A Cup Half Full

Menstruation might not be considered the best topic of conversation at the dinner-table (from Laura: we do discuss it at our dinner table though, Dave doesn't mind). It is, however, a hugely important subject from an ecological point of view. Think about how many people there are in the world. Now think that half of them are women. Now think about how many ‘sanitary products’ one woman needs per month. That’s a lot of waste that we don’t like to consider.

Fortunately, there’s an opportunity to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. Menstrual cups are silicone or rubber cups that can be used instead of tampons. They hold upwards of 15 mL of liquid and have a lifespan of 10 years. Both us girls at the Prancing Pony are full-time converts to the cup.

Natalie

I bought a diva cup from (the now earthquaked) Piko in the middle of last year. From memory it was around $50, but definitely has paid its way since then. It took a few goes to get the hang of getting it in/out but, like most things, practice makes perfect.

One of the best things about using a cup (as opposed to more conventional products) is that you never have to carry round a box of tampons, and you never have to dispose of the used ones. Not only is this much nicer for the environment (just imagine a mountain of used sanitary products sitting in a landfill – eww!) but it’s a lot better for your wallet too. Paying a lot of money for something you use for a few hours and throw out never seemed logical to me.

They’re also amazing for camping, tramping and other outdoors adventures. When space is at a premium in your backpack, it’s ideal not to have to carry loads of pads/tampons in (and then carry the used ones out).

I also use home-made pads/pantyliners. These are really easy to make, and give you a bit more protection when you feel you need it. I sourced some old nappy flannel from my mum (I think they were from when I was a baby!), but any kind of soft material works well. You can also use polar fleece, for extra absorbency, and a waterproof material to keep things contained.

There are heaps of designs on the net – some super easy, some more complicated. If you’re at all interested, my advice would be to make a few different types and see what you like. Develop your own patterns and don’t be afraid to experiment – after all, it’s your body. And, just for fun, find some funky bright coloured fabrics that make you smile.

Pads are super easy to wash. I usually leave a bucket in the sink with cold water and a bit of soap, and throw the used pads in every day. Then at the end of the week, its easy to drain the water (or throw it on the garden) and chuck the pads into a cold wash. Be warned though – hot water will set the stains (but you shouldn’t be using a hot wash anyway).

Interested? Information a-plenty at http://menstrual-cups.livejournal.com/. Click and surf – there seems to be no end to this particular forum. And there’s a retailer in Chch too – check out  http://www.environmenstruals.co.nz.

Laura

I ordered my diva cup online, and silly me, was too shy to ask anyone about it, so I thought I should probably have a spare and forked out the extra dough for a second one. Don't. I now have a superfluous piece of medical-grade silicone sitting in my undie drawer that I don't need and can't give away to anyone because it's been used...Warning, you cannot use menstrual cups with an IUD. The suction you create pulling out the cup can also pull out the IUD (ouch!).

I assume that if you're feeling squeamish you've stopped reading by now, so you will get no further content warning.

It does take a bit of getting used to, and I must admit that while I like it, I'm not as excited by it as some people who shall remain Sharon (I promise, it's a pseudonym, really!). I find it uncomfortable to wear when I'm sore, but it's great for the rest of the days. The best part though, is you won't get any yeast infections because some genius decided to put chlorine in your tampon which killed your good bacteria and allowed yeast to colonise the area. It does take a bit of practice to get it in the right spot, so make sure you have a pantyliner.

Speaking of pantyliners, they are really simple to make. Like Natalie said, get some flannel. Your Mom might have some, or your Grannie, or you might find some flannel sheets at an op-shop, if all else fails go buy some at a fabric store. Even non-organic cotton is better than throwing away all those pads every month.
1. Fold your piece of fabric in half, then cut out as many 16 cm diameter circles as you can. Each circle should be two layers of fabric thick.
2. Put your sewing machine on a zigzag stitch and sew around the edge of the circle to stop the fabric from fraying. If sewing by hand use a blanket stitch, but I recommend a machine for better fray-stopping power.
3. Snaps are easiest for the next step, but a button and a bit of string will work too.

a. If using snaps, punch half the snap into the front of the circle near the edge of the fabric, and the other half into the back of the circle at the edge directly opposite the first snap half. If you lay the circle down it should look kinda like this ( . ). Use your immagination to connect the parentheses into a circle; the period is a snap. The other snap is on the opposite face, about here: ( ' ). When you close the snaps together you should get a tube shape (not a tear drop), try it, you'll see what I mean.
b. If (like me) you're too lazy to go out and get snaps, then find some soft string and a button for each circle. Sew a button on each circle in the same place as you would a snap (see above). Fold the end of your string in half  so it makes a loop like a U with the upright parts touching. Put the loop on the opposide side and face from the button (same place as the second snap above),  with the loop bit towards the edge of the fabric. Sew the string to the fabric. If using a machine, sew across both strands a few times near the fabric edge, but leaving a big enough loop to get the button through. Then sew an hourglass shape over the straight (not looped) ends by sewing back across the string at a 45 degree angle, straight across a couple times, then back to where you started with another 45 degree line of stitching. Trim the ends of string and you're done.

I could go on and on about how much more comfortable cloth liners are (I'll NEVER go back!), but someone else has already written it all here http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/11/make_your_own_pad.php

So there you go - Hopefully the Prancing Pony-esses have convinced you to give cups a try, or even just consider the alternatives.