Too much information for a Tuesday morning?

Maybe I’m not fully period positive, more like period neutral. As I’ve been on this eco-friendly and anti-plastic kick it hasn’t been the food or transportation stuff that’s been tough to change, it has been all the personal care. The TreeHugger.com guide to women’s personal care emphasizes that menstrual pads are now made mostly from plastic and even organic tampons and pads create a huge amount of waste in landfills.

This was a topic I’ve been putting off dealing with. A cup? That just seemed so… gross.

Still, I decided that if I’m going to be seriously anti plastic it was time. After doing a somewhat absurd amount of research (then again, if it is going up there I want to be careful) I ordered a Lunette Menstrual Cup (from Finland because apparently you can’t get them in the US) and a reusable cloth pad from Etsy seller SewFussy. I chose the Lunette for a few reasons, mostly because it got the best reviews in terms of comfort and ease of use. It is also made out of medical grade silicone which is supposed to be hypoallergenic and fairly eco-responsible. The pad I picked because I liked that it was an undyed organic fabric and it is machine washable.

A friend told me that she just kind of stomps on her pads in the shower in the AM and then reuses them again– she washes them all at the end of her cycle. Do any of you know if this is okay? On one had it seems reasonable, but at the same time I worry about smell and the possibility of getting a UTI.

I’ll try to let you know how my adventures into no-impact menstruation go… I’ll also try to do it without veering into TMI territory.