Glad Rags

[Mommy22B]

I really want some washable pads. They are so exspensive though. Has anyone made their own? Tips? Or do you know of some cheap ones? Thanks
Beth

[Chanley]

They look pretty easy. I have some glad rags that I ADORE.

They are a beautiful burgundy and the softest flannel, I can barely tell I am wearing a pad with them.

[Erin Pavlina]

Can someone explain how these things work? I have only the vaguest idea.

[TreeLove]

They are flannel washable pads w/ "wings" that snap around the crotch. They are AWESOME, and comfy, and better for the planet. I've been using them for 6 years.

[pie]

I should get some because when i'm just at home I use cut up rags that I made myself. Very primitive. The rest of the time it's tampons, but maybe wouldn't be if I tried the Glads.

[Amulet]

Hi I just started this thead in TALK amongst yourselves: Its called
In Praise of Cloth Pads
There are quite a few replies now so go check it out! They are great, I just got my hemp fleece ones from Sleeping Bean and I'm really impressed with comfort and reliability!

[Erin Pavlina]

Well for heaven's sake, I had no idea. Do they absorb heavy flow? And do you have to wash them every day? Do you wear one at a time, through a whole cycle or change them every hour? How does it work? Take me through a typical cycle with them.

[mamaoso]

I would like to know too. I just read the other thread and still have questions. How do you deal with changing them while you are out? I guess if I have ds with me I could toss them in his diaper bag. I don't carry a purse. Having a babe in diapers makes it more conveinent for wash time too, but what do you do when you are no longer using diapers? It also seems like you would have to own a lot of them if you don't want to do wash every day. I was thinking of making some homemade ones for nightime for starters. I might try just sewing some layers of cloth into an old pair of underwear. Anyone have tips for homemade pads? I can't wait to try!

[LaLa]

Erin, I had to laught at "do you wear one at a time"
hehee

The pads I use come in there different styles
1) Day Pad: A day pad has two cloth inserts that you can add as needed for heavy flow days. This pad is a normal size that can be worn somewhat discretely (but I would not advise wearing spandex :o )

2) Night Pad: These are HUGE LOL! They have 2 inserts, and the length is at least a third longer and wider then a day pad. They work great for night and for postpartum, but they aren't sexy! LOL They get the job done

3) PantyLiner: No inserts here. Very thin, but provides protection on those days when you are very light, or just unsure!

Now, after you change a pad, you can put it in a clay pot or ice bucket in your bathroom. It will be filled with cold water. This will keep the stains from setting. I wouldn't leave them in there for more then 3 days, so try to get them in the wash within 3 days. I use BacOut to prevent stains etc. It works wonderfully, but I've been told that you won't get stains if you soak in cold water first, so that may be overkill.

They snap around the bottom of your panties, making them a secure fit, and they feel so much nicer on your skin! I use the hemp fleece ones, and I really like them. I do have one wahm style made of flannel that is ok, but not as absorbant as teh hemp fleece.
(one thing about hemp fleece, though...it needs to be washed on very hot water several times before using to break down the natural oils in the fibers and make it absorbant).

So, that's my explanation. Does it help?
:)

Wanna see what they look like?
Here's a picture
http://www.sleepingbean.com/catalog/images/icon_prod_allpads.jpg

[Ceili]

Just a thought for you tampon lovers out there.. have you thought about "the Keeper"? I just got mine about 3 months ago and I love it! I still use my cloth pads at night and occasionally just as panty liners (cause I have an extremely heavy flow the first day or two) But the Keeper is great when I'm swimming or doing something else that's really active. And it feels so much better than a tampon.


Ceili

[Jazmommie]

I bought some 2 months ago & thought I would just use them at home-I used them all the time last month,they feel so much better than plastic pads.I did not soak mine in water just rinsed in sink & threw in the wash(always a load to do).
A friend borrowed one to use for a pattern & made 20 so far.

[LaLa]

Yes, KPDuty and 2BoysMom both make them, so maybe we can track them down and find their knowledge! :)

Here are some online links to making them at home.

http://pacificcoast.net/~manymoons/howto.html

http://www.angelfire.com/biz/mothershelpinghands/mypatt.html

http://www.humboldt.edu/~recycle/htmls/news/feb95/pg2.htm

http://www.execpc.com/~naturalc/pad.html

[Erin Pavlina]

Okay that helps.

But now, what's a Keeper? I tell ya... I don't want to keep this stuff. :)

[Ceili]

Erin--

The Keeper is a menstral cup (I think that's the term for it)
It's made out of natural rubber and fits just inside your vagina. Basically that's all there is too it. You put it in and it catches your menstrual flow and every so often you take it out, rinse it, and put it back in. And since it's not absorbent it doesn't carry the same risks as tampons, as far as toxic shock syndrome. Plus you don't have to worry about running out of anything.

Ceili

[nj_hipmama]

Ceili:

Did you ever try the glad rags? And do you prefer the keeper to them? I never did like wearing tampons b/c they felt so uncomfortable. I can see getting the keeper in but w/o getting too graphic, how do you get it out?? How often do you take it out? And what if you're out somewhere?

I would love to switch to something reusable and stop buying the disposables. You all make the glad rags sound soo comfortable. I have a catalog from glad rags, but they seem so expensive. What's the minimum I would need to buy? (No, I won't be doing laundry every night.)

