View Full Version : Simple feminine hygeine - help!
Gardenarian
1-24-11, 6:27pm
Hi everyone -
My dd will be starting her menses soon (she has had a little spotting) and I'd like to start her off with non-disposable products. Sadly, I never did this myself, so I don't know what is the best route to take. (I'm just about through menopuase - it's been 6 months.)
She will probably use some disposables during the day (she is in gymnastics, swimming, etc.) so I would also like some info on the healthiest, greenest products for that, but for night use I'd like to get her started on a cloth product.
I'd love to hear your experiences!
Don't have any advice about cloth, but make sure she doesn't feel pressured at all to use a particular type or brand. I remember at that age I was VERY sensitive to mom's opinions and the whole situation in general and had lots of trouble with using certain brands in public. I probably wouldn't have been able to use cloth at night either. It took years to get things working adequately in that department, re: brands and methods.
I used sea sponges as tampons in college - don't recommend them. Then I made my own pads from t-shirt fabric. They lasted for awhile, and this was in the 70's. Finally, I bought some from a woman who made them from flannel. I'm 55, and used washables almost exclusively starting at age 19 until menopause (which is AWESOME, btw, love not having periods any more). Some day I'll bury my no longer needed pads in the garden to rot away and keep the worms happy. The last set lasted for over 10 years. Here are some websites for washable pads. Yay! I'm so glad you're going to turn your daughter on to being eco-concious.
http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=cloth+menstrual+pa ds&search_type=handmade
http://www.naturallycozy.com/washable-feminine-napkins.html
If she's comfortable with the idea of tampons, I highly, highly recommend the Diva Cup. It takes a bit of learning and, um...stretching, to put it in and seat it properly, so it may be better when she's older. It's a little gross to clean and took some getting used to, but I love the fact that I only have to take it out twice a day and it's sanitizable and reusable.
I would start on something that she feels is the best and simplest. Probably tampons. Now later on, when she is over the worst of the embarrasment of the whole thing I would approach with other ideas and let her decide.
I think it is too sensitive a time to go into the choices. Just my 2 cents worth.
NancyAnne
1-24-11, 10:42pm
http://www.natracare.com/default.aspx?CultureId=en-GB
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Organic-Cotton-Tampons
http://www.gladrags.com/
http://www.jadeandpearl.com/catalog/index.php
Perplexa: If she's comfortable with the idea of tampons, I highly, highly recommend the Diva Cup. It takes a bit of learning and, um...stretching, to put it in and seat it properly, so it may be better when she's older. It's a little gross to clean and took some getting used to, but I love the fact that I only have to take it out twice a day and it's sanitizable and reusable.
Ok, this is TMI to the max and only being posted because I had a glass of wine with dinner >8) . . . . assuming you're in a home/private bathroom, pee on the thing. It's a whole lot less mess to clean up a diva cup and your hand with a little pee on it than the alternative.
I'd agree, it's probably not the best for a young girl just in terms of size and skill. A tampon or sea sponge is probably a good introduction to using a diva cup, but once you get there it's fantastic in terms of no-waste. For the very beginning, a set of reusable pads from Etsy might be a really neat mom-daughter initiation gift. :)
As far as tampons: http://www.natural-living-for-women.com/organic-tampons.html
Wildflower
1-25-11, 3:21am
Geeze, do NOT start a very young girl out on tampons, diva cup or cloth either. I started my periods when I was 11 and there is no way I would have known enough about my anatomy at that age to insert a tampon, diva cup, and know when to remove it or how to take care of it. Just get her some of those junior size little thin pads and start with that. Cloth can get pretty gross too if you don't know when and how to take care of it. Give her time and let her get used to her changing body before introducing her to these other more complicated methods. I remember at that age that just remembering that I needed to change a pad was enough. I found the whole thing disgusting and embarrassing, and I sure didn't want to discuss it with anyone at that young age. Didn't even attempt to use tampons until I was 14 years old. Just my 2cents. YMMV
Give her time and let her get used to her changing body before introducing her to these other more complicated methods. I remember at that age that just remembering that I needed to change a pad was enough. I found the whole thing disgusting and embarrassing, and I sure didn't want to discuss it with anyone at that young age. Didn't even attempt to use tampons until I was 14 years old. Just my 2cents. YMMV
I agree with this. I didn't start using tampons until after I had sex, and I didn't start the diva cup until after I had babies (though I could have started earlier....I just didn't know about it). There is no way I could have used a diva cup as a young teen. There are organic cotton disposable products available at places like Whole Foods, and advise her to stay away from scented products no matter what brand. Otherwise, just teach her the basics with easy-to-use products. Later, when she is ready, give her some more options that she can chose on her own how she wants to handle her hygiene.
