Cloth pad reviews wanted - Page 4

[Guava~Lush]

What about Punky's Pads off of Ebay? I just saw those and was wondering....

KMK, i bought a pair of her panty liners. The fabrics are sooo cute. That said, they are too stiff for me. Not very soft and they move around and shift. I couldnt find what are all the materials she uses on her ebay store. I was debating on spending money on her AIO, cause they have wings, but the material just felt too stiff.

I'll spend the $$ some where else, I think.
Too bad for me, but maybe someone else had a better experience.

[berkeleyp]

I am wanting to make the switch but can't afford to all at once so i've been making a purchase at each cycle - very exciting. In October, i got a Diva which I like a lot but can't wear if I'm crampy and prefer not to wear at night. In November I bought one glad rag but i'm not pleased. I don't like the pocket design as I have very light flow. After reading this, I chose my December purchase and just ordered 3 Lotus pads. Can't wait for January to use them. So many of the other companies are not taking orders right now . I want to try homemademama and possibly ama'z and luna.

[zaner'smama]

I have to say I also love http://perfectpads.net/
I've only tried 3 kinds, but these are my favorite. Especially the Panty Protectors which I think are great for regular daytime use (and I have a heavy flow!). I've only used their organics which are a cream color, but no staining after about 6 mos. of use. They are soft and stay in place too.:

[Guava~Lush]

wow, that Perfect Pads website is chock full of all kinds of neat'o info!

[SRHS]

I LOVE my luna pads...and I even just use the liners with my Diva Cup...I sewed some brickabrac in my AF undies so I made my own lunabriefs/bikini's and I just slip the liners under those (one at front and one at back...just liek the pads)...they are FABULOUSLY absorbent...I have a very heavy flow and when I leak I FLOOD...no blood on the undies, just the liners and they are wonderfully comfortable...

[holyhelianthus]

Originally Posted by zaner'smama

I have to say I also love http://perfectpads.net/
I've only tried 3 kinds, but these are my favorite. Especially the Panty Protectors which I think are great for regular daytime use (and I have a heavy flow!). I've only used their organics which are a cream color, but no staining after about 6 mos. of use. They are soft and stay in place too.:

their self exam kit is so awesome!

[browneyedsol]

I've had my Pandora's red organic cotton pads for three years and they are doing great! Love 'em!

[FelixMom]

My tag team combo of Keeper with Lunapads liners have kept me dry since the last three years. No more worries about dirtying the bed linens. And the keeper is the ultimate in being discrete. I only wish I had known about the menstrual cup earlier. I love to gloat at the fact that I no longer have to wait for feminine products to be on sale because I don't need them anymore!

[Siana]

With Perfect Pads, they mention a leak-proof layer, but I haven't found info. on their site that actually says what fabric it is. What is this layer made from? (I'm guessing PUL) TIA.

[Nonie's mom]

I have used Glad Rags both organic and regular for about 10 years. They have served me well and have stood the test of time. I like that you can use just the insert (had a toilet incident just yesterday but it was my own toilet), or you can single up or double up on the inserts based on your flow. The snaps are all intact and work great. I admit, since a pp mentioned it, that after so long they are not soft. That doesn't really bother me.

My only problem (and it doesn't really have to do with the pads) is that I wasn't prepared for post partum bleeding. I did all the research on pregnancy and labor and birth etc. but not (who knows why) post partum. They are definately not protection enough for that. I had to use disposables from the hospital because I didn't have any. When things slowed down enough for the glad rags, I didn't have enough in my stash for weeks of bleeding. I had to use the occasional disposable for laundry days.

On a really nasty side note and probably too much inforamtion.....my dog actually ate one of the inserts for the glad rags and it came out a little moth eaten looking but intact!!! I washed it but had second thoughts about using it!!! :Puke

[jul511riv]

Originally Posted by Nonie's mom

I have used Glad Rags both organic and regular for about 10 years. They have served me well and have stood the test of time. I like that you can use just the insert (had a toilet incident just yesterday but it was my own toilet), or you can single up or double up on the inserts based on your flow. The snaps are all intact and work great. I admit, since a pp mentioned it, that after so long they are not soft. That doesn't really bother me.

