Ladies , a reusable alternative to tampons ?

[lateaprildawn]

Hi ladies , this is the very first time i have seen these.

Called moon cups in the uk.

http://www.mooncup.co.uk/menstrual_cup_whatisit.html

Have any of you used them and what did you think of them.

Many thanks,
April

[sbemt456]

April I have read about those and at my house, I will lie cheat or steal to not have to use those.LOL But in reality it would be an economical idea for younger homesteading gals. You could save a lot of money not buying tampons or pads that get thrown away. Sounds like a messy notion at best. If I remember correctly the initial investment was like 35.00 on the web site I saw. I cant see that there would be any thing un healthy about their use. Tell ya what, you can let us know how well they work. ;D

stella

[Katrina-Sisu]

I have homemade pads lol, if you want free patterns to make them just let me know.

The thought of using a moon cup reminds me of a visit to the Crotch Doc (that dreaded visit lol) so I'd rather not use it lol.

Kat

[MotherCharlotte]

I have not used a Moon Cup, but there is a very similar product called a Diva Cup which my mom uses, and she loves it as she was really going through a lot of tampons before. It saves a lot of money and waste.

Myself, I usually use cloth pads, although I also have used sea sponge tampons in the past, like these:
http://www.clothdiapermarket.com/catalog.php?item=129
You just keep rinsing them out and reusing them, and sterilize them at the end of your cycle--then throw them out after about 6 months.

[nancy1340]

They have been around for at least 30 years.

The show Steinfield did a show where Elaine had cases of them she was hording, theres that word again, and Jerry was trying to get her to sell him because his girlfriend wanted some.

[lateaprildawn]

Thanks Folks ;D

I did see that variations seemed to be around for years, but from mail/internet suppliers rather than on shelves in shops.

Sbem456 ...I am totally with you. ;D

Sorry but i have to think of these as "sandbags" holding back the flood, or a plug in the sink !...a bit of a messy option.

An even cheaper and preferred option to moon cups for me would be to do a hand stand for 7 days . ;D

My vote definatley goes to hame made, washable and reusable.
Talking with an elderly neighbour (92) She said they ONLY had home made"sanitary napkins" She was in her mid 30s before the manufactured type came along.

((( ;D She also added shes a bit fed up to be back in them for incontinence reasons at 92...)

Best wishes,
April

[mom]

Thank God I am past this is all I can say.

[denham]

I have used a version of this called The Keeper. Made out of rubber. Cost >$30. Did not work for me. I guess I have a weird shaped...you know. Believe me I tried every which way with that thing and could not keep it from leaking. I'd still have to use something with it which really just defeated the purpose.

I ended up making my own pads with worn out pajama pants and towels.

[crunchycon]

I used a Keeper for years, as well. Saved me, I don't know how much, but it was worth the investment.

[seekeroftruth]

I know! I know! a guy responding to this. But, I read everything. Hey, I have a daughter to. I figure the more I know the better equiped I'll be to handle whatever comes our way.

But I'm responding in reference to Nancy. What Elaine was refering to on Seinfeld wasnt sponge tampons. It was a contraceptive device. It was a small sponge filled with spermicide. Women would put them in up to 36 hours in advance and didnt have to worry about a condom to prevent pregnancy. Supposedly allowing for more sponteneity. She only used them if she considered the man she was with "Spongeworthy" otherwise they had to use condoms.

(i know it didnt prevent disease but that wasnt the purpose of it or the show on it.. lol)

Dont ask how I know all this stuff. Its a long story and would probably offend most of you in here anyway.. But, if you really want to know send me a message and well talk.. lol

anyway.

thanks to you all for keeping a fella informed.

seek

[lateaprildawn]

Hi seekeroftruth,

Thanks for joining in. The idea for this thread was actually from a question from a guy wanting an idea of quantities he needed to store for his wife and daughter.

I do remember the item you mentioned but cant for the life of me remember their name. They were advertised as a disposable alternative for the cap. They were shaped in the same way and being foam were a one size fits all, whereas the rubber caps did come in different sizes and had to be selected by a visit to the doctor.

I used them for a very short time only as i think they were rated as 85% effective, not the sort of odds I was happy with at the time. They of course dont provide protection against STD's .

I do like the line of your thinking thought. Having natural sponges and spermicide in my "ladies kit" does sound a very sensible option/ precaution.

Thank you,
Best wishes,
April

[Pitdog]

They were called the 'Today Sponge' came in packs of 3.

[EarthMother]

disposal pads came from WWII. They were for wounds but the nurses converted them for their personal needs... thus Kotex and we all know we've come a long way from there. My dear little Mother { born 1911} said she and her sisters used rags that they had to wash and reuse. She threw hers away every month and her Mother couldn't understand why there were never had enough to go around.

[onelook]

my mother rationed the things to my sister and me as if they were in short supply, and made of silver or gold. She actually hid them in different places in the house. And if we had a friend over, she had better bring her own supplies.

Let me tell you...We weren't THAT poor. She sure didn't cut down on her smokes and booze. After I got out on my own, I realized they were costly, but good grief...It wasn't as if we 'wasted' them.