feminine hygiene, homemade products

[Gilberts_Wifey]

Okay... I have not seen any posts on this but I have wondered what would I do in the situation that I can not afford the money it costs for myself and my daughter every month when the economy tanks. I have seen some make them yourself products. Has anyone done this? If you have, how well do they work for very heavy flows? What pattern do you use and what ever else I could learn from your experience? Please share

[johnjmw]

A while ago I heard there was a reusable sponge product on the market. Being a guy I noted that it was on the market but didn't look into it. What did they do before store bought products were on the market?
John

[Gilberts_Wifey]

They used rags of material. There are instructions for making them. I wonder how well they work and if anyone has the instructions for ones they like.

I also found this ( thekeeperplace.com ) anyone know about these. Called the keeper

[harvester]

nope, ill spend my 5 bucks a month...lol

inho, theres a time to be frugal, and a time not to..

[Gilberts_Wifey]

Wow 5 bucks, I wish. Between myself and my daughter its more like 30.00 a month. I am glad I just have one daughter. I am stocking up now so that I have a big supply but thought that if anyone had a pattern that I could make some and give it a go.

[indyguy]

this is WAY too much info for a guy............... LOL

[Trina_S.]

http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/natural_woman_products_feminine_hygiene_washable_p ads.htm

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/sanitarypads.htm

Try these two links the second one has a pattern for pads.
This is an issue that I too have thought of.

[denham]

I bought a couple of pairs of flannel pants on sale at goodwill. Cut the legs across and cut up rectangles of old towels to put inside. Sewed up the sides and sewed a line down the middle to keep the towels in place. Works except for the very heaviest day.

I've heard of people who buy waterproof material for the bottom of their homemade pads (such as a discarded baby mattress pad or whatnot) so it doesn't leak through. I have not yet but if I ever run across one I will do it.

I bought a keeper, it is useless for me. Leaks/uncomfortable. I wish I could sell it but I don't think anybody would want it now!!

[MotherCharlotte]

Hi Gilberts Wifey,
I have used cloth pads for many years now. Originally I purchased quite a few from www.lunapads.com, and spent quite a bit of money--although, they have paid for themselves and then some since then. These pads are made from cotton fleece--very soft and comfortable. They have cotton wings with snaps, and a piece of nylon inside the pad to prevent leaks.

After having used cloth pads for so long, I would never go back to paper pads! Cloth is so much more comfortable, and although it's a bit weird at first rinsing them and washing them, you get used to it fast.

However, when it comes time to replace my pads I'm sure I'll just save a bunch of money and make my own. I realize that the fancy bought pads I got aren't necessary. Really, there aren't any rules for this sort of thing. Just use whatever absorbent cloth you have handy.

Somebody just gave me a bunch of old flannel blankets, and I think I might turn some of them into pads. No need to follow a pattern. Probably I'll sew some rectangles as many layers thick as my machine can handle, and just use more than one of these pads for the heavier days. *

You can also sew polar fleece onto the back (from any fabric store) as this material keeps the moisture from soaking through.

Hope that helps. :)

[Gilberts_Wifey]

Thank you for all the replies. I have polar fleece as well as flannel. I think I will try them with the overnight pads I use for a shape guide to start. I think that in the end this helps the environment as well as my pocketbook. I do not know how my daugher will take to it. But I can always just make some for the just in case storage. thanks again!

[Katrina-Sisu]

Homemade pads are wonderful. I'd suggest using colored material because they tend to get stained. Diaper material is very absorbent and great if you have a heavy flow.

Kat

[Gilberts_Wifey]

Good idea, I am going to wally world and will pick up some cloth diapers for the inside layers. They are the one last place to purchase good old cloth diapers that know of

[harvester]

ewwww hahahahhaa. well this whole thing just sounds too iky to me. but thats just me. someone mentioned the bottom of an old matress or something? hahahaaa omg! i think id rather stuff a rabbit down my pants..lol..i guess im just too picky about what i put between my legs...hahahahhaa.
but on the other hand i cant stand the feeling of wearing a diaper so i dont use pads. Im trying to put this off as long as i can untill old age forces me into depends..hey, what about depends?
but hey, whatever works for ya works for ya. me, ill go without my pepsi, my chips, ill make my own mayo and bread and butter and cheese, ill bypass commercial cookies and lunch snacks to make up the difference for a sterilized product and ill stick to my commercial corks..hahahhaa

[MotherCharlotte]

Good idea, I am going to wally world and will pick up some cloth diapers for the inside layers. They are the one last place to purchase good old cloth diapers that know of

There are lots of places online where you can purchase good old fashioned cloth diapers (called prefolds). If you buy them in a store, make sure they are 100% cotton, because sometimes the ones in the store are not 100% cotton, because they will say looking "nicer"--but they aren't as absorbent.

For what it's worth, unbleached cotton diapers are more absorbent than the bleached ones (since the bleaching process damages the cotton's fibres).

[Gilberts_Wifey]

Well I did two things this week regarding this issue. First I made three cloth pads with removeable liners from old flannel pj's that were black with pink bows and purple with hot pink plaid so they wouldnt show stains and I ordered a diva cup. I got the diva cup and pads finished just in time to use for my monthly. I actually forgot I was even on my period today. I used the diva cup and had no issues at all with it. It was comfortable and easy to use and it cost me 20.00 on amazon, it will be used for years and will pay for it self in just the one months use with the amount of products I have to use. I think that I will only need light to medium cloth pads with the diva cup. So I used a pair of old veluer lounge pants and made four layer insert pads and put a layer of the flannel baby waterproof pad on the bottom. I just sewed them with a zig zag stitch and had no problems. I used the flannel pj's for the outter shells. Now I just will put a scoop of washing soda in a closed container with water to soak them for daily washing. I think I found a great way to save money and not have to rely on monthy store bought products. I will be getting a second diva cup and putting it in my storage area and be introducting my daughter to cloth pads.

