Eco-Friendly Options for Your Menstrual Cycle

We’ve talked nutrition and health. We’ve chatted up pregnancy and birth, and the various intimate details therein. I’ve shared about breastfeeding my toddler. We’ve even ventured into the subject of placentophagy (the act of consuming one’s placenta after birth – and yup, I did it).

Today I want to talk about another subject that has become near and dear to my (crunchy-mama) heart: cloth pads and alternative solutions for your menstrual cycle.

(Side note: I couldn’t decide what to title this post. Eco-friendly? Frugal? Healthier? Yes, yes, and yes. The great thing about this whole natural living journey is that those things often go hand-in-hand, which I love).

All of my life I’ve used the typical necessities for “that time of the month”: disposable pads and tampons. Then I started my natural living journey a few years ago, and began hearing bits and pieces about women using cloth pads. Being the crazy and natural crunchy mama that I am, my interest was immediately piqued.

Shortly after our first child was born in 2008, before my monthly cycle returned, I bought a diva cup on a bit of a whim. I used it and liked it, but was still using a fair amount of disposable pads for extra protection in case of leaks, for over nights, and for when I was out of the house for extended periods of time.

I looked into cloth pads a bit more and decided I’d really like to try them. However, the budget was too tight at the time, and I’ve only had a handful of cycles in the last 5 years due to breastfeeding and pregnancy, so it was never a financial priority. Then at my blessing way a couple months ago I was gifted with 6 homemade cloth pads from a very dear friend.

When our third child was born nearly 6 weeks ago, I got to try them out for the first time. In the earlier weeks when my flow was heavier, I would soak them within a few hours. These particular pads don’t have a waterproof layer, so I didn’t wear them out of the house in those weeks, just in case. Then as my flow lightened considerably, I was eventually able to wear one all day and not have any issues.

Oh. My. Goodness. I just have to say: comfort and period are no longer banned from the same sentence (I know, the post-partum bleeding is not a period, exactly, but you know what I mean). Rather than having plastic and petroleum-based materials filled with all kinds of toxic chemicals in *that* area, I can have soft flannel and cotton.

I have heard many women say that not using disposable pads and tampons actually makes a significant difference in cramping, as well as how long and heavy the period is. The claim is that the nasty chemicals and synthetic materials actually cause significant increases in those things, which I find quite plausible, given the harsh ingredients. There is loads of anecdotal evidence for cramps that were debilitatingly severe and then all but disappeared after switching to cloth.

Things like disposable pads and tampons (and disposable diapers, too!) contain dioxins, which are chemicals that “are toxic and are usually a by-product of plastics and chlorinated products. Dioxin is the most deadly man made chemical, second in line to radioactive waste“. Tampons have also been linked to increased rates of endometriosis and other fertility problems (source).

Washing is simple – I drop it into the diaper pail and it washes with the cloth diapers. Done. If I were to use them while out of the house I’d just take a little wet bag along. Once I no longer have kids in diapers, I’m not sure how I’ll handle it. I’ll probably have to have a much larger stash so that I can go longer between washing, and just do a little mini-load. It seems pretty easy to me.

Cloth pads are available in so many places now – there are entire companies devoted to making them, and there are scores of like-minded mamas making and selling them on places like etsy. Check out this excellent article from Keeper of the Home where one of the contributors reviews 4 different brands to see which one she likes best.

Some women also use a natural sea sponge intended for menstrual care. Between that, the Diva Cup (plus other brands of the same idea), and all kinds of cloth pads, there are more than enough options that are healthier, more frugal, and more environmentally friendly.

Have you ever tried a healthier option for menstrual care? Would you ever consider it?

{Linked up this week with Your Green Resource}