Pads for the Curvy Gal...Tutorial

[homebunnyj]

When I made up my first pads a couple of years ago, I used a very ugly golf jacket that no one in my family would claim. I used the outside windbreaker layer for the backing, and the inside mesh wick-perspiration-away-from-your-skin layer for the part that goes next to your skin, and put all the absorbent flannel layers between. The mesh stuff does keep my skin drier, and my rationale for the windbreaker stuff was that it repelled water, but was breathable. I've been happy with it.

[lanfear32]

That's so rad.  I'm really excited you made some.  My husband wasn't freaked out, but my kids (two girls) were.  They could have ignored them, but I posted them on the internet, and now they're just horrified.
 I'm glad everyone has shown such an interest because now I can be all like "told ya so".  They still think I'm crazy though.

Anyway, I can report from the front lines, after several months of use, that they are totally fantastic.

Those are awesome!  I <3 my cloth pads!  I got my mom hooked on them as well.  I've had the same set I made back in February and they're still  hanging tough.  I haven't had so much as the first "accident" while wearing them.  My husband even likes them.  Whenever I am sewing up some new ones (because I'm always finding a cute new flannel print I want LOL), he'll say, "those are so cool.  If I was a chick, I'd use them".  Hehe 

I'll have to sew up a couple of new ones and post pics, because I think cloth pads are awesome.  Not only are they good to your body, they're environmentally friendly as well.  There are some really great sites out there that list all of the health risks of mainstream, commercial disposable menstrual products as well as the devestating effects they have on the environment. 

Hooray for menstrual activism!

Had to chuckle at these posts...  Everyone in my house flipped when I started making cloth pads.  My teenage girls are so embarrassed by my hippie/cheap skate ways...  They dont' seem to realize that sometimes these old fashioned and homemade things are actually better in the first place.  My husband just thought it was gross. 

[the noodle princess]

it's too bad when husbands find cloth pads gross! what's gross to me is all the millions of disposables that are cluttering up our planet. 

Katautumn-I too would like to know what the cloth diapers are made of if they are as great as you say! PUL is waterproof stuff you can use for the bottom layer to stop leak-through.

for some of my pads i've used microfiber cleaning cloths, that i got in the supermarket. they are super thin and absorbant. the brand i got is called "crazy rag".

[KatAutumn]

I'll have to try calling up a diaper service and seeing if they would sell me some used nappies. 

The cloth diapers are great, but most websites are very vague about what exactly that batting is inside them.  The Gerber website says they are "100% Cotton Birdseye Gauze", but that doesn't elaborate on what the batting is.  I'm assuming it is some type of cotton, but I'm not sure.  All I know is that it wicks the moisture from the top layer and holds it inside.  They are so dang easy to clean too! 

It is sad when people find cloth pads gross.  When I first switched my sister said, "that's nasty.  Why don't you go buy some tampons, or something?"  Well, at the risk of getting to graphic here, I used tampons for years.  I started my period when I was twelve and started using tampons when I was sixteen and used them up until this past February.  I hated it because it wasn't always convenient to run and change a tampon and I never had a "back-up" such as a pad or pantyliner so there were "oopsy" moments.  The few days after my period was over, I would have horrible *ahem* feminine itching that wasn't related to any sort of infection.  The last straw came when I removed a tampon too soon and literally cut myself inside.  You want to talk about pain!  The tampon scratched me.  That was when I'd had enough.  It hasn't even been a year yet and my pads have paid for themselves threefold, since I'm not having to buy a box (or two!) of tampons every month at $5 a piece.  A yard of flannel and a yard of cotton knit yielded enough pads to get me by.  They get rinsed and then tossed in the washing machine.  I throw them in the dryer and they're ready to be used next time.  I had one time when I was out and changing my pad wasn't possible.  I had on khaki capri pants and was so worried I'd have an accident.  I had to wear the same pad on a heavy flow day for twelve hours and didn't leak one bit.   

[princess_me]

i think its a great idea that you guys are making your own pads. i hated tamons for the longest time and now i dont know how i lived without them. i work with kids and it is really hard for me to get away to use the potty. my shift is 4 hours long. i do wear pads at night and had the same problem with the pads npt being long enough. always now makes pads for size 14 and up. i think they say 14+

[Sorcha Griannon]

always now makes pads for size 14 and up. i think they say 14+

The problem with that is finding them...amd even though I live in a fairly well populated area, I think I only saw them 1 time, and theis was a couple years ago.  Seems like stores don't know that there is a market for them.  Same goes for large size socks...do they really think that someone that wears a size 4 and someone that wears a size 10 should be in the same size sock?  It's impossible to find NICE socks in the larger sizes.

Sorcha

[the noodle princess]

 i was a tampon girl too, but i really wanted to try something re-usable and less wasteful. i got a keeper, but it's not convienient having to wash it it out, and it's kinda hard to get into position.
when i started making cloth pads, and quit using tampons altogether, i realized that my cramps were being caused by the tampons! i barely have any cramps now and i think my flow is lighter too. 

[Raynydaze]

I'm glad to find I'm not the only one that did this.  In a similar circumstance of my husband waking up with a mess all over him.  I went to using baby diapers (disposible) at night.  Then one day I had the humiliating experience of an animal tearing up the trash that was on the curb.  You can imagine my horror.  Well like you I made some pads of my own and never looked back.  I have after several years had a hysterectomy and no longer need them for the same purpose, but still use them for the bladder leakage I have now.  They still work great and I can wash and reuse them with out the neighbors having to know. 

[timberfaerie]

this is a fantastic idea! i've searched for reusable items before and considered buying the pads, but they are so expensive!

[BlkRze]

I'm a little worried about trying these but I also have an issue with flow abundance (yeah you like that wordage "flow abundance" lol).
I started using adult incontinence(SC) pads and so far those are working pretty well.So if anyone needed something new to try.Those work well for me.Even when I sleep.