Eco-Friendly Sanitary Wear

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 04 May 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kiama	04 May 2002
I have been worrying more and more each month, about how much non-biodegradable sanitary products I use... All that plastic and chemical things... None of it biodegradable... And I use so many of the damn things... Isn't there a better, safer, environmentally friendly way? I mean, babies can have Terry Nappies instead of the eco-unfriendly ones, so isn't there something like that for women, only more discreet...? Will I have to resort to the Victorian way????!!! Kiama

Liliana	04 May 2002
pads are biodegradable arent they? Or, you could go get yourself norplant, its an implant in your arm that protects you from getting pregnant for 5 years, but it also has pretty much gotten rid of my period, Ill get one once in awhile but not often ;)

BluSeraphim	04 May 2002
Kiama, there is something I saw on t.v. awhile back, and it was made by a woman for just the reason you mentioned. It was some sort of a super absorbent material which was placed inside a cotton cover, and both were washable. They had several different colors and shapes of covers, and the whole package was quite affordable considering the amount you would save on sanitary products. Now the only problem is how do we go about finding it? You might want to do some research through places that sell enviro friendly products. I know you are much better at web stuff than I will ever be, so please let me know how your search turns out. Godspeed, Blu. P.S. Wasn't that your poem in the sans-nom contest? Cup Half Full? If it wasn't, then somebody writes exactly like you.

lunalafey	04 May 2002
Kiama, there are natural, unbleached cotton 'things' that do not come with applicators. there are terrycloth washable 'other things' try health food stores. If you sew, make some. Because of the kinship with the Moon,I'm going to play mom for a minute.... When we plug up our selves, we really are PLUGGING up alot more. It's supposed to flow...we are the most receptive at this time. A women's cycle is actually triggered by the light of the Moon.(menses comes at the new Moon, ovulation with the full Moon) We follow the cycle of the Moon when we are not surrrounded by light pollution, or on birthcontrol. liliana, I'm dissapointed, NORPLANT ? NO FLOW ? having no flow is like Samson with no hair...I understand the need, REALLY....I have 3 kids and I'm DONE... I do not use any B.C. other than knowing what my body is doing and when. I really don't have an issue with the B.C. It's the no flow thing...that just is not right. Also, two people here in my SMALL(consider the odds)little town still got prego. while on it. They did not know, because they had no flow :)

Kaz	04 May 2002
kiama, here in holland we have them rubber tampons, they are just like a cup in the form of a tampon. you just empty them, clean them and use them again and forever. i don't know the name (brand) but they are sold in lots of places here. i know quite some ppl who use them and are really happy with them. if you want one and you cant get them in uk i can send you one. kaz

jade	04 May 2002
hahahahahaha i'm called the recycling goddess on my other group and here is my specialty!!! you can make (as i have) flannel pads. you cut them to a comfy shape, with or without wings and i make mine 8 ply thick with the pieces cut from the sides to make the wings sewn into the center to add extra absorbancy. you can even add a snap to hold on if you choose although i find that very uncomfy. i have a wonderful link for you. two amazing stay-at-home mama's who do this for a living. you can trust them totally cause i know them IRL. http://www.homestead.com/naturesprimalmother/index.html you can also use a sea sponge.........they work wonderfully. you put them in and then gently pull them out, wash them, rinse the water out really good, cause if they are full of water they don't absorb as much blood. http://www.jadeandpearl.com/ or you can use 'the keeper' or something like it. kinda like what kaz was mentioning. it's shaped like an egg cup, you fold it, place it inside and you flow into it........every 12 hours you empty it, rinse it off and put it back in. (there are ones for [a]after childbirth and [b]before childbirth) http://www.thekeeper.com/ i use the keeper and i love it. i've had it for 7 years and it's still as good as new! AND i use homemade flannel pads but i've seen and know ALOT of people who use red and carrie's pads and they LOVE LOVE LOVE them! best of luck with doing your part for the environment! love jade

amyel	04 May 2002
I read somewhere a looooonggg time ago about a web site that either sold or directed you to local stores which sold non-bleached pads. I cannot for the life of me remember where. I do know that some health food/whole foods stores sold these types, if you are like me and just don't want to deal with the cleaning.

