Going Green: Menstrual Period
Let's talk about that monthly visitor that we all get...unless you're expecting.
Ah yes, women of all ages and sizes will go through this at one point or another in their lives and their experiences will vary in such a wide spectrum. But the feeling is still the same...that monthly visitor usually puts a stop to our schedule and hacks have been provided for by generations in order for us to tolerate the situation.
I grew up having to use both disposable pads and tampons. Although it's more popular to use pads because they're readily more available than tampons. It was when I became a mum that I learned about washable pads and menstrual cups. I'll talk more about my kids' cloth diapers in another post, but it's because of using cloth diapers that got me learning more about washable pads and menstrual cups. I asked myself, 'Why am I willing to use disposable pads when I'm letting my son use washable ones that's more sustainable?'
That's when I became more aware of the amount of money I had already spent on with pads and tampons throughout the years. And that led me to understanding more about toxic shock syndrome which was caused by the chemicals used in pads and tampons. I shuddered at the thought but armed myself with enough knowledge to be able to make my initial purchase into sustainable menstrual cycle tools.
Since I was breastfeeding Damien, my menstruation didn't come until he turned almost 2 years old (yes, imagine not having to worry about menstruation for two years!!!). So it took awhile for me to try on the washable pads and menstrual cup.
So, here are the pads that I've got:
As you can see with my choices of pads, I like it when they come in designs. Throughout the years of using them, I've also learned the preferences that I have in terms of length (overnight pads are the best for the first 2 days), type of cloth (microfibre in black works well as the stains don't panic me), and of course, price.
How do you use the washable pads?
All of the washable pads have wings since the way that you close them is using snaps. This is also very helpful to help keep the pads in place. The length varies depending on the maker of the pads and also whether it's regular or overnight pads.
How long do you get to use it before it stains or bleeds out?
This varies depending on the day of menstruation (Days 1-2 are the heaviest) and the type of pad you're using. If you're using an overnight pad, it may take about 2-3 hours before it feels full and it starts to stain. It's almost imperative to find out what type of cloth is being used. Microfiber is thin and very absorbent so it's usually the popular choice. A good 2 layers will be absorbent enough without it being too thick to be used.
How do you keep the pad in your bag when you're out and about?
Some sellers of the pads will provide a wet bag so you can just chuck the used pads in while you're out and about. I personally have an extra pad with me in a wet bag in my purse just in case. When I change pads, I run the pad through the bidet before squeezing out the excess blood and water and fold it, snap it close and put it in the wet bag.
How do you wash the pads? How do you dry the pads?
I run it through water to squeeze out the excess blood and remove the stains. Then I gather up the pads I used for the day and then put them in the washing machine. I prefer drying them under the sun to also sanitize them. Once they're dry, I put them back in my closet drawer.
Do you have a special detergent that you use?
No, but I do wash them separately from my clothes. And I prefer washing them myself.
Those are the most common questions I get whenever I tell other moms that I use washable pads. Let me know if you still have other questions.
And now...onto the menstrual cup.
Menstrual cups have been here for a long time, believe it or not. It just didn't gain as much commercial success until they've improved the type of material. It's now made of flexible medical grade silicone and has a lot of sizes and flexibility to its specific users.
Now, don't get overwhelmed with the tons of choices. They're there for a reason. Because there are so many types of cervixes that it has to be able to cater to enough women. What you need to focus on is knowing your body to be able to figure out the brand and type of cup you should get.
I personally have two cups and use them interchangeably. I got to use tampons back in college but wasn't able to sustain it because it was expensive and not readily available. So switched back to disposable pads and endured it until I switched to washable pads and cups.
What brand should I get?
This is where you need to do research. As there are tons of brands out there, it's best to check out their sites and reviews as well. If you have friends who are using, get their side on what brand/s they're using and why. Information is power when it comes to making decisions such as this so get on to researching and asking as many questions as you can. Thankfully, there are plenty of helpful groups online as well. Menstrual Cups - PH is an online group based in PH and you can get lots of info from fellow Pinays.
How do you insert it?
If you're familiar to inserting a tampon, kinda like that but not really. There's a learning curve to this and it's all about knowing your body and how it works. Here's a really good instructional video of how the insertion happens. It took me about several tries before I finally got the hang of inserting the cup. There are still those times that I need to readjust it but now I've got the groove of things.
How long do you use it before the cup is full?
I was quite surprised with this. I never really knew how much blood was coming out of me until I saw the cup. Hahaha! Not a pretty picture but again, it's a good eye-opener as to how the body works. During the first few months of me trying the cup, I was very concentrated on timing myself to empty out the cup. My first two days of my cycle is the heaviest so that was my basis. I thought it was going to overflow during the first 30 minutes! But it didn't. It took about 2 hours before it was full and I had to empty it. So it's not as bad as I thought it would be.
How do you know if the cup is full?
It starts to stain. Especially when I use it overnight. So I usually use overnight pads during my first two days just to avoid all those stains. And I'm quite aware with my time whenever I am using the cup so it's been a habit to check it every 2-3 hours.
How do you empty and wash it when you're out in public?
I get very choosy with the public restrooms. I prefer one with a bidet at the very least. Each cup comes with its own string bag so it's easy to keep it with you at all times.
Can virgins use a menstrual cup?
Yes, they can and no it won't make them a non-virgin. (I get this question a lot!)
How would I know what size to get?
Once you've decided on a brand, go to their site. They have valuable information as to what sizes should be for what type of women. Age, lifestyle as well as how many pregnancies a woman has gone through will help determine the size and type of cup you will get from that brand.
Ah yes, women of all ages and sizes will go through this at one point or another in their lives and their experiences will vary in such a wide spectrum. But the feeling is still the same...that monthly visitor usually puts a stop to our schedule and hacks have been provided for by generations in order for us to tolerate the situation.
