to not come off sounding "more-enlightened-than-thou" in this thread, but I guess that's where I'm going. If you think your monthly flow is disgusting, and you are a woman, then you have a problem that you can let go of if you like; and when you let go of it, you will see how sad it is to think that way.

[Lisa0825]

199. Judgmental? More than a smidge.

Doesn't take much for you to label someone pathetic. :rolleyes: I don't have a problem with it, and in fact I rarely give a second thought to my monthly hygiene, because I am very comfortable with my own personal habits. But I would not choose to do things the way this topic describes because of not wanting to deal with changing the inside pads, carrying bloody pads around with me during the workday, and washing used pads. Why the fact that some of us would make different choices than you appears to cause you distress to the point of using derogatory terms like "pathetic" is beyond me.

[Book Lover]

200. Please pick one position to take

It's either "Menstrual blood IS gross" or "I don't have a problem with it." I understand why washable cloth pads isn't for you, and frankly, I don't care about that. Your attitude that your monthly flow is gross is a bit sad. Doesn't anyone read Germaine Greer anymore? (That's rhetorical, I am not asking about your reading habits.)

[Lisa0825]

203. It *would be* gross to me to deal with used pads.

It is *not* gross to me the way I handle my own personal hygiene... with disposables.

[baby_mouse]

267. I can't understand why this is even an issue. Could someone explain the problem to me?

Reusable sanitary pads? Fine.

I'm male. What's the problem? If I cut myself on something, I bleed. My clothes get blood on them. I wash them. I wear them. As far as I'm aware there's no substantive health difference between that and menstrual blood? Am I WAY off base?

[gollygee]

198. It doesn't make you bad, but I think it's kind of sad, personally

No one is talking about being overjoyed about having to deal with menstrual blood. We just recognize it as natural and we aren't grossed out by it. We deal with it.

As there is no option to simply not deal with it, we try to find the best way we can come up with to deal with it. It doesn't make you a villain if disposable items are your favorite at all. I prefer the Diva Cup because I deal with my period less than with anything else, actually. I don't think menstrual blood is gross but I don't like to have to deal with it several times a day, and for most of my period I only have to deal with it in the morning when I wake up and at night before I go to bed if I use the cup.

What I think is sad is that you've internalized a cultural attitude about something very natural for women as being icky. It's common to internalize that and I don't blame you because culture does point us toward that.

[Lisa0825]

201. It's not sad.

What I find bizarre is that so many folks here seem to have tied up women's cycles into some kind of worshipful thing. It's JUST a period. It's just a hygiene issue. It's JUST personal preferences. It's not at all distressing to me to think about or discuss. But some here act like just because some of us would find having to handle used pads unpleasant, we have problems with self-acceptance or something.

It exudes the "I'm superior because I do this" sentiment, which is often also seen in other topics... when progressives take sides against each other because some are willing or able to go farther than others, the ones who still do a fair share of GOOD are generally labeled as sad, pathetic, etc by those who feel superior. There is a quite a bit of that kind of thing in this topic.

[WildEyedLiberal]

270. God, thank you.

There are a hell of a lot of nasty assumptions being made about people who dare to say that periods are unpleasant and/or gross. Apparently any man who makes such a statement is more or less a barbaric, ignorant misogynist who treats his wife/daughters like dirt, and any woman who makes such a statement is a sad and pathetic and browbeaten by the "patriarchy" into hating her body. What over the top hysterical offal. Give me a fucking break.


I hate my periods. I hate the debilitating cramps that ensure that I feel like absolute worse than crap for at least one if not two or three days. I hate the foul odor. I hate the mess. I use tampons because it cuts WAY down on said mess and lets me sort of have a normal routine while I'm on my period, as opposed to having to wear a big thick pad and feel the wet leaking ALL DAY LONG as I sit, walk, etc. But according to some of you, I am supposed to embrace all of these things as wonderful and natural or else I can't be a "real" feminist. Bullshit. I hate the "natural" argument. Humans artificially manipulate their hygiene and appearance every single day in many different ways - I utterly fail to see how making my period less of a hassle is any more egregious than taking painkillers, shaving, brushing my teeth, or anything else we do to "change" our body's "natural" appearance/odor/waste excretion.