Everyone's different. I had loads of information about my body, how it was organized and what it was doing, quite familiar with my anatomy by the time I started menstruating, and excited about the whole thing. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. In spades. I HATED pads from day one and referred to them as diapers. Bought my first box of tampons at 13 and never looked back until I started considering the idea of doing away with disposables.
jennipurrr
1-25-11, 4:20pm
I am another pad hater here...absolutely could never stand them and starting using tampons in my early teens. I think presenting your daughter with options is best, and maybe openness if right now she is not comfortable with a reusable product. I imagine there may be some embarrassment in the whole storing of the used pad at school/backpack, etc.
This is probably a TMI question myself, but I am wondering now...I prefer to use "teen" tampons but I can use regular if I have to...do you think the diva cup would work for me? Maybe I need to wait until after I have kids, heh. Right now I am on medication that makes me not have a period so it is not really an important thing...just wondering about the investment.
Obviously it's going to be a pretty daunting time for her, but I think with the proper guidance (i.e. yours!) and information, she could manage with non-disposable products.
As a teen, I also abhored pads and stopped using them as soon as I could. Although you may want to suggest she start with cloth pads, make sure she knows what other options are available in terms of reusable products. Wildflower does make a good point in that for many girls it takes a while to get used to the 'experience' and be comfortable dealing with it. I remember I would go to the bathroom every hour or more just to check I wasn't staining my pants :/ (TMI?!). I can't envisage many teenagers who would be ok with carrying around blood-soiled cloth pads in their schoolbags so they can be washed at home.
I have been using a Mooncup (http://www.mooncup.co.uk) for the last seven years and I only wish I'd found out about it sooner! However, as Perplexa says, they can be fiddly and take a lot of initial experimentation. I know some women don't like them because of the amount of blood you come into contact with or that they're tricky to clean in public or that they can't quite insert it properly... these are all minor things that can easily be overcome. There's a blog post out there in Internetland somewhere that has photos of a bunch of different menstrual cup folding methods. I might try and seek it out.
treehugger
1-25-11, 5:26pm
Geeze, do NOT start a very young girl out on tampons, diva cup or cloth either. I started my periods when I was 11...
This is definitely not a one size fits all situation. You know your daughter and probably have a pretty good idea of what she can handle. I agree with others that options and information are good. I started my period at 11 and my mom told me I would be too scared to handle tampons so I better use pads. Um, OK. Really, she just didn't want to deal with instructing me how to use tampons. I instantly hated pads and for my second cycle, I "stole" some of Mom's tampons, read the instructions, and used them ever since (well, until I discovered the Keeper 7 years ago).
I've used tampons since my first period at 13- when the toxic shock scare came (in the 80's?), I would use pads at night and HATED THEM. It was so awkward trying to just change a tampon at school when we only had 4 minutes between classes, I can't imagine cleaning something or even storing it away for later washing when I was already stressed about getting to class on time.
My only nod to eco consciousness in this area is to use a tampon without an applicator. Its better than zero.
I guess I'm the opposite of most; never got the hang of tampons. And needed back-up protection when I did use them generally. Junior high was the worst. Never proper breaks between classes and a half day was just too long to avoid stains. Ugh - so glad that's over. At least now I have a method of dealing with the whole thing. And just would refuse to take a job where I couldn't take a brief break every hour or two.
I went through a few on and off stages (very brief stages) where I tried/used tampons, but pads were my thing. I'm put together "larger" than average and pads just worked/work for me.
I was a disposable pad user right up until my last child was born but after reading an article about reusable cloth pads, I decided to order a sample pad and give it a try. I loved it! So comfy and natural. It gave me a real appreciation for how comfortable my kids were in their cloth diapers.
When my oldest daughter started menstruating I started her off with basic disposable pads. It can be a traumatic time for a young girl adjusting to the newness of it all, so I wanted her to be at ease with it. Then (slowly) I introduced her to cloth pads and although her reception to it was less than enthusiastic at first, she warmed up to it overtime and began using cloth while at home. From there it progressed and although she relies on disposable pads for school, cloth pads are her favoured choice. Youngest daughter uses cloth too. In our house it's a "mom/daughter" thing. (So proud to be like mom sort of thing).