My only problem (and it doesn't really have to do with the pads) is that I wasn't prepared for post partum bleeding. I did all the research on pregnancy and labor and birth etc. but not (who knows why) post partum. They are definately not protection enough for that. I had to use disposables from the hospital because I didn't have any. When things slowed down enough for the glad rags, I didn't have enough in my stash for weeks of bleeding. I had to use the occasional disposable for laundry days.

On a really nasty side note and probably too much inforamtion.....my dog actually ate one of the inserts for the glad rags and it came out a little moth eaten looking but intact!!! I washed it but had second thoughts about using it!!! :Puke

Glad Rags are work horses. No doubt about it.Not soft, but last for like 100 years. I've had mine for over 10 years, and they are mostly all good with no stains. Just take care of them.

Also, the overnight ones are fine for post partum. Sound like you had HEAVY bleeding. Go over to the Red Raspberry Leaf Tea thread IMMEDIATELY. I had it too with dd and then had almost NO pp bleeding with ds! RRL is AMAZING!!!

About the dog...funny story but OT: kindergarden boyfriend gave me a ring when I was a kid. I wrapped it up in a tissue and put it on the table to show my mom. Lo and behold it was his moms wedding ring! Oops. Mom said I had to return it but before I could, dog ate it. Pooped it out, we cleaned it, and returned it to boyfriends mom. I was about 7 years old or something.

[MamaDuck24]

Make Your Own

Even with minimal sewing skills, you can make your own.

I used the soft cloth (flannel), made different shapes/sizes, and made a few with a duck cloth lining.

Here's one website with instructions:

http://pacificcoast.net/~manymoons/howto.html . But, basically, it's just a few layers folded over and sewn closed.

My question is, would a teenager use cloth pads, and how would she manage them at school?

[momuveight2B]

Originally Posted by MamaDuck24

My question is, would a teenager use cloth pads, and how would she manage them at school?

I love using cloth pads and you couldn't pay me to go back to paper. I bought a very nice set for my daughter and it was a disaster. Could be just her but she was hiding them under the bed, stuffing them in her drawers, anything to avoid bringing them to the wash. She had a cosmetic style bag to put them in so that she could give them to me to wash. So I asked her what she wanted to do and she really wanted to use disposable. So she does. Her two older sisters use disposable too. I don't really get "it" but I guess at this age they don't want to do anything that is different from their peers.

Pads for teens who choose cloth are managed the same way we manage when we are out of the house. You can keep them in a small cosmetic bag in your backpack or purse. All the pads I have can be folded soiled side in and then snapped closed.

I have a variety of pads. I bought from homemademama and her postpartum pad of hemp is really the best I have found for pp bleeding or heavy flow. The only thing I don't like is that the pads I got from her have velcro closure but I think she now offers snaps. Other than that the pads she made for me hold up amazingly well with no sign of wear after a few years. They are hemp and no staining either. I also have hemp pads without wings that I bought from Little Lambs on Ebay. I find these work best for me as liners with the winged pads or pp pads. I also have some winged flannel pads that are great for light flow days or days when I might have discharge but do not need a waterproof barrier. I made some of my own from fleece and those are super comfy. They don't cost anything at all when made from scraps and since I don't have a snap machine I just sew on a few snaps by hand. I have never had a problem with leaking with any of these pads but personally prefer snaps to velcro. I would not feel secure wearing a pad without snaps out in public and have had the flipping into the toilet phenomena too so that really doesn't work for me.

I wash everyday, no soaking, I just put them in with the towels or diapers and line dry as much as I can and in the bad weather I put them in the clothes dryer. I do not have any problems with staining.

[CarrieMF]

teenagers are funny creatures. Some will use cloth pads fine, others only use cloth at home and then disposables at school, others only use disposables.

