The odds are high that if you’re listening to our podcast week after week, menstrual products are something you think about fairly regularly as you anticipate and experience your menstruation. And you know that we at woven well believe every decision around your fertility matters - including the menstrual products you use!
And, of course, we want you to have a context for every informed decision, as well. So why not take a look at menstruation overall before we dive into menstrual products specifically.
Menstruation. What is it, why does it matter, what does it tell us?
Most likely you’ve heard it most commonly referred to as your period, although there are lots of terms out there for it: aunt flo, that time of the month, etc. Regardless of what you call it, it’s when the lining of your uterus, thickened and enriched during your cycle for the possibility of the implantation of an embryo, sheds over the course of usually 3-7 days through the cervix, and out of the vaginal opening.
We think of menstruation as being the shedding of blood (and there’s plenty of blood in the mix) but there’s also tissue, endometrial fluid - maybe even some cervical mucus.
You probably notice some mild cramping or discomfort as your body sloughs off this lining. The uterus is cramping and releasing all that it’s built up over the past month or so. This mild cramping is normal, but anything more than that - even for one day! - can be a helpful symptom for identifying an underlying cause. Because painful periods, although common, are not normal - and there’s a reason for it and, likely, a treatment for it.
So, some women experience heavier periods, and some experience lighter, but typically bleeding is truly a period when you have at least one day of moderate or heavy bleeding and the overall bleeding lasts at least 3 days. You also often notice the bleeding increasing and then decreasing during that time. Or, if you start out strong, you’ll notice it slowly decrease during your period.
Your period can tell you a LOT of information: bleeding longer than 7 days or shorter than 3 days, bleeding heavier than one tampon or pad an hour or so, or never getting past light bleeding or spotting, seeing brown bleeding, and more - these can all reveal very helpful information about the quality of the cycle you just finished, including hormone health, the strength of your uterine lining, and even possible causes of early miscarriage. So see, even your period matters!
And even though it can be an inconvenience - I’m not sure I’ve ever met a woman who hasn’t at some point had some sort of an accident related to her period, or some embarrassing moment from over the years - it’s truly an incredible process of the female body, that is absolutely essential to two important things: the ability to create and sustain human life through reproduction, and your overall health and wellbeing.
I promise - we are going to talk about your options when it comes to menstrual products! But I just can’t not mention how truly amazing the menstruation process is. And I think it’s important to be intentional to say it.
Young girls can be fascinated by periods because they’re new and a sign of growing up and a part of being a woman. But how quickly that interest and fascination gets muddled with shame and embarrassment. What were your thoughts about starting your period? I wish I could grab coffee and hear about it.
How often do people ever ask you that question? But there’s a lot mixed up in it. Maybe you had strong female examples that prepared you and helped you embrace this new aspect of womanhood. Or, maybe your first period was full of fear because you didn’t know what it was and you thought maybe you were sick or injured. Maybe you were unprepared and started while at school or something and felt sick with embarrassment. It’s complicated! And that fear or embarrassment can stick around and affect how we experience and think of our menstruation the rest of our lives.
It’s okay to not enjoy it - I’m not saying you have to throw a party for it every month, but acknowledging its meaning and purpose are important, too.
Each time you see it, it can be a reminder that your body is doing amazing work. It’s creating good hormones. It’s responding to those good hormones. It’s giving you signs of health or symptoms of concern. It’s constantly preparing for the possibility of pregnancy: even if it hasn’t happened yet, or that’s not your intention. Your body is doing good, amazing work that it was crafted to do.
And when it’s not, you feel it. You know something’s off, and you want resolution!
Painful periods. Irregular cycles. Amennorhea - when you aren’t having periods at all. Unusual bleeding. Excessively heavy bleeding.
We’ll talk more about seeking resolutions in other episodes. But the point is that menstruation matters, and I want woven well conversations around menstruation to be positive ones. Instead of being surrounded by shame or embarrassment, I want us to remember that periods are signs of health and flourishing and possibility.
Okay - SO! As promised, let’s talk a little about menstrual products!
When you’re on your period, there are lots of options as far as what you can use to manage that menstruation. The most common options are tampons, pads, and menstrual cups. But there are also options like period underwear, reusable pads, and menstrual discs.
You’re likely in one of two main camps: feel the flow or capture the flow. And you know exactly what I mean. If you’re used to using tampons, then adjusting to feeling the flow while using pads can be a unique transition. In the same way, if you’re used to using pads, but you switch over to a product that captures the flow, it can be a totally new experience!
