Y’know, you can’t call your blog “My Women Stuff” and then never talk about that most awful time of being a woman, right? 😀 Whether you breeze through that dreaded TOTM (Time Of The Month) or whether you take to your bed with debilitating cramps, it’s that one week in a month that, I don’t know about you, but always makes me feel like crap.
But feeling like crap aside, what is your pick when it comes to dealing with your menstrual period? Do you go for sanitary pads, be they the more common disposable ones or reuseable cloth pads? Or are tampons your choice for more freedom? Or perhaps you shun both these conventional methods and use something else? There’s been a resurgence in the use of menstrual cups in recent times, I’ve noticed.
Me, I do pads. The “Super Value Pack” above should have given you a hint LOL!
I’ve tried using cloth pads, an experiment which I documented here, but the truth is that I never quite got the hang of it. It wasn’t as awful an experience as I thought it would be, but life just got to the stage that I didn’t really want to wrestle with cloth pads anymore. So I do regular disposable sanitary pads – always ultra-thin and always, ALWAYS with wings. I can’t imagine not having a pad with wings. Ugh!
Recently however, I’d taken to swimming regularly and I didn’t really want to interrupt my routine, so I tested tampons after some urgent whatsapp conversations with a friend whom I knew was a regular tampon user. Every girl needs a friend with whom you can discuss the latest beauty and fashion in one moment and then talk about pads and tampons in the next moment 😀
Using a tampon was new to me (yes, at this advanced age, but we’re never too old to learn!) and I have to admit that I appreciated the freedom of movement and the fact that I could go swimming even while having my period. No, you can’t get into a pool with your pad on – just think about that logically, yes?
But I worried about things like toxic shock syndrome which can happen if you leave your tampon in too long and I’d be watching the clock like a hawk so I didn’t forget to change so, it felt a little like too much work. I’d still use it when I swim, but I decided, not otherwise.
As for other methods, primarily menstrual cups, I guess, I’m just not ready to go there. I can’t say I didn’t toy with the idea, just for experimentation purposes, but the high costs and the steep learning curve just put me off. If you do use them, I’m very curious to hear of your experience so please please share your thoughts in the comments! 🙂
Pads, Tampons or Other… what’s your TOTM pick?
You know mine and if you have horror, funny or any stories to share about your experiences with either, please share! 🙂
Paris B
I am so, so glad that somebody is willing to talk about periods! LOL! It’s like, “A lot of our readers are ladies, they get it, it happens.”
I used a tampon for the first time when I was 17, and I haven’t looked back since. They’re all I wear because I can’t feel them. When my flow gets light, I just stop wearing anything and make sure I go to the bathroom often. Pads just feel like diapers to me, and that makes me feel like I can’t do anything. Also, even the pads with wings couldn’t prevent leaks for me. :/
I know a lot of people panic about TSS, but it’s actually pretty rare, especially with modern, American-made tampons. According to the Mayo Clinic:
“Toxic shock syndrome historically has been associated primarily with the use of superabsorbent tampons. However, since manufacturers pulled certain types of tampons off the market, the incidence of toxic shock syndrome in menstruating women has declined.”
Haha yes, Renee. We all get it, let’s talk about it right? 😀 Thanks for the info about TSS. Considering we don’t hear a lot about it anymore and when I read of people actually sleeping with tampons I guess maybe it’s true that newer technology allows for better made products. Gotta admit the freedom was amazing! I felt I could do anything while pads are to an extent, rather crippling coz you just never know if you’re going to leak >.<
Pads with wings, please. I’ve used tampons before but still prefer pads. Inserting a tampon while it’s um, messy down there is not something I like dealing with.
LOL! Ahem. That has a lot of truth to it! But I can’t deny the freedom to be able to do things like swim was very liberating. Felt like the scales had been lifted from my eyes LOL
Pads. I’ve read about the other sanitary hygiene options when I was a teenager, but to this day, still too squeamish about inserting objects up the hoo-ha. Also too lazy for the reusable pads and pantiliners.
At least your blog post wasn’t about period panties…?
I think a friend mentioned buying some expensive pads from Singapore, but she couldn’t remember the brand name. I’m gonna have to guess she was referring to Adore.
Period panties! You know, they really are a boon for some especially if they help prevent embarrassing accidents! Funny you should mention your friend buying pads from Singapore. I used to buy pads in bulk from HK and Bangkok when I visited because the same brand was always so much cheaper there, sometimes up to half the price! Thankfully, I’d never had to open my bag at customs LOL
Given the choice between tampons and pads, pads all the way! For me personally, tampons were really uncomfortable during removal.
