Lunapads Blog

Hi everyone, Lisa here! I am really excited to share this post from Queernetic, aka Samson, who offers their perspective as a genderqueer person who has opted for eco & body friendly menstrual products. If this post interests you, you may also want to read my related post, A LunaRevolution for All Genders, All Bodies.

In light of my last post, since this is something I’ve been pondering writing anyway, I figured I’d talk about how I deal with my period, in a physical and psychological way, as a genderqueer person. I feel a little shy talking about sex-specific things; not only is there a shame culture about some of the female body and its workings, I feel like I’m “blowing my cover” as an androgynous and genderqueer person–like people aren’t going to take me seriously if they hear me embracing something so “essentially female” about myself. But you’re going to take my identity seriously, right? (This is Samson fixing you with a narrow-eyed glare.)

If you’re squeamish about periods, the female body, or the body in general, you should probably skip the rest of this post. (Even if you’re uncomfortable about the idea of you having a period, there are plenty of us who get ‘em and are all right with it. So, if you’re uncomfortable about the ideas of others having periods, regardless of their sex or gender, I politely suggest you work on getting over that.)

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Stephanie’s LunaRevolution Video
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I recently went on a week-long hiking/backpacking trip to the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming and my period came the first day we were on the trail.  While I wouldn’t say it was entirely pleasant to be doing business in the woods during the peak of mosquito season, having a DivaCup and Lunapanties (along with a pStyle) was the best thing I could ask for.

With all the sweating and walking (the longest day was nine miles, which was also my day of heaviest bleeding), I’m sure I would have been chafed and in pain if I were still using disposables (not to mention probably picking up a pretty bad yeast infection from the lack of breathability).

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Struggling to learn how to use the DivaCup? Hang in there and keep trying. Its all perfectly normal! In the mean time, read how our guest blogger Avigayil finally got past this eco-positive learning curve.

So I wasn’t exactly stranded, but New Zealand is certainly an island (two islands, to be exact) and it is very tropical. I was there for my belated honeymoon, nearly a year in the waiting. I am a new wife, a full time student, part time writer for The Bargain Moose, and a part time caregiver for an adult lady in a wheelchair. This trip was well deserved!

While in the packing stages of the trip I knew that from counting my birth control pills, my period would come smack dab in the middle of my honeymoon. We were going to be staying in little vacation houses and I had no idea as to access to laundry facilities so I decided to forgo the usual Lunapanties and Pads: instead opting to throw the Divacup into my bag.

The Divacup and I have had an unkind history: I wanted to love it and it hated me. It popped open before I insert, it hurt going in, and it hurt coming out. Lets just say I ignored my past history when I made my ‘crash course in using a Divacup’ decision. I was determined to learn how to use it. VERY determined. At home I could cheat and if it hurt, switch over to the pads: but not this time… I was stranded!

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With Madeleine and Suzanne’s trip to Portland this week for the World Domination Summit, travel and adventure are naturally on our minds. We have been meaning to write an updated post about the whats, hows and benefits of traveling with our products (see previous posts here and here), and this seems like a great opportunity to do just that.

Who wants to waste valuable luggage space on boxes of disposable pads and tampons, or risk running out where supplies may not be available? Read on for our top tips for easy, waste-free ways to manage your period while traveling, with bonus video  from Suzanne about how to clean your DivaCup while you’re on the road.

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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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Many of you have probably already heard of Chris Guillebeau and his wonderful book, the Art of Non-conformity: Set your own rules, Live the life you want and Change the world. For those of you who know of him and are also Lunapads and DivaCup fans, it will come as no surprise that I find Chris’s work to be singularly validating and inspiring: it also reminds me a lot of you, our amazing customers and community.

His message is essentially this: “Psst – you don’t actually have to do things the “right” way, or even necessarily do them at all: there are ways to imagine and live your life in a unique way, in accordance with what really matters to you, that will provide a rich and rewarding legacy if you are up for it.” Basically, it’s a heart-centered crash course in big picture creative thinking: I devoured it.

