Women only hygiene question
 

:o Okay, I've heard about something called Granny Rags to deal with Aunt Flo, but I don't have a clue how to make them. :shocked: Help?

Go to tipnut.com and type pads into search and it will fine you patterns to make.

Screw the patterns and such.

Take the type of pad you like and make your own pattern from normal paper. Add 1/2 inch seam. If you are heavy flow you might need tad more, or just 1/2 inch if you can change whenever you want (like those at home can).
Pick a fabric you like. I find flannel to be the longest lasting softness.
The inside can be old tshirts. I've found they work really, really well. Us ladies here are normal flow to light. So I make two types. All of them long. Super long according to store names. We do don't do wings here and we trim ours slimmer, we don't like the wide pads as they tend to bunch up uneven. Really hate that, creates lumps and leaks.
The inside tshirts are trimmed to size and we use 4 for normal flow and 2 for light. These fit inside the flannel cover (front and back flannel covers).
You can cut the insides to fit the flannel or do them shorter (minus hem) and add a stich down the center once all compiled. (yes, I'm an x-programmer).

Make what your body needs, don't bother with those standard patterns. Unless you need standard. :)

I much prefer a menstrual cup. A lot less work!

I flowed so hard that I finally was reduced to a super tampon and a super pad changed hourly the first three days and then a super pad changed every 1 -3 hrs the next 3 days. Long heavy flow and never anemic. The cramps started hitting me bad in my 40s and I remembered women saying they cramped less on granny rags. I cut some super absorbent "camping" towels into slightly larger than super overnight size, some flannel the same size, and bought a batch of cheap washcloths. Made a burrito of the sandwich and stuffed with flannel and camp towel according to how heavy I was flowing. Someimes that would just be about 4 inches of stuffing. I only wore them at home, not at work, but at home the cramping ceased immediately and the cramping at work, wearing standard hygiene was much less. At first I put a towel down on the bed but I never overflowed my loosely stuffed burritos. But I did continue to occasionally overflow at work wearing standard hygiene. So if you don't /can't sew don't worry, you can fake it till you can make it.

Is this truly a question that should be asked here? Have you not heard of Google? What does this have to do with Homesteading?

Yes, it is a question for here. Pioneer women menstruated, too. :D

A lot of this forum content is aimed at self-sufficiency and doing more for yourself- it is a valid question for a woman to ask if they are aiming at reducing the storebought stuff.

And google is only so helpful if you only 1/2 know what you are looking for- here is good for seeking advice from real people.

Yes it's a homesteading question! It could also go into the prepping or general chat area.

It's part of life, why does it have to be this big secret that people hate to talk about. Gotta make the most of it.

its a great question and has been talked about here on forum several times.


men should be included...its just about life happenings.more men might understand better if things like this were talked about more.

as a crew boss in the usfs i had mostly women crew.so i dealt with it regularly.i shocked them when i went and bought tampons for them so they could pack to go out on a firefighting detail.they were pressed for time to depart so i stepped up....men should IMHO.just one instance of many.

geesh, this is just part of life, even on a homestead. and reducing boughten products that can't be disposed of very well is a super idea on a homestead!

i went even easier--etsy. can get any manner of style you might like. i got a few from 2 different vendors and like them each for different days. i thought the cost was more than fair, and i like using them. the store ones rub. i don't use them for super heavy days, as the ones i got aren't for that, but i'd like to find some that would work.

heres a video from a very modest Hebrew Israelite woman talking about her bug out bag.but she talks about different options for women menstruation.i thought some might find it interesting.hope this helps.

This is a great post. Thanks for the tip on Etsy.

Honestly I've been hoping that the S doesn't HTF until I'm postmenopausal! Which I'm hoping is in just a few years. But I really need to prep beyond stocking tampons.

For those of you who use menstrual cups, how messy are they to change?

I feel it is valid question and certainly warrants friendly and helpful advice. If you don't have friendly or helpful advice, you can certainly just ignore this thread and move on to one of the many others available.

Is it possible to post links to Etsy suppliers?

