Keeper (Photo credit: Zane Selvans)

I first came across reusable menstrual products somewhere around 2000, as a very broke post-grad student. Financially and environmentally it seemed like a good option, and I bought myself a Keeper (then the only menstrual cup I could find online, and as I recall, I had to get one shipped to the UK from Canada!).

I was an immediate convert. It was more comfortable than tampons, knocked a fiver off my monthly budget (a big deal for me at the time), and meant no more guilt about shoals of white cotton and blue string bobbing around merrily in the ocean.

The Keeper went missing some five years later and was replaced by a Mooncup. By this time they were becoming slightly better known – I was seeing Mooncup stickers on toilet doors at the Glastonbury Festival every year, but still had to buy online, from the UK this time.

Five more years passed and the dog ate my Mooncup (yes, really…), by which time I was able to buy a replacement one in a bricks-and-mortar shop, as they have become standard stock at the high street chemist Boots. The times, they are a’changing.

Then I fell pregnant, and didn’t need to use any sanitary protection at all for nine months, plus the six months of exclusive breastfeeding before my period came back (I was very annoyed; the return of my period when my baby was still feeding every 60-90 minutes day and night felt a little harsh). Out came my trusty Mooncup — only to find that, surprisingly enough, childbirth can do things to your nether regions.

Much to my distress, the Mooncup was distinctly uncomfy, even when I changed to the “post childbirth” size.

So I’m dutifully practising my Kegels, and the Mooncup may yet make a comeback; but in the meantime I’ve discovered a whole new world of washable menstrual pads. They come with bees on! In lovely fabrics!

But most importantly they’re more comfortable than the chemical-y disposable variety (even the hippy non-chemical disposable variety), for now more comfortable than the Mooncup, and they’re not contributing to the slick of plastic and chemicals surrounding the tampon shoals out in the ocean. A clear win all round for reusables in all their glorious varieties.

Juliet Kemp lives in London, UK, with her partners, baby Leon, and dog Sidney. She works from home as a freelance writer, and balances that with parenting, gardening, crafting, and a great many other things that catch her interest. She blogs at Twisting Vines about making things and growing things, and is passionate about sustainability, environmental issues, and respectful parenting.

加厚款護墊 (Photo credit: hjw223)

Happy Earth Day!

I hope you’ve been enjoying the awesome guest posts of the past few days (one more coming up tomorrow!) – personally I love seeing all these real life stories of women who have made the switch to reusable products for ‘that time of the month’ – it’s inspiring and encouraging to know how many have happily made this choice.

And today on Earth Day, I extend the challenge to you.

It was just about 3 years ago today that I closed my eyes and jumped in – it’s hard for me to fathom it now, but it really was a difficult decision to give up those pads and tampons. I wasn’t confident that reusable products would really work for my heavy periods. I thought it might be a little too gross. It seemed like a lot of money to pay up front.

But the more I realized how bad those toss away products are for the earth – and for my body – the more I leaned toward taking that plunge. And once I finally did…well, ever since then I’ve wanted nothing but to share how amazing these products are!

It’s hard to say why, exactly…I don’t make or manufacture or sell reusable products – there’s no monetary gain for me. I certainly don’t judge anyone who chooses not to.

• But I do know what long, tough, heavy periods can be like.
• I have personally experienced changes for the better in my cycle after using these products for 3 years now. My periods are shorter, my PMS symptoms are less. I’m no expert but I don’t doubt that this switch – along with removing other chemicals and toxins from my home – have greatly contributed to these changes.
• I’ve been so helped to know that with my diva cup, I can trust 99.9% of the time that I won’t have a leak – something I could never depend on with the most robust of tampons.
• I know my pads are always there in the house when I need them – no running out to the store in a panic on the chance of running out.
• I feel confident that I am no longer exposing some of my most tender parts to chemicals during the part of the month I – and my body – feels most vulnerable
• I love that I haven’t spent any money on pads or tampons in THREE YEARS – that the pads I bought then are still going strong, and that a $50 menstrual cup purchased once a year is peanuts compared to what I was spending before, every month.
• I feel proud that I am no longer contributing pad and tampon waste to landfills – or the ocean, which is where a lot of them end up.
• I feel great about the fact that my daughter will be exposed to these products as normal from an early age, and hopefully will have neither need nor desire to use anything else – a serious contribution I am able to make to her reproductive health.

All of these things help give me a peace around my cycle. It is more natural – more in tune with the earth. Not always easier – but I am happy to have anything that can help! And that is something I want for myself – and for my daughter – and for any of you who may be reading this and wondering if this could be for you.

So back to that challenge…

It always helps to have a friendly little push when you’re thinking about doing something a little scary.

First, some discount codes for you:

Moms Crafts 4 U  has offered free shipping through May 15 to Becoming Crunchy readers – use the code ZEROSHIPPING on checkout from her Etsy store to take advantage of this deal.

Mama Kloth is offering 10% off all products until April 30 – use the code BECOMINGCRUNCHY on checkout from her Etsy shop to get this deal.

And for those of you who are still a little unsure – I am offering a giveaway. I will buy the winner a starter set of cloth pads – the vendor will be of my choosing and will depend on where you live – but this will be your chance to give them a try with no strings attached.

This giveaway is for those of you who have not tried these products before – please be on your honour. To be entered to win, simply leave a comment telling me why you want to try cloth pads (and/or what is holding you back from doing so).

For one bonus entry, share this post on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you did so.

If you already use reusable menstrual products, I am happy for you to enter this giveaway on behalf of a friend or family member if you would like to gift them with a starter set of cloth pads. If you are entering with this intention, please leave a comment telling me who you will be gifting them to and why. One bonus entry for sharing on Facebook – leave another comment saying you did so.