However, in recent months, I’ve converted to cloth pads and menstrual cups! WOWZA, I love them both with a passion. The chemicals in traditional pads were starting to give me allergic reactions. Believe me when I say that any sort of reaction around those areas is super uncomfortable. Cloth pads are admittedly kind of a hassle (I hate laundry…), but I find them to be a necessity when wearing my menstural cup at night.
It only took me one period for me to get the hang of the menstural cup. so I don’t think the learning curve is steep at all! There are some great forums that will teach you what to look out for when purchasing a cup, and honestly, I will never go back to traditional pads and tampons. It’s a personal choice, but I feel better having those chemicals far away from me, and having less smelly garbage in my bathroom is just a plus!
I thought it felt “funny” on removal actually LOL It’s great to know that you didn’t have a problem with the menstrual cup. Which brand are you using? We don’t have a lot of options locally and I guess it makes sense from the point of view of using products with chemicals. I actually found cloth pads very comfortable, much to my surprise. I expected to feel like I was wearing diapers!
am I the only one who dislike winged pads? I used to alternate tampons and non-winged pads during uni days. now it’s full time pads, just bcoz they don’t sell tampons anywhere where I live right now. Nada. The only reason I don’t use winged pads coz the wings somehow always chafe against my bikini line. I seem to be the minority who experience this lol
LOL I knew they still had non-winged pads for a reason! I thought winged pads were the best invention ever. But yes, with some brands, I do get the chafing problem which is why I’m very loyal to the brand that I usually use, as I’m sure most women are! 😀
wing pads! ultra thin too! have never used tampons in my life ><
now, i need to see if i can get used to cloth pad. i am now used to wearing cloth pad as liner, and hopefully i can bear to see it when it turns red
To be honest, cloth padding wasn’t as hard as I thought it was and it was pretty comfy too. But I just couldn’t continue to fit it into my lifestyle. Also something about colourful pads makes me feel weird LOL!
When I first got my period, I used pads. But I always hated them! I used to use the Whisper ones because they had really wide wings and I needed those because I used to do sports and my pad would shift A LOT thus ending up in very unfortunate stains. I also hated that wet feeling you get if you\’ve gone a few hours using them, plus at the end of my periods I\’d get something akin to diaper rash. Sleeping through the night was awful because I\’d be almost anticipating an overflow during my heaviest days. Then I started using tampons once I got over the squeemishness of my ladybits. I usually got the ones with an applicator because I didn\’t really want to poke my fingers up there if you know what I mean. But I was kind of scared of getting Toxic Shock Syndrome and I couldn\’t use them overnight (you\’re not supposed to leave it in for more than 6 hours). So I decided to REALLY get acquainted with my ladybits and got menstrual cups and never looked back. Now I never have to spend money on disposable sanitary products because I can keep using my cup for up to 10 years. It\’s also helped a lot in lessening my cramps and even making my flow a little lighter? I\’d still get pretty heavy bleeding on the first two days but after that I can leave the cup in for 12 hours and not even worry about it. Staying dry and not constantly rushing to the toilet to check whether I\’ve overflowed? CHECK. Plus it\’s also good for the environment 😀
It’s good to know the menstrual cup works well for you. I have to admit that the idea of the convenience of using the cup, based on what I’ve read, is tempting. Which brand do you use and did you have a learning curve?
I’m a tampon girl. Ever since I tried them for the first time some years ago, I just haven’t gone back. Granted when I first started using them, I wasn’t used to it. I’ve run into a few bad leaky situations. But now I know, I need to check more frequently when my flow is stronger.
Tampons improved my mood immensely. I used to HATE it when my period came around. The pads made me so uncomfortable. I still have a bunch of pads that just sit there unused ><
As for the Toxic shock syndrome, I used to be very afraid of that. But as I've gotten older, I've become less scared of it. I mean, unless you keep your tampon on for more than 10+ hours, then you should be worried.
As for the cups, I have read up about them. I just know I'll fail at putting it on so many times, that I'd just give up on it. I also am never able to find them in stores. Seems like they're pretty popular.
I came on the tampon scene late but well, as they say, better late than never! 😀 At least I know what to use if I need the freedom of movement. Pads are definitely not friendly for flexibility >.< As for cups, I can't deny that I'm intrigued but having to buy them online without any chance of actually seeing one in person beforehand is rather daunting.
Did you forget about me? 🙁 – you can check out menstrual cups in person any time at our TT shop in Bangsar Village 2. We stock 3 different brands now (Meluna, Lady Cup and Mooncup) I’d be happy to walk you through the pros and cons of each, just drop me an email
Hi Li, I didn’t forget. In fact, TT was the first website I went to to look at the cups! I didn’t know they’re available in store. Perhaps when I’m feeling a bit more adventurous, I’ll give them a go 😉 Thanks for popping by and I hope all is well with you 🙂
No,no to disposables to me too. I have been using cloth pads for the last few years and in middle of this year, i picked up the menstrual cup – Moon Cup fr Tiny Tapir.