I would ease your daughter in slowly, then once she comes to terms with and accepts her monthly cycle for what it is, I think that would be time enough to gradually introduce something different (cloth). I'd be afraid to bombard a young girl just starting out with the whole menstrual cycle thing with cloth. Reusable pads are simple and easy for those who are well adjusted to monthly visits, but for the new I suggest keeping it basic and simple for now.
Gardenarian
1-26-11, 5:31pm
Wow! Thanks for all your feedback and advice!
DD is very comfortable talking about this (she is 11.5) and would really like to try the cloth pads at night to "save the trees" as she says. She is discussing this with her friends, though none of them are actually menstruating yet.
I do think she'll start with pads. Because of her sports, I think she is going to want to move onto tampons pretty soon. I didn't even think of checking at the health food store for organic ones! Doh! She asked me to get her some so she could "practice" before the big event. I do want to get the cloth ones for night-time and I figure we may as well start as we mean to go on.
Thank you so much for all the links! I need to get onto this right away.
Um... on the tampon thing... I *thought* I would be able to use them when my period started - late, at age 15 or so.
However, I was a virgin, and thought it may not be the same for all, tampons were EXCRUCIATINGLY PAINFUL to remove once they had expanded. I think I tried twice then gave up entirely. I can only imagine the pain of Diva Cup - though it probably wouldn't even have gone in.
Mental preparedness doesn't help at all if your body doesn't cooperate.
Gardenarian. One issue related to cloth pads my daughters (and myself) had a hard time adjusting to was the bulkiness of them. They are thicker and bigger than typical disposable paper pads, so trial runs at home are a good way to get used to them.
I must say, I love how so many of you can have comfortable, open discussions about this with your daughters. I wish it had been like that with my mum!
treehugger
1-28-11, 12:10pm
I must say, I love how so many of you can have comfortable, open discussions about this with your daughters. I wish it had been like that with my mum!
I wholeheartedly second that! My mom gave me a Dear Abby pamphlet to read (after the fact) and that was that. I just remembered recently that I started my period during an impromptu overnight stay with my future step-mom and step-sister (Dad just dropped me off there, with no overnight things, as a way to meet them!).
Now, obviously it's not my mom's fault that my period started then, when I was 430 miles away from her, but it scared me so much, because I didn't know what was happening to me. I was not prepared *at all* So, I just kept throwing away pairs of underwear (I had to "borrow" clean ones from the near-stranger who would be come my step-mother) until I flew home the next day and then, finally, got up the courage to tell my mom something scary was happening to me. *sigh*
I'd like to add that if she is going to try out tampons or even use them before she has a strong flow, you should recommend that she uses a lubricant to insert them. One of the problems with tampons is that they can become uncomfortable and really dry out the lining of your vaginal wall if your flow isn't heavy enough (making insertion and removal painful).
That's why, when she's a little older, she may be interested in a device like a diva cup. Mine has been life changing and I would never go back to anything else. You can even insert it a few days beforehand and it doesn't ever dry you out. Plus, you can always have it with you and feel prepared without needing lots of materials. The challenge is inserting it since it is rather...large. :)
Hi Gardenarian. Was perusing a few old threads and happened across this one. Do post an update when you can. :)
i'd be interested to know how it goes too.
i was a sporty kid (and i'm a sporty adult), and i still never wear tampons of any sort. can't do it -- just can't! so, i've always done pads and just skipped out on swimming those weeks!
anyway, an alternative to tampons that hasn't been mentioned is the Diva Cup. a lot of women who like tampons, but don't like disposing, etc etc etc, LOVE the diva cup and tell me that it's way more comfortable than tampons, and more comfortable than cloth pads. :) so there you go. tampon alternative.
oops~ i just realized that it was mentioned two threads up.
anyway, probably why i didn't do tampons was because as bay mentioned -- i just couldn't insert the things in my first few, and it hurt, so i just gave it up.
I don't think, as a young teen, I would have been ready for tampons or reusable pads, which I hadn't heard of then. For the past 5 years I've been using cloth pads and will never go back to disposables.
These are OK: http://www.punkyspads.com/ They come in fun fabrics and if she and her friends were all involved in the 'green thing', it could turn into a sort of fashion collectible thing. Of course they're not as thin and leakproof as disposables but a huge improvement over the giant surfboard-sized belted ones that were available when I was young. Lots of SAHMs making these in all types of fabrics, styles and sizes.