If you still have questions or would like to learn more about what cloth pads, menstrual cups and sponges are really like, and how you can start feeling better about your cycle in general, please check out the many posts I’ve shared here – there is truly a wealth of information from a whole community of women.

This Earth Day, I challenge you to give it a try – even for just one month. I hope you’ll be as pleasantly surprised as I was with your experience.

Giveaway closes May 1, 2013. Winner will be chosen at random. If I perceive you are not playing by the rules you will be disqualified. See full giveaway rules here. Good luck!

I have always enjoyed reading Kelly’s posts each Earth Day on our monthly cycles as well as her thoughts and experiences with using resusable menstrual products. I have wanted to try out cloth pads for quite a long time and finally took the plunge after the birth of my son and used cloth for my postpartum period.

Moms Crafts 4 U

I tried 2 different companies, both run by WAHM’s: Moms Crafts 4 U and Domino Pads. I had heard good things about both companies. Moms Crafts 4 U had a great price point that was perfect for my budget so I mostly bought from them. I wasn’t entirely sure what to order so I asked around and then relied on Moms Crafts 4 U recommendations (based on washing every 2 days or so). They are:

• 2-4 Postpartum Heavy Thickness (12 or 14 inch, personal preference here really) for night time
• 3-5 Heavy Thickness (10 inch) for heavy days
• 3-5 Heavy Thickness (8 inch) for heavy days

Once it slows down a bit…

• 5 Regular Thickness (8 Inch)

For me, I ended up getting:

From Moms Crafts 4 U:

• (6) 8″ Regular (3 cotton, 3 flannel)
• (3) 8″ Heavy (2 cotton, 1 flannel)
• (3) 10″ Heavy (1 cotton, 2 flannel)

From Domino Pads:

• (2) X-Heavy Long

I was basing this on the fact I am petite and these sizes all worked really well for me. The X-Heavy Long was more than big enough for nighttime for me, but Domino Pads carries a bigger one called “The Quince” that is 15″ long that you may want to consider as well. To be honest, I am a visual person so I went and measured the disposable pads that I had on hand at the time to see what size I was used to using and knew was a good length to also make my determinations. This is how I knew the longest I needed was the X-Heavy Long which is a 13″ pad. (You could also measure inside your underwear to see how long the pad will be to determine how long you think you’ll need.)

Domino Pads

The Domino Pads were really, really nice. I could see why the price point was higher because these are top-of-the-line pads. I chose the bamboo velour hand dyed fabric. They also carry Minkee and bamboo velour natural fabrics and you can see a comparison of the 3 types on their site. I could only afford to buy a couple of these so I decided these would be my heavy duty postpartum nighttime pads. They worked fabulously for this purpose. The only downside I could find is they do take a little longer to dry but that also means they absorb a heck of a lot. These were soft and very large. They are fleece backed and have wings and snaps. I found they stayed in place very much like a standard winged disposable pad but were 10 times more comfortable. I don’t remember any big leaking problems except for the occasions when I had a big gush come out of nowhere.

The Moms Crafts 4 U pads were also really nice. One thing I really liked about these is she includes a tiny tag underneath the pad that has a number that tells you which absorbency level it is. This was super helpful to me when I was grabbing one quickly. I could very easily identify which thickness I wanted by just looking at the tag. I ended up personally liking the flannel best although that didn’t mean I disliked the cotton. The flannel just seemed a little softer and more comfortable and seemed to absorb slightly more quickly. These dried up nicely in the dryer and came in cute patterns. These also are fleece backed with wings and snaps and stayed in place quite well just like the Domino Pads.

Washing these was a breeze. Since I was already cloth diapering my newborn, I simply washed them with the diapers. Easy, effortless and no extra work. I chose to dry them on low in my dryer but I’m sure they would last longer if you hung them to dry. I just like the softness that drying them provides. The Domino Pads required more dry time so I would simply hang those and let them air dry the rest of the way. I had 2 small wet bags set aside specifically for my pads that I kept by the toilet. I personally did not do any kind of prep to them and none of them stained. I simply stuck them in the wet bag and washed every other day.

If you don’t use cloth diapers, it’s still not hard to wash them. Just put them in the washer on a cold wash, no detergent and let them run through a cycle. Then wash them with a little bit of detergent (I use Soap Nuts) on a hot cycle. If you don’t use Soap Nuts, you may want to do another quick rinse with cold water, but with the Soap Nuts that is not necessary.

The biggest thing I got out of my experience? It was SO much more comfortable! Having something soft next to your skin instead of that crinkly, uncomfortable plastic was really a luxury. I won’t ever go back to the disposable way. It’s cloth all the way for me!

Julia worked in Advertising and Marketing before her daughter came along but now enjoys staying home with her 4-year-old daughter and infant son. She blogs at A Little Bit of All of It about those things she is passionate about like cloth diapering, breastfeeding (past infancy), bedsharing/cosleeping, baby-led solids, natural childbirth, attachment parenting, natural living, Christianity, miscarriage awareness and babywearing. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest as well.

This is a joint giveaway with Becoming Crunchy and Natural Parents Network. You may enter at one site only. Please find the section marked “Win it!” for the mandatory entry and optional bonus entries.

LittleEcoFootprint is offering our readers a giveaway of a TWO-MONTH SUBSCRIPTION, a value of $58. This giveaway is open to Canada only.

A LittleEcoFootprint subscription gets you a box of healthy, organic, and eco-friendly goodies for mom and baby or toddler delivered to your door monthly.

I am so pleased to share this review and giveaway from Canadian company LittleEcoFootprint. I’m always looking for great products and companies closer to home, and the LittleEcoFootprint subscription offers the perfect opportunity to get to know even more of them!