Menstrual blood is gross the same way poop and pee are gross - just because they are the body's natural way of expelling a specific waste product does not mean that it's heresy to say "gee, this particular substance is unpleasant and smells bad and I don't really enjoy dealing with it." I certainly don't care if other people want to use rewashable pads, but I resent being told that I'm not a real feminist because I use tampons and want to make my period as sanitary and unintrusive as possible.

[Book Lover]

282. But on the bright side

this thread has really filled up my ignore list. And yours, too, I assume.

[Ghost Dog]

285. Shaving? Now that's a whole other kind of kettle of fish. n/t (for now)...

[TorchTheWitch]

274. THANK YOU!

Gads, this is so ridiculous!

[LostinVA]

297. I know!

Thank God I've been busy with na new puppy this weekend...

[LostinVA]

295. I hear you, sister -- great post

[Gregorian]

191. Your first two sentences!

First I have to apologize for being totally out of it. I didn't sleep due to Americans in cars, last night. For some reason, probably some stinking full moon party, or something, there was a nearly nonstop stream of cars and associated noise for several hours in the early morning hours. It's not unrelated to your post.

We are pigs! Americans are really pissing me off. Especially after watching an independent tv station that had some coverage on a Belgian bike race. It was mostly men in their 80's who were riding very old bikes. 200kms! And the food they had on the roadsides. And the sentiment. As towns, they value their DIRT roads. They have to fight off the asphalt upgrading. It was beautiful. People who don't want growth. People who value beauty.

Your two first sentences are how I've lived my whole life. People who lived through the Depression know. My father would go out to the garage every morning, where the hot water heater is, rather than run hot water an extra fifty feet to his bathroom inside. My friend's mother would reuse paper towels, by drying them.


You addressed some things that average Americans are oblivious to. The process. What it takes to get "stuff" to us. And then what happens when it goes away.

I'm sorry, but I'm actually having to type this through what is a mild and early migraine. I didn't read the rest of your post. But it looks marvelous. I'm having my own menopause. A male, single, frustrated guy who should have grown up in Belgium or Italy, or any place other than where the gluttons of energy consume their greed in full view.

There is very little that gives me the degree of happiness than seeing someone who gets the process of the modern society. Someone who sees how it works. Because there is very little else that has us cornered in our present political position more than this very thing.

Ouch. My head. And I apologize since I have a feeling this thread is more about the other subject and less about what I've just sort of posted. :)

[FloridaJudy]

197. Sheesh, those sewing instructions

Make me grateful for my hysterectomy!

I like to sew, but I prefer something I can display publicly, like clothing or quilts.

[TalkingDog]

204. I was really grateful for the pictures for that reason.

And that zig-zag stitching ???.....!!!!

I was reading the page and thinking: "That could be so pretty if....." But her whole point was money saving tips, and if grey flannel with zig-zag stitching is what you make do with, then it is what it is.

Me, I like pretty. So I'm looking for some flannel with a deep maroon flower pattern, probably some 2nd-hand jammies. Or maybe a polka-dot pattern, you know...for my "period". And no zig-zag stitching. Glitter would not be comfortable, so that's definitely out of the question. :+


edited for subject line typo


My Favorite Master Artist: Karen Parker GhostWoman Studios

[noamnety]

211. Flower pattern? Noooooo!

Skulls are where it's at. :D




I think the zigzag stitching is to keep the edges from fraying.

[babydollhead]

209. cotton sox work too

[truedelphi]

217. They do - and it saves time at the sewing machine

Which women nowadays tend to not even have.

[truedelphi]

215. Thank you for sharing. The products sold over the counter often stink to high

Heaven. Even Seventh Generation (That wants you to pay something like $ 520 a pound for the critters) somehow manages to produce Sanitary pads that smell like furniture polish...