It is a bit of a learning curve, since they would have to be stored away if changed while in school, and washed at some point, so maybe better if used while at home. Tampons are much more convenient but a 12 yr. old might not be comfortable using them yet.
it's so funny, because when i was 14 (and got my period), it was 1990, and i wanted alternatives, but couldn't find any, and then when i found some (gladrags), my mother wouldn't let me get them. LOL it wasn't until 1997 that I actually got some (3 yrs into uni -- what was i waiting for?). . . and i've worn them ever since. i'm on my second set now -- luna pads -- which also come in fun colors. i have a funky pink-orange-blue-green flowers and paisley on a bron background set. :D
My late mother came of age in a time when there were no disposable products. Decades later she still remembered the utter embarrassment of coping with transporting and washing reusables.
Personally I found the diva cup to be quite an advanced skill. I never had any luck with pads at night, it always ran over the side. If it were me, I'd be inclined to have her start out using whatever her friends do. That way they can compare notes and build up each others' skill and confidence. After all, she'll have decades as an adult to use reusables.
My DD is almost obsessive about "green" and "natural" feminine hygiene and because she has not found a reasonable solution, she continues to destroy her sheets and mattress pads--I think it's totally gross although I admire the motivation. She refuses to use tampons or pads, and she says she doesn't like real "rags" because they smell.
So, thanks for this thread--I'm going to forward her the links to her.
mine don't smell, so i'm not sure what she means. :) unless she means the smell of blood, etc, which is pretty normal, but no one else (apparently) can smell you when you use them.
i have a little case that they are transported in, but i find that my flow is light enough that i don't need to change them during the day. morning, evening is when i change. keeps it simple for me. :)
My DD is almost obsessive about "green" and "natural" feminine hygiene and because she has not found a reasonable solution, she continues to destroy her sheets and mattress pads--I think it's totally gross although I admire the motivation. She refuses to use tampons or pads, and she says she doesn't like real "rags" because they smell.
So, thanks for this thread--I'm going to forward her the links to her.
Reusable menstrual cups all the way!
I can honestly say I never heard of non commercial products till a few years ago. I now have switched to cloth for most of the days needed. I wish I would have found out about them years and years ago. When money was really tight, cloth would have been a great thing. I will say though there would have been no way I would have used cloth when I was a teen. It was embarrassing enough to sneak into the store to by tampons back then.
Originally posted by Ctg492.
I wish I would have found out about them years and years ago. When money was really tight, cloth would have been a great thing. Isn't that the way although. Being unaware of options and then one day (out of the blue) you happen upon something new, causing one to wonder how they ever got by without it/them.
My last child was a baby when I learned about cloth pads, but it's funny, because having always diapered my kids in cloth, reusable/washable diapers stared me square in the face every single day (for years), yet not once did the thought of reusable cloth pads so much as cross my mind. As a visionary type, I tend to beat myself up over such things. i.e. Failing to recognize options/alternatives.
Re: embarrassment surrounding buying feminine hygiene products in my younger days, I can relate. Thank goodness, mom stayed on top of it and did all the buying. :) Thing is, back then, everything was so different. All things personal were so taboo, so secretive and hushed, so naturally, a level of discomfort came with the territory, today however, society has progressed. Thank goodness!
Mrs-M, I guess that is correct taboo of personal things.Back in the 70's I do not really remember seeing ads like today for all the personal stuff, except in girl magazines like Seventeen which is where I learned most my personal stuff. Today many of the ads bother me, as I feel they are way too personal. But I guess that is better then how I had it. Nope my Mom never bought anything like that for me other then the first few times. I would take my paper route money and go to the corner store, scan the area and run to the counter, too silly when I look back. Then again I remember the big bra fitting event at the local dept store, tape measurer and all by the lady. How things have changed, somethings girls are luckier at now.
Ctg492. Re: Seventeen, talk about a walk down memory lane! :) Seventeen, was a girls best friend back in my teenybopper days. I also feel that some things have become much too personal/TMI nowadays, but like yourself, I favour that side of things as compared to the old.
I don't recall any sort of brand selection available for pads back in my beginning days, but even if there was, mom always and only bought Kotex brand pads, and those came in a large, plain-ish white/blue cardboard box, and the pads were the size of disposable diapers! Small wonder a newcomer to the scene felt so awkward and sensitive towards the buying issue. And, of course (courtesy of sporting a teenybopper mindset), the though never once crossed my mind that umpteen millions of other women (40 and under) were buying them! :laff:
Gardenarian
11-21-11, 5:09pm
Update: DD is now fully through menarche. She is using 7th Generation thin pads during the day, and homemade cloth pads for sleeping. (I had a torn flannel sheet that I used for this.) She does have a certain amount of leakage at night - I bought her some dark underwear and a dark purple bedsheet for her moon time. She is kind of into the whole ritual of putting on the purple sheet.
