I went on low dose b.c. pills to help the pain and mess before menopause. It helped.
I had been intending for years to try some version of the reusable Diva cup, but menopause hit before I got around to it. It doesn’t seem to have been mentioned so far at all in this thread?
I thought that the menstrual cup was kind of the go-to solution for anyone who didn’t mind washing blood [redacted for the squeamish, I’m ok, you’re ok] out of a reusable item in preference to throwing away a blood-soaked disposable one. If I were going the reusable route, I would definitely prefer dealing with a cup rather than a diaper-panty.
Same, as a historical costuming fan I am a bit disappointed that this isn’t about making linen shifts and drawers.
However, we can combine the two topics with this interesting link about medieval menstrual-hygiene supplies and garments, including the observation about why red was a standard color for women’s petticoats! 
I didn’t expect it to last as long as it did. Lucky me. You might be a different kind of lucky, @Dung_Beetle !
Re the Diva Cup: Can they be used daily, when there may be nothing to catch? I’ve never tried one.
Me neither. Any more clueful menstrual hygienists out there?
Why would you want to? They are inserted to catch the menses, and if your normal mucus flow needs something like a diva cup, get hence to a doc stat cause that ain’t right.
I have a couple pair of period panties - when they field dressed me, one of the not so fun side effects is damage to the nerves in the pelvis leading to slight incontinence, and not the usual female sneeze/laugh sort, but the slight lack of muscle control [?] I mean, yes I did kegels before, and I do them now, but in general I don’t have a huge amount of time where I gradually feel a full bladder-need to pee, I get maybe a few minutes of need to pee, like what would normally be a got to pee in maybe half an hour, except experience has taught me that means head to the toilet NOW. So I wear period panties [and to be honest, a pad just in case] in case of anything slipping out on the way. I have noticed they can keep leaks in - call it maybe an ounce, at least a tablespoon =)
And I had my diva cup for the last 3 years I was menstruating, though I didn’t need it for hte last one because I went on norethindrone and they got an hysterectomy. [hands down, my favorite body mod EVER]
In which case they wouldn’t be advertising them, which I have seen.
Bringing that up, not a reader of women’s magazines I hadn’t seen then advertised until about three months ago. Is there some sort of brand war going on now or perhaps a technical breakthrough that made them feasible.
I never know when Rag Day’s coming anymore.
I first became aware of this product through this commercial.
Even as a male, I thought they did a great job with it.
I had a Diva cup, and it was great. Very comfortable to wear, saves money and landfill. Main drawback for me is that when it’s full, it overflows, like you aren’t even wearing it. On heavy days, I also wore a pad as backup. It can be awkward to deal with in a public bathroom where the sink is not right there. Your fingers can get a bit messy, if you mind that.
I think Diva cups are silicone, so you can wear them as much as you like. Some other brands are rubber, and there might be a risk of developing an allergy if you wear them all the time.
My teen uses them but mostly as a back up with pads and then uses just them on the light days.
I use fabric, reusable pads. I have a super light flow so regular pads chafe and using a tampon would be horrifically painful. If I had a normal flow or cycle, I might use them. Especially the swimming ones.
I hesitate to say this, but my perimenopause lasted almost 10 years. If it’s any comfort, and I hope it is, from what my gynecologist said, I’m on the lengthy end of things. Also, my actual menopause didn’t seem as severe to me as what some of my friends experienced. That may just be because I’d been putting up with milder symptoms for so long that the full-on experience was old hat, of course.
And I loved the idea of a Diva cup, but I’ve had intermittent problems with mild uterine prolapse since my children were born. If your cervix can’t be relied on to stay up where it belongs, a menstrual cup may not be right for you (sorry for all the TMI, gentlemen).
They are. I used one (replacing it approximately every 1.5-2 years) when I had a normal menstruation cycle. The only problem I found is that sometimes my fingers slipped during insertion and I managed to flick myself in a rather delicate area. Ouch.
I think the longest I ever used a Diva was about 9 days, though. Most cycles were about 4-5 days. I just found it tedious to insert every morning and evening. Still much better than pads. And since I started using the cup, I never went back to tampons. As the cup does not absorb the liquid, it doesn’t dry out the interior. (TMI?)
Fortunately my office has an accessible toilet (one of two in the building), which has a sink inside the stall, which I found convenient for really heavy days.
I used a disposable menstrual cup (“instead”) for a few years before menopause, and i loved it. I’d probably have tried the reusable one if I’d learned about it sooner. Yes, it was messy for the few minutes i actually dealt with it. But it lasted ages, i could pee with it in place (something i could do with a tampon before i had kids, but not after, the tampon absorbed some pee, which felt gross) and it was very comfortable.
Back in my crotch-bleeding youth that was what “period panties” were: older and less-than-pristine underwear that you didn’t care if it got spotted or stained.
Then they invented those thin pads some people started wearing every day or as backups to tampons. And now they’re selling this “period underwear” and if my mother was still alive she’d be rolling her eyes because she was old enough to remember when women made pads at home to pin in their underwear, throwing the used ones into a bucket of bleach solution until they could get around to washing them. For a taste of period period underwear that encompasses both senses of the thread title.
I use the period underpants (a pair of Thinx and some knock-offs) and they work for me. On the first, heavier day I use them with a reusable pad which I take out halfway through the day. For the rest of the time I use one pair a day and perhaps a change in the evening on the first couple of days. It’s great to never have to think of buying pads or tampons. I tried the diva cup and didn’t like it - didn’t like the suction sensation and, at times I got it in wrong it was very uncomfortable. Might have learned eventually, but I’m happy just pulling on panties.
We had a thread some years ago about these fabric pads (much like this thread here) and I was moved to buy some. At the time I still had a heavier flow, and I was super bummed that they didn’t work for me, as I prefer pads but also have skin issues with the disposable ones. Well now that my flow is lighter I am happy to report I love my fabric pads! Woohoo!
It may have been you that encouraged me to try them so if it was, thanks 
Guess I should look into those as well.
I’d need at least 5 pairs to have in rotation, doubt I’d ever use them alone without a backup but I am intrigued by the idea of a panty that holds it all in especially on clotty flows.
They get washed separately I would guess.
I wring mine and then take them into the shower (not wearing them!) and rinse them out, but after that I do chuck them into the washing machine with the rest of my dark clothes. Does not cause issues, apart from the fact that I have to remember not to use fabric softener as apparently that messes with the technology.