# Ladies - cloth menstrual pads? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 8, 2016, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-cloth-menstrual-pads/748249 "2016-03-08T01:59:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-cloth-menstrual-pads/748249/41 "2016-04-11T09:24:56Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Hmm, you guys got me intrigued. I also get horrible rashes and cyst flare-ups when I wear traditional pads, and cramps with tampons. Not sure how I have made it this far in life. (Well, ok, I have spent many years w/o periods) > > I work from home and pretty much live in jammies, so I have about 20 hours a day to not worry about the bulk of my pad. > > I have too many choices now, though!! Another thing to try is cups. I use the disposable “instead”, which is a little pricey. I have looked at the reusable, but chickened out. But i adore using a cup. Everything stays in the vagina until you replace it. Then it requires some clean up, but there’s a lot of flexibility about the timing. I certainly don’t have to deal with it every time i pee. When i was young i could use tampons that way, but not after i had kids. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-cloth-menstrual-pads/748249/42 "2016-04-11T23:54:14Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I got my period a couple weeks ago and went right for the cloth pads. > > I was sort of disappointed right off the bat because I didn’t plan properly. Meaning I used the pad first thing in the day and say at work (which is at home) all day and then went for my swimming workout which meant tampon and so that was it for pad 1 for the day. Cuz I wasn’t going to reuse it. Ick. > > But I had a second pad. I was wearing a dress the next day. I was gonna just wear the pad but I chickened out. I did use it WITH a tampon so I could be totally secure while in the dress and that was nice. Nice to not have to wear the plastic pads which give me a rash. > > Anyway one problem I had which was awful was that the damn pad flipped over when I went to the bathroom. As in the part that was supposed to be upwards was downwards. Because there’s no stickiness. I also was using a little button piece that made the thing wider called a “wing extender”. So I walked around like that for a few mins before i had to go back and fix things. Glad I didn’t sit down and was wearing a tampon. > > Anyway so far I am not blown away. Because I want to change a pad 2-3 times a day and I don’t have that kind of investment in the pads yet. I also need a longer pad, like a nighttime pad, for regular use. So the ones I tried were too small. > > With my history of not having a period for many years and then having irregular periods and then having crazy heavy flow I am just fucking awful at managing having a period. Plus right now I am doing a different thing with hormones so my period is different AGAIN. > > So maybe I am not the best person to review menstrual products. Sigh. > > I will probably use the pads in the future as pantyliners. I am not sure if I will order more. We’ll see. Too bad they didn’t work for you. If I had one turn inside out :eek: I don’t think I’d be too impressed either! It’s a pretty personal decision/choice and I firmly believe that every woman should do whatever works best and feels best for her. 🙂 I have made two converts though! One friend who had lots of ripping :eek: during both of her deliveries can only use pads and she’s thrilled with them. One coworker is pregnant and has bought some for postpartum so I guess she’s not really a convert as she hasn’t used them yet. I remain a cloth pad zealot! After loving them so much through one period I bit the bullet and bought enough for the whole cycle, everything from panty liners to overnight pads. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-cloth-menstrual-pads/748249/43 "2016-04-12T00:17:26Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > I have made two converts though! One friend who had lots of ripping :eek: during both of her deliveries can only use pads and she’s thrilled with them. One coworker is pregnant and has bought some for postpartum so I guess she’s not really a convert as she hasn’t used them yet. Postpartum may not be the best time for cloth - at least for the first week I went all out Depends. It was truly gross and in incredible volumes and would have really soured me on pads. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-cloth-menstrual-pads/748249/44 "2016-04-12T00:25:28Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > Has anyone here tried the Thinx underpants? They’re just underpants with some kind of built in miracle fabric that handles the period material. They’re pricier than I can afford so I haven’t wanted to take a chance on them. But I’m thinking about it. > > [http://www.shethinx.com/](http://www.shethinx.com/) These are very interesting. I’m going to look into them. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-cloth-menstrual-pads/748249/45 "2016-04-12T00:34:10Z")
I tried my PIMP one and it was great. No chafing, no problems. I even did a load of laundry so I could use it again. Definitely have to order more. Not sure if I’m going to get more PIMP ones or try another brand, but something. I have a super light flow so even if it moves and shifts, it’s (knock wood!) not going to be a major issue. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-cloth-menstrual-pads/748249/46 "2016-04-12T00:37:14Z")
> [@Fair\_Rarity](#): > > I tried my PIMP one and it was great. No chafing, no problems. I even did a load of laundry so I could use it again. Definitely have to order more. Not sure if I’m going to get more PIMP ones or try another brand, but something. > > I have a super light flow so even if it moves and shifts, it’s (knock wood!) not going to be a major issue. When I use traditional pads, they are just as likely to move and shift as my PIMPs. The biggest difference is that I don’t get that surprise waxing along with the shift. I can see if you want to change your pads several times a day where disposables would be a lot easier. I’ve been known to put a ziploc baggie in my purse for those days at work, but its sort of gross - and if I were on a long trip with no laundry facilities, I’d contribute to the waste stream and risk the unintentional waxing. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-cloth-menstrual-pads/748249/47 "2016-04-12T00:38:25Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Postpartum may not be the best time for cloth - at least for the first week I went all out Depends. It was truly gross and in incredible volumes and would have really soured me on pads. This is good information and I will pass it on to her for sure. It’s her first pregnancy and I didn’t know it could be that heavy during postpartum. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-cloth-menstrual-pads/748249/48 "2016-04-12T01:08:47Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > This is good information and I will pass it on to her for sure. It’s her first pregnancy and I didn’t know it could be that heavy during postpartum. I’m not a heavy bleeder on a monthly basis - I would go through hospital pads in an hour and was passing golf ball sized clots. Once it tapered off to normal levels, cloth will work fine - but I seriously had a few days of Depends. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-cloth-menstrual-pads/748249/49 "2016-04-12T03:32:20Z")
Oh yeah, i bled enormously post partum. I was glad to be in the hospital and bleed on their sheets rather than mine. I used giant old-fashioned pads then, something I’ve never used any other time. Heck, i passed a fist-sized clot after my son was born. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-cloth-menstrual-pads/748249.md?page=2)