[treehuginhippie]

I LOVE my Keeper! I will never go back to tampons. Since I don't carry a purse, it is so much easier to always have what I need for my periods "with" me;) All you do to pull it out is press down with your muscles, like you're peeing, then reach in and pull on the tab. If I'm out somewhere, I take a wet paper towel into the stall with me or a bottle of water to rinse it off before I shove it back in:D

[Erin Pavlina]

Okay, regarding the keeper... I think I understand how it works. But let me ask a couple of questions.

1. How much "flow" does this thing hold, cuz I practically hemmorhage with each period and my pads can barely hold it!

2. When you take it out, won't blood like spill out all over the place? (forgive the picture you have in your head now)

3. If you're in the bathroom stall, how do you clean this thing before you put it back in?

Between glad rags and the keeper I have two problems. I do laundry really infrequently so that's going to screw up the glad rag thing, and I'd be worried that the keeper wouldn't hold all it needs to.

Someone enlighten me. Thanks! :)

[Ceili]

It holds 1 fluid ounce. The info that came with it said that the average women has about 2 to 3 ounces of flow during her cycle. I'm one of those hemmorage bleeders too. I've never had any trouble with blood spilling, I usually empty mine long before it's full and most of the blood stays down in the cup. It's actually less messy than removing a tampon. I usually have a water bottle with me to rinse it out in the stall.

I did try cloth pads. I sill use them some, but usually only when I'm home. I used tampons for at least 10 years, and switching back to pads (even really comfortable soft cloth ones) was still a little awkward feeling. Plus I swim alot, so I needed something else to wear in the pool.

[treehuginhippie]

I used to bleed through a super tampon, a super pad, onto my clothes, during a class (I'm still in college) at least once a period. SO, on my heaviest day I empty it between classes. I haven't had any leaks. ALso, my periods seem to have gotten lighter, shorter, and I have a lot less cramps :D I think a lot of that has to do with not shoving toxic wads of rayon and cotton inside myself for a week and a half every month :eek:

[Erin Pavlina]

Hmm, I think this bears further looking in to.

Thanks for all the info ladies. I'd love to ditch my disposable pads.

[Kim]

.

[TripkeHughes]

Can't wait to find the Keeper. Where do you find it? Do you use it forever (or is it reusable or do I have to keep buying new ones)? Can't wait :)

[treehuginhippie]

They're supposed to last at least ten years. You can order them off the internet at almost any site that carries washable pads or at www.keeper.com. I think theyeven seel them in some natural food stores outside of the US.

[Moooommy]

This all sounds very interesting, and I know I'm jumping in late, but what is a keeper made of? I'm allergic to latex, so if it is, it'll go the way of my old diaphragm.

Today in the coop I saw little natural sponges to be used like tampons. Anybody tried these?

[Marlene]

Moooommy,
I checked on the website, keeper is made of "natural gum rubber". I also saw that I will need a size A. :( Ha-ha!

[TripkeHughes]

Okay, I'm in. Just bought my first. We will see how it goes and I'll report back. CAN'T WAIT!

[KPduty]

I don't usually come to this forum, but LaLa posted in the other one "in praise of cloth" that there was a discussion over here as well.

I made my own cloth pads based on the many moons style. I made them all in one, meaning that there isn't a holder and inserts. I made three different thicknesses using differing numbers of layers inside for heavy, medium and light flow. The outside is flannel and the absorpant part inside is natural cotton batting (used for quilting). They have wings that wrap around and snap together. I bought something called a Snapsetter which makes putting snaps on something so incrediby easy. Doing the snaps is actually my favourite part, lol.

They work really well and are so soft and comfortable. I have way more pads than I can use in a cycle so I don't have to wash and reuse them for the same cycle. I just rinse them out, hang them to dry and then wash them the next time I'm doing laundry.

I also made some other ones with the envelope and inserts and gave them to my sister since I didn't need them. I just wanted to try and make some - heehee, how sad is that?

All these pads cost me about $20 (that's canadian $$) to make. I have so much scrap flannel given to me from my work that sometimes I think about whipping up a bunch and selling them, but my sewing is less then perfect unfortunately.

Well, I hope this helps and if you have any questions then fire away!

[Baby Phat]

Ok, about the pads:

What keeps you from soaking right through them onto your underwear and eventually to your clothing?

[nj_hipmama]

KPduty: I want to try to make my own. I have to find ways to cut expenses and at the came time try to find things that are reusable. Do you have a pattern? And what about the material? I know you all said flannel, but what about the dyes? I'm new to this domesticated stuff and not so good w/ laundry. :rolleyes:

[KPduty]

Musemama,

You can put a waterproof layer on the bottom of the pad like gortex or PUL so that it won't soak through. I have not used a waterproof layer and don't have a problem with soaking through because I change pads fairly often. I think it would be good to have, I just didn't think of it when making mine.

NJ,

I used the pattern from Many Moons, but enlarged it because the one they give is for the mini pad. There are lots of different absorpant materials you can use. You can even re-use receiving blankets, sweat shirts, t-shirts or old towels. I think any 100% cotton fabric would work well.

If you want to buy new fabric to make pads then I suggest a dark print so that any stains will not be noticable. Just wash dark fabric with your darks and light fabric with your lights. I don't do anything special with mine and they're holding up great.