The first post I read my Jennifer at T-Rex Mom and Dad Tales was about being Un-intentionally green. As I kept on reading her blog I was surprised how many 'green' practices she implements into her daily life because green choices are often healthier, cheaper and more practical.
This guest post was born from an email discussion about the practicality of cloth pads. I am a big fan of menstrual cups, but I find washing cloth pads somewhat difficult. Here is Jennifer's take on why reusable menstrual products, including mama cloth, are practical (and it has nothing to do with being green).
Just before our daughter was born, my husband and I made the decision to use cloth diapers for her. We had a variety of reasons but one of the biggest was a health one. We simply did not want harsh chemicals being in contact with her sensitive parts all day and every day for years. The more research I did, the more I realized most of the feminine products I would start using once my cycle resumed in the postpartum period also contained those harsh chemicals. Chemicals like dioxins which are carcinogenic or cancer-causing.
For a while I pushed this to the back of my mind as I was focusing on balancing the duties of a mother as well as working in the clinic training as a nurse practitioner. During my time in women’s health I began to see several patients who would present to the clinic with pain and redness in their genital region. When taking the patient history most would state the redness and pain coincided with their menstrual cycle. Upon examination I could often see a definite boarder of where the pad rested against the skin. There were times when the symptoms were so severe we would have to prescribe various topical drug therapies or even oral antibiotics because the irritation had caused a secondary bacterial infection. All this from a sanitary napkin.
Patients with these symptoms are offered many interventions including frequent changing of pads especially during heavy flow days and avoiding tight-fitting pants. However, specifically regarding sanitary napkins, they need to know not all are the same. Patients are counseled to avoid any kind with deodorant or odor masking properties, and especially avoid those that might have even the smallest amount of scent to them. There are also disposable pads made entirely out of cotton instead of plastics - they are softer which decreases friction and irritation. Also mentioned are reusable pads or “mama cloth”.
Later after my women’s health rotation was complete I discovered the Diva Cup which is a reusable menstrual cup made of medical grade silicone making it latex free. I have also crocheted some organic cotton tampons which work well, although, you would either have to make these or purchase them from an Etsy shop as I have never seen them commercially available. There are some commercially available chlorine-free tampons, too.
As far as washing my pads, I believe I have it easy as I just put them into the wash with my cloth diapers – cold rinse, followed by hot wash, followed by a double cold rinse. I do rinse them off with my diaper sprayer before putting into the wet bag. I have yet to get a single stain.
Women need to know there are many feminine product options that do not involve use of harsh chemicals and other irritants. I think the key is irritation from those feminine products is more common than we realize. It’s just one of those things we do not openly discuss with our friends or family.
P.S. If you are in Australia and puzzled by what this mysterious diaper spray might be, it is similar to the Little Squirt nappy cleaner we all know.