And I second the cup question. I've seen then advertised but honestly wasn't sure how they worked or how well, or how messy etc.

I think it is absolutely a homesteading/prepping question. Women don't stop having a period when they stop having access to regular stores. If you don't want to use disposable products, then having the alternative is a good thing. Knowing that OTHER women also feel the same and use re-usable products makes women feel more justified in what is a basically good sustainable practice.

I wondered for quite a while if using a cloth pad was better just like cloth diapers vs pampers. Sorry to be icky about it, but with Florida heat and humidity, irritation is often an issue. I think it's a major reason for tampons being preferred over pads.

They aren't really messy at all once you get the hang of insertion and removal. It really helps if your sink is close to the toilet so you can rinse and put it back in if you need to, but it's not a big deal usually.

I have used the cup for over 10 years, and I love it!

I have a moon cup that I have used about 13 years. It's not really that messy. I empty it in the a.m. And then on a heavy day in the afternoon and evening right before bed. On a lighter day, just later in the day and before bed. If you can feel it, it's not in correctly. The tip will need to be trimmed as well. Honestly, other than cramps (if you have them) it'l like you're not even on your period. No blood until you empty it, it will leak if full. There is a slight learning curve. Then easy once you get the hang of it.

I stopped having cramps when I switched to the cup. It significantly shortened my cycle also. I had been bleeding for 7-8 days heavily. When I switched, it changed to 3-4 days of much lighter flow. I would imagine that I was allergic or very sensitive to the bleaches and junk in the regular pads/tampons.

I order glad rags from amazon.com . Free with playing on Swagbucks .com . I earn gift cards. I really like them. Sue

Ye gads - great balls of fire - Helen get me a beer -:buds:

What Joe said!

Wow, I just went on Amazon, the choices are mind-boggling! Too many choices. I'm ordering a Moon cup thanks to the suggestion above, also looks like the least expensive investment.

One more item checked off my Preparedness list!

If you want something w/a "disposable" inside, dried sphagnum moss would work. It holds quite a bit of moisture and has been used for diapers, menstrual flow and for heavily bleeding wounds. I don't know if you need to do any type of prep work to it for bugs or not. I never used it. I never learned about it until after my hysterectomy-otherwise I would have probably tried it.

I think I would go for the cup if it works just as well, for the simple reason of the laundry issue. When I was a young girl I was in a convent school and all the sisters used cloth, they were boiled and came out sparkling clean.

Back to the unmentionables...

I decided to try the "Soft cups" sold in drugstores and Walmart. They aren't made like the Moon Cup, but closer to a diaphragm? Has anyone used them?

Reviews online seemed to say some people have issues removing them, which I don't have at all. But getting them correctly placed seems to take an Act of Congress and a miracle!

Anyone used them? Or should I just go with the regular cups instead? These are comfortable to wear, seem to work very well, ONCE I get them placed properly.

I use a diva cup and LOVE it! I don't have a sink near the toilet so I keep a small squirt bottle of water in the cabinet. I've read that the moon cup is a bit harder (read more messy) because of the thickness of the plastic and the shape, but I don't have any experience with it myself.

Helen's busy changing her pad . . .
 

• • • • •
Go get your own beer!:drum:

Wolfy-hound, I love them. My period lasts about 4 days. I usually use just one and rinse it out twice a day. A single box lasts a long time.

I do also have cotton pads I made myself - I have little sewing experience. They came out great. I used a snap to hold the wings onto the underware. I hate wearing paper pads, so uncomfortable. But my kids get grossed out when they've seen them. Oh well, such is life.

Regarding prepping, I recall seeing this video, was posted by someone here, about a big, burly, manly man speaking about stocking up for his wife and daughters. He spoke about pads, tampons, all aspects. There was no embarrassment, or hesitation. WHAT A TRUE MAN.

Thanks for the feedback. I love them when wearing them, it's almost like not having a period. Normally I have cramps, but this time, no cramps. I went to a tampon for work yesterday... cramps. Got home and changed to a Soft Cup, no cramps. Also, nearly no worries about leakage. No worries, no feeling anything, just really nice.

