Mama Cloth

A little off topic of cloth diapers, but I really feel the need to do a post about Mama cloth (ie: cloth menstrual pads). I did not get my first postpartum period until my son was 16 months old, just two months ago. But I'd been researching Mama cloth for many months before that, knowing I wanted to use them when my body finally decided to get back to normal.

I first discovered Luna Pads because a local baby boutique sells them. This was when Noah was pretty little and I was first thinking about switching to cloth pads when my period returned. I used disposable pads for my postpartum bleeding and I used tampons for years and years prior to becoming pregnant, without really thinking about it much. But suddenly I was cloth diapering my baby and *so* against disposable items that, really, how could I go back to using tampons? Luna Pads were soft and seems like a pretty good choice, but the price of them threw me off a bit. Around $20 per pad was a bit much in my opinion because I wasn't sure how many I'd need. Their 3-pack is $75 on their website.

So instead, I decided to ask around and see if anyone on my local and Canadian cloth diaper groups made mama cloth or had any ones they suggested. And I was overwhelmed with the response I got. Many people suggested Treehuggers Cloth Pads. They have many packages available and the prices are great (they work out to about $11 per pad). They make liners, day pads, overnight pads and postpartum pads. They even make wetbags specifically for the cloth pads (purse-sized). I *love* the design and absorbency (and the soft minky) of the Treehuggers pads.

I also bought some off a Mama from my Canadian cloth diaper group (on Facebook). She just makes them per order. They are a different design and cut (than the Treehuggers) but I do really like them as well. I got two panty liners and two pads from her for $20!

My "routine" for the mama cloth is similar to the cloth diapers. I put the pad on (all of mine have snaps to hold them in place), they are really absorbent so I wear them a couple of hours or until I'm not comfortable with it, then unsnap and put on a new one. I run the cold water in the bathroom sink and "rinse" the soiled pad. I even wring it out a few times. It doesn't gross me out, but I can see how not everyone would do this. Then I toss it in a separate wet bag that hangs on the bathroom doorknob. I wash them with diapers every other day, so they get a good cold rinse and a good hot wash.

I have 6 pads at the moment and 2 liners, and having gone through my second period since giving birth (and using these) I know how that I'd like to have about 2-4 more pads and two more liners - then I could just wash them at the end of my period each month. Because they don't get washed all that often in perspective they are going to last a long time. All of the pads I have wash up very well and have not stained. Possibly if I didn't rinse as well they might get slight staining but even then they would whiten up with some sun.

I don't really talk about the mama cloth to people in person that often. For whatever reason (I guess the same as cloth diapers) it grosses people out. But I do love using reusable pads as much as I love using cloth diapers on my baby.