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1. If you’re using applicator-less tampons already, you’re a prime candidate for The DivaCup. You already have the self-knowledge and are comfortable enough with your body to insert something manually. For most menstrual cup users, that’s half the battle right there!
2. If you prefer o.b. because there’s no applicator and hence less waste, consider this: approximately 20 billion pads, tampons and applicators are sent to North American landfills annually! The average menstruating North American will throw away 125-150kg or 16,800 disposable pads or tampons in their lifetime. With the DivaCup there is no waste! You can reuse the same menstrual cup for years with proper care.
3. It’s non-absorbent, which means it won’t dry you out. Tampons absorb the protective fluid produced in the vagina and can disrupt its normal acidic environment — which can potentially lead to all sorts of problems.
4. The DivaCup is made from top quality, healthcare grade silicone, which is phthalate-free, latex-free, plastic-free and BPA-free. Do you know what’s in your tampon? http://safecosmetics.org/downloads/FemCare_fs_022411.pdf
5. With the DivaCup, you will never run out of menstrual supplies. You’ll have the only item you need and it will last at least a year. Aside from saving you a ton of money, you’ll never have to go on late-night drugstore runs or canvass your coworkers for a spare pad or tampon.
6. The DivaCup is great for those with heavy flow.  It can hold a full ounce, which is about twice as much as the highest absorbency o.b. (the now discontinued o.b. ultra tampons)  so not only will you be able to go longer between changes, you won’t have to worry about sudden leaks!
7. It works for all flows, from light to very heavy. The DivaCup cup can be safety left in for up to 12 hours, whereas tampons must be changed every 4-6 hours to avoid the risk of TSS.
8. You’ll never be at the whim of mysterious corporate “manufacturing delays” and empty shelves again. The DivaCup is available at many retail locations and all over the internet. Once you buy it you won’t have to depend on anyone but yourself to have adequate menstrual protection.

Are you convinced yet? The DivaCup is available on Lunapads.com and at many natural health retailers. Plus, get $5 off the DivaCup on Lunapads.com with coupon code: OBWTF

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I don’t normally like to indulge in schadenfreude, but I need to admit to a teeny-tiny bit of gloating as we watch the saga of the missing o.b. tampons unfold.

I was just surfing the o.b. Facebook “fan” (not so much these days) page and found this comment to be representative of the trend: “I ordered my Divacup after learning about it from other women on this and other sites. Hopefully I won’t have to buy tampons anymore. I am sooo disappointed with J&J about how they handled this situation. No more Ultras? bye bye o.b.s!”

The good (no, make that excellent) news is that we are getting a ton of traffic and new customers as a result: so much so, that we made this little video to say hello! Welcome, new Lunagals! We think that you will find both our products as well as our customer service to be a welcome change. Let us know if you have any questions, and be sure to let us know how your new DivaCups and Lunapads work out. Oh, and for those of you who are still on the fence, use promo code “obwtf” to receive $5 off a DivaCup!

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Name: Lara
Age: 42
I’m a college teacher and professional bellydancer.

How did you hear about Lunapads?
Internet search for non-toxic menstrual products.

Please describe your monthly needs:
Approximately 3-4 days & 2 nights average flow, 2-3 days & 3 nights light flow.

What reusable menstrual products do you currently use?
The DivaCup for days/overnight + Lunapads some days

Why did you make the switch?
After being treated for stage3 cervical cells, I looked for all-cotton, non-toxic menstrual products. But I was still concerned about the extra cost, hard-to-find products and amount of garbage every month.  I found Lunapads on the internet, started with pads/pantyliners and loved them! A friend recommended The DivaCup and I love it. I’ve never looked back!

Advice for others?
Your body & the environment will thank you -do it!

Are you ready for a Period Makeover? To apply, simply fill out an application, telling us about your monthly needs. Selected applicants will receive a Lunapads.com gift certificate!

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Some of you may have noticed all the hullabaloo about the shortage of o.b. tampons in drugstores across North America. It seems that in addition to discontinuing their highest absorbency tampon, the applicator-less brand is undergoing a mysterious “manufacturing update”, meaning that the entire line of o.b. tampons is out of stock until an undetermined date in 2011. I guess o.b. forgot that people who have periods tend to have them once a month!

Before I became a devout DivaCup and cloth pad user, o.b. was my tampon of choice and I know I would have been seriously bummed if I couldn’t get a hold of any.  Ladies are so desperate that o.b.s are being sold on Ebay for upwards of $100 a box! Sheesh, and people complain that reusables are too expensive?!?

There has been a distinct lack of explanation from Johnson & Johnson, the makers of o.b. tampons. As usual, whenever a company fails to tell their story themselves, folks are left to do their own research to figure out what’s going on. A number of wild theories are being thrown around about the reason for the tampon shortage, including possible manufacturing contamination or FDA complaints regarding the safety of the products.

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