mama cloth postpartum?

[mercy589]

With my last birth I planned to use mama cloth postpartum, and then it didn't quite happen because I didn't know where to put the dirty pads. My MIL was doing all my laundry and I was too embarrassed to have her folding the pads and asking what they were, lol. So... I need a plan this time! What do you put used pads in??? Any tips on the MIL and washing scenario? lol

[JamieCatheryn]

I put them in a plastic container right by the toilet on the floor, largish red opaque tupperware type thing, I think it was a holiday themed container, I got a lot of them a while back to gift cookies in and had it left. Rinsed before putting them in when I had the chance. I did the laundry myself. My cloth rags were actually cloth flat diapers, so once clean they didn't need explanation, just a birdseye cloth ya know?

[LiLStar]

I just washed them with the diapers. I did rinse them in the sink first, which wasn't much work. just plop it in there, fill the sink, then drain the sink next time i went to the bathroom and put it in the diaper pail. I used prefolds and loved them! they didn't leak, and when i used sposies i felt like i was leaving a trail of blood everywhere i went.

[brightonwoman]

I made a special set of pads--very long, extra wide (I get paranoid about leaks out the front/back esp when i'm in bed...) Anyway, I rinse them in some hot water in the sink when I take them off (hot water gets out fresh blood--just as warm/hot will make a bleeding wound bleed more and cold will help it clot) They come mostly clean there, then I just dropped them in the diaper pail since I was already cloth diapering.
We won't have anybody else here, so it will be either me or DH doing laundry and we both know I use cloth.
My mom knows I use cloth pads, and actually told me that if she'd heard of them pre-menopause she probably would have tried them. My MIL has no idea and I think honestly is slightly ikked out by the cloth diapering, BUT, if I were going to try to explain to someone why I use cloth (and I have explained this a number of times) I would just say that I am sensitive in those areas and the cloth is much gentler on my skin, prevents chafing etc. DH thought the cloth pad idea was gross until I said "basically it comes down to chafing" and he said "say no more!!" I had offered to make my sister some cloth pp pads and she said no, she thought she'd be fine with sposies, and then she had 4th degree tearing and a million stitches and I just took her my pads and said feel free to use them as long as you need. She said in retrospect she really appreciated having something so soft since she'd been so torn up. So you never know, even someone that you figure wouldn't get it *might* get it if you explain it right.

If you're not cloth diapering, then I'd set up a little wetbag or pail and put the pads in that.

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

I'm beginning to get my stash ready. I use cloth pads usually, but I really don't want to invest in big post-partum pads for the couple of weeks that the flow is heavy.

The idea of using prefolds is great. Thank you!