Here’s the basics of how it works — you sign up for a 1-, 3- or 6-month membership. They deliver a box of at least 5 products to your door each month — healthy, organic, eco-friendly — with some things for you and some for your baby or toddler (box designed around age of your child). Shipping is always included.

So I have to admit — my first thought was to expect kind of a sample box — you know, not that exciting? I was very pleasantly surprised when my first LittleEcoFootprint package arrived at my door!

Pretty paper and arrangement made it seem like such a fun goody for me experience, while at the same time a minimum of packaging and use of sustainable materials impressed my eco-sensibilities.

I also found a lot more than I expected inside! Three good-sized bags of organic treats for my toddler from Canadian company First Food Organics, an absolutely gorgeous growth chart from Canadian company ecojot that will be going up in Bean’s room (so cute it’s going to be tough to write on it!), a chemical-free stain remover stick that looks like it will last ages, some yummy-smelling body wash and skin care products, crayon rocks for Bean, and a $10 coupon for Canadian clothing company Boské Kids. Really it was quite a haul and a great opportunity to test out new products.

But what’s even cooler to me is that the goodies aren’t the only things involved in this membership.

Included in the package was a little booklet full of articles from some pretty amazing experts in the eco-friendly, nutrition and parenting worlds — people like Stephanie Moram of Good Girl Gone Green, Erica Ashmore of Toronto-based Everything Mom & Baby, registered holistic nutritionist Natasha Bell and many more — a wealth of information gathered all in one place.

They also offer a blog on their website with even more great info, plus perks like members-only giveaways.

LittleEcoFootprint was developed by Canadian moms Lisa & Kristy when they became concerned after the birth of their children (as so many of us do) at the plethora of chemicals and toxins abounding in mainstream baby and kids products. As they began their search for better options, they came up with a way to share all these great new brands with others through the LittleEcoFootprint subscription. It’s obvious to me they’ve worked hard to make this a high-quality, high-value, and fun package for moms traveling along the same path.

As for our experience, I truly have no complaints. Bean really enjoyed her treats and loves the crayon rocks. I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to test out all these new brands, especially as so many of them are Canadian. And I really love getting stuff in the mail, so something like this would be an awesome thing to look forward to every month.

If you’re a mom in Canada, I definitely recommend that you give LittleEcoFootprint a try. Can’t wait to see what’s coming in next month’s box!

BUY IT!

You can purchase your own subscription at LittleEcoFootprint.com. Pick up a monthly membership for $29/month, a 3-month membership for $87 or a 6-month membership for $162. Shipping is always free!

And just for Natural Parents Network and Becoming Crunchy readers, LittleEcoFootprint is giving a $5 discount off the first month’s order from now through May 14, 2013. Enter code NATURALPARENT during the ordering process.

WIN IT!

For your own chance to win a Two-Month Subscription from LittleEcoFootprint, enter by leaving a comment and using our Rafflecopter system below.

The winner will receive a 2-month membership to LittleEcoFootprint. Contest is open to CANADA only.

MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit LittleEcoFootprint and tell us one thing you have learned about the company! You must enter your name and email address in the Rafflecopter entry system for your entry to count, after leaving a comment on this blog post.

Leave a valid email address so we can contact you if you win. Email addresses in Rafflecopter are not made publicly visible. Please leave the same valid email address in your mandatory comment so we can verify entries.

This is a joint giveaway with Becoming Crunchy and Natural Parents Network. You may enter at one site only, and we’ll be recording IP addresses to ensure that there are no duplicate entries. That said, please do visit and enjoy both sites!

BONUS ENTRIES:

See the Rafflecopter entry system for bonus entries to increase your chance of winning after completing the mandatory entry. All bonus entries are entered directly into Rafflecopter. Give it a try, and email or leave a comment if you have any questions!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest closes May 4 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Basket of various cloth menstrual pads (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m so happy to be sharing information about the resources I use during my period! Much like the realities of childbirth and parenting, menstruation is often left for us to figure out as we wade through a media-inspired version of what our bodies should be doing and how we should be handling it.

I was 10 years old when I got my first period, starting out with the pile of maxi-pads my mother offered me, and by 13 I was using the run-of-the mill bleached cotton tampons.

I don’t regret this, or even dwell on it. I know now that it wasn’t the best thing for my body, especially for my vagina and other reproductive parts, but we need to be gentle with our journey towards embracing a natural lifestyle. I, like so many other women, did what I knew.

When I was 24, while completing my graduate studies, I made a lifestyle switch from vegetarian to vegan. This change to my diet inspired me to take stock of my whole being, and the ways that choices I was making were impacting the environment. Of course, I had known for some time that my use of tampons on a monthly basis was leaving an eco-footprint that I wasn’t entirely proud of. It was obvious, by making different choices around my period, I could add to the environmental contributions that I hoped I was making with my vegan diet.

It was then that I switched to Natracare tampons – these were both better for me and better for the environment. Given that this was 11 years ago, it was a little more difficult to get my hands on these and they were double the price of what I had been paying. Despite these obstacles, I knew that my body and the environment were worth the sacrifice I needed to make to ‘green’ my period.

Only two years into my eco approach to my menstruation, I experienced an extended period of amenorrhea. I checked in with my doctor and he wasn’t worried about the absence of my period, reassuring me that it was just a side effect of training for long distance running. I was 29 before my period returned, and it was at the point that I decided to try a menstrual cup.

For as much as I wanted to love and use the three different types of cups that I tried, I was defeated by them and headed back to the tampon aisle to grab Natracare. I highly recommend cups for anyone who is keen to make different choices about their period. They are much more economical, collect a day’s worth of blood and can be easy to use.