[Kelleysvt]

A while ago I heard there was a reusable sponge product on the market. *Being a guy I noted that it was on the market but didn't look into it. *What did they do before store bought products were on the market?
John
you're probably thinking of the keeper or the diva cup. Try googling either term.

I actually do use cloth pads. I had originally started because I was having alot of irritation from the standard pads after my daughters birth AND because... ahem... they weren't absorbent enough... (AAANNYWHOO). I love them now and would NEVER switch back.

They are pricey but worth it (IMHO) some of the brands are: Luna Rags, Gladrags, and New Moon Pads. You can also find decent deal on ebay as there are a bunch of sellers who make them as a home business. My favorite seller no longer seems to be making them but they are simple oblong pads about the size of a standard envelope but slightly narrower and longer. You sew together several layers of fleece with a layer of PUL (don't ask - I don't know) on the bottom. The PUL is the waterproof barrier and it keeps leaks in. If you want wings you could use one of the above links.

Homemade would be much cheaper than brand names, and ebay sellers would be in the middle. I recently bought some new ones and paid $15 for one single overnight and $30 for a set of 4 standard pads with wings (all from gladrags). The oblongs were $10 for 4 about 5 years ago. I bought some cheaper ones at that time also but wasn't as impressed with them - they were only about 6 inches long and were not made well. The plastic snaps have started to fall off them. If you buy on ebay pay careful attention to the sellers feedback as it will give you a clue as to the quality of their work.

[MotherCharlotte]

A while ago I heard there was a reusable sponge product on the market. *Being a guy I noted that it was on the market but didn't look into it. *What did they do before store bought products were on the market?
John

Yes, there is a reusable sponge. They are called Sea Pearls, and I've bought them in the past. Basically they're just small chunks of soft sea sponge. You rinse them out and reuse. After a few months you throw them out. Apparently women have been using things like that for thousands of years (makes sense).

Before store bought products were on the market, everyone used simple homemade stuff, I guess. Usually made from rags of old clothing. That's where the saying "on the rag" comes from.

[lefty-mi]

I've been using homemade flannel pads for years. I do the pre-wash while I'm in the shower in the morning, then hang them to dry, then throw them in with the rest of the dirty clothes. I fashioned mine kind of after the old belted style, then made a belt out of a piece of elastic. I put a snap on the bottom so I can put more flannel in for heavier days. I've been really busy lately and my daughter, who is 13, flows very heavy at night was making, ahem, a real mess, so I ordered from www.reddyspads.com. It just about killed me to pay the big bucks for something that I could have made, but sometimes ya just gotta do what ya gotta do. A little post script--the belted kind don't move around at night, making for less unpleasant suprises in the morning.

[Katrina-Sisu]

We used to have a section in our linen closet for old towels that were used when 'heavy' times were happening with our monthlys.

If you get a big beach towel you can tuck it in over the bed and it really helps with the messes. I don't miss those years at all.

Kat

[homesteaderbelle]

I am a cloth pad user. Cloth pads, if made with the right materials, are much more absobant than disposable pads. Cloth pads are also much, much more comfortable than the scratchy, intchy, paper like disposable pads from the store.
Disposable menstrual pads are very expensive...and very bad for the earth. Disposable pads are not very healthy either.

When I started making my own cloth pads, I used a disposable pad as my pattern. I pinned it on some fabric, traced around it, cut around, and sewed. They are easy to make and inexpensive. LIke many people mentioned above, they can be made with flannel, like a old pair of flannel pj's. For a more absorbant pad, you should put something like a layer of a towel or any other absorbant material in the core of the pad. Fleece works as a leak guard, if you want a leak guard, put the fleece on the bottom layer layer of teh pad. Be sure not to make you pad too thick or it will not dry well. For a person with a heavy period, I suggest following a pattern for a pad with underneath liners or add in liners instead of an all-in-one style of pad.

I have been making pads for awhile and I now sell them. You can come and see pictures of the pads I make here - http://homesteaderbelle.blogspot.com/ .

Do a search on the web for cloth menstrual pad patterns. There are a lot of printable pad instructions and patterns on the web.

Belle

[Gilberts_Wifey]

Belle... Great products, very nicely made. I ended up getting some flannel pj's from the local donation thrift store on my military installation where you can go once a week and get two grocery bags of free items and one large carry out free. I got two pair of flannel pj's nicely worn and soft and a pair of flannel pillow cases and a flannel backed water proof crib pad, the kind that does not have plastic the old thick flanel ones and I made some great pads for myself. My daughter who is about to be 13 is not so inclined to give mine a try so I think I will purchase your set for her to try. The more professional sewing job and less "homemade" look to them will hopefully appeal more to her. I have found that the home made pads absorb so much better and are more comforatble. I actually have combined the use of them with the diva cup and only wear the two layer panty liner most of the time. I have now used cloth pads and the diva cup for two cycles and will never never go back. Thanks again!

[homesteaderbelle]

Hi Gilbert's Wifey,

Just send me a pm or an email if you would like to buy a pad set. I have many different print of fabric that your daughter can pick from. My email is homesteaderbelle@yahoo.com .

I hope to hear from you!
Belle

[MelleeRN]

Your daughter might like something called the diva cup. it is reusable, washes with soap and water. It is sort of like a diaphragm. now the diva cup is a name brand item, but you can find the same thing cheaper at Walgreen's