Where do I get these things from?

Let’s discuss how to buy these products.

1.  Make them yourself.  You can find plenty of How-Tos or Tutorial information out on the internet.  While I’m a crafty person, I’m lacking in the sewing department so this is not even an option for me.
2.  Buy them at a retail store.  I live about an hour away from a major city, so I have slim pickings for these types of things.  Add the fact that with gas prices the way they are, I’m trying to avoid traveling all together.
3. Order them online.  This seems to be how most cloth wearing mamas are going about it these days.  Until this becomes more mainstream, going this route is going to give you more options than any store could.

If you Google ‘cloth pads companies’ you’re going to be bombarded with words like New Moon, Lunapads, Just Fussy, Mama Cloth, GladRags and Party in my Pants.  Who knew there were so many online choices?  Better yet, go onto Etsy and search 'cloth pads'.  You’re going to get even more options!

Online companies seem to be comprised of two types of groups.  There are the Work From Home Moms (WFHM) who started making cloth pads themselves and then started selling them through vendors like Etsy or eBay.  Then you have the bigger companies who have been at this awhile and usually have someone else making the cloth pads.  Many companies started out as WFHM operations and expanded as demand for their products grew.

Trying out cloth pads can get very expensive very quickly.  With so many companies out there its hard to decide which ones to put your faith into.  I suggest reading as many blogs, reviews and watching as many YouTube video reviews as you can.

My decision was to go with a company instead of a WFHM.  While WFHMs products are cheaper, I wanted a product I felt had its kinks worked out.  I also figured if a product was able to have a whole company behind it, sales must be good due to how great the product was.

Based off the reviews and my own personal needs I have chosen to try three companies’ products out because they each make such a drastically different cloth pads.

• Lunapads
• Tree Hugger Cloth Pads
• Party in my Pants

My game plan is now to figure out what to order…

Where to Begin...

The first cloth pads I was introduced to were Lunapads.  I read through everything on the website and I was sold.  I was ready to jump in head first into their starter kit and swear off disposables forever!

This is the worst possible thing I could have done.  There are SO many different brands and kinds of cloth pads beyond the world of Lunapads.  The best advice I’ve gotten from my own research is to TRY as many DIFFERENT TYPE and BRANDS of cloth pads as you can afford BASED OFF YOUR MENSTRUATION needs.  Let first discuss the different types of cloth pads that I’m interested in;

          AIO (All In One) – This is what everyone is already used to with disposables, except it’s cloth.  The absorbency and waterproofing is built into the pad.  You do not need to add or take anything away with this pad.

 Advantages

·         Quick and easy to use

·         Little chance of leakage through the pad, due to the waterproofing

·         The waterproof layer means the flow can be distributed through the pad more, so less layers are needed in the pad - allowing the pad to be thinner and can be less bulky than non-waterproofed pads.

·         Wool can be used as a leak resistant layer to give an all-natural AIO pad.
 

Disadvantages 

·         Can take longer to dry than pads with removable parts, as all layers are sewn into the pad and are not removable.

·         No ability to adjust the absorbency.

·         May have to be more careful with washing and care, as some chemicals and heat can damage the waterproof fabrics.

·         Waterproofing is generally synthetic, and some women prefer to avoid synthetics.

2      B&I (Base & Insert) -  These include a base that typically has little to no absorbency and comes with an absorbent insert that are placed onto of the base.  The insert can be attached with a snap, button, Velcro, are held in place under strips of ribbon / rick rack / twill tape on the ends or have a pocket on the ends that the insert slides into.

Advantages 

·         Quicker to dry than an AIO as the inserts are removable

·         Can change the inserts while leaving the base on, so you can change more regularly to have a fresh pad on.

·         Styles that use pocket ends or tape/ribbon straps can usually be used with more than one insert together, and you can make additional inserts or use face washers etc. to add absorbency.

·         Can be an economical use of waterproofed fabric, as the one base can be used through the day with several inserts.
 

Disadvantages 

·         Have to assemble the pad prior to use (and disassemble to wash)

·         Some styles do not have waterproofing.

