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Spinoff - Cloth tampons?  

post #1 of 15
7/14/08 at 7:57am
Thread Starter 
It would be nice to swim while AF is here.

Has anyone ever tried to use make cloth tampons? Is there any reason why I wouldn't be able to use some cloth tied to some yarn "in there"? What about toxic shock?
post #2 of 15
7/14/08 at 9:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ParisApril View Post
It would be nice to swim while AF is here.

Has anyone ever tried to use make cloth tampons? Is there any reason why I wouldn't be able to use some cloth tied to some yarn "in there"? What about toxic shock?
I've heard some people roll a baby sock up really tightly and use it as a tampon. I've not tried it though.
post #3 of 15
7/14/08 at 9:37am
Why not use a keeper?http://www.keeper.com/
post #4 of 15
7/14/08 at 11:32am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sebandg'smama View Post
Why not use a keeper?http://www.keeper.com/
I have yeast issues.
post #5 of 15
7/14/08 at 10:23pm
Why would the keeper or diva cup be problematic for yeast issues? Especially if you're just using it for swimming.

Another note though: most women bleed very little in the water. I had a friend who was allergic to tampons but was a lifeguard/swim instructor. She went without anything when she was in the water & just changed Immediately when she got out of the water. I have used the same tactic when working with young teen girls who's mothers will not let them use tampons.
post #6 of 15
7/15/08 at 12:43am
For a while I had yeast issues and my diva cup didn't bother me at all. I'm sure you could still use a cup/keeper if you are willing to use cloth tampons.

Just wanted to add- after each cycle I boiled my cup to sterilize it. I think that helped to keep the yeast at bay.
post #7 of 15
7/15/08 at 3:56am
You could try sea sponges. They are used like a tampon without the risk of toxic shock and they are reuasble. http://www.greenyour.com/lifestyle/p...sponge-tampons
HTH
post #8 of 15
7/15/08 at 4:56am
I saw somewhere (and I can't find it now tha tI'm looking for it) a pattern for knitting a tampon out of cotton yarn... Basically it was a rectangle with a little 'hood' part on the top of one side, and a braided string below....the rectangle rolled up and the top of it tucked into the hood part, and it looked like a regular tampon...but then it could unroll for washing. I thought it was brilliant! I am working on figuring out how to make them myself since I can't find it online anymore.
post #9 of 15
7/15/08 at 8:57am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by OceanDoula View Post
You could try sea sponges. They are used like a tampon without the risk of toxic shock and they are reuasble. http://www.greenyour.com/lifestyle/p...sponge-tampons
HTH
Those are very interesting however I am concerned about the environmental impacts of removing sponge from the ocean. Because they filter the water to clean it. The ocean needs all the help it can get, ykwim?
post #10 of 15
7/15/08 at 8:58am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by brightonwoman View Post
I saw somewhere (and I can't find it now tha tI'm looking for it) a pattern for knitting a tampon out of cotton yarn... Basically it was a rectangle with a little 'hood' part on the top of one side, and a braided string below....the rectangle rolled up and the top of it tucked into the hood part, and it looked like a regular tampon...but then it could unroll for washing. I thought it was brilliant! I am working on figuring out how to make them myself since I can't find it online anymore.
It sounds basic enough so that even I could do it! Great idea thanks!
post #11 of 15
7/15/08 at 3:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ParisApril View Post
It sounds basic enough so that even I could do it! Great idea thanks!
I found this link to a crocheted tampon.. looks like it would be pretty easy to make:

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index...88.0;topicseen
post #12 of 15
7/15/08 at 4:11pm
Thread Starter 
I knit some today and am trying it out now! They are 100% cotton. I knit a small flat strip so it will dry qiuckly when I wash them. They roll up and then they look like the pictures above. Except I have a tie on mine to have them keep the round shape. If I can figure out how I will post a picture if they work good.

Thanks for the ideas!
post #13 of 15
7/15/08 at 4:19pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by lifeguard View Post
Why would the keeper or diva cup be problematic for yeast issues? Especially if you're just using it for swimming.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jojo F. View Post
For a while I had yeast issues and my diva cup didn't bother me at all. I'm sure you could still use a cup/keeper if you are willing to use cloth tampons.

Just wanted to add- after each cycle I boiled my cup to sterilize it. I think that helped to keep the yeast at bay.
I have heard of people having yeast issues with them and I have been yeast free for years now. I don't want to go there again. Plus those things are quite expensive to buy and if I have problems I wouldn't even be able to use it. I have loads of yarn kicking around so I made mine for free!
post #14 of 15
7/15/08 at 7:39pm
Interesting - I would not have thought to crochet something like that. If the diva cup still won't sit right after baby I'm gonna try that!
post #15 of 15
7/21/08 at 6:24pm
I'm puzzled as to why you think a reusable cup, which is non-absorbent, would breed yeast but a reusable absorbent cloth/yarn tampon would not. I hope it works for you, though!

Regarding Toxic Shock Syndrome, any absorbent material in the vagina provides a breeding ground IF the bacteria are there. The risk of picking up the bacteria is fairly low. But if you did, and they grew in your tampon, and then you didn't get them all completely cleaned out and used that tampon AGAIN, that would be more likely to lead to TSS than disposable tampons. So, it's really important to get your cloth tampons very clean (and let them dry completely) before reusing.
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