Lunapads

Hello out there! I am new to this world of blogging, but excited to be here, and honoured that you are reading this! I am the newest Lunagal to join the gang, and boy am I ever pumped to be a part of the team. I am a compassionate vegan and ecoholic who cares about animal rights and the future of our environment. I was drawn to Lunapads for the eco-aspect in embracing my monthly rendez-vous, and have been a fan of Lunapads for a couple of years now. I found Lunapads after a quest of searching for alternative menstrual products. Traditional disposable menstrual products all of a sudden became appalling to me after a beach clean up along the shores of the St. Lawrence in Quebec where the majority of the litter I came across was no other than tampons applicators. I kid you not! They were everywhere, in the sand, under rocks, intertwined with seaweed, crunching under my shoes… Not at all a pretty sight (or sound). That experience immediately put into perspective the impact that we have as women on the environment.

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We are thrilled to announce another campaign to help menstruating girls in Africa get back in the classroom.  Carrie-Jane Williams (pictured with her students at the African Women’s English Support Group that she volunteers at each week through Frontier College) is a University of British Columbia masters student who is travelling to Uganda to do a volunteer teaching placement.  While she’s there, in addition to doing her master’s research on digital literacies in rural libraries, she’ll be supplying girls with our very own “U-Go-Girl Kits” (with the “U” of course being for Uganda.)  

Last month, I met with Carrie-Jane,  Dr. Shelley Jones and Mr. Dan Ahimbisibwe (a Ugandan community leader, businessman, father, librarian and student at Uganda Martyr’s University) to explore ways we could work together to help girls and women in Uganda, both in the short term and long term.  Dr. Jones is one of Carrie-Jane’s mentors.  Her doctoral thesis (titled “Secondary schooling for girls in rural Uganda: challenges, opportunities  and emerging identities”) was focused on educational policy in Uganda and the emerging government policies making education more accessible to Ugandan youth (girls especially).  While in Uganda, Dr. Jones talked to the girls about their hopes and dreams and saw the daily challenges they faced, including the lack means to deal with their menstrual cycles.   Women and girls use cloth rags, leaves and newspapers for absorbance in lieu of unaffordable disposable pads and tampons.  In some cases,  girls may not even own underwear with which to keep these products in place.  Girls risk feeling humiliated when they are inadequately protected as they end up with leakage, blood-stained legs and clothing. The girls will hesitate to go to the front of the class to write on the board or stand up to answer teachers’ questions, which is common practice.  As a result, the girls stay home during their period, and some stop going to school altogether.  

Menarche (the onset of a girls first period) should be cause for celebration, but for many girls throughout the developing world, menarche signals not only the end of girlhood but also of education.  Carrie-Jane wants to change this.  Moved by what she has learned from Dr. Jones and Mr. Ahimbisibwe, Carrie-Jane will be holding a fundraiser in Vancouver this summer to collect donations to buy pads for the girls and distribute them.  To date, she has already collected funds for over 20 U-Go-Girl Kits and we just received another 10 orders on our website!  In addition to providing cloth pads, Lunapads will be donating Lunapanties to support Carrie-Jane’s efforts. 

To read more about Carrie-Jane’s trip and plans, see her blog here.  If you want to support Carrie-Jane and supply her with pads for her trip (she’s leaving September 1, 2008, so hurry!) you can purchase the U-Go-Girl Kits here.  Thank you (or “webale” in the Luganda language) for your generous support and thank you Carrie-Jane for your amazing work.

Regular blog readers will remember Loretta Cella, founder of the Passion Foundation, and the fabulous fundraiser she held earlier this year to purchase Goods 4 Girls Kits. She raised over $1,000 that night, and took 35 kits with her to Kenya. The moving account of her trip is below. The picture of the girls who received the fruits of her labor tells a powerful story of what a difference one individual can make. Thanks Loretta, you are a truly amazing individual, and we are proud to support you! (please continue reading Loretta’s amazing story below…)

Imagine living in a slum that housed over 800,000 people, where there was no drinkable running water, piles of garbage everywhere, and where secondhand clothes from other parts of the world were sold to make a living. Now imagine the poverty, lack of education, and lack of opportunity the residences of this slum would have to face. This is reality in Kiberia; a place located in Nairobi, Kenya. Kiberia is said to be the largest slum in all of Africa - and possibly the world.

Within Kiberia’s slum live a large number of young women who have hopes and dreams for the future. They talk about being teachers - with dreams of educating the poor for free, and hopes of being a doctor to help people in need; they crave freedom from all the pain and suffering that they are currently enduring and yet their smile (when found) could change one’s life. These girls, Kenya’s future, have little chances of fulfilling their visions unless they go to school and work much harder than any one of us. Their living conditions, lack of family finances and costly school fees are distressing and the pressures for prostitution, drugs, and pregnancy are high. Most families have a hard time affording their rent, let alone their daughter’s feminine products that are essential for her education. (click below for more…)

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As most stories start: 

I was born and raised in North Vancouver, and with a few very short exceptions have lived in Vancouver all my life.

I’m a “directionless” student, much to the chagrin of my Academic Advisor, and have spent the past two years taking a slew of courses (everything from Sociology and Religions Studies, to Human Geography….even Business!) and have savored every minute of it.  If I could get away with it, I’d probably just stay in University until it’s time to retire. 

I live in a little house with a little garden and the perfect baby and husband.  My life outside of work/school is focused on raising my daughter, gardening, reading, and learning to sew.

I love horror movies, good old fashioned rock &roll, cupcakes..and long walks on the beach (I’m joking…).

