I ditched the disposables and here’s what happened

A funny thing has happened to me in the last year. Not only have I completely stopped using disposable tampons and pads (and I’m happy about it, more on that later) … I’ve also found out that women left and right are doing the same thing.

Sure it could be observation bias (heyo, pulling out some knowledge from Psychology 101) but I’m hearing more and more about women everywhere using menstrual cups and cloth pads instead of tampons and disposable pads. When even supermodels like Crissy Teigen casually mention reusable menstrual cups in an Instagram post, that might mean it’s becoming the norm.

At least I hope it is. Here’s why: After I committed to using a menstrual cup and cloth pads, it has completely changed my relationship with my period.  One description I loved from a Bustle article summed it up: “It’s like I was living in black-and-white before I switched from tampons to a menstrual cup.”

Full disclosure, yes, I’m definitely fully on the no-disposables train and I am never getting off. However, it took several years and lots of research for me to get on board so I understand if you’re skeptical. I was at first, too!

Earlier this year I took the plunge and bought a reusable menstrual cup and some cloth menstrual pads (or “mama cloth.”)

There are lots of reasons to choose reusable options instead of disposables (yes, even organic disposables). The reasons that initially stood out to me are that they are healthier for your body, healthier for the planet and can save you money (although there is an investment up-front.) I’m psyched that I’m not contributing to trash in landfills, I’m happy not to have to worry ever again about TSS, and I’ll happily spend my money on something more fun than yet another box of tampons.

But, surprisingly, the reasons I love my cup and cloth pads are not actually on that original list. First, they are way more comfortable, more effective (no leaks, like, ever.) and overall just make me have to deal with my period less than when I was using disposables. That might seem counter-intuitive but it’s totally true. Sure, you’re getting up close and personal in a way that might feel awkward at first. For me, that awkwardness passed quickly. It helped to realize how infrequently I had to empty the cup and the fact that I’ve had zero leaks (with my cup + cloth liner combo) and zero gross trash. The freedom I’ve experienced from hanging out at home, running errands, even traveling while using a cup has been unexpectedly awesome. I don’t have to worry about having a (crinkly) tampon on hand, and I don’t even have to worry that the place I’m staying has a proper trash bin in the bathroom.

It’s the little things that have made me realize that I wish I’d made the switch years earlier. I can’t even begin to catalog the awkward times that would’ve been null and void in college and high school if I’d been using a cup instead of tampons and pads. A bonus benefit of cloth pads – they are cute. I have one that has cartoon-y crabs on it that says “I’m a little crabby” and it cracks me up. I also have some really beautiful, more stylish patterns. And they truly lift my spirits during that time of the month. I’ve never seen a disposable pad with a cute pattern on it, have you?

I’m not an expert by any means so if my ramblings aren’t enough info for you, check out the zillions of videos on YouTube (I like ones by Kim Rosas of Dirty Diaper Laundry), www.putacupinit.com, and of course you can ask the Google for information. But be warned, for every positive review of a particular cup, you may find a negative one. For every article I read about how awesome and popular menstrual cups are, I saw other articles talking about how they didn’t work for someone.

I spent years on the fence, but I’m so glad I took a chance and bought a cup and cloth pads. I’ll never look back!

There’s a learning curve to using a cup but give yourself at least three cycles to get the hang of it. I mean, did you feel totally confident about using tampons the first time you tried? For me my first cycle was the testing period, my second cycle I just got better at figuring everything out and by my third cycle I was a freakin’ PRO. There’s really no learning curve with cloth pads, but here are the basics. After use, you need to rinse them in the sink with cold water (some people also do a quick rinse with hydrogen peroxide) and then stick them in a wet bag until laundry time. Wash on their own or throw in with clothes.

…Hey! You made it to the end of this post – thank you! Maybe you’re thinking about ditching disposable tampons and pads. Maybe you’re thinking I’m crazy. Either way, thanks for reading and feel free to ask questions or share your experience in the comments. Up next, I’m going to test out some “period underwear.” Yup, you read that right. Wish me luck and stay tuned!

p.s. In case you’re curious, I currently use a Sckoon brand menstrual cup (but there are loads of great cups on the market these days) and washable cloth pads and liners for extra “insurance,” especially at night. My favorite pads are from Pink Lemonade Shop. If you’re interested in a “menstrual cup and cloth pads 101” type of post, let me know in the comments!