Scarleteen

As reusable pads become more and more well known, folks may be curious about what it's like to use them. So this is a place where people can talk about their experiences with reusable menstrual pads.

I've been using them for a few years, and find them way, way comfier to use than standard pads.

I don't have periods right now because of my IUD, but up until a couple of years ago I used cloth pads combined with a menstrual cup, and I loved them. So comfy! It did take me a while to figure out how absorbent they were and how long I could wear them before they needed to be changed, and I found changing them when I couldn't get the used one in to soak right away can be a teensy bit annoying (bringing a ziploc bag or something similar to put the used one in until you get home is important!). The nice feel of fabric as opposed to something plastic-y totally outweighed any of the negatives for me though, and it was so great not to have to buy any more menstrual products for years!

I use cloth pads only at the end of my period when the flow is very light, so that I don't have to change them often. That's mostly because my mum goes ballistic if I don't wash them the moment I remove them. And I'm a bit lazy to spend 5-6 mins in washing, every single time I change my pad. But yeah, they're so much more comfortable than disposable ones. No more rashes there.

I use a menstrual cup, and don't usually have a very heavy flow, so I only use pads the first night of my period. But over the summer I was in rural Vermont and got my period and realized I didn't have any pads. I didn't want to bleed onto my clothes and bedding, and it was nighttime so all the stores were closed, so I wasn't sure what to do...then I realized, I can just use cloth! And that was awesome. Very liberating. And also felt kind of like a "oh duh!" moment. So I cut a rag up and put it in my underwear--worked perfectly.