Also in the old days - no Naproxen for cramps! What a godsend it was for me when that became available in the early 80s. I'm so glad that dd will never have to go through that agony. It was way worse than childbirth for me. Yay for Aleve!
Gardenarian. Thanks for the update. So glad to hear your daughter didn't opt out of using cloth. You can put an end to leakage by making a waterproof outer cover/wrap for the cloth pads. Here (http://www.simplysoftdiapers.com/Ss4inonepadset.jpg) is just one of many styles you can make for cheap. (So easy)! Far left picture.
You can make the cover/wrap out of thin waterproof material (alone), or you can fashion the cover out of 100% cotton and line it with waterproof material to give it strength and longevity.
I used a couple of old pairs of baby rubber pants to made my covers/wraps out of, and they've held up wonderfully. A quick hand-wash/rinse when needed, wipe to dry, reuse!
A quick trip to your thrift store would more than likely reward you with all the waterproof material you'd need. i.e. (Baby rubber pants, a vinyl bib or two, a plastic baby change pad, or even an old rubber crib sheet). If you want to get even more serious, you could opt for waterproof nylon.
If your daughter finds that the pockets on the cover aren't enough to keep the pad secure, a couple of small strips of Velcro could be added to either end of the cover and pad for extra measure.
MTRachel
11-28-11, 12:52pm
Another resource would be: "The V Book, The complete Book on Vulvovaginal Health" (stating "Your private parts should not be private to you") Great book by Dr. Elizabeth Stewart on lots of things we don't normally talk about :). Nice to have on the bookshelf if she has questions...
mamalatte
11-28-11, 3:31pm
Totally agree with mira about how wonderful it is for mothers and daughters to have comfortable and open discussions about this. Also really like what kib had to say: "I had loads of information about my body, how it was organized and what it was doing, quite familiar with my anatomy by the time I started menstruating, and excited about the whole thing," and Gardenarian's reference to "moon time."
My own experience was that I had very little info except what I learned in school and the whole thing was totally embarassing. In my family we never talked about body parts, sex, etc. With my own kids, we are much more open about all that, but I must say I am somewhat stumped about how and when to bring up menstruation. My daughter is eight and I would love for her to have more information long in advance of when it first happens, or even to be "excited" about it, which would be SO different than my own experience. I especially like the idea of tying the whole thing in with the moon. I also loved how the whole experience was such a special time for women to be together as described in the book "The Red Tent."
Can anyone give me some hints on how to go a different direction with my daughter than what I experienced? What age do you remember learning about your period and what type of language was used? Did the discussion also involve the connection to having babies? Are there any books that make the moon connection? Were the men in the family equally open about the topic or was this just a girls' thing?
Originally posted by Mamalatte.
My own experience was that I had very little info except what I learned in school and the whole thing was totally embarassing. In my family we never talked about body parts, sex, etc. With my own kids, we are much more open about all that, but I must say I am somewhat stumped about how and when to bring up menstruation. My daughter is eight and I would love for her to have more information long in advance of when it first happens, or even to be "excited" about it, which would be SO different than my own experience.My experience was good, as I had both an older sister and a mom who were supportive. As for my oldest daughter, I remember explaining to her why my tummy hurt on certain days and what it was all about, and how she too would one day go through the same. There are many subtle ways of introducing maturing children about real life things- without going overboard, or without adding to the unease or discomfort often associated with personal bodily issues. My best advice to you is to start small, then build from there. It comes together more smoothly than one expects.
fidgiegirl
11-28-11, 6:21pm
It was embarrassing enough to sneak into the store to by tampons back then.
Oh geez, gals, this is reminding me of a very vivid dream I had as a teenage girl. I was in the local drugstore and looking for pads. The shelves were looming way up into the sky and to either side as far as the eye could see. And then! Then! Into the aisle pop Erica and her boyfriend who-knows-what-his-name-was. And they caught me buying pads! Oh! The horror!
Once, my aunt sent my uncle to the store to buy her goods. He got the wrong kind. She sent him back to exchange them!!! Hahahahahahaha! :laff::laff::laff:
Gardenarian
11-28-11, 6:23pm
mamalatte -
I can't remember when I first started talking about menstruation with dd - it seemed I never had any privacy in the bathroom when she was little and it just became part of life! At 8, you dd has probably heard some rumors about "getting your period". I would go to the library and see what they've got - there are lots of good books that you can read together.