[soygurl]

Originally Posted by CarrieMF

teenagers are funny creatures. Some will use cloth pads fine, others only use cloth at home and then disposables at school, others only use disposables.

:
I found that many teens tend to need a while to get used to the idea of something "alturnative" and need a "good reason" other than "it's healthier" and "better for the environment." Of course there are exceptions, but many teens I know are very concerened with fitting it, do nothing "strange," and convienience. Because of this, I've found most "mainstreem" teens are far more receptive to the idea of a cup. The only probably is that it can be pretty hard for some teens to get in at first.

[zaner'smama]

Originally Posted by Siana

With Perfect Pads, they mention a leak-proof layer, but I haven't found info. on their site that actually says what fabric it is. What is this layer made from? (I'm guessing PUL) TIA.

The leak-proof layer is hemp. In their brochure they say hemp holds 3x its weight and is naturally antibacterial.

[kaylee18]

Originally Posted by zaner'smama

The leak-proof layer is hemp.

But hemp (as absorbent as it may be) is definitely not leak-proof...

Also, on the website, there's a picture of a pad with various features listed; it refers to a "signature hemp core" with a line to the top center of the pad; then separately it has a "Leakproof for your peace of mind" statement with a line to the bottom of the pad.

It looks to me as if it has a top layer of organic cotton or other fabric, a hemp "core" and a leakproof bottom layer (maybe nylon...)

[MamaDuck24]

Teen thoughts

Thank you for the ideas and suggestions! My dd is 13, hasn't started her cycles yet, and she's a hider, too. Hides her dirty clothes, hides all sorts of things, so I can see how pads would fall into that category, as well. **sigh**

When I was a teen, I used tampons, and really thing they had something to do with my endometriosis and really awful periods. I used a Keeper for 10 years (until it wore out) but since I had some major birth damage (2 x 10 1/2# babies...) it seemed to leak all the time. I recently started using the sponges, and WOW! do I love them! No leaking, no cramping, no problems. I still have a really heavy day, but it's not terrible.

Best wishes!

[kaylee18]

I was one of those "hider" teens... :

It was just so emBARrassing... underpants and... vagina and... messiness <shudder>

So I hid my undies when they got stained (which was every cycle when I was using sposie pads). And I wrapped up the used pads tightly in thread and flushed them, praying they wouldn't clog anything. This continued until I toured the sewage treatment plant and saw their composting operation and considered that the plastic on the bottom of my pads was ending up littering. I tried tampons but they didn't last long and were painful for me to use.

Things actually got better when I started using cloth (I ordered them myself over the internet and hoped no one would find out what I got in the mail). I knew if I didn't deal with them that someone might find one (oh the horrors!) and that I'd have to get sposies from mom's stash under the sink again, and discard them in the trash, and then someone might see, and know that I was bleeding <gasp!>.

So I developed a clandestine operation involving the bathroom sink (where I lathered them with hand soap and rinsed) and a row of Cool Whip tubs under my bed (I pinched them from the recycling bin and used them for soaking the pads in oxybleach). After the stains were out I rinsed them in the sink again, wrung really well, and hung them to dry under the dustruffle. Thus completely avoiding any possible public viewing of anything having to do with my period. It also eliminated the embarrassing crackling of sposie pads and the sticking-to-pubic-hair torture.

Years later I discovered the Keeper, which I like very much. But I have heard that virgins may find its insertion very painful.

The moral of the story being that if you provide your young teen with a method to clean her cloth pads that does not involve giving them to you, she may do better with them.

[Siana]

Perfect Pads

I don't know of any natural fabric that is water-proof, only those that are water-resistant (please correct me if I'm wrong). That leads me to conclude the backing is a synthetic.

The topping of the pad is also microfleece, which is polyester.

I like the look of them, but the synthetics turn me off. I'd prefer OV topped (soft, wicks moisture away from skin effectively) with hemp inner (absorbent, antimicrobial, durable) and organic wool backed (water-resistant)... yummy all natural pads