Lunapads

Warning, this post may gross you out!

When it comes to my monthly visitor, I generally hate it. Not only do I have cramps, back-ache, tummy issues and bloating, I get diaper rash from the stupid pads! Yes, I do wear tampons at night so I can toss and turn without leaking, but during the day, I use pads. It's a personal preference thing plus paranoia about toxic shock syndrome.

Anyways, one day, I was reading an old post written by No Impact Man about how his wife switched to reusable cloth pads called Lunapads. My first reaction was, 'Ew! That is like reusable cloth diapers, but for grown women!' However, my curiosity was piqued enough that I bought a sample pack from Lunapads.com.

When they arrived in the house, I was very happy with how cute these things are with their happy fabric prints and bright colors. However, I also kept imagining how awful it's going to be when they're soaked in discarded blood and having to wash them. As it turns out, it wasn't as bad as I imagined it.

Okay, so here is my experience with my sampler pack. First of all, these are really, really comfortable compared to the disposable stuff. They're soft and absorbent and they actually stay in place! The best part - no diaper rash! It does look a bit gross when they're soaked so there's no getting around that. At the end of the day, when I'm taking them off, I prewash them with some detergent and then toss them into the hamper or dry them on a clothesline until laundry day. After washing with the regular laundry, they come out clean and ready to be used again. They do shrink a bit in the dryer, but not too much.

Overall, I very much enjoyed using these and have ordered more pads to cover a week. They're not cheap, but at least they don't generate more plastic garbage, they're more comfortable than the disposable stuff, and if you can actually use them for years and years, they'll probably save you money in the long run. Buying pads every few months can get expensive.

Now, if only I can get something to make all my PMS go away...