Going cloth. Period.
WARNING: major TMI alert. This post discusses the use of cloth sanitary products and I am pretty frank about periods and menstrual blood. If you're not really down with that, then feel free to skip this one. I have been using cloth diapers on the mancub for the past 5 months and could not be happier with them. For me two of the major advantages of using cloth are the lack of waste (good for the environment and good for my bank balance) and the comfort for him. Cloth diapers are so soft and cosy, that I suddenly started thinking that I would quite like a piece of that action. Plus the fact that here I am waxing lyrical about the fact that I never throw a single diaper away, yet every month whole packs of blood soaked pads get thrown into land fill. Gross and wasteful. But could I go there? Well I did, and I'm not going back. If you've read my cloth diapering post you'll know that I'm a very loyal Fuzzibunz customer. They are the only diaper I use on my son and I am completely happy with their performance. So when I saw that they also make a washable sanitary pad (the comfort pad) I decided to try one out. There are many other brands of CSP on the market, and I can't offer any comparison, but I would completely recommend Fuzzibunz. Now this is not for the faint hearted. Cloth diapering is gaining in popularity, and although some people are still a little perturbed by putting your babies poo through the washing machine, that is nothing compared to how socially unacceptable it is to put your menstrual blood into the laundry. I haven't told anyone is real life (apart from my poor husband) that I'm doing it, because I realise that to most people, this is one giant bloody step too far. But actually, it's fine. I deal with them exactly the same way I deal with the diapers. I carry them around in a wetbag (usually my son's, unless I'm out without him), store the dirty pads in a hanging pail and then wash them with the nappies (cold rinse, hot wash, cold rinse using Rockin Green detergent). And they don't stain! I was so surprised, but they come out super clean, despite having a white top layer, and I am surprisingly okay with handling my own funk. I guess once you've given birth, you've seen a whole lot of period, and I just pop them off and throw them in the laundry bag. In terms of actually using the pads, they are certainly comfortable. They are made in the same way as many cloth diapers with a top layer of fleece, a core of absorbent Minky and a waterproof PUL backing to prevent leaks. They have snaps, so your can secure them onto your underwear and they stay in place really well. To be honest, aside from having to wash them I haven't really noticed the difference. I've had no leaks and I get pretty heavy periods, and despite them containing no chemicals or deodorisers, they smell no worse than a regular disposable pad. There's not much more to say really, they just do their job, which is all I ask for. So what did I buy? I bought the Fuzzibunz starter kit for £39.95. This contained 12 Fuzzibunz comfort pads (3 panty liners, 6 regular, 3 super) as well as a wetbag. I also boosted my stash with 3 extra super absorbent pads. I wash them with my dirty diapers every 2 to 3 days and this is more than enough to get my through my period. I guess if you were doing this without cloth diapering then you might also need to buy wetbags for in your bag and at home, but I had all that stuff already. So, in short, I would recommend switching to cloth. They feel good, they work well and ultimately they will save me money and do a little bit more to lessen my contribution to land fill. Now I'm trying to pluck up the courage to try the Jam Sponge washable tampon.... Eek! Edit: I've had a couple of comments / messages asking about why I opted for these over a Diva or Mooncup. To be honest, I was worried about how comfortable it would be. I've always preferred pads over tampons and if I do use a tampon I stick a pad in anyways as I worry about leaks. So in short, this was the closest to what I was already doing, but a non disposable option. I think if I wanted an alternative to a tampon, for swimming or whatever, I'd be more tempted to try a sponge, again simply because it sounds more comfortable, although I've heard great things about the Mooncup. Maybe one day...