How to Stay Cool and Comfortable During Your Time of the Month

Hey ladies, it's no secret. And it happens to the best of us. We're going about our life, all happy and doing epic things and then something happens. For some it's like clockwork and for others it's a bloody massacre of a surprise. The aches, the pains, the cravings, the camps, the bloating, oh my! The list goes on and on! You reach for a sanitary product but do you know how sanitary that product actually is? No, because manufacturers aren't required to disclose what exactly is in your tampons or pads. I know! I was shocked too! After doing lots of research  I've learned that these sanitary products have been accused of having toxins  such as dioxin, furan, and more, many of which are known carcinogens and may cause you to bleed more and longer. I've learned that fibers from tampons can be left behind in your body. How scary is that? And what happens to them?

My research began some time ago when I saw a horrifying post on Facebook, then reported throughout various new sources. A woman in Indiana noticed that the cord of her tampon looked off so she pushed the cotton on the top to the side and noticed black mold inside. When she opened it, there was mold growing throughout the tampon. Another woman in Texas had noticed black spots on her tampon after it accidentally popped out of the applicator. Yes, I get that we store them in bathrooms that can be steamy, but where should we store them? And would that even help? How do we know that there isn't some mold on a machine that doesn't get properly cleaned and is coming into contact with the feminine hygiene products that are being made? We just buy them, fully trusting that they're okay to put near our most sensitive area. Is that not crazy when right on the box it warns about Toxic Shock Syndrome? Obviously, you need to change them regularly; they get full and you don't want to leak, but even with everything that the female body is going through during that time, do we really need to added stress of mold and TSS also? 

So I became passionate about finding healthier alternatives. Organic tampons. Organic is great! I know what I'm putting in my body and I'm hoping there's no mold growing on these ones. They look clean, but I'm still leery. They're still cotton, can still grow mold and they still cause me to double over in pain from cramps when they're inserted. Not to mention they'll probably still leave fibers too. So onto the cup. Yeah, no.  I hate blood and it stresses me out to be somewhere where I can safely remove and empty it without feeling like I'm going to pass out, creating a crime scene as I fall to the floor. The cup is not for me.

So I read up on period panties. They're sustainable. They're absorbent and I've read that they may reduce cramps. They're a little pricey as well. The average woman spends about $1,773.33 on tampons alone during the course of her life. That doesn't include any panty liners, pads, Midol, new underwear or clothing or any of the salty or sweet things that she craves during that time. It also doesn't include the cost of heating pads to ease cramps or the sleepless nights because you're so uncomfortable. The cost of period panties can range from about $14-$45/pair depending on the brand. 

So what are period panties? They are super absorbent panties that look and feel like regular panties that allow you to prevent stains on your clothes if worn with a tampon or a pad as a backup. Or if you're flow isn't an absurd amount of heavy, you may be able to forgo your feminine products altogether and just bleed straight into the panty. The absorbent material is so thin that you don't have the bulky pad feel or really feel like you're wearing anything.

Personally, my period is pretty heavy on the 2nd and 3rd day and I get ridiculously painful cramps every month. Painful to the point where I just curl up and cry because it's too painful to move. They have caused me to miss out on so much. Midol didn't help, heating pads didn't help, nothing would alleviate that pain so the fact that a panties may be able to help with just that, I was on board. Anything to feel like a normal human being. So I checked out the brand of panties I've seen all over the internet. I was ready to invest quite a lot in a pair or two to see if it would help me. I was blown away that they looked like real panties. They even had a thong that absorbed your period!! Okay, more of a light flow, but still! How could that be??  Insert the mind blow emoji here because my mind was fully blown! The site has a quiz on it to see which panties would work for you, so I did the quiz and excitedly waited for my results. Verdict: (It shows photos of the heavy flow underwear - things are looking good!) "We're sorry but we don't make a panty for your flow, but these would be a great back up to your tampon." Sad, disappointed face. I came looking for a way to eliminate my need for a tampon, not back it up! I slammed my laptop feeling defeated. 

No, I think to myself. No! I don't take no for an answer and leave it at that, no way! So I research. And I research and I research some more. And I try the cup and realized that was a hard no from me. So I research more and start to find articles on more companies with period panties and start to search...Amazon! Because Amazon has everything! And I found a few brands with amazing reviews for heavy periods. For one of them, the reviews were good and the only complaint was that the sizing is way off. Being that I didn't want to deal with buying and not being able to return it, I decided to buy the other brand and get two different styles. Again, amazing reviews for heavy periods. And it's Amazon, so I get them in two days. And, because it's Amazon, they came three to a pack which gave me 6 in all for a little over the cost of one pair from the first company I was looking at. Which was perfect timing because I was scheduled to start the next day. Not like I scheduled that, because believe me, I would be fine with a monthly text that said, "Hey!! You're not pregnant!! Congratulations girl! Now carry on about your life!' But anyway, the next day I start and I put on a pair. I decided that I'm putting my full faith into these things and just going about my day. There is a super absorbent layer that comes up in the front about half way and it goes all the way up in the back so they seemed like pretty good protection. I workout, I work, I run errands, I go out with friends, I come home; checking all day long to see how these babies are holding up. It is day one and so far so good. I change into a brief and go to bed. I actually sleep! And without a heating pad! I totally forgot about cramps that day. Day two and three are heavy days so I try the briefs. Again I work out, I work, I go to a hair appointment, I go grocery shopping, I go for a walk, I sleep. Can I just say amazing!?!?!!! No leaks on either days or overnight!  FYI, I do wear one pair for working out, then another pair for the day, then another when I get home for the evening or when I go to sleep. And, no cramps or they were so minimal that I don't remember them. There was also no order, no wetness and I kid you not, since I've been using them, my period has been ending two days earlier.  The only thing they didn't do was easy my chocolate cravings, but other than that, they are seriously like magic panties!

The panties that were the most comfortable and  seemed to work the best were the Bambody. But a few runner ups were:

The Thinx Thong, the 4period High Absorbency Panty, the INNERSY High Waisted Brief, the Bamboo Viscose Fiber Brief and the Hellove Cotton Hipster Panties.

These are a total game changer for me. Where were these when I was 13 and having irregular periods? These would have changed my life years ago! Not only were the comfortable and did the job very well, they were easy to care for by rinsing, machine washing and line drying. It's been a few months and they are holding up quite nicely too! 

If you haven't tried period panties, and you're into sustainability, or a better choice for your body, or you suffer from incontinence, I urge you to try these. Heck, even if you have a teenage daughter who's embarrassed to talk about her period, maybe suggest these to her and let her know that she has a choice. You (and she) won't be disappointed.