a planet-friendly period

| by Jamie Lynn Dunston | photos by Melyssa Holik
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Why add to the landfill
when menstrual protection
comes in a variety of
comfy, fashionable,
earth-friendly styles?
50
mothering
|
March–April 2010
If you diaper your baby’s bottom with soft, natural cotton, you already know the advantages of cloth
for babies: It’s less expensive, it produces less landfill
waste, and it provides a chemical-free alternative to
highly processed disposables. Like many moms, I used
cloth on my children mainly for their comfort. Spending days and nights surrounded by plastic, paper, and
absorbent gels didn’t sound comfortable to me. In fact,
I’d decided to use cloth on my children even before
we conceived—I’d already discovered the wonders of
cloth for myself.
In my early twenties, I spent as much time
in maxi pads as most babies spend in diapers.
I bled almost constantly, often heavily, and had
to wear some kind of menstrual protection
day and night for almost a full year. Because
the flow was sporadic—sometimes so light I
thought it might actually stop, though it never
did—I didn’t feel safe wearing tampons; I’d
read the dire warnings on the packages about
over-absorbency and toxic shock syndrome. So
I relied on pads, which shifted, bunched, leaked,
and gave me an adult form of diaper rash.
Everywhere I went, I had to carry an enormous purse with backup protection. I must
have tried every kind of disposable pad available; as a broke newlywed,
I tried to save money by
clipping coupons and buying whatever was on sale
that week. But all of the brands
I tried were uncomfortable—
when I sat down, every one of
them shifted, bunched, and rustled.
About three months into my yearlong menstrual period, an old friend visited
from out of state. We got to talking about our
cycles, and she told me she’d recently switched
from tampons to a menstrual cup called the
Keeper. She showed it to me: a small rubber cup
with a flared mouth and a thin, tubular handle
on the bottom, like an inverted bell. A little
research on the Web led me to a mother lode
of websites selling reusable menstrual products,
cups like the Keeper, and washable, reusable
cloth pads. I decided to give it a shot. I felt I’d
at least get my money’s worth—after all, I’d
already been spending hundreds of dollars on
pads every few months. So to get me started,
I ordered a Keeper and a small supply of
cloth pads.
And boy, did that get me
started. Cloth was so much
more comfortable, and the
K
the
eeper
pads were . . . well, cute.
Disposable pads didn’t
coordinate with my
underpants, and
they never featured leopard
print. And cloth
pads didn’t rustle
or bunch up into a
soggy wad of paper
and chemical gels.
Cloth pads also didn’t
shift out of place or leak, as
my disposables had—not even at
night. They didn’t give me a rash. I was
in love.
As I began to talk with friends about
my new favorite products, I was a
little surprised at some of the reasons
they gave for not wanting to try reusables.
Friends who cloth-diapered their babies somehow thought that cloth pads were “too much
work.” But how much work is it to throw a few
pads in the washing machine along with the
dirty towels? Friends who preferred tampons
erroneously thought that menstrual cups
wouldn’t be as reliable. But how reliable are
tampons, especially when they’re full? And
some friends were intensely uncomfortable
with the idea of putting their fingers “in there”
to insert or retrieve cups and sponges. When,
exactly, did we women become strangers to our
own bodies?
Women have been trained and conditioned to
hide all evidence of our fertility and our womanhood each month, and to live in fear of
dire embarrassment should someone discover that we menstruate,
for Pete’s sake. Madeleine Shaw,
founder and co-owner of Lunapads International Products Ltd.,
told me in an e-mail that she believes
that our culture of menstrual paranoia is
Cloth was so much
more comfortable,
and the pads were . . .
well,
.
cute
Friends who
cloth-diapered
their babies
somehow thought
that cloth pads
were
“too
much work.”
But how much work
is it to throw
a few pads into
the
washing
machine
along with the
dirty towels?
