Time Periods: A History of Menstrual Products

Piste

I found this link while searching for something for a college assignment. It's an account of how periods were treated throughout the ages- how society viewed them and the different materials used to deal with them. It's very interesting!

Sardonicat

Someone once told me they knew a woman who uses the contents of her mooncup as fertiliser for her plants.

Half of me wants to admire her eco sensibilities and the other half just screams NOOO!

SadieSue

That's a very interesting read, there are some very unusual ideas about menstruation I particularly like the menstrual slap. Lucky I missed out on that one. :pac:

Piste

Haha that's taking "being green" to a whole new level. I guess it ties in with the whole "reduce, reuse, recycle" ethos.

m'lady

Sardonicat wrote: »

Someone once told me they knew a woman who uses the contents of her mooncup as fertiliser for her plants.

Half of me wants to admire her eco sensibilities and the other half just screams NOOO!

Although I havent ever used a moon cup, I told my friend about them, she went out and bought it, and told me how great it is (she hasnt bought tampons in 9 months), I just kept thinking YUK! Would love to have the guts to try it, but it physically turns my stomach!

Truley

Entertaining read, I wonder how historically accurate some of the earlier facts are. That blood extractor thing looks scary :P

Interesting fact, 'moon huts' are still widely used today. Even in Ireland.

squeakyduck

m'lady wrote: »

Although I havent ever used a moon cup, I told my friend about them, she went out and bought it, and told me how great it is (she hasnt bought tampons in 9 months), I just kept thinking YUK! Would love to have the guts to try it, but it physically turns my stomach!

That's the same reaction I'd have to something like that! :eek:

starlit

Very interesting read, a bit scary and freaky all the same but I like the idea of 'the moon hut' sounds class otherwise I am glad to be a woman in this day and age wouldn't fancy being a cave woman! The whole slapping thing and religious intervention is cac though, really silly. The extractor looks scary wouldn't fancy using that. Recycling? not very clean friendly. The cup doesn't sound very intriguing! Thank goodness its 2010!

Truley

I don't know how people think that, I find menstral cups far cleaner than a tampon or towel.

Asphyxia

snuggles285 wrote: »

The whole slapping thing and religious intervention is cac though, really silly. The extractor looks scary wouldn't fancy using that. Recycling? not very clean friendly. The cup doesn't sound very intriguing! Thank goodness its 2010!

I'm with you on that... when I think about it I shiver and cringe :eek:

Posy

Interesting read, thanks for the link!
Reusable cloth sanitary towels? Er, no thanks.

I like the part about the self adhesive pads coming into use- I remember reading a Judy Blume book when I was 11 or 12 (where the girl gets her first period and puts on the belt and attaches the hooks to the pad etc..) and thinking 'Hooks? Belt? What the hell?!' :eek:

Scarinae

Truley wrote: »

I don't know how people think that, I find menstral cups far cleaner than a tampon or towel.

I completely agree, it is so much cleaner. I got my period in work yesterday - I should have known that it was due since I'm on the pill and usually get it Tuesday or Wednesday - so I didn't have my cup with me (sometimes I will put it in before my period arrives actually). Anyway, I had to buy pads out of a wall machine, because the only tampons in the machine were Super and that's too absorbent for my first day. Quite apart from the slightly damp feeling and the paranoia about smell, I'd forgotten how the wings rub the inside of your legs if you're wearing a skirt One of my favourite things about having a cup is that I'm not constantly reminded that I'm having my period, I can even go a whole day without checking it usually

Posy wrote: »

I like the part about the self adhesive pads coming into use- I remember reading a Judy Blume book when I was 11 or 12 (where the girl gets her first period and puts on the belt and attaches the hooks to the pad etc..) and thinking 'Hooks? Belt? What the hell?!' :eek:

That was Are you there God? It's me, Margaret. I remember thinking the same thing reading it - imagine having to wear a belt!! Apparently in the newer editions they have changed the text to be about adhesive pads

Das Kitty

My mum used to wear a sanitary belt growing up. Says they were a complete pain in the arse to do up, undo, clean etc.

I used tampons until a couple of years ago then bought a mooncup. Best thing ever.

up for anything

For my first couple of periods it was the belt and Dr White's mattress like pads. Then I discovered the sticky ones and even better, Vespre brought out a new slim line towel, only half an inch thick. Such a relief.

Audie

m'lady wrote: »

Although I havent ever used a moon cup, I told my friend about them, she went out and bought it, and told me how great it is (she hasnt bought tampons in 9 months), I just kept thinking YUK! Would love to have the guts to try it, but it physically turns my stomach!

Its funny you should say that, I've been looking into menstrual cups and one of the brands is called YUUKI!

Giselle

Many tribe chiefs made major community decisions based on the wisdom achieved by the women's meditation in the huts.

I like the sound of the moon huts, lots of barely reasonable women whinging together and comparing who's closest to the edge of sanity!

Nobody would want to make any important decisions on my ramblings for those few days, unless its how big a bar of Dairy Milk to buy.

4zn76tysfajdxp

m'lady wrote: »

it physically turns my stomach!

Maybe you're just putting it in wrong?

m'lady

Jacob Shapely Stitch wrote: »

Maybe you're just putting it in wrong?

Ha ha , very good lol. Anyway no, I really don't think I could try one, but like I said the one person I know who is using one finds it fantastic!

serenacat

Jacob Shapely Stitch wrote: »

Maybe you're just putting it in wrong?

I really like the mooncup when I first used it it took a while to get used to it but now I love it and never will use towels/tampons again,
ps moon cup is great for travelling and festivals

ordinary_girl

That menstural slap thing is odd, how did someone manage to think that one up? If for whatever crazy reason you're going to slap a woman the absolute worst time would be when they're on their period, you can expect either a punch or a kick in return with a lot of yelling!

Princess Peach

serenacat wrote: »

I really like the mooncup when I first used it it took a while to get used to it but now I love it and never will use towels/tampons again,
ps moon cup is great for travelling and festivals

I had never in my life considered using one till I read this thread. Where can you buy one?

anothernight

Princess Peach wrote: »

I had never in my life considered using one till I read this thread. Where can you buy one?

I bought mine at Boots for about €30ish in Liffey Valley. You can also get them from their website www.mooncup.co.uk

I consider it one of my best (practical) purchases ever.

Princess Peach

I never really knew much about it. We used to have a Tampax lady come to our school every few years and give information and free samples of pads and tampons, but nobody ever told me much about this. I'll have a read of this website and have a think. Thanks!

iguana

Fishie wrote: »

One of my favourite things about having a cup is that I'm not constantly reminded that I'm having my period, I can even go a whole day without checking it usually

Agreed. I usually find, especially after the first couple of days, that I have to remind myself to empty it at night or in the morning. Although the drawback to that is when you've just gotten all comfy and snuggly in bed and you remember you really should* empty it and have to get back up.



*I say should because it isn't as if I need to lest it leak. Once I'm on day 3 or 4 I could probably just leave it in until the end and it wouldn't leak but I assume it should be cleaned every 12 hours or so for hygiene reasons.