No more tampons!

If you're like me, you are tired of purchasing tampons and pads. The chemicals in tampons and pads made me feel 'funny' and left me a little sore. I also didn't like the idea of flushing and throwing away so much garbage into our landfill. There HAD to be a better way! 

Then a fellow hippie chick stepped in. She handed me a brand new menstrual cup. Ummmmm...my first thought was, 'that's so gross'. I decided to give it a try anyway because I was desperate to make a change. At first, I didn't like it. I felt awkward and didn't really understand why it was so messy. After the first few times of figuring it out, I'll NEVER go back to tampons or pads! It actually lessened my cramping and shortened my periods! I'm thinking that is partially due to not having chemicals shoved up there which can't be good for you. 

You've decided to make the switch, now it's time to decide which one is right for you. There are quite a few out there, ranging from $15-$25. If you're pre-childbirth and under a certain age, they recommend a different size than if you've had children, since our bodies tend to change after having children. I've tried 3 different brands. I have a favorite, but they're all much much better than tampons. I rarely have any leaking problems. I had a lot more leaking problems with tampons. 

The Diva Cup is my favorite of the 3 I tried. I have kids and I'm over 30, so I have the size 2 which is meant for people who have had children and/or are over the age of 30. Click here for more information on the Diva Cup and/or to purchase it. The Blossom Menstrual Cup is another great cup, it's a little cheaper than the Diva Cup and it comes in all sorts of colors. Click here for more information and/or to purchase the Blossom Menstrual Cup.

Pros to switching to the cup: 

1. no more "running out" of tampons or pads! 

2. better for the environment

3. saves you a lot of money 

4. no chemicals, better for your body

5. may lessen cramping and bleeding

6. during light times, you can rinse 1-2 times in 24 hours
7. No risk for TSS

Cons to switching to the cup:

1. you may have to find a more private bathroom when you need to rinse it out, some public restrooms aren't setup easily for the process of rinsing out the cup. 

2. it takes a little bit to get used to how often you need to rinse it out

3. first night of your cycle you may leak a bit, the cup is only so big 

Other alternatives are the reusable pads made with different fabrics. I may purchase a few of these for the heavy first day just for overflow. They have some cute ones available for purchase, or if you're handy with the sewing machine, I imagine it would be easy to make your own. Check out these cute bamboo reusable menstrual pads here.

I hope you'll consider switching to a cup as there are so many benefits! I know my menstrual cycle has become less of a bother since changing to the cup. I encourage you to make the switch!
Peace.