By BR Tabatha
Fun fact: If you ever want to be grossed out by how we dealt with our periods back in the days before pads and tampons, Google it. Okay, it's not really all that gross - bascially for a bit there when women weren't being shunned for seven or so days or making use of softened papyrus to stem the red wave, they just bled into their clothes. Eventually it was decided perhaps bleeding into clothing for days on end possibly wasn't all that hygenic (this was the 19th century so popping your bloodied knicks, skirts and pants into the wash on the daily probably wasn't all that feasible...) and that became the 'a-ha' moment that saw the inventions of what eventually became modern day tampons and pads.
However the times are once again a-changin' and as we become more concious of caring for Mother Nature and not stuffing her full of rubbish, people have come up with nature-friendly alternatives to dealing with our monthly.
So what's the what? And, er, what's a Whatakrakka? Read on...
Image: Whatakrakka Fancy Pads
Whatakrakka Fancy Pads are the invention of Laura, a fellow Kiwi who creates bamboo cloth menstrual pads with fab, fun cloth designs. Designed to lay flat and not slide upon in your knicks, they're thirsty-as and come in a range of sizes to suit your flow. Best of all? Being washable, and therefore reusable, you can use them knowing you're not contributing to landfill, and in the long run you'll save money!
Women have gotten on board in a big way too with Fancy Pads, as they regularly sell out and new releases fly off the virutal shelves.
If you're not a pad person...
... Menstrual cups might just be for you! When they first hit the market - and hit the BR crew's radar - well, there was a collective yeah, nah. But over time slowly but surely we're falling for their charms - or at the very least, the eco-friendly aspects - of a menstrual cup. As with reusable pads you'll save money over time, while contributing less to landfill.
The benefits of a cup over a tampon is - obviously - that they're reusable, they're odorless, oh, and you can go up to twelve hours before having to empty them out. What's that? Less chance of leakage while out and about with no public toilet in sight? Sounds like a win all round to us!
Of course if you want to be extra sure that you'll be leak-free there's also ...
Image: Modibodi
Period pants. Designed to hold up to a tampon's worth of blood, period pants work by wicking away the blood to keep you dry, fresh and leak-free. Bonus? If you experience the joys of bladder leakage - and some of the mum-types at BRHQ know exactly how that goes - then you'll be glad to know that period pants also work at making those 'uh-oh I'm about to sneeze and weeze' moments easier by absorbing the moisture and stopping it soaking through.
Australian brand Modibodi has also branched out into swimwear, so those who aren't tampon-friendly can now get their swim on no matter what time of the month it is.
Hmmm that looks interesting. Luckily I don't need them any more.