After the birth of my son, I had another cessation of my menstruation, which ended when my son was about 14 months old. In an unexpected way, I found myself pleased to welcome back my period this time. I again gave the menstrual cup a try, and ended up with the same ‘not-for-me’ results. But, staring at the stash of my son’s cloth diapers, I also realized that I had other choices. I decided to be creative and reuse some of the receiving blankets that I knew were not going to be used by another baby. I scoured the internet and found this pattern, but there are countless patterns and tutorials for homemade pads.

I have a very light flow, and got away with using four layers of receiving blankets per pad. I simply stitched around the pad with all four layers piled up and then overlocked around the edges to prevent fraying.

I switch my cloth pad every time I use the toilet or if the need presents itself. I rinse each pad and deposit it in the cloth bag that hangs on the back of my bathroom door. I usually wash my pads in one load, using hot water and regular laundry soap. If I head out for a run, or I am traveling while on my period, I simply use a Natracare tampon.

You most certainly don’t need to make your own cloth pads if you are hoping to ‘green’ your period. The menstrual cups, applicator-free tampons and organic, biodegradable pads are great choices as well. And, if you are keen to get some cloth pads, but aren’t interested in pulling out your sewing machine – there are a number of fabulous cloth pad manufacturers! Some of my favs are: GladRags and LunaPads.

Photo Credit: Author

Lyndsay lives in Toronto, Canada, where she is writer, mother, partner and web developer. In addition to her blog, where she explores feminism and parenting, Lyndsay’s writing can be found in various parenting and feminist publications around the world.

I’ve been in the ranks of menstruating females for about 14 years, but I’ve only been aware of the world of reusable menstrual products for about four years, and using them for about three. It took awhile to get on board, for several reasons.

I was already using cloth diapers for my son, but for some reason the poop and pee of my own offspring didn’t seem as bad as dealing with my *own* blood. I don’t like blood. It makes me nauseated. But, ultimately the desire to be frugal won out so I dived in head first with a few cloth panty-liners and a Diva Cup. And anxiously awaited for my cycle to start. Then I was hooked. As you can see from the picture, I’ve got quite the little stash. My favorite, FAVORITE pads are handmade by a wonderful lady in San Antonio, Texas. Her company is Domino Pads.

Photo Credit: Author

Mama Cloth: Domino Pads and AprilM Designs. Diva Cup and zebra print wetbag (made for me by a friend). Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. Moon Time by Lucy Pearce

When I share that I’m a fan of reusable menstrual products like cloth pads or cups, I’m immediately met with lots of questions. I love the questions! I appreciate that people feel comfortable enough to ask me about these things, and I love sharing what I’ve learned.

So when Kelly asked me to guest post, I immediately decided to do a question and answer type session. So I asked a few girlfriends who were considering making the switch to ask me whatever they could think of! We had a pretty fun Facebook chat about the whole thing one afternoon. Hopefully the questions and answers will help you make the decision about what’s right for you!

A few things to know about mama cloth and menstrual cups:

• The term “mama cloth” is kind of a misnomer. You don’t have to be a mama to use it!
• I can think of at least seven different menstrual cups on the market. Most vary in length and width by a few millimeters. This chart tells dimensions of each cup. Your size changes depending on age and whether or not you have had a baby.
• Cups are made of medical grade silicone or rubber. Mama cloth is usually a combination of one or more of the following fabrics: fleece, flannel, minky, bamboo, hemp, cotton, and microfiber. Cloth can come in pretty much any color or print you can think of.

(If you need to learn more about how the cup works, check out this post.)

***

“How do you put it in?”

There are several different ways to do this. But they all involve folding it into a smaller size, using your fingers to guide it in and then turning it to create a seal. I found this handy video on YouTube. But the instructions that come with a cup are also pretty handy.

“Does it make a mess when you remove it and empty it?”

I’ve been using one for a little over three years and I’ve never made a mess. Changing it in the shower helps cut down on the potential for making a mess. But even the rest of the time, I’ve never made any kind of mess with it!

“Can I sleep with a cup in?”

Yep! You can! I typically change mine right before bed and even on my heaviest days it lasts all night!

“I saw that cups come in different sizes, how do you tell what your size is?”

On the left is the Moon Cup, which is shorter and slightly wider than the Diva, pictured on the right. (Stems can be trimmed for comfort.)

Cups do come in different sizes. Typically a size for if you are over 30 or have had a baby, and a size for those who are under thirty or haven’t had a baby. But from there, individual cup brands vary in size. For example, the Diva Cup is one of the longer cups on the market. Some women find it uncomfortable because of the length. The Moon Cup is one of the shorter cups (once the stem is trimmed). This is why it’s helpful to be familiar with your body. If you can reach your cervix with your finger, that can typically give you a general idea about how long of a cup you may need.

“What do you do when you are out in public and need to change your pad or cup?”

If you need to change the pad, it works just like changing a disposable pad. The only difference is you don’t throw it away. I have a waterproof minky zebra print wetbag that a friend made for me that I keep in my purse. I put the used pad in there when I’m in the bathroom, zip it shut and continue on with my outing.

As for the cup, I’ve honestly never had to change one while out in public. I typically check before I leave the house and don’t worry about it till I’m home. Cups are designed to be worn for 6-12 hours without needing to be changed, so it’s rare one would need to be changed while out in public. Sometimes they might need to be adjusted. This is especially common during the first few cycles as you get used to your cup. You may not push it far enough into the vagina, and that can get uncomfortable.

IF you need to change it while out, simply remove it, empty contents into the toilet and put it back in. Use toilet paper to wipe your hands clean of any blood till you can wash them. You can clean the cup better once you get home.

“Do they stay put?”

