I’d like to start this blog by saying, for some of you, this may be TMI, as in “too much information,” but as I’ve said before, we cloth-diapering moms are not typically overly-squeamish so with that warning, I’ll continue.

After 23 months, I just had a visit from Aunt Flo.  That’s right. My monthly. My cycle. My friend. My period. After over nine months of pregnancy and then 14 months of breastfeeding (and still going strong, thank you very much) I wasn’t sure if I would ever get it again. And truth be told, I hadn’t missed it at all.

So anyway, as I was dealing with Aunt Flo and getting ready to use a maxi-pad, into the bathroom walks my four-year-daughter, Kate–Mommy wants privacy? What a ridiculous concept. Anyway, curious Kate asked about the “diaper” I was  holding. After I gave her a very simplistic, yet truthful answer, I started thinking. These pads are a lot like diapers and a whole lot of them end up in landfills every year. Surely someone had already invented a cloth version.

A quick internet search revealed that yes, indeed, cloth pads do exist and actually, they seem to get great reviews. One of the companies I found Gladrags even asks has a program that will donate their products to girls in Africa, living in poverty, who have little access to feminine products. A starter kit costs a little over $100 and comes complete with the specialty detergent and a small bucket with a lid (to keep near the toilet, I assume). Like using cloth diapers, this would be a great way to save money and put less trash into the landfill.

Another cool looking company that makes and sells cloth pads is called Luna Pads. Their pads have wings and come in dark colors, like black, with colorful trim. Personally, if I end up investing in cloth pads, I would go with black–it just seems to make sense, if you know what I mean! While on the Luna Pad site, I came across a very disturbing blog called The Moldy Tampon Turmoil. I hadn’t heard this story but I am pretty grossed out by the picture. The woman who discovered the moldy tampon only discovered because she accidentally popped it out of the applicator–otherwise, anyone who has used a tampon knows that you don’t see the tampon before you put it in–so who knows how many moldy tampons exist? Ewwwwwww!

The environmentalist in me is thinking maybe I should give these a try.  And since I have two daughters, I’ve already decided that I’ll be buying the girls each a set when they get their first periods. They’ll think this is just the way it’s done if I start them early enough–or at least I hope so. What do you think of reusable sanitary pads? Would you? Could you? Do you? Let us know what you think.