Eco-friendly baby/family products MADE in USA

Reusable Menstrual Products

This note is intended to provide the basics, there are MANY options on the market, the only ones I have tried are Mama cloth (reusable cloth pads), and the reusable cup! I have not tried the other options, but want you to know that they do exist! Any questions, please ask, either on my wall, or my inbox. I know this is a sensitive subject for some, but wish it wasn’t. Menstruation is a fact of life! Before the 1930s disposable products did not exist for women to simply throw in the garbage, and set out to the curb to send to a local landfill! Here is a fantastic article which explains the environmental, financial, and other reasons to switch to reusable menstrual products, as well as a summary of the many options available. Instead of reinventing the wheel & writing up my own article on this, I would love for you to read this link 1st, which provides an excellent overview!! http://naturalparentsnetwork.com/reusable-menstrual-products/

So, what do I use? I used homemade cloth pads exclusively for my 1st few months postpartum. These were intended for cloth diaper inserts, but were too wide to fit our diapers. They are made of super soft, comfortable fleece. If you use cloth diapers, as we do, using mama cloth is a very logical, easy transition to make! I kept a spray bottle with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide & water & very small bucket with a lid next to our toilet, when I was through with a pad, I sprayed it thoroughly (peroxide helps lift the blood), and tossed it in a dry pail next to our diapers. Before washing, I rinsed them with cold water using our diaper sprayer, and tossed them in with our cloth diapers, every other day. I wore these cloth pads while getting used to my Moon Cup, which you’ll read about below. Now that I’ve got the hang of the cup, I save the pads only for my 1st & last day of my period, which are very light, and I don’t feel the need for the cup. Here’s one of many article on making your own cloth pads, which is a super cheap, easy option if you can sew: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2009/07/make-your-own-cloth-pads.html

CLOTH OPTIONS: GladRags are very popular, the food co-op I work at sells them, and we have many happy customers! http://gladrags.com/
“All GladRags are manufactured in the US! Our organic cotton pads are 100% USA grown/processed cotton. Our color pads are purchased from US fabric suppliers, but the cotton is not necessarily grown on US farms.”

Glad Rags are the most well-known option, but I love these other options that mamas have shared with me, all made in the US:

http://www.justfussy.com/category.php?category_id=21 ($5.50-$18.00)
http://www.partypantspads.com/shop/pads ($9.99-16.99)
http://gowiththeflopads.com/ ($8.99-$13.99 each, with many packages available)
http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=%26quot%3Bcloth+menstrual+pads%26quot%3B&search_type=handmade (TONS to choose from, check & double check that they are made in the US before ordering)

CUP OPTIONS: This link provides comparisons for the many, many different reusable cup options on the market: http://menstrualcups.wordpress.com/category/comparisons/

WHICH CUP DO I USE? I use The Moon Cup, made in the USA (the same company also makes The Keeper cup), of non-latex, medical grade silicone.  The 1st few months are kind of trial & error, some get it right away and others may take a little longer (so wearing a pad during this time is advisable). For me, the 3rd month came around, and everything fell into place, so to speak. It worked! And, it worked fabulously! Here are links to The Moon Cups Q & A page, which will answer many, if not all, of the questions you will likely have: http://www.mooncup.com/q&a.html

The Diva Cup is a very popular option, it is made in Canada, FYI 🙂