Mama Cloth and Vacation...

[DaMajha]

Okay, here's the deal. I am expecting my period any day, and we are going on vacation to disney world on Friday. I've used Mama clothes for 3 periods so far and cannot imagine going back to commerical pads. But, I'm a little worried about handling them in the park. I do okay at work, I just put them in a ziplock, then put them in my soak pot at when I get home. But I'm going to be in the parks all day and am not too keen on washing them in the public laundry mats at the resort.

I've got the diva cup, but I'll be honest, it hurts. It makes me feel crampy and sore. That is one thing I like about the mama clothes, I have very few cramps when I use them.

I guess I'm just nervous about how to handle them in the park all day. Any tips, hints, advice???

[thixle]

You can keep them in a baggie then rinse them in the sink in the hotel (or use the ice bucket to soak 'em )
I usually don't soak mine at all, just rinse out the "heavy" ones.
I've carried many poopy cloth diapers in a baggie in the diaper bag, so.... I'm not very squeemish anymore.

Oh, don't they have family bathrooms? Like at the airport- just a big single bathroom with a changing table and partitions.

You'll be fine

[Annabel]

How long will you be gone for? I'd just hand wash them, hang them to dry and maybe chuck them in the machine for a re wash when you get home.

[DaMajha]

I'm going to be gone for a week, and we will have a friend of my dd's with us (both teenagers). I'm not too keen on advertising how I handle my period, and I guess I'm nervous about how to deal with the cloths discreatly. At home, I have a really pretty soak pot that no one would ever even notice. My family is completely comfortable with me using the mama cloths and the soaking, washing, hanging to dry that goes along with it. If it was just us, I'd hand wash them and hang them to dry, but I'm not sure what to do with someone else's child with us.

[annak77]

Hello!
I also am very shy about my cloths when out of my home.

If you are needing to wash them out while travelling, I do know that they dry much quicker when you roll them and squeeze them in a dry towel, you may wish to bring a dark colored towel for that purpose, just in case. (Several times would get much of the excess water out).
? Wash them while you have private bathroom time, wring as much water out as possible in a dry towel, and put them in a cloth-lined open ziplock. Clothlined to absorb more of the wetness, and open to keep them from spoiling?

If you have a plentiful supply, and don't need to wash them, maybe a giant ziplock will do nicely for you until you get home? I don't use a soaker pot, I just fold them and store them until my cycle is finished, they've been fine for a week and a 1/2 or more if I'm pushed for time and can't get to them.

Lingerie Bag: Those mesh bags for bras & panties to keep them from getting jumbled in with the rest of the clothes. I've put mine in there for wash (can't dry mine in the dryer though) and no one's the wiser!

(In the beginning, when I soaked, I left my soaker pot for too long and it was nasty smelling. They all washed out nicely though with no permanent damage, so I would think that they could handle a week's worth of dampness in a ziplock bag. Damage to my nasals though - I never soaked again.)

Diva Cup: I've got a different brand, and I cramped more than usual too for the first days while using it. When I emptied it, the cramps went away entirely and then when I started cramping again, I would empty it right away to relieve them. That phenomenon was only on the first couple of days of my cycle. Not sure why.

Have an Awesome Trip!!!

[DaMajha]

Originally Posted by annak77

Hello!
I also am very shy about my cloths when out of my home.

If you are needing to wash them out while travelling, I do know that they dry much quicker when you roll them and squeeze them in a dry towel, you may wish to bring a dark colored towel for that purpose, just in case. (Several times would get much of the excess water out).
? Wash them while you have private bathroom time, wring as much water out as possible in a dry towel, and put them in a cloth-lined open ziplock. Clothlined to absorb more of the wetness, and open to keep them from spoiling?

If you have a plentiful supply, and don't need to wash them, maybe a giant ziplock will do nicely for you until you get home? I don't use a soaker pot, I just fold them and store them until my cycle is finished, they've been fine for a week and a 1/2 or more if I'm pushed for time and can't get to them.

Lingerie Bag: Those mesh bags for bras & panties to keep them from getting jumbled in with the rest of the clothes. I've put mine in there for wash (can't dry mine in the dryer though) and no one's the wiser!

(In the beginning, when I soaked, I left my soaker pot for too long and it was nasty smelling. They all washed out nicely though with no permanent damage, so I would think that they could handle a week's worth of dampness in a ziplock bag. Damage to my nasals though - I never soaked again.)

Diva Cup: I've got a different brand, and I cramped more than usual too for the first days while using it. When I emptied it, the cramps went away entirely and then when I started cramping again, I would empty it right away to relieve them. That phenomenon was only on the first couple of days of my cycle. Not sure why.

Have an Awesome Trip!!!

Oh, I didn't think of a lingerie bag! I know I have one of those somewhere around here that I can take! I guess I could put them in there and wash every other day??

[thixle]

Originally Posted by DaMajha

Oh, I didn't think of a lingerie bag! I know I have one of those somewhere around here that I can take! I guess I could put them in there and wash every other day??

Absolutely. If you keep them dry (or nearly dry) there is very very little odor. At home, I only rinse the heavy ones, squeeze out the water, and toss them in the laundry hamper... where they sometimes sit for a few days. No real "smell" added to the laundry.

And, believe it or not, teenage girls can be pretty darned cool about alternative menstrual products! And after a bit of thought, might want to try them, too.

[DaMajha]

Originally Posted by thixle

Absolutely. If you keep them dry (or nearly dry) there is very very little odor. At home, I only rinse the heavy ones, squeeze out the water, and toss them in the laundry hamper... where they sometimes sit for a few days. No real "smell" added to the laundry.

And, believe it or not, teenage girls can be pretty darned cool about alternative menstrual products! And after a bit of thought, might want to try them, too.

I think it would be wonderful if I could convert her and my dd both! But, DD is dead set against them, and this child's mother is... well, she's not the best mom. I think for a teen to do this, you would need a lot of in home support. I could make the pads for her, but I don't know if she would get any help at home with washing them properly, or if she would get grief from her mom.

[jennyfah]

I'm fairly new to mama cloth myself, but I wonder if some essential oils in a small spray bottle would help. If you can't machine wash or do a careful handwash, you could at least rinse, spray with tea tree oil/lavender/eucalyptus, and toss in a bag. The oils would help with any potential odor issues, as well as inhibit the growth of bacteria/mold.

I know some places sell 'commercial' (OK, homemade commercial!) mama cloth spray. I've made my own with a 2 oz. bottle of water, some hydrogen peroxide, tea tree and lavender EOs. I spray them before I toss them in a wetbag and then wash them with my diapers. So far, no staining, and the spray smells wonderful!

Just an idea.
Jen

[Angel_7971]

I was just in DW last month with AF using my cloth too. I used a toiletries bag to hold the used ones when I was in the room. As for the parks, I have individual sized wetbags that I use. They work great. I didn't wash until I got home. I was with my best friend and she would never have known except that I HAD to show her (I have some cute ones!)