Something new: cloth pads

This is the post where half of you decide I've lost my mind. Just to warn you.

Now, I know these tend to make a lot of people go what the fuck? and/or EWWWWWWWWW. I know, because I was one of those people as little as a year ago. But I have a lot of fabric left over from making diapers for the baby, and I've really been focusing a lot lately on reducing the amount of garbage our family puts out into the world, a little bit at a time, and these are kind of a natural step, especially given that I have to wash diapers anyway.

Cloth menstrual pads*. I was skeptical, but you know what? I like them so much better than disposable pads. And not just because they don't get thrown out. They are actually more comfortable to wear, they don't have any weird perfumes in them (and whoever came up with perfumed menstrual products needs a slappin', because, talk about EWWWW), and I swear, I never would have believed it until I tried them, but I swear my cramps and other unpleasant symptoms are actually less since I started using these.

Because I like the high tech stuff, these are about as high tech as you can get, at least when talking menstruation. PUL for the outer, totally waterproof, so your clothes don't get wet or stained. Fleece on the wings for softness, and they fasten with a snap (two settings to adjust the fit). The absorbant bit is made of 2 layers of flannel with a layer of Zorb in between. Zorb is probably about the most absorbent material you can get, it's amazing stuff. Topped with an athletic wicking fabric so that moisture passes through and is moved away from the skin. And the wicking fabric is also surprisingly stain resistant.

So while I know these aren't going to be everyone's cup of tea, I like them, and they are a great way to use up some of the excess fabric I have lying around. Look for sets in the store soon.

Now I'm going to hurry up and write another post to get this one off the top. Also I'm sure I've managed to convince at least half my regular readers than I'm nuts. Come back! I promise the next post won't have anything to do with menstruation!

*I refuse, refuse, refuse to call them 'mama pads', which seems to be the term most people use. Sets my teeth on edge.