For years I used something like what you are demonstrating. And on light days, a couple of paper towels (For some reason, paper towels are the one paper product produced in America that does not smell like Ammonia or Bleach or Furniture Polish)

[LeftyMom]

244. Oh good, I'm not the only one who notices.

The reek that comes off those things is nothing compared to the one from disposable diapers, but it's hardly pleasant. I think they use a perfume to cover up the bleach and absorbent gel.

The nice thing, besides not being scented by anything other than one's laundry product, is that the cotton in reusable pads doesn't react with menstrual blood in a malodorous way like disposable pads do, so there's no standing around thinking "oh god, can anybody else smell that?" And they don't feel sticky or clammy.

I'd like them much better even without the ecological benefits or the monetary savings.

[gollygee]

254. Yeah, and with the Divacup it's odor free - something has to contact air to have an odor

No air contact = no need to worry about odors. Another thing I love about the Divacup. Oh, the list is endless. And I am NOT glorifying menstrual blood ( :eyes: ) - just this particular method of dealing with it as I don't have the option of not dealing with it - I have to do something and I'd much rather use a Divacup than a nasty icky pad or a tampon that absorbs every bit of every kind of moisture in my zip code. I have to do something and to find something that works so well and is so amazing and I have to use so often is great.

The guys (one in particular) might not understand that when you've been menstruating (and doing SOMETHING with those bodily fluids) every single month minus pregnancy and postpartum period for 20-someodd years, finding something cheap, effective, comfortable, and environmentally friendly is like a godsend. Being happy about finding a good solution is not the same as worshiping a menstrual goddess or whatever the hell was talked about in this thread.

[Ghost Dog]

227. The Vagina, Uterus, etc, (I'm a guy)

were very clearly (and so romantically) explained to me long ago by the woman I have had the privilege to share life with, these last 20 years.

She still, of course, gives me a hard time.

Without getting into details: A bitch (I mean, female reality). And a huge potential source/breeding place of infection, one understands. Hand-washing is key. I haven't had time, today, to read the whole thread. Perhaps some of the DU medics have commented.

Now, as regards the (actual and potential) problem of living with such things as testicles and penises, well, I guess, that's pretty obvious. I could tell a few stories. Many of my brothers (and, no doubt, many sisters), I'm quite sure, many more...

Love the freedom of expression/learning/understanding here.

(This kind of stuff is what will keep the USA out of the trash-bin of History imho, BTW).

[idgiehkt]

239. this made me smile

it's interesting to see something like this in GD. :)

One thing I find disturbing lately is all the products for housecleaning that are going disposable, like the swiffer line. This has to be horrible for the environment (and it's a scam of astronomical proportions as well) but people keep eating up the new disposable products. There is no way they are going to save any money having to buy the replacements for that stuff. It seems like such a 180 degree turn from where we need to be focusing.

[RandomKoolzip]

242. I'm going to post this here, and as its own thread:

Hi. A couple of friends of mine in Wisconsin have started their own company, called Party in my Pants. They make designer cotton pads, each with its own cute and colorful custom design. These pads are inexpensive, reusable, recyclable, and eco-friendly; the company's founders stress that they are all about promoting a healthy, shame-free attitude about mestruation and the female body.Party in my Pants will also come to your town or city and host a P.I.M.P. party (y'know, like one of those ol' tupperware parties!) to show you the product and get the word out. If any DUers are interested, here's some more info.

http://www.partypantspads.com/index.html

Here's their myspace page.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=234997209

Like I said, these people are friends of mine - I can vouch for their credibility.

Enjoy!

[HamdenRice]

243. The Jamaican insult refers to this, "ya blood clot"!

actually means "you blood cloth" or homemade menstrual cloth. Just shows that this culture considers them to be nasty and therefore an insult.

[Chovexani]

245. Thank you for the info

I will admit to shying away from this stuff in the past, being intimidated by a perception that it was "too hard". I dunno about the reusable rags (my flow tends to be extremely heavy), but I will definitely check out the Diva cup others recommended in the thread.

