and now for the good news....

DH suggested that I write something positive for a change... and luckily I have something positive to say! Since I discovered that I am sensitive to salicylates and amines, and have been off them for over a month, I have just made it through the first few days of my period without taking any drugs... this may not sound impressive, or it may be too much information, but for me it is huge. I have had painful periods for most of my life. They get better when I'm on the pill, but the pill has lots of problems (story for another day) so I've been off it for a few years, and this makes my periods worse. Drugs help (especially Ibuprofen) but they also have problems (another story for yet another day) so I have been keen to get off them too, as they don't really fit in with my super-healthy pre-conception plan. So this is a real breakthrough for me! I still needed a hot water bottle to get through the day, but I made it drug-free, which helps to make up for the fact that I haven't eaten any fruit except pears for a long time!

riding the crimson wave...

Wow... after posting yesterday I got my daily email from Ideal Bite, and it was about alternative menstruation products, including The Keeper!

I have never come across a topic that inspired so many comments in such a short time... 98 and counting in less than 24 hours.

It's so wonderful to feel part of a community of women who care so much about their own health and the environment. I had no idea so many women and girls were using the menstrual cups ... obviously it's something we don't like talking about... but that should change. It's really not nearly as disgusting as changing a poo-ey diaper... and I talk about that all the time!

I've also found some great online forums and blogs talking about which cups to choose and how to use them.

Some of the women on Ideal Bite talked about having shorter periods and less cramping since using cups... now there is something to get excited about!

No more organic tampons?

While I love my organic feminine products from natracare, I still feel bad about the environmental impact (and cost) of buying and using tampons and other sanitary products every month (except for the blissful months of pregnancy and breastfeeding when I didn't get my period!!!).

A couple of years ago I read a great book by Linda Cockburn called Living the Good Life. I will write more on this fantastic book later, but one thing (among many) that I was inspired to do after reading the book was to look for a product called The Keeper. It's a natural rubber (or silicone for women with latex allergies) cup that is used instead of a tampon. it is similar to a diaphragm in its use, and lasts about 10 years. it's not cheap to buy, but is very cost effective (pays for itself in less than a year if you are buying organic tampons).

So I was very excited to come across a woman from Moon Pads in Tasmania selling The Keeper at the Sustainable Living Festival in Melbourne last weekend!

I'm trying it out now (got my period the next day!), so I'll let you know how I go...

I also bought an organic cotton reusable pad from a lovely Melbourne-based woman who owns Rad-Pads. More on that later!

To find out more about why you should switch to organic tampons/pads, etc, check out this info from natracare.

For more info on why you might want to switch to reusable menstrual products read this from Moon Pads.