Lunapads Blog

Hi, everyone! Just wanted to share this great testimonial sent in to us from Barb B. in Wisconsin. I hope Barb’s story inspires those who feel discouraged by not having immediate success with The DivaCup.

Figuring out how to successfully use a menstrual cup takes time, patience and gentle perseverance – not getting it right away is not unusual, and certainly nothing to beat yourself up over. Sometimes what stands in the way is simply a matter of technique; other times it’s deeper or more complex. Let’s talk about it!

* What advice or words of encouragement do you have for those new to using a menstrual cup? Read Barb’s testimonial after the jump, and share your tips in a comment below! *

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We are thrilled to introduce you to our newest Lunarevolution sister, Kim Anami. Kim is a life coach who specializes in sex and intimacy, and has some powerful things to say about the connection between our intimate lives, wellbeing and sense of personal power. Stay tuned for some video interviews looking at the intersection of sex and periods, and in the meantime please enjoy this insightful guest blog post about natural birth control and fertility awareness. Those of you in the Vancouver area can attend her upcoming workshop on this topic February 15th.

Question: What is the sexiest, easiest and safest form of birth control?

Answer: Your finger.

I’m often shocked at how many people haven’t heard of this method. It’s is also called the Billings or cervical mucous method, having been discovered by Australian husband and wife team, Dr. John and Evelyn Billings. It’s a simple, fast, body-safe and even sexy way to diagnose fertility.

It makes sense that since every other female on the planet of other species gives clear signs of fertility, that humans ought to as well.

We do.

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Roughly 1 year ago a friend recommended to me that i read the book Cunt: A Declaration of Independence. I took her advice and proceeded to receive the feminine education of a lifetime. This lovely, lovely book brought to my attention the concept of environmentally conscious replacements for the standard pad and tampon; an idea that had not once crossed my mind in my experience as a menstruating girl/young woman.

Upon first hearing about menstrual cups and washable menstrual pads, I found the idea interesting – but maybe not for me. A year later I picked up an issue of Bitch Magazine and – flipping through the glossy pages – found an ad for Lunapads. Here again was this idea of washable menstrual pads. I opened my laptop, typed in the URL, and was greeted by a fantastic and informational website made for women, by women. Never before had I been so excited about my own period! I decided I would give it a try. If I didn’t like the products then at least i would be supporting a really awesome company, and if I did – well, then I would be able to save hundreds of dollars over the years AND help the environment, too.

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We have had such a great response to our recent “What’s up with ewww?” post about the whats and whys of what I call icked-outedness.

I was just browsing some recent testimonial submissions and wanted to share a couple of them as they both cite an initial “ewww” reaction to Lunapads.

What’s so cool is that they got past it, gave Lunapads a chance and are now happy Lunagals. Read on!

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Sarah Juliusson is one of our most valued friends and colleagues here at Lunapads. She is the mother of two boys, and founder of Mama Renew, offering community and inspiration for new and seasoned mothers. She also mentors Birthing From Within prenatal classes in Vancouver & Victoria, BC.

New motherhood…we envision the sweetness of a newborn, a baby’s fresh and pure gaze, blissful breastfeeding, and the joy of getting to know our child. Three days postpartum most new mothers dissolve into something resembling a puddle. Exhausted, emotional, overwhelmed…not to mention bleeding, soreness, swelling, and a belly that still looks about five months pregnant. The first days and weeks after the birth of your baby are indeed a beautiful time, and there is much sweetness to celebrate. North American culture, however, is lacking in supportive postpartum traditions and rituals. The intensity of the postpartum period is neither discussed nor honoured, and too many women feel a sense of isolation when they should be feeling nourished and supported. Without a strong set of cultural guidelines to go by, we have the opportunity to create something new.