Thanks a lot for sharing this. :hi:

[LNM]

261. I think this is a great idea!

While I agree that poop, blood, etc. is gross I have no problem dealing with it. I used cloth diapers for my children and it didn't bother me at all to rinse them out and wash them. I didn't want to see all that go in a landfill.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

268. That is gross....

The rags women used before the 20th Century were replaced because they weren't nearly as good. My great grandmother used to work her fingers to the bone with blood running down her legs. And my grandmother cried about it once to me when I was a kid right after I got my period. Why go back to that?

[Warren DeMontague]

269. I'm a man, and I really don't see what the big deal is to some of you guys. Are you twelve?

Oh! Period! Gross!

:eyes:

Course, women with leg & underarm hair don't freak me out, either. Probably from all those years hanging out with fellow hippies.

People are way out of whack with nature and our bodies, if you ask me- and it manifests itself in all manner of ways- from weird puritan and neo-puritan anti-sex attitudes, to an inability to deal with the fact that we're animals, to all sorts of things.

If I thought about it long enough, I could probably pin the blame on Western Religion.

Anyway, good info. :thumbsup:

[bliss_eternal]

272. In a college religious studies course...

...we learned that some religions don't "allow" women to worship or attend services when they are menstruating. There's also all the talk in Western religion (Christianity specifically) that speaks of menstruation as god's way of "cursing" women, as such they call it "the curse." Some seem to take it quite literally and want to avoid it and everything having to do with it at all costs.

So you may be on to something when you blame Western religion. Astute observation on your part. :thumbsup:

By contrast, the pagan belief systems view it as a time of "power", growth, change--and very much a good thing.

Guess that explains at least a bit of why those awful pagans had to be done away with. :sarcam:

[kaiden]

284. I stuffed my "soiled underwear" in the plumbing behind the upstairs bathtub.

That was in 1962. Pity the person who has to remodel that 1880 house!

I went off to Girl Scout Camp in Oklahoma that year. I was there 3 days and came down with the mumps and started my first period. I was never a Girl Scout again -- I thought that had something to do with it.

Anyhow, I wasn't ready to grow up -- and my parents told me nothing about it -- but back in the day (and by day I mean 45 ears ago) -- we secured Kotex pads by a belt that had a contraption similar to a garter belt. It was horrendous!

I'll never forget my mom, sitting in the passenger seat of the yellow, 1958 Buick station wagon, saying to my dad, "George, I need some K-O-T-E-X."

Oh my god, we've come such a long way . . .

[TalkingDog]

287. I remember the "belt".

A few years before pantyliners. I switched to tampons rather quickly because god YES! they were a pain.

TSS came around in my late teens and I had a close call with that.

Then thank goodness for the man who invented Post-it note glue. We owe him a debt of gratitude.



My Favorite Master Artist: Karen Parker GhostWoman Studios

[SeattleGirl]

291. Not something I have to worry about any more, but if I did, I couldn't

use those. Just couldn't.

[Catherine Vincent]

292. This thread is so informative!

And from now on, everytime I see a post by cgrindley, I will think of periods. :-)

[LostinVA]

294. This thread is insane -- give me Tampax or give me death!

The hell with the Diva Cup or reusable pads (gag). I haven't worn pads for almost 30 years -- ugh. I don't care if that makes me ungreen, anti-natural woman, or what the fuck ever. Tampons liberated me for active activities, and the only thing ickier than pads are reusing them.

[noamnety]

300. Nobody is forcing the choice on you.

It's an informative OP. You should be happy that other women are given a broad range of alternatives, and in a rare instance are getting some education about that. You are probably glad you have a range of choices, even if you only selected one of them, right? So the OP was about giving other women a full range of choices, since the powers that be often restrict information about the noncorporate choices. The cottage industries, they don't have the money for advertising, so it's on us to make word of mouth advertising a reality. When I saw "the film" in school, they mentioned disposable pads and disposable tampons, end of story.