Pads are typically designed with a fleece or flannel backing which prevents them from sliding around in your underwear. Sometimes adjustment is needed, but rarely.

Cups should stay put and not move. That being said, I had the unfortunate experience of one falling out while I was on a walk. The base basically slid out and all that was left inside me was the rim and opening of the cup. I hadn’t pushed it in far enough. This should not happen and if it does fall out, it’s due to user error.

“I use pads because I can’t stand the feeling of a tampon inside me. Can you feel a cup inside you?”

If it is far enough in, no, you can’t feel it. If it is uncomfortable towards the vaginal opening you can trim back the stem on the cup, or in some cases turn it inside out.

“Is there a risk of a Toxic Shock Syndrome with a menstrual cup?”

No. Lunette has a FAQ page about menstrual cups and TSS that has a lot of information.

“Where can you buy a cup?”

Often times stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, EarthFare or local cloth diaper shops will sell various types of cups. Online you can use large retailers like Amazon or Drugstore.com, or buy straight from the manufacturer yourself. Diaper shops like Kelly’s Closet and Diaper Junction sell them as well!

“How often do you have to clean the cup? How do you clean it?”

During my cycle I rinse my cup out every time I change it. I typically change it in the shower in the am, and then again at night before bed, so that’s pretty easy. At the end of my cycle I rinse it really well with a mild soap, then boil it, let it dry completely and stick it back in its carrying pouch till my cycle starts again.

“Do you have to wash Mama Cloth as often as cloth diapers? If you don’t use cloth diapers, how do you wash the mama cloth?”

It depends on the size of your stash! I’m currently washing cloth diapers every two days, so it’s simple enough for me to throw my mama cloth in the wash during that week. When I’m not washing diapers that frequently, I have enough mama cloth (along with my Diva Cup and Moon Cup) to last my whole cycle (which is 3-4 days since I’m currently breastfeeding my seven month old). Look at the manufacturer recommendations for your particular pads as to how to care for them.

If you aren’t using cloth diapers, mama cloth can easily be washed alone or with a load of dark towels.

You can use whatever detergent works for you, but there are detergents designed specifically for cloth pads. Rockin’ Green sells Femme Rock which works amazingly well.

“Does mama cloth stain?”

In my experience, I’ve had some slight discoloration on the lighter pads (the ones that are neon green and orange, or have white in them), but it’s barely noticeable. Some of my pads I’ve been using for three years and there are no noticeable stains, while some I’ve only used twice and there are some very light stains. I think fabric plays a part in this.

“How does mama cloth feel compared to regular disposable pads?”

This is probably one of my favorite things about using cloth – it feels the same as your underwear! The pads are designed to wick away moisture so you don’t feel wet, and they are breathable. In my experience with disposable pads, I often ended up very dry in my lady parts, itchy, and the pads would often stick to hair or my skin. I’ve not experienced that with cloth. If the pad is full and needs to be changed then yeah, you can tell…but up until that point it’s very comfortable, dry and soft.

“What’s your favorite aspect of mama cloth or a menstrual cup?”

With mama cloth it is definitely the comfort aspect, as mentioned above.

With a cup, it’s the cleanliness. Before I started using the cup, I was a tampon girl. And I felt dirty and gross my entire period. I don’t feel that now, I feel clean and fresh (yes, FRESH) the whole day. My cramps have significantly decreased since I’ve started using the cup. I’m not sure why, I have theories, but I don’t think any of them have any proof to back them up.

***

I hope these questions have helped you learn more about reusable menstrual products and I would encourage you to make the switch….the earth and your wallet will thank you!

Kymberlee is a misplaced Texan, trying to navigate the cold weather of South Dakota. She’s the momma of two boys, an Air Force wife and a wannabe blogger who occasionally blogs at Our Crazy Corner of the World.

English: lactancia, breastfeeding (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On March 28, 2013, bloggers from around the world came together in a show of support for breastfeeding mothers. New mothers have enough challenges without having to feel guilty for how they feed their baby.

Over the last few days there have been a lot of heated debates, controversial posts, and social media outcry against the position that the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) takes on breastfeeding.

While they do present sound information on the ideal diet for breastfeeding mothers, they do so in a manner that brings about guilt, fear, and confusion.

I was particularly sorry to see many of my favourite ‘real food’ bloggers supporting this message through the support of The Village Green Network’s recent Healthy Life Summit, where blogger and spokesperson for the WAPF Sarah Pope presented a seminar entitled: Is Breast Always Best? (followed up by the answer – only if mother’s diet is nutritionally dense).

I want to emphasize that behind that messaging is not just the thought of a mother who survives on a diet of pepsi and doritos – but vegetarians, vegans, people who follow a middle of the road conventionally healthy diet – essentially anyone who does not follow the strict WAPF protocol of only traditional, real foods.

In fact, they believe that “The diet of modern American women is so appalling, and their preparation for successful breastfeeding so lacking, that their breast milk provides no better nourishment for their infants than factory-made formula.“

I questioned several of the bloggers involved in the promotion of this message on whether they agreed. Some simply claimed not to have heard Sarah’s presentation (even though they were advertising it). Several stated that they couldn’t understand why it was such a controversy and that the many questioning these claims from Sarah/WAPF are just overreacting.

To them, I posted the following on my Facebook page:

I am in tears right now because there are so many real food bloggers I have admired and looked up to who are either tacitly or openly in support of Sarah Pope’s messaging that a mother whose diet is not essentially perfect should be making homemade formula instead of nursing.

I gave my daughter a bottle at 10 days old. There were a multitude of issues both physical and emotional, and one of them was the idea that I wasn’t ‘healthy enough’ (and hence, good enough) to feed her. It added an even greater pall of discouragement to all I was struggling through, to the point that I just gave up. And while I in NO way judge moms who do not nurse and I do not feel I am a bad mother for not doing so, I still regret – and feel sad that I didn’t have the support that might have gotten us through that difficult and scary time.

