Dear reader, I am going to discuss about reusable menstrual products, might seem odd and unnecessary, but please bare with me. It might just change the way you view "that time on the month", that horrible time of the month for most of us ladies.
RUMPS (reusable menstrual products) are the healthier alternative to the disposable pads many women use. It might seem strange and unhygienic to reuse such a personal item, but let me explain:
Disposable products usually contain a combination of cotton, silk(sometimes), synthetic fibers and wood pulp which might not seem as a problem, BUT what you don't know is the chemical and technological processes that are involved in the production of these components. They usually involve some type of bleach (Chloride dioxide) that has a by-products - dioxin - that is a harmful and bio-accumulative molecule and can remain in our body for many years. This is a recipe for disaster, many women experiencing side effects such as allergic reactions, hormone disruption, reproductive disorders and also, there is a high risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). This is a condition where the normal, harmless bacteria found on the skin manages to enter the bloodstream, where it releases toxins. There is no evidence to show that reusable menstrual products such as pads and menstrual cups carry this risk. It is difficult to say what "ingredients" big companies use to produce their pads, as they always (no pun intended) try and hide or not tell us that because it would just mean bad business.
When I first stumbled upon RUMPs, I though to myself - yuck, I don;t want to deal with that, is easier to just buy disposable and throw them in the bin. But as I read more about the benefits, such as less cramping and shorter period flow and that I could just not experience period rash ever again, I decided to commit and buy some to try and see how it works.
Let me just tell you, IT WAS THE BEST DECISION EVER !
If you want more info about the way I clean them, let me know and I'll make a different post about that, it's easy and quick. And oh, another plus - there is no yuck smell, because reusable pads do not give any bad smell. That is given by the reusable products giving away some sort of "fumes" that are just the worst smell ever, no matter how much you wash your lady parts.
I could go on and on about how much I love my pads, but I think it's best to link some good sources, and you can read more about it:
1.treehugger.com
2.lunapads.com
3.wikipedia.org
Emilla is a Hungarian company run by the lovely Mónika.I've contacted her for my first ever pad order because I didn't understand the payment method and she was more than helpful, always giving me the right information and advice. She is more than happy to help you make your mind on what pad would suit you best if you never tried one before but know what you like in the disposable pads, for example: what length and absorbency is best for you.
Her story is very nice and heart warming, her late grandmother used to teach her how to sew pads in a way to fulfil a woman's needs during that time of the month. Considering that her granny had been in the women's sewing circle back in the '30-'40 when times where tough, I think Mónika learnt from the best. Times might be different, but periods are the same old story. After the sad passing of her grandmother, she decided to start sewing pads and thus, everyone can now benefit from this skilful hands. To honour the person she learned everything for, she named the company after her late grandmother, Emilla !
In my opinion, her pads are a very good choice for a beginner or if you just want to ease your way into cloth.
All the information you need is on the official website and the instruction leaflet shows the size and dimensions of the pads that she carries.
I just love that every style has a different name and now, I just know exactly that I personally like the Aphrodite and Penelope the best, they are very similar in size to a disposable pad. In fact, even the heavy absorbency one is thinner than a disposable. I must say, her pads are one of the thinnest on the market, which personally is something I look for in a pad as I like to feel comfortable and not show up through my clothes. They very interesting thing about pads is that you can;t feel them at all !! Trust me, disposables are a thing of the past if you just try a cloth pad, it feels like nothing because you can choose the top fabric, for example I like Emilla's cotton top ones. They are extremely soft !
Furthermore, her pads have labels which indicate with the help of the little moons the type of absorbency they have, for example: a full moon is a heavy, half is a medium, a crescent moon is a light pad! I just love the detail she puts into her pads.
My last order was delivered after Christmas and I was extremely excited because I am due soon and cannot wait to use them now !
The pads came in a very colourful package with cutesy labels and the nice logo on, I was so excited I had to put a picture on my Facebook page !
Inside, she always puts some chocolate which I think it's a very nice gesture and a few stickers for me to play with :)
I ordered quite a few pads this time, I couldn't resist the cute Batman print I saw on her Instagram. Because this isn't on the website, I contacted her personally and she was able to make a few for me, yay!
I now own:
Penelope - Star Wars print - moderate flow
Penelope - Birthday print - moderate flow
2 x Afrodite - Batman print - light flow
Afrodite - Blackclusive print - light flow (which I forgot to photograph,oops)
Afrodite - Dog print - light flow - which she was kind enough to send as a gift - Thank you a lot, Monika !
In case you are interested in purchasing from Emilla Website and don't know how, there is a useful tab at the top of the page "How to order from Abroad" There you will be given all the information and steps you need to follow in order to pay for your goods. Just make sure you click on the English flag to switch the website from Hungarian to English.
Competition now closed !
She was kind enough to send me an extra pad to give away to you, my readers !
It's a Penelope heavy flow in a vibrant Matryoshka print !
Rules:
1. Leave a comment in the comment section saying why you would like to win
2.Follow me on Instagram (if you don't have an account just state that in your comment and you can follow me on Facebook)
3.LIKE Emilla on Facebook
If you like this type of giveaway, share this competition of any social media, the more people we get in, the more I know people enjoy it and I will do more in the future !
Love,
AndraV
P.S. Wordle picture from the comments so far ! So cute !