Opposite page:
Go With The Flo maxi
pad, by Lilia Designs
Clockwise from top:
A sampling of the designs
available from Lunapads; a
lively pad design from Party
In My Pants; and the Keeper
March–April 2010
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mothering.com
51
Lunapads
Moon Pad Bag with two
separate waterproofed
compartments for clean
and used pads
Organic Lunablanket (no more
stained sheets)
Organic Bikini-style
Lunapanties and maxi liner
Thong
pantyliner
Sckoon
Heavy pad
Decent Exposures
Happy Heinys
Organic pad
Pink Daisy
Organic pads, assorted sizes
(right: the underside of a Sckoon
insertable pad with liners)
Postpartum/
night and
regular pads
Imsevimse
Knickernappies
Small and
medium pads
Stackable
Mama pads
(3-in-1 system
of stackable
liners)
Party in my Pants
mothering
Glad Rags
Teen Kit (includes
pads, liners, oilcloth
carry bag, bath salts,
and informative booklet)
Assorted
sizes and
styles of
pads
52
Organic
assortment
and bag from
the Sanitary
Pads Kit
|
March–April 2010
“very much on the continuum of pathologization
of birth, breastfeeding, sexuality, menopause, or
any of the basic elements of female development.”
She cited the current trend in advertisements for
hormonal birth-control products that promise
to limit menstruation to just four cycles a year as
a continuation of the kinds of ads for pads and
tampons that portray menstruation as “a messy
inconvenience that is best handled by minimizing
it as much as possible.”
But menstruation is a critical part of fertility
that we ought to celebrate. The ability to conceive
and bear a child is a confirmation of our womanhood. Why do we seek to
deny or eliminate
an important part
of that cycle? As
Shaw wrote to me, “In
many cases it isn’t until
we decide that we’re ready
to become mothers that we
kind of wake up and go ‘OK, I
actually need this to work for
me now.’” But fertility is not
something you can put on a shelf until it becomes
convenient—as I learned while struggling with
infertility at the age of 23.
After a year of constant menstruation, I
finally found a doctor who could help me stop
the bleeding and, I hoped, conceive a child. He
told me that I suffered from anovulatory periods, which in my case meant that my
ovaries weren’t releasing eggs at all,
and that my whole cycle was out of
whack. Within
a week, with the help of hormone
therapy, the bleeding had
stopped; within a month,
I was pregnant.
But my love of cloth didn’t go
on hiatus while I was pregnant—not by a long
shot. I used cotton panty liners throughout my
pregnancy, and cotton breast pads while nurs-
D
ivaC up
M
ing. And right after my
son was born, I found
comfort in triple-layered
overnight pads of cotton flannel, doused in a
home brew of witch hazel
and essential oil, encased
in foil, and stashed in the
freezer (see sidebar for recipe). Every time I put one on,
it was a little slice of heaven on Earth.
Cloth pads don’t immediately appeal to everyone. Many of my friends couldn’t get past the “ick”
factor of handling the soiled pads. But to me,
tossing pads in the washing machine is far less
unsettling than throwing them in the trash,
where they must be handled and transported
by many hands besides my own before reaching their final destination, where they’ll take
hundreds of years to decompose. The average
woman will use enough pads and tampons
in her life to generate 300 pounds of landfill
waste. Which option has the highest “ick” factor, again?
Tampons have somewhat less environmental
impact than pads, but the bleaching process that
makes them white produces dioxin, a harmful chemical known to cause cancer in animals.
(Tampons made of unbleached organic cotton or
that are bleached with hydrogen peroxide most
likely do not have the dioxin drawback.)
Many women find tampon
alternatives like the Keeper
(rubber) and the DivaCup (silicone) far more comfortable
than tampons. You can
wear them even on days
of light flow—in my case,
I was able to resume activities
such as swimming and yoga while still
struggling with my year-long period.
All varieties of the menstrual cup collect liquid instead of absorbing it. The cup is inserted
oon Cup
When I had a day job,
I could pop in a cup
during my morning
shower, go to work,
not think
about my
period again
and
until I got home
that evening.
Clockwise from top:
Most cloth pads attach
to panties by wrapping
around the panty and
fastening on the outside
via snap or Velcro.
Panty shown here is by
Lunapads; pad is by Sckoon.