So when I see bloggers of such great influence refusing to acknowledge that this is a problem or literally wondering why it is ‘controversial’ I just feel angry. And sad. And so very sorry for those moms looking to improve their diets for the health of themselves and their children who may now be hit in the face with this message – because you weren’t eating ‘right’ all along, you should give up breastfeeding – a message that is not only incorrect, but neglects all of the other benefits of nursing outside of nutrition alone.

One of the things about real food that has drawn me to the movement the most is its logic and simplicity – if a food is real, eat it. If it is full of chemicals and crap, don’t eat it. And now I ask what more real, super, amazing food can there be for a child than her mother’s milk, tailor made especially for that little one?

If you’re a real food blogger saying anything differently, I will no longer be following your words; as far as I’m concerned, they are tainted all the way through.

As a blogger who participated in the Breastfeeding Support Blog Party, neither I nor they are not trying to create a divide between mothers. We wanted to offer support, in the form of blog posts, as to why breastfeeding should always be the first choice both for baby and mama.

But I personally want to make it clear that as much as I do not wish to perpetuate any controversy or divisiveness, I will not be an advocate of blatant misrepresentation when it comes to an issue that is so very important.

What I am very grateful for are those many real foodists who have continued to support the message of the reality of the goodness of breastfeeding in spite of what appears to be quite a lot of pressure not to. I hope you take some time to read the posts that were written as part of the Blog Party. There are also over 140 posts linked up as part of this. Take some time to check them out here or link up your own breastfeeding support post!

• Dionna at Code Name: Mama has come up with 40 ways that family, friends, coworkers and employers can support mothers who pump breastmilk, along with a ton of resources for you and the pumping mom in your life. There are also some fun graphics you can print and pass out, with 70% of all proceeds going to buy pumps for moms in domestic violence shelters!
• Destany at They Are All of Me writes about ten common breastfeeding myths that scare women out of breastfeeding.
• Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama discusses how her diet wasn’t WAPF perfect, but she still breastfed a perfectly healthy baby.
• Christine at African Babies Don’t Cry is passionate about breastfeeding, here are her 101 reasons why!
• Kelly at Becoming Crunchy discusses the question of whether you should still nurse – even if your diet isn’t ‘right’.
• Jorje of Momma Jorje has enough pressure in her life, she is glad she doesn’t have to worry about what, when and how much food she feeds her son since he is also still nursing.
• Angela at EarthMamas World discusses a few of the most common problems that a mama may encounter while breastfeeding. Angela also shares natural remedies for each of these breastfeeding problems!
• That Mama Gretchen reflects on the beautiful bond breastfeeding has created as her two children have transitioned from their womb experience to their earth side one.
• Julia at A Little Bit of All of It shares ways breastfeeding and breastmilk are unique and special in a way only they can be.
• Amy W. at Natural Parents Network shares 5 scientific reasons that mother’s milk is an unequaled form of nutrition and nurture: so awesome, and so unique!
• Laura at Authentic Parenting shares solid information on iron intake for the breastfed baby.
• Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares the questions (and answers) about breastfeeding she wished she had a friend to answer for her before becoming a mama.
• Abbie at Farmer’s Daughter choose to breastfeed her children in part because it’s easier than bottle feeding, not to mention that it is the best nutrition for babies, that it has health benefits for both mother and child, that it encourages bonding, and of course that it’s free! Basically breastmilk is the ultimate convenience food.
• KerryAnn at Cooking Traditional Foods shares how the rush to recommend raw milk formula actually harms mothers.
• Starlene at GAPS Diet Journey shares her experience with nursing and why she feels it is an important piece of the your baby’s health.
• At Living Peacefully with Children, Mandy draws a connection between how formula companies market and how women are treated by society.
• Amy at Anktangle outlines a few of the many ways breastfeeding benefits both mom and child—aside from providing excellent nutrition.
• Adrienne at Whole New Mom shares Part One and Part Two of 100 Reasons Why Breast Is Best.
• Dawn at Cultured Mama shares her personal breastfeeding journey and how she overcame low supply issues and successfully tandemed nursed with only one breast.

Under Pressure (Photo credit: Forty Two.)

There is a lot of pressure on us as women and as mothers in particular. High expectations of looking a certain way, eating a certain way, being on top of everything while being pillars of support are placed on us every single day.

I think this is part of why it’s so easy to get both defensive and judgmental when it comes to parenting.

Particularly as new mothers, we are barraged with information and criticism from every corner, all while trying to figure out this totally new role of parenting on less sleep than we’ve ever gotten in our lives. Not. Easy.

Among the topics that come up for the most controversy, you could hardly pick a more prevalent one than breastfeeding. And the pressure here is multiplied tenfold – you’re constantly told it’s best for your baby while at the same time stumbling through minefields of ‘booby traps’ or obstacles to breastfeeding.

I traveled through that minefield and crashed and burned. Lack of support, misinformation, pain and agony and more – the reasons I gave up on breastfeeding were many – and sneaking in right along with them were feelings of inadequacy. I wasn’t healthy enough. I didn’t eat well enough. I was too fat.

I wasn’t a good enough mother to do the best for my baby.

Now, while there’s nothing quite so humbling as parenthood, I do realize today that those thoughts were completely, totally wrong.

…research tells us that the quality of a mother’s diet has little influence on her milk. Nature is very forgiving – mother’s milk is designed to provide for and protect baby even in times of hardship and famine. A poor diet is more likely to affect the mother than her breastfed baby. ~Kellymom – How does a mother’s diet affect her milk?