Kaz	04 May 2002
yes jade, keeper is exactly the thing i meant. though it's called different here. i can personally recommend it kiama. kaz

BluSeraphim	04 May 2002
thanks jade, i went to that link, primalmother, and i emailed them for my free catalogue. thanks to kiama too, for bringing up this important subject. Godspeed, Blu.

slinky_jo	04 May 2002
ummm - I thought all tampons were made of pure cotton? uh oh!

jade	05 May 2002
no way!!! you can get cotton ones at the health food store.............and they are expensive but if you really want to use a tampon, cotton is definitely the way to go. most woman, when they stop using commercial pads and tampons find that they bleed less and have less cramping. speaking of cramping and heavy bleeding............a tincture of cramp bark is amazing! it will take away your cramps and lessen your flow if you bleed an excessive amount. love jade :D

Kiama	05 May 2002
*Feeling a bit queezy* Um... Although the Keeer Cup sounds wonderful... Doesn't it... Get in the way? I man, how big is it, and when you sit down or move doesn't it... ? I DON'T KNOW! It all sounds quite weird to me. I don't use tampons at the moment, cuz I don't savour the idea of putting a cotton thing up inside me... (Call me old fashioned and tie me to a bridge!) I have always used pads, ad I'm not sure about the keeper cup... And the terry towelling idea.. Doesn't that get in the way aswell? 8 ply sounds pretty thick, and as a woman who likes to wear trousers which are quite figure hugging, I'm assuming such a pad would show? I like the idea of not having to spend so much money on pads every month. That'll cut back on my costs no end, so its practical aswell as enviro-friendly. I really wanna do this, but I think I'd need to know a bit more about that Keeper Cup thingy... I can't believe you can't feel it! Its a rubber cup, inside you, for goodness sake! I don't understand.... :( I've been to the website, but it doesn't really tell you much about the ins and out (No pun intended) of it... Kiama

Kaz	05 May 2002
i can only tell my own experience..... no you don't feel it it does not move it's a great alternative for tampons, i'd say the best kaz

Kiama	05 May 2002
This issue has been weighing on my mind for the last two days... I'm gradually becoming convinced.... Just one more question about the Keeper Cup: Does it ever leak? I think that would be my main worry... I don't want to be walking around all day, paranoid about having lovely red flower stains on the back of my trousers! BTW Luna: Thankyou for the poem. The imagery was very graphic, but I have a strong stomach, and it certainly illustrated a point! Kiama

Mermaid	05 May 2002
Kiama - A couple of months ago I decided to start using cotton pads made by the luna collective, a women's group in New Zealand. They took a few days to get used to, but they're really really comfy now, and they work just as well as the paper kind. You just wash them in cold water and dry them between uses, &add a little lemon juice or bleach to the water at the end of each month if you like - really easy. And they're great for the earth and last for ages so you end up saving money too! They give you the option of organic or regular cotton, I have some of each & the non organic ones are a little more absorbant ... and come in pretty polka dot blue! :) Their website: http://www.luna.tasman.net/ I don't know if they export overseas or not, but if they do one NZ dollar = about 30 UK pence = about 48 US cents. Check them out - these guys are great! Blessings - Mermaid

Kaz	06 May 2002
kiama, they leak as much as regular tampons i guess. i don't have problems with leaking. they probably leak as much as pads? who else uses keeper or alike and can add some comments??? kaz

Jeanette	06 May 2002
Oh, my goodness, I had a hysterectomy 3 yrs. ago at the age of 38 and have forgotten what an annoyance all of this was!! I wish you well, Kiama, with your search and commend your eco-friendly approach!! Along with all of the other ladies of like-minded thinking who have shared their experiences and recommendations. I still feel the moon (I kept my ovaries) each month, but just not as strongly as before the surgery. I always started my period during the full moon, my husband thought I was definitely a "lunatic!"