The Moon Cup and DivaCup
are menstrual cups made of
silicone.
March–April 2010
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53
Just fold and go—quick and easy!
from
the ocean
Above:
Most pads, like this one
from Party in My Pants,
fold up into a neat,
tidy square.
Top center:
Perineal irrigation bottles
Opposite page:
Pads by Sckoon
MAGICAL POSTPARTUM PADS
The natural ingredients in these
soothing pads will help reduce swelling and ease discomfort after childbirth. You can use cloth or disposable
pads, per your preference. Here’s what
you’ll need:
• overnight maxi pads of your choice
• witch hazel (distilled extract,
available at drug stores)
• lavender essential oil (not
perfume)
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mothering
|
March–April 2010
had to empty my cup in public restrooms only
a handful of times, usually when traveling. Yes,
you have to put your fingers in your vagina to get
it in and out, and yes, it can be messy. Some
women stash a perineal irrigation bottle, or
peri-bottle, full of water in their purses for use
in public restrooms. I carry a small stash of baby
wipes, which does the job nicely.
If you have a tilted uterus or are
particularly petite, you may find
that menstrual cups aren’t for you.
[For information on how to realign
a tilted uterus, see “Mayan Womb
Massage,” on page 56.—Ed.] Only four months
after my daughter was born, my period returned,
despite exclusive breastfeeding. I hadn’t yet fully
recovered from delivering this chubby cherub
of nine pounds, two ounces, and when I tried to
use my cup the first time,
I found it didn’t fit.
I switched to natural sea-sponge
tampons,
which contain
no synthetic fibers
or dioxin. They’re simply
natural sponges from the ocean that can be sustainably harvested and cut to a size and shape
that holds 6 to 9 grams of fluid (about the same
as a tampon). To reuse, simply remove, rinse,
and reinsert. You can even sew a short length
of dental floss to one end for easy retrieval.
Sponges can be disinfected and deodorized with
natural products such as tea-tree oil or hydrogen peroxide. They last six cycles or more, and
because they’re biodegradable and chemical-free,
they’re a perfect addition to your compost bin.
But the greenest product is the one you don’t
buy. Although many companies and mompreneurs produce cloth pads, the cheapest, simplest,
most ecologically sound option is to make your
own. Having neither an interest in nor enough
aptitude for sewing to craft my own, I’m thrilled
that I can purchase ready-made pads online.
et
g
n
po
seas
Natural sea-sponge
tampons contain
no synthetic
fibers or dioxin.
They’re simply natural
sponges
that
can be sustainably
harvested and
cut to a size and
shape that holds
6 to 9 grams
of fluid (about the
same as a tampon).
into the vagina and held in place by the
vaginal muscles. When it’s full, you
simply remove it, empty its contents into the toilet, give it a quick
rinse, and reinsert—no need to
carry a day’s supply of disposable products in your purse.
It can require some practice
before you can easily insert and
remove a cup, but when cups are
properly situated, many women
find them more comfortable
and more reliable than tampons. If you’ve ever been comfortable using a diaphragm for birth control,
you should have no problem using a cup.
Because cups hold a bit more liquid than the
average tampon, most women find they don’t
have to empty them as often as they had to
change tampons. And because a cup is nonabsorbent, it can be worn longer—up to 12
hours. When I had a day job, I could
pop in a cup during my morning
shower, go to work, and not think
about my period again until I got
home that evening.
Some women who might be tempted to try a
cup hesitate because of the problem of getting
their hands messy in a public restroom. But I’ve
• aloe vera (the edible liquid, not
the topical ointment; look for it at
natural-food stores)
• aluminum foil
On each pad, pour 1 tablespoon of
witch hazel, a dime-sized dollop of
aloe-vera liquid, and 3–4 drops of
lavender oil. Wrap each pad in aluminum foil and store in freezer. Use as
needed.
