Of course, when you say things like that, it makes people think, "eeeeeeeeww." Or something along those lines.
However, it's possible, and it has saved me a ton of hassle. I no longer worry about running out of supplies, or any funky smells, or feeling dirty once a month, or getting TSS, or anything like that. I always have what I need, and it makes me feel better about my cycle. Oh, and I save a crapton of money.
I began to use reusable products on the basis that I should reduce my monthly landfill package, but at this point, the benefits to my personal life have become so valuable that the zero-waste bit is kind of an added bonus.
A year or two ago, I was using tampons and pads. The standard. Then I began to wonder about reducing my overall waste, and I discovered the menstrual cup through some googling. At first, yes, the notion of a little cup sitting inside me all day was a little weird. Then I realized that I was currently shoving a wad of cotton up there all day. However, they can be reused for ten years (possibly longer, but that's the recommended length), which means a huge savings on the landfill and on my wallet. I bought my divacup at a local co-op for $30, and I was... sort of kind of hooked.
It wasn't easy at first! It takes some getting used to, but you'll find that's true of any change you make in your personal life. So, yes, I was frustrated at first, but it was still better than the alternative. For one, I could wear it overnight. And because it collects, and doesn't absorb, there was nothing to make me feel dirty or even conscious of my period; I couldn't even feel it after it was properly situated. Basically, unless I get cramps, a period day is just like any other day. I don't pack anything extra in my purse, I don't have secret caches of tampons. If I know when my period's coming, I may even deploy the cup in advance.
Furthermore... my cramps declined in intensity after I began using the divacup. This may be a coincidence, but I tend to believe otherwise.
I should mention, as an aside, that there are other types of menstrual cups, and the divacup is just one brand. However, I have a friend who tried the keeper for a little while; she reported that the rubber used was not as soft as the silicone of the diva, and she's had much better success after switching.
However, I wasn't done. I was still using pantiliners, because I'm the sort of woman who needs to wear one every day. Pads suck. Not only are they disposable, but they always manage to stick to things they're not supposed to stick to, like your skin.
I had toyed with the idea of cloth pads, but I wasn't entirely on the boat. How does one clean them? Don't they stain? Don't they smell? Is there some sophisticated laundering method involved?
I was booted into using them when I went out to an island in Alaska for two months. No way was I carting out two months' supply of disposable pads... and then carting them back out with me once I was done using them.
So... I bought some from the same co-op I'd bought my divacup at, but they were kind of big and bulky. These were designed for periods; I just wanted pantiliners, something simple. Luckily, my mother is a genius on the sewing machine. She whipped me up a batch of eight, made from scraps of flannel she had in her studio.
If you want to make your own, just follow these guidelines: use cotton or flannel; sewing machine is fine, hand-stitched is fine; shape is irrelevant; sightliness is irrelevant; you're pinning it to your underwear for God's sake. If you're worried that your significant other won't like it, I wouldn't worry. Just look at the photo! They are totally fun. They make adhesive pads look like a pile of poop. Mom made mine with snaps, but again, not important; safety pins work great! I have taken to pinning mine onto my underwear so that they don't slip during the day.
As for laundering, it turned out to be a non-issue. At this point, I just let them dry 'till laundry day, or I do a small load inbetween laundry days. It all comes out, and what doesn't come out, doesn't matter. Again, the whole pinning it to your underwear thing.
Another attractive bit is the savings. Not only have I completely halted the flow of feminine products from the shelf to the landfill, but I've saved a ton of money. A $30 cup and scraps of fabric... let's say they cost about $0.50 each, which means about $7 or $8 for the pantiliners. So $38. For ten years, at least. My estimates are a little rusty because I haven't bought any tampons in years, but I'm gonna estimate that a box of 20 will cost about $5. That'll get you through maybe two periods, depending. Plus about another $5 for some pads to wear overnight, that'll last you a few periods. (If you've made it this far, do a little experiment for me -- try to accurately estimate how much you spend per cycle.)
Let's say you go through 8 boxes of tampons a year, nevermind the pads. If they cost $5 each, the reusables still pay for themselves in less than a year. However, the diva can be used for up to ten years, and cloth pads can basically be used until you somehow destroy them. Even if you don't care about the landfill issue, that's got to get your attention.
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