Here are some ideas to support a healthy unfolding into motherhood:

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When I first heard of reuseable menstrual products, I’ll admit that I was a little skeptical. Not skeptical that they would work necessarily, more skeptical that I would feel comfortable using them. I think I’ve mentioned before that I’ve always had trouble using tampons, and I’m sure a lot of us will agree that disposable pads are not the most comfortable things in the world (especially for those of us with a heavier flow), so you’d think that the idea of lovely soft fabric pads would have been appealing to me. Why would I not want something cute, obviously more comfortable, environmentally friendly and that will save me a ton of money in the long run? I guess the answer is twofold. Firstly, by and large most of us are taught from a young age that menstrual blood is something that is gross and dirty, and should quickly be disposed of. It is most definitely not something to be celebrated with cute, vibrant colours! Secondly, disposable products are really convenient. You use them once and then can either flush them or throw them in the garbage. Easy! Of course now I realize the environmental implications of this, and I also am just much happier using products that are easy on my body, comfortable, work really well and are cost effective. Initially I was a little shy about telling people that I used reuseable products, there is a certain crunchy stereotype and potential gross out factor, but the more I became aware of the benefits the more I wanted to let the women I know and love in on the secret. However, it is easy to forget my initial thoughts on cloth pads when I’m excitedly trying to bring my friends over to my way of seeing things. ‘You mean, you wash your used pads??’ Ok, so maybe that does sound a little sketchy or archaic if you’ve never considered using reuseable products before. Still, it really is important to me that my friends are using or are at least aware of  products that are good for them, and I’m pretty sure they’ll love them if they would give them a go. So I brave the weird looks and forge ahead with my sales pitch. Most people aren’t likely to get over the ‘Ew! Blood!’ factor straight away, so instead I frame my argument around how they will directly benefit from making the switch and dazzle them that way. There is a great section on the Lunapads website that has more detailed information if you’re interested in taking a peek, but basically I point out that they will save a bunch of money. I point out how much more comfy organic cotton and fleece is than sticky plastic. I point out that while yes a tampon seems convenient, you only have to empty your Diva Cup every 12 hours and you’re not constantly having to run to the store when you’re out of supplies. I’ll mention the nasty chemicals that are used in making the materials for disposable products that are both harsh on our bodies and the earth. A woman’s period can often be a painful and uncomfortable time of the month, so anything that is going to alleviate some of that even if it is just in peace of mind, is a plus. Hopefully once people do make the switch, they will also come to see the added benefits of becoming more in tune with their body and maybe one day even celebrating their period as the sign of a healthy body that it is. I would love to know your thoughts on this! Anyone else feeling a little shy about proclaiming their love of cloth pads to the world? Perhaps some of you have a great story or tips on how to chat to friends about making the switch? Let us know in the comments!

Thank you for sharing your testimonial, Meghan!

Let me begin by saying that I am perhaps your least likely customer. I knew about reusable menstrual products, but never felt that they were anything I would ever use. I was convinced that cleaning them would be a major inconvenience, and worried they might leak.

Then a friend told me about Lunapads.  She had just ordered a set, and was excited to show me how they worked. I already knew there were several benefits to using reusable pads: economic, environmental, and possibly even healthwise; but I just did not think they were something I would ever want to use.

I was, however, still curious. I did quite a bit of research on your website and found that the more I read, the more intrigued I was. Though I still felt skeptical, I decided to order a Sampler Pack, based on your Customer Satisfaction Policy.

I have never had a good experience with disposable menstrual products. Pads were rough and irritating against my skin, and tampons felt intrusive. Lunapads, on the other hand, are so very comfortable. I can hardly believe how much better my experience with my period has been since making the switch!

Furthermore, cleaning Lunapads is really not at all the ordeal I thought it would be, nor have I experienced any problem with leaks. I’ve since added more pads to my Lunapads collection, so that I never have to resort to disposables again.

I have to say, you have 100% won me over. Lunapads have been an amazing solution to my period woes. I no longer feel that I have to approach my period with that awful sense of dread, and am so thankful that my friend introduced me to them.

-Meghan

*EDIT: Due to the overwhelming response from the blog community expressing their outrage over the commercial, Method has since taken the “Shiny Suds” commercial down.*

Once again, we are pleased to feature a guest blog post from Rebekah Nathan!

I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to find eco-friendly cleaning products to use in my home. The chemicals that are used in most generic cleaners are a concern for a lot of us, and if you’re not up for making your own natural cleaners, then you’re left with the task of browsing the aisles trying to find the earth friendly products amongst the vast array of cleaning products vying for you attention.

Method Home Products is a company that claims to be both environmentally friendly and free of nasty chemicals. Perfect! However, when I saw the recent TV ad/PSA they have put out, I was left completely shocked and speechless. Treehugger called it ‘disturbingly funny’, but I’d argue that it is just flat out disturbing.

