Great post on menstrual cups

A friend of mine put up a great post yesterday on menstrual cups, including pros & cons as well as an instructional video: check it out!

Why I Love to Freebleed (and how!)

I am a freebleeder.

At least, I want to be. However, it is simply not practical for me. I have long days away from home (some days from 6:30-8) in which I am constantly doing something that prevents me from going to the bathroom to see if I have stained my clothing. Which is the other reason it's inconvenient for me. I am a poor college student/single mom and am mostly still wearing clothes I wore in High School, with a few exceptions. I cannot afford to buy new clothes if I stain them, and until there is a stain remover that removes menstrual fluids, is cheap, and doesn't wear holes in the crotch of my panties, there isn't much I can do.

Being reasonably poor leads me to cut quite a few corners though, and spending money on either tampons or clothing constantly seems like a waste. So I devised a strategy to allow myself to (kind of) freebleed without these money issues. Saves money on tampons, saves money on clothes, saves time in general.

First, I have a few pairs of underwear designated for "that time". These are pairs of underwear that I specifically purchased with the intention of ruining them (they were initially post-partum underwear). Second, I only have 2 or 3 heavy bleed days. On these days, I use tampons. After the initial release, I let the rest of my period peter out with no interference.

I like this ending with free bleeding for a few reasons. Number One: My vag gets dry after a day or two with a giant piece of cotton soaking everything up. Number Two: I only use a few tampons a month this way which makes my wallet happy and makes me feel (slightly) better about my menstruation waste in landfills (I do plan on buying a Diva Cup after I get a real job, but right now it's hard to find $10 to put gas in my car, so it's a little lower on the list right now). And Number Three: Although I like tampons a billion times better than pads, they are still a giant hassle, and I do so love cutting hassles out of my life.

I understand that this method is not practical for everyone. Everyone's cycle is different, but for me a few blood stains on the inner seam of my jeans (so far you can't see it on the outside!) is completely worth it. I feel more comfortable through most of my period, and actually it seems to help with cramping.

FREEBLEEDING POWER!!!!