jakyle	06 May 2002
Now Im gonna have that U2 song in my head all day! I used to "wear diapers"all the time, because I didn't want to put anything up or in either. Went to the beach one day,though,and everything changed.....I didn't have a pad, and Michelle only had tampons.....(sounds like a certain commercial?) I'm telling you that day changed my life for forever. Tampons seem to shorten my "monthly friend," as well as make me feel cleaner...You just have to try them. Make sure you put it in correctly=then you won't even feel like you're wearing anything at all... Why couldn't mother nature have this problem the other way around? I wish that the only time that you would get a period would be when you became pregnant. I would go a full 9 months of bleeding instead of all these years. It would save you money on pregnancy tests too! You wouldn't HAVE to WORRY you MIGHT BE preggers, you would automatically know.........sorry talking to muchhhhhh

Nightwalker	06 May 2002
I will admit to never thinking about using an alternative to paper and plastic, yet I was a firm believer in cloth diapers. I liked the idea of being able to reuse. So why not for myself? I checked out the links that Jade sent in and like the idea of the Keeper but am a bit hesitant about using something new. I think the old adage "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" probably applies here. LOL Here in the states there is a new form of protection for women that is similar to the Keeper yet you use it and throw it away. It looks more like a diaphragm/dutch cap. But here you also run into the use it and throw it away philosophy. I would also like to know how those of you who have made your own cotton pads did it. What did you use for a pattern, a store bought pad or did you just wing it? (no pun intended)? Nightwalker

Kiama	07 May 2002
Looked at that Keeper website... I'm almost totally convinced... But I can't find anything on there which says what they are made out of. I am allergic to latex, and basically anything in condoms, whether or not they are latex-free, so can anyone enlighten me on what is in these things? Kiama

jade	08 May 2002
kiama, i would email the people on the website and ask them! yes it does leak when i bleed really really heavy but otherwise no it doesn't and all the "before childbirth" people i know that use it have no leaking problems at all. as for the pads......i just winged it LOL i thought about what i wanted in a pad and made one. tried it out, loved it and made more. in light, jade :D

funkpuss	11 May 2002
Hi I've found a place in London about 20 mins walk that sells them for £30 it's worth it in the long run. Thanks Funky

Kiama	16 May 2002
Well.... I have been doing more research about the Keeper Cup... (Saving my money for it... £30 for one seems a bit steep, it nearly a week's wages for me....) I was told by quite a few people that it leaves you more open to infections... Anyone enlighten me here? Kiama

Aerin	16 May 2002
Kiama, I found this FAQ on the keeper site. I think it says somewhere in here that they have latex in as well, just scroll through the FAQs.... http://www.thekeeperstore.com/faq/#uti Aerin ps also found this site http://www.Menses.co.uk. If you type in keeper menstrual cycle into Google and click the UK only button quite a few UK suppliers come up. All seem to be c. £30 though.

Kiama	16 May 2002
Oh... It contains latex, so I can't use it.. Thanks for that site link Aerin... I am a bit gutted... It looks like I'll have to go for those cotton pad things after all.... Thanks for all you help everyone who has replied! Kiama

Sam	20 May 2002
this sounds cool! :cool:

Mermaid	20 May 2002
If you're interested in the cotton pad option Kiama, did you check out the website I posted a while back? These folk sell sets of 3 pads for about 9 pounds 50 (you'll need at least 2 sets though,) or they might know someone in the UK who makes something similar. It's worth a shot anyway, it sounds like you're having trouble finding something where you are? Jade - That was really creative of you! Could you tell us a bit more about how you made them to give us sewing cabbages some clues? :D I like the sound of making my own, but I really wouldn't know where to start! Love

jade	20 May 2002
start with a pad that you like to wear...........trace it out on a piece of paper and use that as your pattern, except make it a bit bigger for shrinkage etc. i make mine like a long rectangle with flaps (wings) so that they stay in place cause i don't like using snaps, i find them toooo uncomfy. they seldom stain and if they do it doesn't really matter cause no one but you will see them anyways LOL i hope that helps all you cabbages out there LOL love jade