·         Styles that have the inserts attach to the base part with snaps will only allow one insert at a time, and only work with their own brand (unless you find other brands with the same size inserts with the snaps in the same position). If you have a style that only works with its brand of inserts you may not have enough inserts to last all day.

·         Inserts usually not suitable for heavy flow, so you may bleed through them quickly, making a non-waterproofed base soiled quickly and losing the advantage of being able to keep it on.

Lunapads are considered a B&I cloth pad.  I need to find an AIO option now.  However!  Hold up!  What do you mean cloth pads come in different fabric materials?  I know about the different types, but now I have more options!  Correct.  You now have a choice in what fabric touches your under carriage.  Reasons for choosing a certain fabric can be for absorbency, cost, stain-resistant, comfort, temperature (warmer vs cooler), laundry needs, or opting for a more natural / organic choice.  Below is a small list of the available options:

• Jersey
• Hemp
• Cotton
• Organic Cotton
• Bamboo
• Velour
• Hemp
• Cotton
• Organic Cotton
• Bamboo
• Synthetic
• Velveteen
• Minky
• Synthetics
• Fleece
• Suede cloth
• Chamois
• Flannel
• Sherpa
• Cotton

At this point I’m more aware of the wide world of cloth pads, but I’m still no closer to figuring out which product works for me.  I need to figure out from whom to buy next….

(For more info on the cloth pads please see THIS site.)

Why Switch Now?

My biggest motivation for switching from disposable to cloth was money.  I’m very money conscious and always looking for ways to cut the fat in my monthly budget.  I estimate that I spend around $60 a year on pads and $20 a year on panty liners.  If you consider that I’ve had my period for 18+ years I estimate I’ve spent around $1440 in my lifetime on these products, not including tampons.  With the prices of everything going up and the fact that I have at least 20+ more years of this, taking initial cloth pad startup into consideration I still predict I could save a lot of money by switching.

While money is my main reason for making the switch there are other factors worth mentioning.

For starters the average woman throws away approximately 16,800 disposable pads or tampons in her lifetime.  That’s around 20 billion feminine hygiene products ending up in North America’s landfills a year!  By purchasing and using just one cloth pad you’re replacing 100-200 disposables. 

Another consideration is that cloth is healthier than disposable.  There are a small percentage of women who can’t even use disposables due to infections or allergic reactions and cloth or menstrual cups are their only choice.  Many women are not aware of the ingredients that go into making their disposable pads.  One such ingredient is dioxin, which the EPA has identified as a ‘probable cancer-causing agent’.

Finally many of the cloth pad company’s give back.  There is one brand that distributes their products to African girls so that they can still attend school because when they are on their period they stay home.  Another brand plants a tree for every product you buy.  You don’t see Kotex or Always donating their time or money to anything like that.

For me, the positives out way the negatives.  Yes I understand I’ll have to clean them, but just as disposables have become a way of life I will find myself into a new cloth routine that will become second nature.

What do you mean I have a choice besides disposable?

My 30th birthday has arrived and with it the 18th anniversary of my menarche.  My period is officially a high school graduate.  When did this happen?!?  It seems like yesterday I gazed down into my underwear to see my crimson gift into womanhood.  I was an early bloomer and remember navigating the elementary halls in my overnight pad because I didn't know any better. My school gave us the 'the talk' of what was to come and a few sample pads.  Including the 2 foot overnight pad.  OK it wasn't that big, but it was awful.  But what choice did I have?  It was all I had and knew!

Flash forward to today and I had this period business down.  Pantyliners everyday, Always ultra thin maxis during menses with the occasional O.B. tampon thrown in for good measure.  There had to be a better way! 

I stumbled across the world of cloth pads when someone recommended a menstrual cup.  That wasn't quite my 'thing', but that same site also carried cloth.  I was intrigued.  You mean there is another way?  I did my research and became very overwhelmed very fast just like I was 18 years ago.  I found youTube videos on starting a 'stash' and cleaning, but nothing to teach me what to do from the beginning.

This is how this blog was born.  I want to document my journey and figure this out so that others will have the information to make a better transition.  So strap on in and hold on tight!  I'm going to share my highs, lows and utter failures during this all for your enjoyment.  So stay tuned!