Melissa over at Shakesville has both the video and the transcript if you’d prefer to read it rather than watching, but please note that it comes with a trigger warning. Basically the ad shows a woman about to jump in the shower, when she finds a group of cartoon ‘Shiny Suds’ racing around her tub, left over from her previously usage of a generic and chemical filled cleaner. She is visibly shocked to see them there but they remind her that she had sprayed them there in the first place (read: it is her doing, her fault) and instruct her to get into the tub, one even calling out ‘Scrubsy-dubsy, baby’. The woman continues with her shower, all the while having to listen to the group of suds (which interestingly enough all have male voices) harass her with calls of ‘You know you want it!’, ‘Woo! Yeah!’, ‘Use the loofah!’, when they’re not staring with cartoon mouths agape and panting. Throughout the ad the woman looks frightened and worried, and is trying to clean herself while doing her best to cover her body from the eyes of the Shiny Suds. The ad finishes with the text ‘You deserve to know what chemicals are in your cleaners. Support the Household Product Labeling Acts.’

Obviously the point of this ad is that we need to be aware that chemicals left over from generic cleaners are nasty, nasty things. However, to reenact a scene of sexual harassment, and in a humorous way at that, is not only offensive and triggering, but also trivializes something that is very, very serious and real for a lot of women. Statistics show that in Canada, 1 in 4 women will be sexually assaulted, and that 87% of women report having experienced sexual harassment .

Not only is sexual harassment something that is real, but to show a woman being harassed and scared in a joking manner in order to sell a cleaning product, gives us a disturbing insight into how women are viewed and valued (or not) in society. Finally, by the Shiny Suds reminding her that she had left them there in the first place and effectively set herself up for the harassment, hints at rape apologism and the idea that women are often ‘asking for’ the unwanted attention they receive by the way they dress, walking alone at night or daring to be sexually independent. Whether this was intentional or not, this all paints a pretty disturbing and depressing picture.

If you want to express your outrage over this ad, you could do so by commenting on the Treehugger post here that celebrates the ad. Alternatively, you can contact Method directly via;

Method Public Relations + Events
Katie Molinari katie@methodhome.com
Rachel Goldberg rachel@methodhome.com

Method Advertising
Henry Yu henry@methodhome.com
Method Social Media
Twitter: http://twitter.com/methodtweet
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/method

~ a continuation from Learning to Love My Period, Part 1.

As I mentioned in my last post, for a long time I had no understanding of my period other than it came once a month and that over the years it got progressively more painful. In fact, when I was first typing up the draft for this post I was lying in bed with a hot water bottle, tea and some dark chocolate at the ready, willing myself to feel a little more excited about periods!

I vividly remember first getting my period. A few friends of mine had theirs, and I think we may have had the ‘period talk‘ at school, so I at least knew what it was. Much to my relief my stepmother didn’t make a big deal about it, got me some pads and gave me some advice on when to change them, staying clean and the like.

As far as I can remember, that was the last time I really spoke frankly (or was spoken to frankly) about my period for quite some time. My family decided to homeschool my sister and I once my first year of high school rolled around, and sadly no sex education of any sort was taught. So, while I’m sure it isn’t uncommon for girls in their early teens to be fairly private about their bodies, the fact that I wasn’t getting any information from any source, left me completely in the dark.

When I was around 16 or so, I went to see the doctor to address the dreaded acne I was experiencing. He in turn diagnosed me with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and put me on the pill.

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Hello! My name is Becka, and I am a New Zealander making my home here in Vancouver with my husband and two grey cats.  I’m trained as a teacher, but now work as a doula while running a little online store with said husband where we sell various crafty wares.

As a teacher and women’s health advocate, I am really interested in and passionate about body awareness and positivity in relation to health and feeling self-empowered.  However, growing up with little to no sex education I can say that this has definitely not always been the case!

For a long time, my body, and especially my period, was a source of shame mixed with bewilderment.  To be honest, it wasn’t until well into my twenties that I felt like I had any understanding of my body.  It just wasn’t something that was talked about. I was reminded of this when my Grandma came to visit us recently.

As I was showing my Lunapads to her and my aunt, she mentioned that periods were never to be spoken about when she was young.  This didn’t surprise me and I made some quip about how we’re often being made to feel ashamed of our bodies, etc.  What did surprise me was her response: that she didn’t feel that it was because of shame.. but, that it just ‘wasn’t done‘. I decided not to press the issue, despite my feelings that the very fact things ‘aren’t done‘ or taboo are usually because of some sense of shame, whether self imposed or dictated by society, you know?

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