What reusables have taught me
By Jess Matthews
When thinking about switching to reusable period products it's always good to look at the positives and negatives for you and your menstrual cycle. Reusable products can be a big investment financially but will save you money overall. For me disposable pads have never really cut it for me, i would frequently leak through, they caused me irritation and overall were just not comfortable. When I was first told about reusables I was completely against them and was not even willing to entertain the idea that I would have to wash my period pads. Over time my initial disgust turned into curiosity and eventually I became a full convert.
Once I had warmed up to the idea of reusable menstrual pads and decided to take the leap and try them out and it was a bit of a learning curve. I was so used to just swapping my pad out for a clean one and not having to think about it anymore than that. With reusable pads they do have a relatively simple care protocol. Take off, rinse, stain remove if necessary and then wash. For me it took only a few days to get used to this. Once you get into a routine of washing your pads it becomes an automatic thing you don't have to put much thought into. I would also recommend that if and when you do make the switch to make sure you have at least 3 days worth of pads to keep you going until you do a wash load.
So what did reusables teach me? I have always had extremely heavy and painful periods, I have been on and off different forms of contraception my whole menstruating life to try and combat this. I believed that maybe this was normal and although heavy, nothing to be concerned about. It wasn't till I made the switch that it became apparent that my periods were not normal. I discussed with Mel how often I was filling and having to change my pads and through talking we both realised something was very wrong with my periods. I then spoke to a doctor and had a number of tests done and was subsequently diagnosed with endometriosis. My whole menstruating life I have always thought ‘surely this isn't right’ but never pursued it any further because in reality, how do we know what a heavy flow looks like? We are taught in schools about our flow in terms of liquid volume, but what does that look like when put into the context of seeing it on a pad? If it wasn't for The SuPer Project pads I would still have been living unknowingly with endometriosis.
Overall reusable pads have completely changed my life. They have opened up my world, I now will have conversations about periods with people everyday. I feel so much more comfortable and aware of my menstruation. It may be crazy to say but reusable period products put me back in touch with my own body. I now know my cycle so much better and know why my experience of periods may not be the same as others. Instead of feeling isolated by my period and the symptoms I have, I now can talk about it openly and encourage others to do the same.
In conclusion, reusables not only led me to get the appropriate care for my condition, it allowed me to try and help others also understand what is normal for them.