I don't understand why people felt it was necessary to respond with extreme rudeness to the OP. I don't understand why men no less, who don't even have a dog in this fight, felt it was necessary to come into this thread to tell women how they should or shouldn't take care of their own hygiene, or why a man would barge into the discussion specifically to say "menstrual blood is gross."

I don't know why anyone would respond to an OP that is educational just to say "the choices you picked are disgusting." I don't get the point of that. I mean I don't like pads at all for some of the same reasons others mentioned, but when I come across women who use them discussing them, I don't barge into the conversation merely to make a point of telling them I think they are disgusting for having made that choice. I don't understand why people have arrived here to say "this is the stupidest/incompetent/inane choice you could have made."

It's obvious nobody is limiting your choices, they are expanding them. I don't know why some people are acting like they wish the thread didn't exist, or like women shouldn't have access to these choices.

This isn't much different to me than a group of women having a discussion about home child birth, and having someone who's only had a c-section barge into the conversation to start yapping about how gross placentas are, and how it's gross to let your partner watch that come out of your body, and gross not to do it in a sterile environment on a stainless steel table. And I'm saying that as a c-section person who was not down with the whole birth-is-a-gift-from-god thing. I wouldn't want to do it at home - I actually prefer to be knocked out for the full 9 months and wake up when it's over. But I wouldn't walk into a room of home birthers and go "Grosssss (GAG) That's the ickiest thing ever, you all shouldn't even be discussing this." I would deserve a huge smack down, and not a very polite one, if that's how I acted.

They are making a more natural choice, I support them in that, and I'd encourage others to consider it, even if it's not a choice I would personally make. It's a choice with a lot of benefits, all women should be aware it's a choice, and they should be allowed to make that decision for themselves without the peer pressure of society (us) trying to bash it into their heads that more traditional and natural choices are taboo, and disposable corporate products are more "civilized." (Just like we're taught giving birth on a stainless steel table is more "civilized.")

Me, for instance, unless there's a medical reason I can't use something internal (like just having an IUD inserted) I wouldn't use pads except as a backup system, just because sometimes I'm trapped in a classroom for hours and hours without a bathroom break. So generally they sit there, no blood gets on them, and then I throw them away. They aren't any cleaner or dirtier than my underwear would be. So doesn't it make sense to just use washable absorbent fabric in that case? I can't figure out why it's insane to share a pattern for that, or why people are so angry that some other women might make that decision for themselves.

Nobody is forcing you to do anything, they are talking about ADDITIONAL options, so your anger is misplaced. The only reason I can see for you to be angry is that we aren't allowing you (or other women or men) an unopposed voice here for promoting the idea that opting for reusable environmentally-friendly choices makes women disgusting unclean humans, or for trying to convince others who are more matter of fact about blood that they should be more repulsed by it.

[LostinVA]

303. If you read some of the responses on this thread -- oh yes they are

Including you.

btw -- I didn't read what you wrote... I already read your bazillion responses up thread.

[LeftyMom]

302. Yeah, but can you get Tampax with flames on 'em?

:rofl:

[LostinVA]

304. Yes, and I love them

Look at some of the other responses to this!!!

See? YOU get what I'm saying.

[LeftyMom]

305. You're a prude and lack vaginal pride.

I'll notify your wife immediately. :D

[Katherine Brengle]

306. To be honest, menstrual cups are much more "freeing" than tampons.

They're less hassle, they don't dry you out, and they're less wasteful. I'm not interested in reusable pads simply bc I never use them, but cups are amazing.

[LostinVA]

311. Somehow I don't think rinsing out a menstrual cup in the communal bathroom at work is more freeing

And I've never had a problem with drying out.

[noamnety]

313. I don't know anyone who does that.

In a public bathroom, you dump it, wipe it clean with toilet paper, and reinsert it.

Best place to wash it thoroughly is during a shower, not standing over a public restroom sink.

I don't think any of us would find it more freeing to take off our pants, do our toilet business and take it out, put in a pad that we otherwise wouldn't need, get dressed again, go wash it off, go back in the stall, take our pants back off, put it back in, get dressed again. That's not MY idea of convenient. :D