Lunapads

Here’s one thing to know about me: I hate pads. I’ve hated them since my first period. That’s over a decade of dislike! But, I think, with good reason. I hated the bulkyness. I hated how they would shift at the least opportune times. I hated the crinkley unwrapping noises that let all the other girls in the bathroom know you were on your period. I hated the times one end would spontaneously flip over and decide to stick to you (ow!) leaving your poor underwear unguarded. I hated the panicky feeling when you know it’s leaked, but you won’t be able to get to a bathroom and survey the damage for another 20 minutes. And I really, really hated that freakin’ “dri-weave” stuff. What “weave”? It’s so obviously die-cut plastic! And “dri”? If you’ve got clots, forget it! In grade school, though, I never questioned their inevitability. In fact, the video they used to teach us girls about menstruation was produced by Stayfree!

College, I think, was the start of the change of the status quo for me and my menstruation. In college, practicality led me from pads (grrr) to tampons, and feminism led me from applicator to non-applicator tampons, and then (along with environmentalism and a grad-school paycheck) from tampons to a menstrual cup. Which was way cool, for all the reasons I’m sure readers of the Lunapads blog are familiar with, but not perfect - I still got leaks from time to time, that became more prevalent over the last few years. (I think my flow is getting heavier as I get older, bleah.) Finally, after enough times mentally willing my boss to get to the point already/the meeting to be over/the bus to get to my stop/to find a spot on the trail with enough trees for privacy if I couldn’t make it to the trailhead/to be able to make it back through the crowd to my prime spot in the concert venue afterwards beacuse I really, REALLY need to check the state of my Keeper NOW! I decided that I was going to have to go back to pads (grrr) as backup.

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I am mother to three little girls…women in the making. Two of my beautiful daughters are starting their transition to womanhood. I am just giddy with excitement for them. Not only because there will be an excuse for their moody behaviour ~ but because I get to bring them online to www.lunapads.com to pick out their own set of Lunapads.

I remember the day that I came across Lunapad online. I was looking for an alternative to tampons that were driving me nuts with their ill fit and their smelliness. I was looking for something that was friendly to the environment… and I was tired of just putting a small washcloth in my underwear for my “moon bleeding” time. That is what Lunapads is for me…the most wonderful alternative to what they show on the TV.

I love my Lunapads. I love that I got to pick out a design that speaks to me about the specialness of my “moon time”. They have little moons and stars on them… in this beautiful navy blue that reminds me of the night sky. I love that I can still put a liner into my purse and no one is the wiser ~ because it is so compact. I love that my periods are shorter now that I am no longer putting tampons up my vagina ~ irritating my vaginal wall ~ and creating God knows what with the chemicals they put in those things.

So soon, soon I will be back. Watching my pretty daughters oohhing and ahhing over all the possible styles of Lunapads for themselves. I can hardly wait.

Marcella - Blessed mother to three incredible women in the making.

About a month ago I attended the Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim CA, and what a trip it was! The last time that we were there was 6 years ago, and my, how things have grown. I am still feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of creativity, energy, magic and madness of it all. For the most part I feel excited about the stunning growth of the industry over the past couple of decades, although there is definitely room for debate. The recent acquisition of Wild Oats by Whole Foods is a case in point - better, worse, or just bigger? Many small manufacturers will have trouble keeping up, but is that outweighed by spin-off growth to other smaller players and a greater draw of mainstream customers away from conventional grocery (not to mention pushing mainstream grocery to get more natural)? At any rate, I had a great time, spent time with some fabulous people, and would like to tell you a bit about them.
First and foremost I must tell you about our esteemed compatriots, Brenda Mallory and Sara Miller (pictured above - that’s me on the left, Sarah in the middle and Brenda on the right, hamming it up with our new EcoLips lip balm) from GladRags and Francine and Carinne Chambers, mom-and-daughter DivaCup owners . The wonderful term “compatriot” (as opposed to the rather negatively loaded “competitor”) was coined by Brenda in reference to the respect and kinship that we all feel for one another in this, shall we say, niche industry. It’s particularly apt in this case as we all share the abundance-based perspective that rather than competing against one another, we are in fact fighting the same fight (and fighting it well, with great elegance and determination, I might add!) We have also had the good fortune to meet Gloria Starita of Sea Pearls, who is one of the kindest, most sparkling souls I have ever come across anywhere.
Some other amazing integrity-based companies/people I spent time with include Lisa Levin’s Pharmacopia collection of natural bodycare products (the lavender hand cream is an office staple here at Lunapads), Jody Weiss’s Peacekeeper cause-metics (seeing Jody is such a pleasure and inspiration!), and Deb Luster’s Can Do Kids healthy snacks for active kids.
Nice to know that in the midst of some downright weird products and overly revved people, there are some real, honest-to-goodness gems out there. Look for them at your local Health Food store!

In my university days, I bought a reusable pad once, the kind where you insert some absorbent material into an envelope-like pad. But the thing slid all over the place and boy was it a yucky mess to wash after. I was quickly discouraged and never used it again. Fast forward to the birth of my first child in 2002. It was a no-brainer to put our son in cloth diapers, as there was the BUMMIS store right across the street from where I live and the owner, Betsy, was very persuasive.

When my period resumed, I began feeling rather guilty that my son was more ecologically sound than me, throwing away all those pads, month after month. The BUMMIS store also sold the Keeper, which I decided to take the plunge and try. It was baptism by fire, since I first used it on our way to Asia for a four-week visit to see my extended family. As luck would have it, I needed to use it on the way back, too. Ask me anytime for tips on how to discreetly change a menstrual cup in those teeny weeny airplane toilets or in airport washrooms, LOL!

I still needed something to protect my underwear while using the marvelous menstrual cup and I recalled the ad for Lunapads —a Canadian company for once!— in Mothering magazine. I searched high and low for a retailer in Montreal before giving up and ordering online. I was happily surprised by the great friendly customer service, the lovely prints and the quality of the workmanship.

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