Kiama	20 May 2002
I think I will do what Jade suggests... Making them myself sounds pretty good.... I can get the Terry towelling from th elocal Mothercare shop. (I LOVE Mothercare! You get to play with all the kid's toys in there! :D) Of course, I won't be doing this unti lI'm living in my own place in September... I don't think Mum would be too happy washing my pads! Jade: Roughly how long do the pads last? Are they durable? Kiama

Kiama	20 May 2002
Mermaid: I have been to the site link you gave me... I am still pondering though. It all seems pretty expensive, and I am wondering if it will be cheaper to make them myself. Although I doubt making them myself would give me adequate protection! This is a big things to consider... I will have to think. Thanks for the link! Kiama

jade	20 May 2002
i made my first pads about 7 years ago and i'm still using them!!! so ya, i would say that they are durable! :P love jade ps i use thick flannel......like diaper quality from the sewing shop nearby. but i bet terrytowel would work too.

Kiama	20 May 2002
Thanks Jade! I'll be putting my hand to this in the very near future! Kiama

jade	20 May 2002
let me know if you need any help :D love jade

Sam	18 Jun 2002
this is only one more reason that i am greatful to be a guy!

tigerlily	20 Jun 2002
Eeek! A man has sneaked in you're not supposed to be here, while we discuss wimmin mysteries ! :D Kiama, I *have* to ask: what *is* the Victorian way? And may I say eeeeeewwww to the keeper?

Kiama	20 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by tigerlily Kiama, I *have* to ask: what *is* the Victorian way? Basically, LOTS of material which ws attached as if suspenders would be to suspender belt, then washed... And, if you were in service, you employer would inspect them every month to check you weren't sleeping around or pregnant... YUCK. They are basically like Hammocks. Kiama

lunalafey	20 Jun 2002
might as well wear a cloth diaper!!;) come to think of it, I believe that there is someone locally(to me) making them. I will go into a couple of shops in town and see what I can find. If this is a reality; who wants them? and how many?

jade	20 Jun 2002
there are many women who use cloth pads, keepers and sponges too. they are readily available on the net or at most health food stores :D love jade

Mermaid	20 Jun 2002
I got mine last year and I wouldn't ever go back to paper products after using them. They just feel a lot kinder to the earth, and they really are suprisingly comfy. (OMG, I sound just like an infomercial! I'll shut up now! :D) Thanks Jade, I think I might borrow a sewing machine from varsity next time I'm bored and give that a go. Yours sound pretty much like the ones I have already (except mine all have snaps on - fine except for when I go biking. Eeeek!)

jade	21 Jun 2002
i know this is waaaaay more info than any of you wanted but it was sooo funny too. today we were out frog hunting. we have one frog in our pond (in my back yard) but we want a companion for him/her so off we went with a net and a bucket. well, patience is a virtue when frog hunting, let me tell you. i was walking around with my three year old, exploring etc when i realized that my (homemade flannel) pad was gone!!! OMGoddess, where was it.....up my back hahahahahahahahaha so off into the bushes to straighten myself out. hehehehehehehe what would i have done if i lived in the big city heehee love jade

floracove	25 Jun 2002
I'm sorry I could not help but to giggle at you gals! I know I came in a few days later, but this place really blows my mind! Terry cloth works good and diapers that have been refurbished work good too... I also want to add that my sister nearly died from the noraplant she had before they (dr's) figured out what was wrong with her...and removed it and they were growning into her muscle tissues...(don't ask me how) I have no idea. And tell you a story, My step brother and step sister were visiting us a few years back and me and my brother were doing the ''swing" with them in the kitchen and all of a sudden my pad fell onto the floor! Thank God/dess that I had just changed! It was terribly embarrassing, but we all died laughing! So there's YOU something to laugh about!!! And SHAME on you Sam!:)

floracove	28 Jun 2002
I just found a link some maybe interested in... http://www.menstruation.com.au/ they have "pleasure puss menstral wear" & "sea pearls tampons" Just thought I'd let you know... *hugs*

The Eco-Friendly Sanitary Wear thread was originally posted on 04 May 2002 in the Chat board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Chat, or read more archived threads.