The joys of reusable Menstrual products

What a wonderful concept to start with right? Hey, this is what actually inspired the blog so I really do have to start with it.

I was thinking the other day while in a women's restroom how incredibly annoying it is when you're having to unwrap feminine products in a public restroom. It is the ultimate way to announce to the world that you're having your period. Not that there's anything to be embarrassed about in a women's restroom about having your period, however it is just annoying.

Amusingly enough these thoughts were not brought on by my own necessities (though it was that time of the month for me) but by listening to someone else unwrap feminine products. You see, I haven't had to deal with a noisy feminine product wrapper in over a year. I purchased Glad Rags reusable cotton menstrual pads over a year ago and have not looked back since.

I have saved not only the annoyance of unwrapping menstrual products in a public restroom, but also the annoyance of having to run to the store at the drop of a hat because I didn't realize I was out of products and started bleeding early. Or having to somehow discreetly pull the 'emergency' product out of my bags at someone else's home while the wrapping is making the same noises it does in the restroom. I have also not had to spend money on feminine products at all in over a year. Granted the money that was spent at the beginning took at least 9 months to recover, and I could still use a few extra pads, but just to know that I won't be spending $40-$80 every year for the next ten years on pads ... is comforting. I also have a Diva cup (silicone menstrual cup) which can be used for swimming or other activities where pads are not practical or possible, so no disposables for me.

So basically, I was thinking about it all, and all I have to do is toss the used pads in a specific bucket with cold water and a few drops of vinegar or vodka (for stain prevention) at home, then throw them in the laundry with my towels. No purchasing, hiding, disposing, or noisy wrappers. I have the peace of mind to know I'm saving a lot of money, minimizing obviousness of my time of the month, and reducing the amount of waste going to the landfill from myself.

If I'm on the go, I have a cute little cloth bag that I keep in my purse with either my Diva cup, or a pad, or both, and you'd never guess what's in it just by looking at it. As for soiled products ... if I'll be away from home for that long I tend to use the Diva cup, all you have to do is dump the contents in the toilet, rinse it off in the sink (or wipe it with toilet paper) and toss it back in the bag. But as an alternative you can easily keep a zip-lock bag in your cloth bag to contain used pads.

Oh, and as a mother, it's also nice to know that my 5 yr old won't be coming out of my restroom covered in soft squishy absorbent 'stickers'. Or that my into-everything lab-basenji mix puppy won't be digging around in my bathroom trash can for bloody goodness. I have a hard time understanding now why anyone would want to use disposable menstrual products.