Learn About Healthier Product Options for You and the Planet
With tons of product options, comes an abundance of questions. How do you know which product to choose?
We’ve got your back! We’ve done the work for you: our articles will introduce you to your options, go over their pro’s and con’s and share real life product reviews so you can decide for yourself which option is best for you!
Start with the articles to the right, then check out our other articles and free resources.
Say Hello to Reusable Cloth Pads
by Jenn Marie
When it comes to understanding “that time of the month,” there’s no shortage of confusion among people of all ages and genders. One of the most common period-related myths is that there are only two types of feminine protection available: disposable pads and tampons. In reality, we have tons of other choices! Some of the most popular include menstrual cups, sea sponges, diaphragms, and my favorite: reusable cloth pads.
The idea behind cloth pads is simple: instead of the typical pad made from paper and plastic, cloth pads are made from fabric, allowing them to be washed and reused just like underwear. It may sound strange, but it’s not a new or unusual idea; women have been using cloth pads throughout most of history! It was only very recently, as our society shifted toward a preference for single-use products, that disposable pads and tampons were first marketed to women.
With the popularity and convenience of disposables, why would anyone want to use cloth? Here are just a few of the many reasons… read more…
Lunette Cups: A Love Story
By Andrina Adams
I’ve been using menstrual cups since July 2013, and they’re AWESOME! They’re definitely better than the pads and tampons I used for umpteen years.
Just when I thought period protection couldn’t get any better, I was blessed with the opportunity to try a Lunette Cup…and it was A GAME CHANGER. Before I share why, here are a few facts about the cup in case you’re not familiar with it:
– Up to 12 hours of leak-free protection
– Can’t be felt when inserted correctly
– Can be worn overnight
– Not associated with Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)
– Menstrual flow is captured and held in the cup until you remove and empty it — which means no scent
– It’s reusable, which makes it environment and budget-friendly
* Can last up to 10 years with proper care and use
* One-time cost is around $40 online (including here at www.bepreparedperiod.com), which can save you more than $100 per year.
My Personal Experience with Lunette Cup
I used the Lunette Cup for the first time two periods ago. From the start, I could tell it was quite different from other brands. Here’s why:
Cloth Pads Saved Me!
My periods have always been painful. They’d often force me to miss school, university or work, and if I was caught out in the middle of town I’d been known to lie down for an hour or two in a cubicle of a public toilet.
I got my period on the second week of my honeymoon on a remote island, and I remember feeling scared one night that there was no hospital on the island, because I was in far too much pain for comfort. So they were really no picnic to begin with.
But one month, out of nowhere, on Day 2 of my period I was suddenly gripped with the worst pain I’d ever felt, and I remained in a state of complete agony for the next two days. My husband had to rescue me from work and help me to bed. I couldn’t stand up straight. I couldn’t walk without holding onto things. It was quite scary.
At this stage my periods were longer than they used to be too: I’d gone from five day to eight day periods. So I did some neurotic late night googling, and canvassed opinions from friends, and also went to a proper doctor. It looked to all concerned like I had endometriosis maybe.
The Menstrual Cup: Towards a Period Revolution, One Vagina at a Time
Move over toxic tampons. Take a hike, sweaty pads. There’s a new player in town and it looks like she’s here to stay – 12 hours at a time. It seems women are going crazy for the menstrual cup, a reusable, bell-shaped silicone device inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual blood, and they’re taking it to the web with countless YouTube videos, blog posts and tweets praising its benefits. So what’s all this commotion about?
Throughout its surprisingly long history (early versions of the menstrual cup were patented as far back as in 1932!), the menstrual cup has not been a popular option for period care. Despite several attempts to launch the product in mass markets over the years, it was never able to compete with disposable tampons and sanitary pads. Although it is still a foreign concept to most women, the menstrual cup is slowly claiming its place in mainstream markets. It is no longer a mysterious apparatus only found in natural health stores; the product is now available in some major drugstores and can be easily bought online. An increasing selection of brands is also popping up worldwide: from Lunette, to Mooncup, Meluna, Yuuki, Fleurcup, Sckoon, Ruby, Femmecup and The DivaCup – to name but few.
Diva International Inc., the makers of The DivaCup, one of North America’s most popular menstrual cup brands with over 1 million cups sold to date, have definitely noticed the new trend. For the past 10 years, DivaCup International’s sales have been growing at double digit rates. “In the past ten years we have received great enthusiasm and acceptance around The DivaCup in both natural health and more recently, mainstream markets,” says a spokesperson for The DivaCup.
DivaCups, Softcups, & a Leak Free Life
By Andrina Adams
Until recently, I suffered through heavy periods every month.
On days 2 & 3, I normally had to wear a tampon AND a maxi pad. In addition to this, if I didn’t change that lovely combo every 2 hours, I had the “pleasure” of a major clean-up and possible leakage. — I’d tell you about my pads-only nights; but, I don’t want to make you weep. 🙂
Of course, everything I’ve mentioned so far made me dread, and sometimes skip, work / personal events – especially the ones that required long periods of sitting and / or frequent use of far-away public restrooms…that is, until I stumbled upon menstrual cups on Amazon.com.
MENSTRUAL CUPS – Where have you been all my life?
While checking things out on Amazon one lovely, lazy vacation day, something led me to the sanitary products page. That’s where I saw them for the first time… I’m telling you, angels played harps and sang while a voice (in my head) said, “Behold…the DIVACUP and SOFTCUP.” LOL
TOP RESOURCES
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