I am a member of a number of homeschooling groups, and we have all talked a lot about how to celebrate menarche, coming of age rituals around the world, celebrating the goddess in girls, stuff like that - so it just came about naturally.
Bump.
I just placed an order for these: http://www.dominopads.com/ For those of you who use cloth pads, these are designed a bit differently. I can't wait to get them and use them but using cloth pads isn't something I share with everyone. But these look so cool!!
Tussiemussies
7-26-12, 11:12pm
Hi pony mom, please let us know how these work out. I' 51 now and I think due to hormonal changes my cycle is very heavy so I'm not sure any one cloth pad would work for me. It would be great to switch over to cloth pads though...
Geeze, do NOT start a very young girl out on tampons, diva cup or cloth either. I started my periods when I was 11 and there is no way I would have known enough about my anatomy at that age to insert a tampon, diva cup, and know when to remove it or how to take care of it. Just get her some of those junior size little thin pads and start with that. Cloth can get pretty gross too if you don't know when and how to take care of it. Give her time and let her get used to her changing body before introducing her to these other more complicated methods. I remember at that age that just remembering that I needed to change a pad was enough. I found the whole thing disgusting and embarrassing, and I sure didn't want to discuss it with anyone at that young age. Didn't even attempt to use tampons until I was 14 years old. Just my 2cents. YMMV
I started my period when I was almost 13. My mom always used tampons. I was started out on pads, but this was in the early 80s when you had the horrid thick Stayfree ones that felt like diapers. <shudder> After three months (I was already regular AND heavy), it's been tampons all the way. I don't get what all the angst is about tampons. You simply feel around with the tampon the first couple of times, find the opening, and in it goes!
What was really amusing when I started was that my mom still had the little booklet she'd been given in high school in the late 1950s about "that time of the month." The differences in attitudes were quite amusing. Don't take a bath, don't wash your hair, were what I remember.
fidgiegirl
7-26-12, 11:29pm
Thanks for the link, ponymom. I was thinking of sewing up a new batch of pads - mine are looking kind of tough and I've learned some things about the design that I haven't liked. Maybe I will integrate some of these ideas into my new ones. I also plan to make some little drawstring baggies or envelopes that I can use to transport pads home if using them at work. I tend to use disposables at work but I just HATE them now.
I also need to make another overnight pair of period panties. It IS kind of like a diaper - but it works. And I never stain the sheets anymore, which I used to do EVERY month.
Sorry if TMI for anyone!
Gardenarian, what ever happened with this and your DD? The thread was started over a year and a half ago.
fidgiegirl
7-26-12, 11:31pm
You simply feel around with the tampon the first couple of times, find the opening, and in it goes!
They don't work for me anymore. I used 'em for a long time and then had to give them up completely. It was leaky city all the time. Weird, I didn't have a baby or anything, but something changed at some point along the way. Oh well, such is life.
Square Peg
7-26-12, 11:37pm
Fidgiegirl, period panties? What are those?
Here is a video I just ran into the other day. It seems relevant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLhld_PI2zg&feature=related
Tussiemussies
7-26-12, 11:52pm
They don't work for me anymore. I used 'em for a long time and then had to give them up completely. It was leaky city all the time. Weird, I didn't have a baby or anything, but something changed at some point along the way. Oh well, such is life.
Also interested in the panties too...
fidgiegirl
7-26-12, 11:58pm
Fidgiegirl, period panties? What are those?
I took an old pair of undies and sewed batting (what I used for filling in my pads) and flannel into them super thick over a large area (not the entire panty, like on the sides I didn't sew any) Really, I went overboard on it, but like I said, EVERY month I was having accidents and so the goal was to completely stop this. When I use them I add an additional pad, and voila, no accidents. But they are falling apart. I have to think of a better way to sew them for the next pair, but they've done the job so far. I only need them one-two nights a month (hence the need for a second) but they are holding together ok.
Tip to keep from ruining the bed/sheets, and it's frugal, too! :)
Take a large garbage bag, but don't open it. Lay it flat on your bed, on the side you lay. Add a large folded bath or beach towel on top of the garbage bag. Go to bed! No ruined sheets or mattress from leakage. I remember my mom doing this when I was first on my period, before I switched to tampons.
I've had to do this several times in recent months. The towel goes in the wash, if necessary. And the trash bag gets used for, well, trash!
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