Menstrual Cup

A menstrual cup is a small, bell-shaped cup worn inside the vagina that collects menstrual fluid. Menstrual cups are a reusable, hygienic, healthy, convenient, and an affordable way to deal with your period.

Being that the average woman menstruates an average of 40 years of her life, disposable pads and tampons add up to be a big cost (on average $100-200 per year) and even bigger strain on the environment. Billions of pounds of disposable feminine hygiene products end up in landfills every year (a tampon takes appoximately 6 months to decompose while disposable pads and plastic applicators will last indefinitely) and even more end up in our sewer systems (around 80% of women admit to flushing tampons down the toilet... something that any plumber will tell you not to do! An astonishing 75% of sewage backups are caused by flushed feminine hygiene products).

Menstrual cups are nonporous and most are made from medical-grade silicone (one cup company uses natural rubber and another uses TPE, or thermoplastic elastomer). This means that menstrual cups are the only feminine hygiene product that can be truly sterilized (cups can be washed with antibacterial soap or even boiled). They also don't have the problems that are associated with tampons such as leaving you feeling overly dry (tampons don't discriminate in what they absorb), leaving fibers behind, and wicking outside fluids such as water (when swimming or bathing) and urine. Also unlike tampons, menstrual cups have never been linked to TSS, or toxic shock syndrome.

Cups are the most convenient feminine hygiene option as they eliminate the need to buy tampons again. They are also great when travelling as valuable suitcase or purse space won't have to be occupied by pads and tampons (essentially, garbage). Another plus is that they can be worn when you're not on your period. This is convenient because you can insert the cup before your period starts to avoid any surprises. Yet another added convenience is the fact that cups have a much higher capacity than tampons. Even on the heaviest of days, it is unlikely that the cup will have to be emptied more than 3 times.

Using the cup takes a little practice as well as trial and error. Insertion is done by folding the cup into either a C-shape or pushing an edge of the rim into the cup (this is called the punch-down fold, see picture below). Once inserted, allow the cup to open back to its original shape and then guide the cup so that it sits comfortably. With a finger, circle around the cup to make sure your cervix isn't sitting outside the cup. For removal, simply pull the cup down (either by the base or by its flexible, silicone stem which can be easily cut off if preferred) until it's possible to push in a corner of the rim. This will break the seal it has created and allow the cup to come out easily. Dump the contents into the toilet, rinse, and reinsert. Rinsing isn't necessary every time so feel free to skip this step if you are in a public restroom. The cup should be emptied at least every 12 hours. At the end of your menstrual cycle, the cup should be thoroughly cleaned either by boiling or by washing with antibacterial soap. Some cup users even soak their cups in a heavily diluted hydrogen peroxide solution at the end of their cycles.

Cups range in price from $15-40 and with care, will last several years. There are many (around two dozen) different brands on the market, the most popular being the Diva Cup, the Mooncup, and the Lunette. Most cup companies offer two sizes, a small size and a large size. The small size is intended for young women with light periods that have never given birth. The larger size is intended for older women, women with heavy periods, or women that have given birth. The difference between the two sizes is just a matter of millimeters, so don't fret too much about needing a large vs a small size. A cup can be worn on its own or in conjunction with a cloth menstrual pad for added security.

FleurCup in black, stem removed

'Punch Down' fold used for insertion

Humorous, yet informative video

Cloth Menstrual Pads

Cloth menstrual pads, also known as "mama cloth", are reusable, comfortable, and absorbant. They eliminate the need to ever purchase disposable pads, which in turn creates less waste and decreases your spending. They are also a very healthy option, as disposable pads contain various chemicals, fragrances, and plastics which can irritate the skin and prevents the skin from being able to breathe. There are many different styles, colors, absorbancies, and fibers to choose from (typically cotton or bamboo) and many templates and tutorials available online if you want to try your hand at making them yourself. Even if you are not a pad user, cloth menstrual pads are still a good option to use in conjunction with a menstrual cup or tampon.

If you opt to purchase cloth pads rather than make them, you will find that they are expensive. I'd say on average, they are $5 per pad (some are more, some are less) and it's recommended to have anywhere from a half dozen to two dozen depending on how often you are able to do laundry. Some of the big names in cloth pads include Lunapads and GladRags and (I think it's important to note) both these companies do their part by donating pads to impoverished girls in Africa (I'm sure you've seen the disposable pad commercials about sending pads to Africa. I never understood how sending packaging and garbage to areas of the world where clean drinking water is hard to come by makes any sense at all). Another place you can buy cloth pads include many of the cloth diaper venders along with the hundreds of independent sellers on Etsy.

Nearly all cloth pads secure with either a snap, button, or velcro closure. Some pads contain a waterproof backing such as PUL (polyurithane laminate) or a water-resistent backing (such as fleece). They range in absorbancy from light (pantiliner) to heavy (postpartum and overnight).