Both come with their pros and cons, but most of them you’re familiar with. For today, I want to make you aware of some the suggestions I make to all of my clients.
Number One: GO ORGANIC. This applies whether you’re using pads or tampons. It used to be really difficult to find good organic options, but that’s no longer the case - you can find organic options (not just one) at Target, Walmart, even regular grocery stores and pharmacies. They’re slightly more expensive, but very, very worth it.
These products are going into very sensitive and receptive areas of your body. If you’re using tampons, you are literally putting them inside your body to sit for hours. It matters what it’s made of.
And while I’m at it - it’s important to follow proper tampon hygiene, as well, to reduce your risk of TSS and bacterial infection. TSS is toxic shock syndrome, which you’ve likely read about at some point in your life when reading through the little paper insert in every box of tampons. The symptoms could include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, aches, weakness or dizziness, or a rash. Your odds of getting TSS or bacterial infection are significantly higher when you leave tampons in for longer than 4-6 hours, use a higher absorbency than you actually need, or already have an infection in that area of your body. So, please, use the size tampon that is sufficient for your needs for about 4 hours, no more. Don’t sleep in your tampon, and don’t put a super in in the morning so that you won’t have to change it until that night. Please!
Back to organic - if you’re going organic, you don’t have to worry about fragrances, either. Fragrances are proven to cause hormone disruption which can affect your cycle health and have possible longterm risks for cancer and other concerns. Just say no to fragrances on your menstrual products.
Both of these - fragrance free and organic - apply to the use of pads, too. Whether it’s on the inside of your body, or directly against the outside - the materials, the process, and the quality can affect your health.
Tampons and pads are also the most common one-time use options we’ll talk about today. Over the last 10 years especially, a plethora of reusable options have come on the market for American women, though. These are a great way to help reduce waste and possibly keep your user cost down, as well.
Arguably the biggest game changer has been the menstrual cup. It's undergone a lot of advancements and is now an incredible way to capture menstruation for up to 12 hours a day, depending on your flow. It doesn’t have the same risks as tampons, and can hold a lot more blood for a lot longer, but it does require a more involved insertion and removal process. It also has to be cleaned between each use - even if you’re in a public restroom - and has to have a full, thorough cleaning after each period is complete.
If you like the idea of something that can collect more blood and stay in longer, but want a one time use option - a menstrual disc is similar to a menstrual cup, but sits at the base of your cervix and is made of a different material. When you remove it, you toss it.
If all the insertion and removal isn’t for you, though, there are other reusable options!
There reusable pads and period underwear. Reuseable pads can be found easily online, including patterns for making your own, if that’s your thing. Period underwear is a rising trend and I have lots of clients who wear and love these. This underwear is made of material that’s specifically designed to wick moisture away from the body and provides it with a place to be stored in the patented fibers of the material, often including an antibacterial layer. It sounds crazy, but it does work. And there are lots of brands out there that offer it now. You can even buy a pair at Target!
You have lots of options. Which is a great thing, because options allow you to consider things like toxins and chemicals that may affect your health. It gives you flexibility for a variety of scenarios and experiences: maybe you’re going swimming, maybe you’re camping, maybe you’re wearing a wedding dress.
Everyone is different, and a unique combo of options may work best for you. You can change things up. You can try out different products. And we want to help give you that experience.
We’re hosting a giveaway, friends. If you’re listening to this around the time of release (June 3, 2022), then we have a giveaway open through June 10th for a free pair of period underwear from our friends at Bambody, a menstrual cup combo pack from Pixie Cup, and a box of organic tampons!
In order to enter the giveaway, go to our Instagram page @wovenwellpodcast and comment on our giveaway post with one thing you learned or found interesting from today’s podcast. If you’d to enter twice, you can tag us in a story - just make sure to click the mention button and add us. Resharing a post does not notify us. On June 10th, we’ll announce the random winners for all 3 items!
And if you’re wondering if all of these options work well with the Creighton method, they sure do! You can use whatever method works best for you! Just keep in mind that we’ll teach you even more about periods, including what it’s revealing about your hormonal health and reproductive health, as well as how to know if your window of fertility is beginning while you’re still on your period. Yep, totally possible.
If you’d like to learn more about all of this, join our intro session this month! Our next one is held June 29th at 5:30pm CST and it’s the perfect way to get started or just learn more to see if the Creighton method is right for you.
Don’t forget about our giveaway! I’m so excited to offer you access to a few of these products! Remember to enter, just comment on our giveaway post @wovenwellpodcast
Thanks for joining us today as we continue to explore what it means to be woven well.