Why cloth sanitary pads are awesome!

When my business partner first suggested to me that she thought it’d be a great idea to start making cloth sanitary pads (in addition to our Cushie Tushies modern cloth nappy range), I have to admit I thought she had lost her mind!

This may be a little TMI, but here goes anyway. For 20 years I have suffered from extremely heavy, frequeng and long periods with the most jaw-droppingly painful cramps. Pain equivalent to pre-labour (not lying – I’ve had three kids so I can talk)!

So the thought of dealing with cloth pads on top of all this every 3-4 weeks just sounded like WAY too much hard work. I already use cloth nappies, so ‘I’m doing my bit for the environment’ was another initial cop-out thought.

But I trust her instincts so MamaMinx was born, and when our first shipment of these little beauties arrived I thought I probably should try them out myself. Given I was about to start selling them, I thought I really ought to be able to talk from personal experience.

Cue total amazement!

Turns out, bamboo velour is sooooo nice against one’s skin and is absorbent enough even for my overnight needs. Because we use a black bamboo there is no ‘ick’ factor or stains to deal with, plus the design of the pads makes it very easy to fold the used ones up, snap them in place and store them in a wetbag until wash day, without touching anything messy!

When I’m out and about, I take a small wallet-size wetbag in my handbag and have found dealing with my cloth pads has been a simple matter. Not to mention the joy of no longer having to lift the lid on the disposable sanitary pad bins in public toilets and gasping for air from the stench within….!!!

But, my biggest WOW factor for these pads is that I no longer experience the gut-wrenchingly painful period cramps! This was an instant reaction I experienced upon switching to cloth pads and totally caught me by surprise. This fact alone will see me NEVER return to using disposable hygiene products.

To make sure I wasn’t dreaming, I did a bit of research to see if others have experienced the same reaction.

Turns out, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did a study in 1996 that linked dioxin exposure with increased risks for endometriosis. Dioxin is found in all chlorine-bleached sanitary products (dioxin is a by-product of the bleaching process) and is highly carcinogenic to humans.

On a more basic level, using tampons (bleached or not), physically blocks the downward menstrual flow. The menstrual fluids then pool at the cervix or flow back into it, causing inflammation, bacterial growth and cramping.

Disposable pads and tampons are also a common source of vaginal itching and yeast infections (eczema and thrush). Plastic is used in feminine hygiene products, as a layer on the bottom of menstrual pads as well as in the form of a “mesh” on the top layer. These synthetic materials actually lock in moisture, causing the skin to sweat and leading to vaginal itching and irritation, as well as promoting yeast infection.

So now that I know these things, I’m even more pleased with myself for giving cloth a go! 

Do cloth babies toilet train earlier?

Over the past 40-50 years in Australia, the general advice towards toilet training has been to let children decide when they are ready. That by doing so, they will have fewer accidents, will train faster, and because they are mentally and emotionally ready, the child won’t experience any anxiety from the process.

But more recently, health professionals and parenting experts, such as author and childhood nurse Robin Barker, suggest otherwise. “The average age of children being trained has slipped from two to 2 ½ years to three or even four in the United States,” Barker says.

When I read a statement like that, all I can think of is how many disposable nappies a child would go through in 4 years. 6,000 nappies in 2 ½ years is bad enough!

To my knowledge, no research studies have looked at a comparison between the toilet training age of cloth wearing babies compared to disposable wearing babies.

Barker believes that the convenience of disposable nappies means there is less incentive for parents to train their children. There is also less incentive for children to learn because disposables keep moisture away from the skin, meaning tots no longer know what it feels like to be wet.

Despite modern cloth nappies such as CushieTushies being lined with stay-dry fabrics such as microfleece to draw the moisture away from babies’ skin, we must also bear in mind that a cloth nappy has a finite level of absorbency and once that is reached, the microfleece will not be able to keep drawing more moisture away from the skin so the baby will start to feel wet. Perhaps it is this sensation that teaches the baby the link between their action and feeling uncomfortable.

From my own personal and highly scientific research (on my own three very different children), I can say this: my eldest son was day toilet trained at 2 ½ and was completely trained by 3. He really didn’t care whether he was wearing a wet or soiled nappy, so for him it was more about socialisation and not wanting to be the only kid at pre-school not in undies!

My second son started training at 18 months and was completely trained by 2. I have been told this is an unusually early toilet training age for boys… But he just wanted to be like his big brother.

My daughter is only 20 months old and doesn’t much care to sit on the potty, unless I hand over wads of toilet paper so she can pretend to wipe! She can identify when she has done a wee or poo in her nappy though, so I think she is well on her way.

So maybe the motivation comes more from the parents of cloth-wearing babies not wanting to continue washing them for 4+ years?