March 12, 2009

• Okay....My day is going to be a bit different than planned. Poor NB has a cold and I'm keeping him home today...He sounds and looks miserable.  He got up, showered, laid down on the couch and then just didn't even move.....Very atypical.  Add the raw cough and other symptoms and he's bought himself a day home!   Honestly, I won't mind having the day to spend with him!

  K...So I said yesterday that I had gotten something in the mail the other day that had made me squee-happy!  I uploaded pictures to share.

  Perhaps I ought to title today's blog Alt. Menstrual Products, as what I got that made me so happy was some new cloth pads!  Only not just any cloth pads, but super soft, velour topped, wool backed Moonbow pads from Etsy that have been hand dyed in fantastic colors! I had been wanting them for months and months and finally caved and bought them....

  

  These are the most expensive pads I have ever bought.  However, I will say they are also the nicest.  The workmanship is fantastic and they are baby blanket soft....The velour is heavenly and even the wool jersey backing is super soft.  They are adequately absorbent (I was skeptical because they are rather trim) and they are now my very favorite pads.

  In case you didn't know, I do have a wee bit of an obsession with cloth pads.  (Long time blog readers may recall past cloth pad blogs!).  I have to try new kinds every year or so to see what's out there.  I have learned a lot about what I like and don't like and what works and doesn't work.

  My old favorite pads were Lotus Pads of which I have several.  A feature on the Lotus pads that I like is the the fabric is accordion folded on the side and you can peek and see when you need a fresh pad.  They also are very, very soft and comfy and I don't think I have ever had a leak with them.

  

  I also have some pads from an ebay seller that I really like. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the seller posting in a long time.  The pads are trim, absorbent and backed with PUL (waterproofer).  These are also high ranking on my list.

  

  Recently, I have purchased from another ebay seller, Sister Blessing.  Her regular sized pads have insertable liners for custom absorbency.  I like this feature.  I also like the fabrics she uses.  Hers are also PUL backed.  However, the quality on the pads could be better.  Her seams are too close to the edge of the fabric and on some pieces has frayed the fabric. On the liners, it's really a cosmetic issue. But on one of the pads, it frayed on the seam of insert pocket...Not so good.

  

  I also am not so enamored with PUL anymore. Yes, I want leakproof....But I don't find the PUL breathes and well...to be blunt, I find it can create an odor.  I don't get that with unlined pads.

  Other pads I have tried are Rhythm and Blues pads.  I loved the tri-fold design of these in terms of washing them clean (The absorbent layer is folded in thirds under the pad)....But the execution was just not so convenient for me and they are very bulky.  I don't  use them at all.  These reside in my car for emergency back-up use. (I couldn't find a link for them, they might not even make them anymore!) Oh yeah, and these are PUL pads too.

  

  Hmmm...What else is in my stash?

  These folding pads...Kind of bulky, good for night.....You fold up the sides, flip the pad over and that's it.  It has many layers of absorption!!!  (I can't remember what kind they are.)

  

  Oh yeah....Hag Rags.  I am hesitant to even write about them as I sooooo dislike them, which is too bad because I really wanted to like them.  The Hag Rags have inserts, big chunky pieces of terry that you insert into the pad.  I don't care for them because they are sooo bulky and actually in an uncomfortable sort of way.  Not only that, but even though they have cute patterns (I'm all about aesthetics!) the side that faces up is muslin colored.  At this point in my pad life, I am all about minimal staining.  Light colored pads do not do it for me.  These have been delegated to the car as well.

  

  Remember the Sisterblessing pads from above? I also have some of her panty liners.  These I do really like and use every month.  (The two on the right in the picture below.).  They don't have the seaming problem and are cute...I like the panda ones a lot and the purple ones....Well, I looove purple!

  Beside them is a home made panty liner I made.  It is one layer of flannel with a fleece backing.  They work, but they bunch a bit....Not so comfy.

  

  I also have some super bulky pads I made homemade.  I don't care for them so much because of the bulkiness, but they are good for home and night.

  

  And last, but not least I have my flat pads.  When I originally got into cloth pad wearing, I didn't have the shaped kinds of pads. I started by using some of Nature Boy's old flannel burp cloths.  They were rectangular in shape and I just folded then in thirds and was good to go.  That works well for home and I do still use homemade flannel flat folds at home, but for going out I prefer the shaped ones.  Also, the flat folds are ones I often use at night as I can double them.  I also often fold them the long way at night for extra coverage. Sometimes, back-to-basics is just right! 

  

  Hmmm...welll...That turned into quite the flash-your-stash!  Since I am on a roll, tomorrow I will talk about how care and keeping of my pads....Kind of a mini-tutorial.

   

   

  • 7:55 am
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