But getting it in place... oy vey!!! Still a trial! I ordered a different menstrual cup to try, but I'll go with the Soft Cups until then.

I know a few guys that don't even blink at feminine products. My own husband never had an issue picking up tampons for me and even did the same thing for a female co-worker once. Still didn't mean he wanted to talk about cramps and clots...but at least he wasn't squeamish over the products.

I'd like to thank the OP of the thread and all the posters too. I really had been thinking about the idea of trying these alternative products, but never had because there really was no way to ask anyone about them.

Has anyone who has not had children used the cup and liked it? I tried it a few times and had a horrible time placing it. It seemed really huge, could not get it placed properly and it kept turning sideways and leaking. I finally gave up because the ring was just too large and uncomfortable. Really hoping there is a better option out there...The ones I tried were semi disposable and came in a box from some large retail store - I think Wal Mart. I eventually threw them away :(

Sounds like "Soft Cup" which is what I have. I have not had children and it does seem huge at first, kind of a "I'm supposed to get that WHERE?" feeling, and I had the same issues with it turning. Inserting it far enough back and "down" so it goes into place, then you kind of have to 'tuck' it up behind the pubic bone. Then it's set perfect and seems to disappear from feeling.

After about 2 days I guess, I think I'm getting the hang of insertion. I haven't have leakage at all though while wearing it. I'm really determined to figure out using it, because when it's in correctly, it's super comfortable especially compared to tampons.

I have 2 adopted kids, and am in menopause.
I tried it a few times over the years.
No, didn't like it. Agree, it was too uncomfortable.
Also, one mishap in a work bathroom--ack! It had turned or something, and I became fumble fingered (slippery when wet!).,
Used 4,000 sheets of tp on my hands before I could hoist my pants up, and then go to the sink to wash my less messy and tp dotted hands..... at least it didn't get on my clothes!!!
We now return to regular programming.......

The soft cup, 'Instead" brand is the only one I know of that's disposable. It does take some getting used to, but really is well worth the learning curve. I've been using them for over 10 years. I really don't feel it all at when its in. I do have to reset it sometimes, but its not hard to do and well worth the alternative of pads - I did find they caused almost a rash in summer. Sorry:tmi:

The cloth pads were easy to make. I used older tshirts for the inside and some colorful cotton fabric on the outside, with fleece on the underware side with wings and a snap. I made two sizes, liners and pads.

Thanks to this thread I just got a Moon Cup, which came in 2 sizes depending on if you'd had a vaginal birth or not. I have no kids. But won't be trying it until this week, so I'll let you know. The size does not look overly intimidating :)

Sherry, loved your post! That's the kind of thing I'm a little worried about at work, if given the opportunity I will always make the biggest mess possible! And it's a handicapped bathroom so the sink is far away!

Vosey, I almost posted my experiences with it a couple days ago, but decided against it because as someone else said 'tmi'.....
I've never heard anyone else say that they had a bad experience with it; always wondered if I was the 'lonely only'.....

I just ordered the Lunette menstrual cup. Mainly because it looks a lot smaller and easier to use than the Soft Cups, but like I said, I think I'm "getting" how to use those too.

I use cut up sea sponges (have to be REAL sea sponges) instead of tampons. I love them!! If you're close to a sink you can wring it out with water, but if not, I just wring it out in the toilet under me and then wash my hand. Since you insert it moist, it doesn't "stick" or dry things out. One part of a sponge will last 4-6 cycles and I can insert two on my heaviest day.

I tried the Diva cup ( I have kids), but my uterus is very tipped forward and fairly low, so I didn't have good results.

Wow...I did not know all the things a woman can do when on her period. While I grew up in a household of men, who did not mind going to the store for my hygiene products, I would blush to my toes and get them myself. Interesting indeed.

I had such horrible menses that it turned out I was severely anemic, I had fibroid the size of naval oranges, ended up having a hysterectomy at 34. Best thing I ever did....my husband thought I had lost my marbles when I put on white undies and cried.

Great info! I had no idea they did the sizes based on v/b history, or lack thereof. Probably explains a lot.