Long before I cloth diapered, I used cloth pads. That’s kind of backwards from the norm, I know, but when I first learned of mama cloth, I didn’t have a little one to diaper. I had read so much good about cloth pads, I wanted to jump right in and try it.
The very first pads I ordered were from a WAHM (Work At Home Mom). Despite the fact that stuffing them was a bit clumsy, I fell in love! I kept an old ice bucket (purchased from a thrift store) filled with water beside the toilet. I just dumped them in there and no one was any wiser as to what my bucket was for. At the end of my cycle, the entire bucket was dumped in the washer and washed clean, ready for the next month.
When I started cloth diapering, I realized how cloth diapering and using mama cloth truly do go hand in hand. I no longer needed the ice bucket, I simply tossed the mama cloth in the diaper pail I kept in the bathroom. Mama cloth and diapers all got washed together!
Then came the addition of cloth wipes. Everyone in the family decided these were a great idea. Once again, the use of cloth wipes just made sense. The diaper pail served to house them as well. Everything went to the laundry together and the whole world was a happier place.
Occasionally, family members chide me for using cloth because back in the “olden days” people would have given their right arm to have the time-saver of disposable products. However, the benefits I’ve reaped from using cloth far outweigh any time savings. Less cramps, less poopy blowouts, less clogged toilets are just a few of the benefits I’ve received. In addition to all of that, I’m helping to lessen the load this planet has to bear. So to those who say, “Oh my!” when I tell them I’m a cloth mama, my answer is, “Oh yeah!”
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The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and not necessarily those of Eco Baby Steps or Parenting By Nature.
Pregnancy by Nature carries a full line of cloth menstrual pads and other reusable menstrual products.
I found this to be a really interesting post, Amy- thanks! I’m probably showing my ignorance here, but…how does using cloth result in less cramps? I could definitely get on board for that. Having kids made mine significantly better but, even so…
The main reason is that in cloth pads there are no chemicals like you find in disposable pads. I noticed a significant decrease in cramps and even a lighter flow, and those two occurrences seem to be a consensus among cloth users. Wonderful benefits!