September
2006
Girls Only
By Meredith
I don’t think a lot of guys read this blog, but just in case… be warned. What follows is information about “girl stuff.” Guys, if you’re squeamish about womanly matters, you may want to skip this.
It’s that time of month again. (Men, I DID warn you…) I’ve been wanting to post for a while on the subject of menstrual products, and this seems an appropriate time–for me, anyway–to do so.
Our culture is lightyears from how ancient cultures are portrayed when it comes to our attitudes about monthly cycles. It used to be that menstruation was a rite of passage, a “congratulations, now you are a woman” event that was celebrated. Not anymore! Now we talk about “Aunt Flo” as if she’s the most unwelcome member of any family anywhere.
And with good reason. I used to hate having my periods. The cramping, the facial breakouts, the tiredness, the moodiness, and most of all–having to manage pads or tampons for a week. Not just manage, but BUY them. I resented this part of being a woman. Nice that it means I can probably get pregnant, but considering I’m not all that interested in any more pregnancies at this point, I couldn’t see any other real benefits.
Then there’s the environmental impact of all these pads and tampons. OasisDesign.net figures that every year American women throw away enough pads and tampons to fill up 12,166,166 trash cans! And these products are not biodegradable or recyclable, either. We generate more trash with our menstrual products than we do with disposable diapers, on average.
Plus, there are no regulations on what goes into making these products. Most of them are perfumed and bleached, but not really sterile, no matter what the phrase “sanitary napkins” makes us think.
Not to mention the cost. Spread out over 30-some years, it may not seem like much, but I’ve read estimates anywhere between $3,000-$6,000 spent on pads and other products for one woman’s menstrual lifetime.
This is why I made the switch to alternative menstrual products. I looked around for a while and found cloth pads I really like. They don’t itch, crackle, or shred. They don’t leak. They don’t smell. They come in cute fabric patterns, and are easy to take care of. After you use one, you soak it in plain water for the rest of the cycle. After the cycle, you just throw them in the washing machine and dryer, and then they’re ready for next month. No bleaching, no fabric softener. They can last between 5-7 years.
And to make it even more economical, try a menstrual cup. There’s a couple different kinds. I use the Diva Cup, made from medical grade silicone. Like a tampon, the cup is internally worn, but it catches your flow instead of absorbing it. This means you don’t get dried out inside, and you don’t have to worry about TSS or other infections. I use it along with a cloth pad for my heaviest days, but most of the rest of the time, I can just use the cup. It is very comfortable–I can’t even tell I’m wearing it. And I can wear it for swimming or with thong panties, etc.
There was an unexpected result for me when I switched over, especially to using the Diva Cup. It changed the way I view my body, and how I view menstruation. The Cup requires you to be more aware of your physiology, and it requires you to become more aware of how your cycles work. I have grown to appreciate and even admire the way God made me. How He made us as women. We truly are “fearfully and wonderfully made” as the Psalmist says.
I learned there is nothing “gross” about my monthly blood. It is pure and it is precious to God. I don’t have to hide myself from its reality. I still have some of the other effects, such as cramping, skin problems, etc. but I am trying various herbal remedies and diet solutions to address these issues. And a lot of it has improved as my resentment of my own body has disappeared.
When my daughters reach the age of their first cycles, my plan is to put together a kit for them with cloth pads and a menstrual cup. I don’t want to go as far as some women have gone, where they practically worship their own bodies. But I do want my girls to know that menstruation is a good, God-given thing. Not something shameful.
What about you? Any Divas out there?
Other Links:
The Girls Only by Violet Voices, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Written By: Meredith Efken
Posted under: Women's Voices . 
Email This Post
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I checked this out and after discussing the idea with my husband am off to see if our local health food store carries the Diva Cup–because I need it NOW. Otherwise I AM ordering one online.
He was convinced pretty quick since we have been looking for a good way to cut back on that particular cost.
we have certainly come a long way since I “became a young woman” as was the term lo those many years ago. At the beginning of my cycles it was pins and bulky pads or an elastic belt and bulky pads.
Now, however, I have become an “older woman” in that I no longer have monthlies (something for which I praise my Maker!) How I wish I’d had some of these products back when I was spending all that money.
Good information for my daughters and granddaughters, however. Thanks
>..
[...] And - in other news - have you women ever considered just how much money you spend on and landfills you fill with monthly feminine products? Meredith writes of alternatives. Good information. Sorry it has come too late for this old moose. No, not really sorry at all. I am THRILLED to be past all that. Yay! [...]
Maybe you shouldn’t too proud of your periods. It is after all a reminder that we women are responsible for original sin (via Eve). It seems to me that our periods _should_ be inconvenient.
[...] couple weeks ago, I got an intriguing comment to an archived post about alternative menstrual products. I felt the comment deserved a response, so I’ve decided to dedicate a new post to [...]