— J a m i e Ly n n D u n s t o n
am p o n s
However, if you’re more of a do-it-yourselfer,
dozens of patterns are available free online, ranging from absolute-beginner and hand-sewn
patterns to elaborate designs for pads with rolled
seams and removable liners (see Web Resources,
at right). The most economical and environmentally conscious option is to reclaim old cotton
T-shirts, bedsheets, and flannel pajamas that
are otherwise headed for the landfill or the
ragbag, and recycle them into comfortable, soft, reusable pads.
Whether you buy them or make
your own, cloth pads—like cloth
diapers—are good for the Earth
and good for your wallet. If you
use cloth on your children, you
already know that it can also
provide significant benefits for
their health, comfort, and well-being. So what
are you waiting for? It’s time we moms experienced these benefits for ourselves.
D E LTA
In the next room my daughter’s alarm
goes off like a truck in reverse
the stranger
my daughter’s body has become
shuffles to the bathroom
shower to shower
we’re just a stud’s width apart
water from the same tank
drips off us in different slopes
I can only imagine
her wedge of black hair
circles of firm bottom
breasts mature enough
to take a lover
think of her curled over those long legs
shaving around ankles
think of how recently I bent
over the tub edge
pushing yellow ducks her way
soaping her flat, hairless body
in the sink even before that
and first of all the break
of my water splashing her out
into the world
and how I keep drowning
in the pool of her
WEB RESOURCES
To buy:
GladRags All-cotton pocket-style pads and liners, in bold patterns or undyed organic cloth. GladRags also sells the Keeper
and its silicone sister, the Moon Cup, as well as sea-sponge
tampons and the DivaCup. www.gladrags.com
Lunapads are made of cotton fleece in a pad-and-liner
construction. You can stack multiple liners for heavy days, or
wear the pad alone for lighter flow. They also make
underwear with a built-in panty liner, and carry the
DivaCup and other accessories: peri-bottles, carry
bags, and that premenstrual essential, chocolate.
www.lunapads.com
Party In My Pants Is there a party in your pants? These
all-in-one–style pads are cut from flannelette or cotton
in cute prints. Try a panty liner for the cost of shipping
($2.99). http://partypantspads.com
The average woman
will use enough
pads and tampons
in her life
to generate
Additional companies:
Cute Caboose www.cutecaboose.com
Decent Exposures www.decentexposures.com
Happy Heinys www.happyheinystore.com
Hyena Cart http://hyenacart.com
ImseVimse www.imsevimse.us
Jack’s Magic Beanstalk www.jacksmagicbeanstalk.com
Jade and Pearl www.jadeandpearl.com/catalog/
index.php
Kelly’s Closet www.kellyscloset.com
Knickernappies www.knickernappies.com
Lilia Designs http://liliadesigns.com
Maine Cloth Diaper www.maineclothdiaper.com
Mamaclothonline www.mamaclothonline.com
Mother of Eden/Fuzzi Bunz www.fuzzibunzstore.com
Pandora Pads www.pandorapads.com
Puddle’s Place www.puddlesplace.com
Sckoon www.sckoon.com
Snap-Ez www.snap-ez.com
Swaddlebees www.swaddlebees.com
Thanks Mama www.thanksmama.com
300 pounds
of landfill
waste.
To make:
If you’re more
of a
Adahy’s Cloth Pad Patterns This site features four patterns
ranging from simple circular pads to a waterproof, multilayer
pad-and-liner design similar to the Lunapad. It also includes
advice on choosing fabrics and fasteners, as well as instructions for washing and care. http://shewhorunsintheforest.
googlepages.com
Tiny Birds Organic Baby & Family Cloth Pads Detailed,
step-by-step instructions, with photos, for making your own
pads with a sewing machine. These pocket-style pads (similar
to GladRags) can be used with extra liners if necessary. http://
www.tinybirdsorganics.com/organiccotton/clothpads.html
do-ityourselfer,
dozens of patterns
are available
free online.
To see a video of Peggy O’Mara talking
to Lunapads’ Madeleine Shaw, go to www.
mothering.com/links.
Jamie Lynn Dunston writes
while her children are sleeping in Cary, North Carolina.
—MARTHA CLARKSON
March–April 2010
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