I grew up having to use both disposable pads and tampons. Although it's more popular to use pads because they're readily more available than tampons. It was when I became a mum that I learned about washable pads and menstrual cups. I'll talk more about my kids' cloth diapers in another post, but it's because of using cloth diapers that got me learning more about washable pads and menstrual cups. I asked myself, 'Why am I willing to use disposable pads when I'm letting my son use washable ones that's more sustainable?'
That's when I became more aware of the amount of money I had already spent on with pads and tampons throughout the years. And that led me to understanding more about toxic shock syndrome which was caused by the chemicals used in pads and tampons. I shuddered at the thought but armed myself with enough knowledge to be able to make my initial purchase into sustainable menstrual cycle tools.
Since I was breastfeeding Damien, my menstruation didn't come until he turned almost 2 years old (yes, imagine not having to worry about menstruation for two years!!!). So it took awhile for me to try on the washable pads and menstrual cup.
-=-=-
So, here are the pads that I've got:
 |
| Elle Pads in plain colors |
 |
| Made-to-order washable pads in Unicorn design by Period In Style |
 |
| Additional washable pads bought by a mom friend in a bazaar in Manila |
How do you use the washable pads?
All of the washable pads have wings since the way that you close them is using snaps. This is also very helpful to help keep the pads in place. The length varies depending on the maker of the pads and also whether it's regular or overnight pads.
How long do you get to use it before it stains or bleeds out?
This varies depending on the day of menstruation (Days 1-2 are the heaviest) and the type of pad you're using. If you're using an overnight pad, it may take about 2-3 hours before it feels full and it starts to stain. It's almost imperative to find out what type of cloth is being used. Microfiber is thin and very absorbent so it's usually the popular choice. A good 2 layers will be absorbent enough without it being too thick to be used.
How do you keep the pad in your bag when you're out and about?
Some sellers of the pads will provide a wet bag so you can just chuck the used pads in while you're out and about. I personally have an extra pad with me in a wet bag in my purse just in case. When I change pads, I run the pad through the bidet before squeezing out the excess blood and water and fold it, snap it close and put it in the wet bag.
How do you wash the pads? How do you dry the pads?
I run it through water to squeeze out the excess blood and remove the stains. Then I gather up the pads I used for the day and then put them in the washing machine. I prefer drying them under the sun to also sanitize them. Once they're dry, I put them back in my closet drawer.
Do you have a special detergent that you use?
No, but I do wash them separately from my clothes. And I prefer washing them myself.
Those are the most common questions I get whenever I tell other moms that I use washable pads. Let me know if you still have other questions.
-=-=-
And now...onto the menstrual cup.
Menstrual cups have been here for a long time, believe it or not. It just didn't gain as much commercial success until they've improved the type of material. It's now made of flexible medical grade silicone and has a lot of sizes and flexibility to its specific users.
Now, don't get overwhelmed with the tons of choices. They're there for a reason. Because there are so many types of cervixes that it has to be able to cater to enough women. What you need to focus on is knowing your body to be able to figure out the brand and type of cup you should get.
I personally have two cups and use them interchangeably. I got to use tampons back in college but wasn't able to sustain it because it was expensive and not readily available. So switched back to disposable pads and endured it until I switched to washable pads and cups.
 |
| meLuna cup in medium |
 |
| Diva cup in Model 2 |
This is where you need to do research. As there are tons of brands out there, it's best to check out their sites and reviews as well. If you have friends who are using, get their side on what brand/s they're using and why. Information is power when it comes to making decisions such as this so get on to researching and asking as many questions as you can. Thankfully, there are plenty of helpful groups online as well. Menstrual Cups - PH is an online group based in PH and you can get lots of info from fellow Pinays.
How do you insert it?
If you're familiar to inserting a tampon, kinda like that but not really. There's a learning curve to this and it's all about knowing your body and how it works. Here's a really good instructional video of how the insertion happens. It took me about several tries before I finally got the hang of inserting the cup. There are still those times that I need to readjust it but now I've got the groove of things.
How long do you use it before the cup is full?
I was quite surprised with this. I never really knew how much blood was coming out of me until I saw the cup. Hahaha! Not a pretty picture but again, it's a good eye-opener as to how the body works. During the first few months of me trying the cup, I was very concentrated on timing myself to empty out the cup. My first two days of my cycle is the heaviest so that was my basis. I thought it was going to overflow during the first 30 minutes! But it didn't. It took about 2 hours before it was full and I had to empty it. So it's not as bad as I thought it would be.
How do you know if the cup is full?
It starts to stain. Especially when I use it overnight. So I usually use overnight pads during my first two days just to avoid all those stains. And I'm quite aware with my time whenever I am using the cup so it's been a habit to check it every 2-3 hours.
How do you empty and wash it when you're out in public?
I get very choosy with the public restrooms. I prefer one with a bidet at the very least. Each cup comes with its own string bag so it's easy to keep it with you at all times.
Can virgins use a menstrual cup?
Yes, they can and no it won't make them a non-virgin. (I get this question a lot!)
How would I know what size to get?
Once you've decided on a brand, go to their site. They have valuable information as to what sizes should be for what type of women. Age, lifestyle as well as how many pregnancies a woman has gone through will help determine the size and type of cup you will get from that brand.
-=-=-
Having had used washable pads and menstrual cups for since 2014 has really helped me not only save money but also jumpstart my journey of sustainability and going green. That meant also touching on different aspects of my lifestyle, menstrual period being one of them. I'm quite happy with the fact that in my own little way, I am able to maintain this lifestyle and also helping out other women who may be curious and would want to jump into this lifestyle too.
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