[veganmamma]

I know you're thinking

Huh? What does placenta have to do with gardening?

Well, nothing really, I was going to talk about menstruation and gardening. I was wondering if anyone else feeds their favorite plants menstrual fluid. I waited 14 months for my cycle to return so that I could love on my plants with my fluid. I first got the idea from Jeanine Parvati. It's the reason I've been using a menstrual cup, because unlike her, i can't go squat in my garden. :LOL As you may have heard, I live with my ILs so I empty my menstrual cup into a yogurt container and bring it out on the sly. Then I water over it to get the nutrients into the soil and keep the flies away. I only do this with my own potted medicinal herbs and flowers, since I doubt my MIL would appreciate my antics in her garden. :LOL

So am I alone out there?

 

[Mom2baldie]

Youre not alone.

I am pregnant now, but between pregnancies I use cloth pads. Before I wash them, they stay in a bowl of water so they wont stain. I change the water every day and use the old to water my outside plants with. I LOVE doing this.

 

[veganmamma]

Oh that's a good idea, I hadn't even thought of doing that. I also use cloth pads and I'd been so sad, I felt like I was "wasting" my fluid. It is very pleasant to go feed the plants, I've found

Too bad I have to sneak around.

 

[farmer mama]

Yeah, I also soak my pads in a bucket and then give it to my garden. It is like free fertilizer. I like to put them in lots of water so I can spread it around instead of giving it to just one plant. Last month I had a few flowers that weren't doing too well, their leaves were yellowish and not growing much. Now they are green and full.

 

[Chanley]

I have a one gallon bucket I soak my cloth in. Then I add it to a seven gallon bucket to make it spread further.

Ohh and beware.. I think I ruined my pads last month. I forgot the bucket they were soaking in on the porch. I meant to feed the garden but somehow it got sidetracked.

Can you imagine what that smelled like after a month in the sun????

The pads were laid out in the garden to bake in the sun and hopefully kill any bacteria. They were rained on like 4 times and dried in the sun. Please god, get the stench out of my cloth.

Now they are soaking in the washer.

Ohh the sea sponges work well too. I just catch the rinse water and use that.

No blood goes down our drains!

 

[veganmamma]

Hmmm, maybe biokleen oxygen bleach would help. I use baking soda for just about everything, too. If you use BS before you put stuff in the dryer, it can get out naturally occuring stains and helps with odors. Actually, I bet the diapering board has good ideas for those like me who find a plastic bag under the carseat adter lord-knows-how-long and have to

get the stains/stench out.

My little garden is all in pots and pretty small so I'm able to put a small mixture of blood and water at the base of the plants and then water it in the morning. MIL's garden is the majority of the yard and she also has an organic herb garden, but like I said, I don't think she'd be too pleased with me

 

[NatureMama3]

I haven't been soaking my cloth pads, but if I should start doing so, I definitely plan on using the water for that! The cups just do NOT feel right inside (I have a tilted uterus).

Chanley: try soaking them in white vinegar and baking soda and hot water over night (obviously the water will cool, but it still starts the process). I've done that to take out all kinds of stains and smells, from enchilada sauce to grape juice and more... you also might want to soak them first in a straight hydrogen peroxide bath (as it will "eat" any remaining blood).

I used to have an Oxyclean addiction, till I learned more about it.

:

 

[veganmamma]

Naturemama, I have an interesting cervical neck myself. In terms of cervical, a Dumas natural rubber cap from England fits me better. You may find that you can use a Dumas cap as a mentrual cup. I'm currently using a prentif and it isn't really so perfect for me for birth control but it's working fine as a menstrual cup. When I have $50 to shell out for a new Dumas cap, I'll probably use that as my menstrual cup and birth control.

On topic, I started soaking pads and undies last night and I'm excited to sneak it out to my pots.

 

[NatureMama3]

Never heard of Dumas! thanks for the info.

I'd only seen Keeper and Diva...

 

[veganmamma]

NP, the DUmas is a cervical cap that is technically banned in the US because of stupid beaurocaracy. It's a better cap and natural rubber. It is not marketed as a menstrual cup and doesn't have a little handle to use, but I love it.