The benefits of breastmilk as the optimal food for baby are, I believe, without question.

• Breastmilk is free
• It is the original ‘Superfood’
• It is a complete nutrition uniquely tailored to your baby
• Unless extremely malnourished, all mothers can produce adequate amounts of breastmilk
• It protects babies from illness
• It benefits mom
• It’s good for the environment

I could go on and on, but there’s plenty of info. out there and it’s easy to find.

What concerns me is that in spite of all of those known benefits, we still live in a society that discourages mothers and throws up obstacles in the path of breastfeeding – a big one being that if you’re not eating right, you shouldn’t be nursing.

There are several problems I have with that statement:

1. None of us are perfect. Even if your diet is 100% real food (and kudos to you, because you’re a rare being) there is some way in which you are not perfectly healthy. Maybe you don’t exercise enough, or you have toxins from the environment in your body, or there is an issue with your genetics - in other words, maybe you’re human.

None of that changes the fact that your breast milk is still the optimal food for your baby.

2. By this logic, you probably shouldn’t have gotten pregnant in the first place. But oh wait – your body will still take all the nutrients and calcium and minerals, etc. that it needs for the baby. It might suck for you, but odds are your little one will be just fine (this may not apply in extreme cases).

3. Formula is not an easier or better path. Please keep in mind – this is not judgement – I bottle fed my daughter and I don’t think I am a horrible person or a failure as a mother for doing so – but I do believe that my breast milk would have been better for her. I do wish at times that I could turn back the clock so she could have it. And I can attest to the fact that bottle feeding in many ways is more difficult. It’s more expensive, it’s more of a risk, it’s more work. Bonding is not impossible with bottle feeding but it certainly takes more commitment.

Plus, nutrition-wise – even if you’re buying the most expensive of organic formulas or making your own from the purest of real food ingredients, breast milk still wins.

Ultimately, I hope to encourage you if your diet affecting your breast milk is a worry on your mind. Whether you are vegetarian or carnivore, vegan or junk food enthusiast, real food maven or in the middle of the road nutritionally – even if you’re a smoker! – your breast milk is still one of the greatest gifts you can give to your little one.

Please don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Disclaimer: I feel the need to emphasize that I did not nurse because I want you to know that if you are or have been in that position, you are not a bad mom. If anyone is making you think you are, just stop listening – you don’t need it. There is support out there for you in the attachment parenting community and this blog is one place where you will find it. <3

This gathering of breastfeeding support comes in response to the Weston A. Price Foundation’s (WAPF) continued stance on breastfeeding, which we all have a great concern with. While the WAPF does support breastfeeding as the best option for feeding babies, it does so with a caveat. Breastfeeding mothers must follow the strict tenants of the WAPF diet and mothers who are not following their nutrient dense diet recommendations would be better off feeding their babies homemade formula (based on the WAPF recipe). In addition, they are outspoken against using donor milk.

The bloggers sharing posts today are concerned with the confusion this may cause breastfeeding mothers. Not only does research support the myriad of health benefits of breast milk for babies regardless of the mother’s diet, it also outlines additional benefits of breastfeeding such as better bonding, deeper trust, and a long list of other emotional benefits. Let’s not forget the health benefits for moms!

We will have a complete list of all the blog posts published today (as part of this Blog Party) in a separate post on Sunday, March 31st. We welcome you to join this blog party by linking up your own new and previously published posts which focus on any positive aspect of breastfeeding and breast milk. Please enter using the Linky Tool which can be found at Hybrid Rasta Mama, Cooking Traditional Foods, Whole New Mom, Alternative Parenting, or African Babies Don’t Cry. (All links will be subject to moderation. Any link not following the spirit of the Blog Party will be removed.

English: Australian designed under the desk recycling bin for the source separation of high quality office paper (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For about a year and a half now I’ve been working at a job I really enjoy as an executive assistant in a family-owned business. It keeps me very busy (mainly too busy to blog if you haven’t noticed lol) but all in all it’s pretty great.

Kinda funny too, because in spite of the business casual environment most of my coworkers know me as the resident hippie (something I’m totally OK with).

During my time there I’ve come across several ways I can easily and not too annoyingly ‘green’ our office. I’m guessing a lot of these would apply to various workplaces so thought I would share…

1. Recycle. This one is so easy and yet it is surprising how few people will do it. The recycle bin under the desk for paper is a no brainer, but I’ve been able to figure out easy ways to recycle used printer cartridges (our office supply delivery guy will just pick them up – no shipping back to the company entailed) and gently encourage people to actually use the recycle bin in the cafe by pointing out that it is in fact, there. Right next to the garbage can.

No recycling at your workplace? Talk to your boss or building manager about getting it – you might be surprised at how easy it could be.

2. Greener Supplies. Talk to the person in charge of ordering office and other supplies. Are there greener options they could be choosing? There are actually quite a few options available through companies like Staples or Grand & Toy that don’t even cost more than their regular counterparts. Your supplier may have more than you realized as well. If not, suggest it to them through an e-mail or contact form.

3. Ditch the disposables. Our office hosts quite a few lunch meetings and we are fortunate to have a well-stocked kitchen with real dishes and cutlery. It’s often tempting to stick out the paper plates and plastic forks for easier cleanup, but if you do have the time to do an extra load of dishes (10 minutes, maybe?), do what I do and put out real plates – just make you’re not leaving the cleanup for anyone else!

If your workplace doesn’t do real, you could suggest it (even for things like coffee cups – have everyone bring in a few old mugs and you’re stocked for free) or at very least bring in your own for your food and drinks.

4. Do you really need to print that? I know people who print every e-mail, but it’s really not necessary. Just taking a second to think “Do I really need this?” before you click print can make a big difference to the amount of paper you’re using every day. When you do have to print, do double sided as often as possible.