If you are currently cloth diapering a baby, it is recommended to wash your pads along with the diaper laundry. Otherwise, many cloth pad users either hand wash their pads or will wash them along with a load of towels.  

Bamboo pads by Bububibi

Homemade pantiliners

Homemade Glass Cleaner

I've been using homemade glass cleaner for the last two years now and it is every bit as good as the store bought cleaner and is a fraction of the cost. I keep my cleaner in an old store-bought glass cleaner bottle to make it all the more obvious as to what's inside. Now, onto the recipe!

I suggest mixing the ingredients in the spray bottle you'd like to use as this saves time. A funnel is very helpful for this. Also, if your bottle is exactly a quart (32 ounces), you won't have to measure out the distilled water. Simply add the alcohol, ammonia, and the tiny squirt of dish soap to the bottle then fill with distilled water.  

• 1/2 c. rubbing alcohol
• 2 tbsp ammonia
• 1/4 tsp dish soap
• 3 1/2 c. distilled water

Complete Cloth Diapering Guide

I absolutely love cloth diapers. I love that I'm not contributing to the 7.6 billion pounds of diaper trash that ends up in landfills each year (in the U.S. alone) that will take up to 500 years to completely decompose. I love that I'll never run out of diapers and be forced to make a last minute trip to the store. I love that I'm not puting harsh chemicals against my baby's skin. Harsh chemicals like dioxins which the EPA recognizes as being highly carcinogenic. I love that cloth diapers don't smell (I find that disposable diapers have this nauseating chemical-like smell to them) and even though I hate doing laundry, oddly enough I love doing diaper laundry (I find it satisfying). Best of all, I love that I'm not spending a ton of money on what is essentially garbage. 

I get asked about cloth diapering a lot and what I've found is that some people decide not to do it because they wrongfully believe that cloth diapering requires a huge upfront investment. The truth is, is that it really depends on what kind of cloth diaper system you decide to use. The method I chose, prefolds and covers, is among the cheapest and most versatile methods available. 

Cloth nursing pads

I was perfectly happy using the disposable nursing pads by Lansinoh but after I calculated that I was paying approximately 13 cents per pad (2 changes a day = $15/month!), I went on the hunt for a cloth alternative.

Off to the store I went where I purchased the only cloth nursing pads they had in stock. They were from Medela, they were lumpy, and I leaked through them in minutes. Needless to say, I went back to disposable pads while I broadened my search. I wasn't sure what I was looking for but I decided that if my daughter can wear a waterproof cover over her cloth diaper, that I should be able to find a cloth nursing pad with a similar waterproof cover built in. I came across some waterproof pads by Bamboobies that sounded good, but I wasn't about to spend nearly $10 per pair. Right when I was about to bite the bullet and purchase from Bamboobies, I found the waterproof bamboo nursing pads by BubuBibi. Each order includes two pair of nursing pads in your choice of print and ships for free. They average out to be just over $2 a pair! I have 16 pairs of these and I wash them along with my regular laundry. They are very absorbent and very cute!

BubuBibi waterproof bamboo nursing pads

Homemade laundry soap

I set out to find the perfect homemade laundry soap to use for cloth diapering and what I ended up with was soap so good I use it for everything. This is a pretty strong statement as I used to be a devoted Gain user. This soap also works wonders on cleaning bathtubs and removing stains from clothes. For stains, I like to dissolve a little bit of soap in a bucket of just enough water to cover the clothing item and soak overnight.  Now, onto the recipe!

The contents of my laundry room cabinet.

 

• 6 cups Borax
• 6 cups Washing Soda
• 3 cups Baking Soda
• 1 bar Fels-Naptha, grated

Mix well and keep in an empty ice cream bucket. Use one tablespoon per load or two tablespoons for heavily soiled or large loads of clothes. It really doesn't take much of this stuff to get your clothes clean since it lacks all the fillers commercial laundry soap has. I like to leave a measuring spoon in the bucket at all times to make life that much easier.

Turning one gallon of milk into two!

In search of finding ways to further decrease our spending at the grocery store, I came across this little trick. Being that I'm not a big milk drinker and only use it on cereal and in recipes, I was willing to give it a try and potentially ruin a perfectly good gallon of milk. I was shocked by the results and can honestly say that I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between reduced fat milk and this stuff. Please keep in mind that since this involves watering down the milk, it will decrease the nutrients and calories per serving, making it a poor beverage choice for children. 

You'll want to start with a gallon of WHOLE milk and an empty milk container. 

Divide the milk among the two containers. No need to be completely accurate. Just use your eyes to determine whether or not they're equal. 

Add one teaspoon of sugar and one half teaspoon of salt to EACH container. Top off both containers with cold water, replace caps and shake.

Now, sit back and enjoy the fact that you have just created a second gallon of milk for free. Take that, increasing milk prices!