Every year tons of disposable menstrual pads and tampons are thrown and flushed away. But there are ways of having a green period; reusable menstrual cups and pads. The reusable pads may be bought commercially or self made, and the cups are available commercially. I will be adding link at the end of this post as to where you get information about these products including free patterns to make your own pads.
However, the cost of these products can be high. A starter kit from LunaPads includes in following : 2 maxi pads, 2 maxi liners, 2 maxi w/wings, 2 maxi w/wing liner, 2 long pads, 2 long pad liners, 75.99 CA for cotton or 89.99 CA for organic cotton. It might seem like you get a lot but how many times a day do you change your pad? And when you can make them yourself for much much less, self made starts looking like a better alternative.
There are patterns available but I found it difficult to find the waterproof backing. So, I came up with the following method that not only gave me a set of reusable pads but also recycled material I already had on hand. Chances are you also have the required materials at home.
The very first thing to do ~ no matter which way you make them ~ is to make sure that the materials are clean. The materials I used had never been used as rags or had stains and I washed everything before and after I’d made them.
Reusuable pads come in 2 pieces ~the pad and the liner that goes inside the pad. For the pad I used cotton socks. I made various sizes to accommodate the various flows. Because you know what size protection that you need, I’m leaving the actual sizes to you. Cut off the top of the sock to the appropriate length. Roll, or fold, the raw sock edge and slip stitch around the edge. If you’re not a sewer, leave an extra inch or two so you can just fold that length into the sock. For heavy protection, especially nights when you move around a lot, I don’t cut any off the sock at all. For the full sock pad, you’ll put the liner in the sock the way you would put it on your foot. This way the inner curve of the heel area will curve against your vaginal area. If you’re really ambitious you could sew a few snaps to close the end.
The liner is even easier. You can make them out of heavy cotton flannel, waffle shirts or toweling. I used all three. You want the line to be shorter than the pad by just enough to fold and tuck it into the sock completely. This part has a bit of trial and error! When you have the appropriate length cut, and width, fold it in on itself so that it slides easily into the pad. Voila! You have a self made pad!
I haven’t bothered to put anything on the bottom to keep it in place ~ they stay in place much better than the others. You can if you like though. Snaps, velcro, it’s up to you. If you do want to have them more attached, I would recommend using underpants that are specifically for your period. Snaps with a pad sounds uncomfortable to me!
How many you make is up to you. I’ve made enough to last one period, but I started with just enough for a couple days and added as time when on. I also keep disposable pads on hand for when I’m out or away.
Make sure you keep them clean. Every time I changed pads, I rinsed off the used one and then placed it in a bucket with water and laundry soap. At night I would wash the pads in the pail completely ~ either by hand or in the washer if it was running anyway. If you have dogs you’ll probably want to keep the pail and/or drying pads and liners in a place that is out of reach from the dog.
Since using my pads I have saved money, helped the environment and had far better protection than any disposable pad ever gave me.
Give them a try!
http://www.mooncup.co.uk/
http://www.stewardwood.org/resources/DIYwashabletowels.htm