5. Take a look at what you’re wasting – and stop. In every workplace environment I’ve been in, whether an office or a restaurant or a coffee place or what have you, I’ve seen a surprising amount of wastefulness and overuse of resources. Stuff thrown away, small items packed in big boxes, unnecessary packaging, lights left on, computers left on, too much food made/ordered and thrown away, etc., etc.

I don’t think people do it on purpose – it mostly stems out of a combination of thoughtlessness and being in a hurry – but it really, really adds up!

I’ve been just as guilty of it myself, and I find again, just taking that extra few seconds to think can make all the difference. Also being willing to turn off a light someone has left on, or move a piece of cardboard from the garbage to the recycling bin, or in general being willing to do a little cleanup after others even when it’s ‘not your job’ (and not being obnoxious about it).

All of these things are super simple and require very little extra effort while truly making a difference. Of course, you can do bigger things as well, particularly if you have an employer who is receptive to it – don’t be afraid to suggest!

What kinds of things do you do to green your workplace?

Slow Food USA (Photo credit: Kevin Krejci)

I recently had an interesting conversation with a dietitian in which I came to realize that many health educators truly believe that because most of us refuse to eat real, whole foods, they must teach us how to choose the ‘least worst’ of the processed foods widely available to us.

This made me sad for several reasons, not the least among them being the fact that it’s kinda, sorta, a little bit true.

Again, I know this from experience – I grew up as one of the world’s pickiest eaters and there is still a lot of real, healthy food that I find to be, well, gross (though I continue to work toward expanding my palate!).

In too many ways, processed food actually does taste better to us than real food does (and that’s no accident!). You hear it all the time – why are all the things that are ‘good for you’ have to taste so bad??

Personally, I believe that’s another way in which the food industry wins - if you can get people to dislike or even fear real food, you’re happily pushing them further into your processed, junky arms, which is of course their aim.

When I first started moving toward eating more real food (and by real, I mean unprocessed, whole foods – eggs, vegetables, meat, raw dairy, real butter, etc.) I viewed it as a big sacrifice, something I should be doing but didn’t really want to.

While I still may have to defeat that attitude on any given day, I have managed to come up with some simple and pretty easy ways to make it possible – even enjoyable – to the point of loving many foods I couldn’t have imagined touching 10 years ago.

1. Eat locally.

You probably hear that a lot – but have you ever really tried it?

A year or two ago we began ordering our first CSA boxes filled with local vegetables and fruits. We also started growing some of our own food.

The first time I tried a local, organic sweet potato I was in heaven! It was like nothing I had ever tasted before – a total explosion of sweet and flavourful goodness in my mouth. It didn’t need butter or added sugar or any other topping. I could hardly believe it!

The same thing happened with each veggie I grew in my backyard – it was all so good! I was liking stuff I had never liked and liking stuff that I had always liked even more. I would not have believed it before I actually tried it – but all the hype about eating local really is true!

Give it a try this summer – replace just a few foods you eat regularly with some local or even home grown foods. You will not be disappointed.

2. Eat conscientiously.

Organic is considered by many to be a bit of a bandwagon and not always authentic, and I agree to some extent. But when you try produce grown without pesticides or GMOs, pastured meat and eggs, raw dairy and grass fed butter – in other words, sustainable foods produced with careful consideration and respect for the product and the environment – you will taste a difference.

It’s not just the nutritional value or the taste that will be better, but your whole attitude around the food itself. There is a big difference between stuffing down a bag of chips or ripping open a box of some packaged food and preparing a real, wholesome, sustainable meal. It’s a weightier matter – one that you can feel truly good about eating.

Again, try it with a few foods – you may be very pleasantly surprised!

3. Make it a ritual.

This is something I am not great at doing. Our kitchen table is covered with stuff; we mainly eat in the living room. Breakfast is often a stand up affair and I mostly eat lunch at my desk when I’m at work.

But I do make the effort to corral us all into eating together, discussing the food, contemplating the merits of what I’m eating while I’m sitting at my desk, sharing our good choices as something we can be proud of - there are lots of ways to make a meal into something greater than just eating it.

I definitely enjoy my food more when the experience of eating it is pleasurable and when I make a practice of contemplating its merits – neither of which are difficult things to do.

4. Try new things.

This can seem very difficult but can also be surprisingly easy. I got into a habit of trolling for recipes, picking up a new to me fruit or vegetable in the grocery store and googling how to make it, growing seeds of stuff I’d never tried but looked interesting, being more adventurous when choosing from the menu in a restaurant. I’ve found several new favourites this way and had my ideas of what tastes good very much expanded.

True – I’m still more ‘picky’ than I would like to be – but the more I take those steps of trying new foods, the more real foods I find I truly enjoy.

5. Be involved in the process.

I love to cook, so this is mainly easy for me – I am very involved when I cook something from scratch and again have a lot more motivation to truly enjoy it over something picked up at a drive through or scooped out of a bag.

But not everyone is a chef, so what can you do?

• You can help with the cooking or planning of meals.
• You can set the environment – real dishes, maybe even candles – to create some sort of ritual around enjoying the food.
• You can do the shopping or even just the research to find a local, sustainable food source that you can feel good about.
• You can be a cheerleader, encouraging yourself or your family and assisting in taking that one step at a time that will be most effective at helping you to truly transition toward eating more real food.
• You can be willing to set aside your skepticism and just give something a try.

Really, the possibilities are quite endless.

These are 5 among many ways I’ve discovered to help me make better food choices in spite of overcoming a lifetime of processed food eating – I hope you find them as helpful as I have.

What are some of the ways you’ve approached the enjoyment of real food over processed?