For me, inserting it wasn’t all that difficult even at first try, it was a tad uncomfortable though. But GETTING it OUT was a total diff story..I really struggled.
The instructions that came with the cup was not very helpful. So I googled around for articles on inserting/ removing and found that the “punch-down” fold works best for me…both insertion & removing. Once i learn that method, it was a breeze.
U can use the cup even when u are not having period, so this means u can use it when u are expecting your period to start to avoid “accidents.”
Although it says that you can leave the cup for 12 hours, i find that i need to empty the cup every 2 hours if I have a heavy flow (day 1/2), otherwise, i find that I only need to empty it once I get home at the end of my workday…works great for me.
Oh ya..i still will wear a cloth pad on heavy flow days as it will leak when it is full…
I actually came across some funny and scary stories about getting the cup out and one even mentioned having to go to the hospital! So yeah, that was scary LOL I can’t say I’m not curious about it still and while I’m not sure if I will try it, I have to admit it continues to intrigue me. Just not so sure about the hygiene levels if I’m out and about though >.<
I have always used pads. Have not strayed to tampon, silicone cups and cloth pads. The thought of any other tubular objects or non disposable which requires washing…is too foreign to me. Yes, thank God for wings. I know when I was younger, pads with wings cost almost double or triple the ones without wings plus they’re a lot shorter. Leakage during PE lessons and the dreaded red spot on pinafore etc…thank goodness they are behind us now. The menses underwear helped as well. Anyhow, during the time of the month, I normally sleep with a towel or cloth under my bum. Give me pads of any length, leakage is still prevalent for me. I must be doing kung fu while sleeping perhaps 😀
Ooh you use the towel too! I used to as well – better be safe than sorry right? And it’s damn upsetting to wake up in the middle of the night with a wet patch and to have to change the sheets etc. Ugh!!! These days, I’m a lot better although I’m still sleep lightly on Day 1 and 2. Ever ready to jump out of bed and run to the loo just in case! 😛
Hi, I would like to share a 3rd option besides pad and tampons. It’s a menstrual cup. I recently came across something called the menstrual cup which is a silicon cup that is meant to hold the blood instead of soaking it up like tampon. It’s reusable which is environmentally friendly. Available on iherb for around U$33. Can’t share my experience as I’m not using it myself but recommended a friend who became a convert.
There’ve been quite a few readers who have shared their positive experiences using a menstrual cup which has made me intrigued all over again LOL I didn’t see it on iherb before but thanks for letting me know! Maybe one day I’ll be adventurous and try it. MAYBE 😛
ive alwez been using tampon but i prefer smtg more natural.So i tried cloth pad but i feel is troublesome to wash.Then i discover menstrual cup and been using it for few years and never look back….save me cost and last up to 12hours. I not have to buy pad/tampon every month and keeping it, not have to throw the used pad, not have to wash pad, not have to worry if i clog the toilet with tampon, not have to worry tampon is over 12h, not have to worry my flow is little but i used the wrong tampon etc. I been using the same cup for few years now.one year 12 times.whats more can i ask for ….the best invention in the world….
How interesting that quite a few of you are using the menstrual cup. Thanks for sharing your experience with it Elaine!
Hi! I have started to use menstrual cup few months ago (I won one in a blog giveaway) and i\’m totally in love with my Si-bell cup! This is the most economicall, ecological and comfortable way to go trough \”those days\”. And if you like swimming, with the cup it\’s even better then with the tampons bcoz you don\’t have to pull it off after swim! My cup is really small and soft, and i think about trying something more fimer and a little bit bigger – but still i\’m very happy with my cup.Before I was quite satysfied with tampons and never using pads (hate that feeling that i have something in my pants), but i will never go back. Cup is more gentle than tampon, even it\’s seems to be bigger it\’s not so rought as tampon, and the best ting – you don\’t have to buy antything ever and you are always prepared!
Been using Tampons for the last 10-12 years, since my early 20s. They were cheaper than pads in Aus, and I just found them easier to deal with. TSS is really rare. Like, really really. I sleep with the tampons, as I hate messes. even then the super absorbent ones sometimes get full over night (7-8 hours), so an ultra thin pad works, for that short while.Also, if you can feel the tampon, it means you\’ve not inserted it right. I\’m dying to try the menstrual cup though. Seems to cost effective and environmentally friendly. Oh and hygienic, too.