When I found out I was pregnant with my daughter in 2014, I knew I wanted to try cloth diapering. It just seemed to make sense — it would save me money in the long-term, it’s more eco-friendly, and the prints are just the cutest.
I successfully cloth diapered her from the time she was three-weeks-old until she potty trained right before her third birthday. Now, baby number two is cloth diapered, and I plan on sticking with it until he’s potty trained as well.
Cloth isn’t just for babies, though. When my daughter was about a year old, I discovered cloth menstrual pads. Same deal: saves money, eco-friendly, super cute prints. They snap into your underwear easily and you can wear them as a backup if you use a menstrual cup.
I quickly became a cloth pad convert and now own a medium stash that gets me through my period each month, and even got me through the postpartum stage after I had my son.
Just like cloth diapers, cloth pads are more work than disposables. You’ll want to rinse out your pads before throwing them in the washing machine. Right now, I wash mine with a load of diapers, but during the glorious few months when I didn’t have a kid in diapers, I washed them with my regular laundry and that worked great, too.
If you’re considering making the switch to cloth, here are some tips to help you get started.
Look into starter kits.
If you’re not completely sold on the idea of cloth menstrual pads, look for a starter kit that includes a variety of prints and sizes, often for a slight discount. I bought my first pads as part of a starter kit from an Etsy seller. I read a bunch of reviews before deciding on a brand that had decent ratings and was reasonably priced. Build your stash one pad at a time and supplement your usual disposable pads or tampons until your stash is big enough to get you through your period each month.
Get familiar with materials.
Cloth pads come in a variety of different materials. My favorite is minky (SO soft, and it cleans up really well), but you might prefer cotton jersey, bamboo, or terry cloth. I’d recommend getting a variety of fabrics and seeing which one works best for you. One thing I’ve found is that cloth pads are infinitely more comfortable than disposable ones, no matter the material.
Know your flow.
Just like disposable pads, cloth pads come in different sizes. If your period is pretty heavy, you’ll want to stock up on heavy flow pads or overnight ones. If your flow is on the lighter side, medium or light flow pads might be enough for you. My stash includes a couple of overnighters for super heavy days, plus some heavy and medium ones.
Join cloth pad groups.
Look for cloth pad groups on Facebook to get recommendations on different brands. Once you find a brand you like, check to see if it has a VIP Facebook group that offers discounts and presales on new patterns. This helped me build my stash and it’s how I found some of my favorite prints, including unicorns and cats (not together, though).
What are you waiting for? Get started on your cloth menstrual pad stash today! Just be warned: you might become a little addicted!