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We love our customers, and we’re lucky enough to know that lots of you love us too! In fact, it’s your spreading of the Lunapads word that is one of the very best forms of advertising and has helped build the success of this company. Telling your friends & family also helps build greater community among women who share our values. With that in mind, we have a campaign to reward all you lovely Lunapads enthusiasts. Help us spread the word about Lunapads and receive a surprise gift package from us!

Here’s how you can participate:

1) Got a blog or website? Share a personal story about your experience with our products, and post it along with one of our ad buttons (see below). Once you’ve published our button and your testimonial, email us the link to your entry and your mailing address. To post one of our ads on your website, simply copy all of the code in the field directly to the right of the image you prefer and paste it onto your blog or web site.

2) Don’t have a blog? Be a guest blogger here! We want to hear your Lunapads story - who you are, details about your lifestyle and interests, how you heard about Lunapads (or the DivaCup), what got you interested in trying them, and what your experience has been like using them. Email your submission plus a photo of yourself to blog@lunapads.com. (We reserve the right to edit or decline your submission, but if we do post it to the blog, you will receive a free Lunapads gift pack.)

3) Get creative! Customers have promoted Lunapads at health fairs and women’s events in their communities, as well as other more “guerrilla” marketing efforts such as putting up a Lunapads poster in full view of the passengers on Chicago’s “L” train. What’s your idea?

Thank you for your support!

<a href=http://www.lunapads.com/default.aspx?refid=Blog08><img src=http://blog.lunapads.com/images/happier_healthier_period.jpg alt=”Lunapads.com | Happier, Healthier, Period.”></a>

<a href=http://www.lunapads.com/default.aspx?refid=Blog08><img src=http://blog.lunapads.com/images/happier_healthier_period_ma.jpg alt=”Lunapads.com | Happier, Healthier, Period.”></a>

This Sunday is Car-Free Day in Vancouver! What started off as a small closure of Commercial Drive in 2005 has now expanded to become a city-wide event. The shopping/walking communities of Downtown, Kitsilano, Main Street and Commercial Drive will each shut down multiple blocks of traffic and open up the streets to alternative forms of transportation - it’s amazing how communities become alive without cars grumbling through them all day. You see people out with dogs and children and strollers and rollerblades and flip-flops and stilts and unicycles and…my favourite - bicylces! So in honour of this awesome day where we see how the power of the people can create a vibrant city, I have found for all the gals out there a special, women-centric bicycle…the Vulva Taxi

Created by Finnish artist Mimosa Pale to protest a world that is ‘too man-parts-centric.’ Thrice weekly she invites residents of Helsinki to ride along in her taxi and help make her part of the world a little more female-friendly. Girls, let’s take back the streets!

Happy Car-Free Day!

I love my DivaCup!

I’ve known this for a long time, but never more than now. I had a bad fall last year and broke my kneecap. I was in a cast from my ankle to ying yang for a couple of months, and then a full leg brace for a couple more months. Being in a wheelchair and unable to walk, I used disposable menstrual products for about 5 months. Needless to say, my periods were so uncomfortable.. cramps, skin irritation and endless.. yuck!

I was never really sure if my Diva Cup and Lunapads were responsible for my periods becoming more comfortable, or if it was just coincidence. Now there is no doubt in my mind.

I was so happy once I could get around again and take care of myself. No more cramps, no more skin irritation, a four to five day period and done! The difference is so noticeable. I usually wear my Lunapads all month anyway, just because they are so comfy. Even though I’m 43, I always have fun picking out which pattern I want to wear. Pink poodles when I want attitude, dots when I’m a ‘power woman’, floral if I’m feeling so-so..

Thank you ladies for providing these products.
You’ve made my life that much better.

-Heidi

Crunchy Chicken (Deanna Duke)’s legion of fans have come together to organize a tribute to her in the form of Lordisa-only-knows how many blog posts, plus a drive for Goods 4 Girls Kits in her honor. In case you’re not already acquainted with la Crunch, check out the blog and her Goods 4 Girls site, which is devoted to supplying schoolgirls in Africa with sustainable menstrual supplies, and by extension keep them in school while they’re menstruating. In short, she rocks, and if you’re not already a fan, then you’re in for some ass-kicking inspiration.

We’ve been asked to write a specific post about what Deanna’s posts have meant to us, so here goes: I must confess to being a relatively recent addition to her Crunchiness’ fan club, which began when she recruited Lunapads to the Goods 4 Girls cause (it wasn’t hard!) In those few months, however, I have been completely won over by her hilarious, well-researched, articulate and deeply personal calls to arms with respect to taking real, meaningful steps towards more sustainable lifestyles. In a world where we are short on heroes, this woman shines like few others with her feisty way of calling the BS and leading by example when it comes to everything from greenwash consumerism to growing vegetables.

Thanks to her influence, Affluenza is my bedtime reading of choice, the Lunagals passed on a “shopping extravaganza”-themed event for women entrepreneurs, and our customers have donated hundreds of Goods 4 Girls kits. I am recommitted to working out my personal eco-bugs, and my garden is resplendent with everything from leeks to strawberries.

When it comes to the gardening, Crunchy’s example has been particularly timely for me, as I am enjoying my first-ever very own backyard and am even considering doing some home canning, a completely new adventure for me. Working in the garden has also proved to be a wonderful activity for Gigi and I to share (see gratuitous cute daughter photo at right - couldn’t resist!)

Needless to say, Deanna is also a major advocate of natural menstrual products (particularly the DivaCup, and she has personally converted hundreds of women with her DivaCup challenges.) Thanks to her example I am going one step further and replacing some of my toilet paper usage with my daughter’s homemade cloth wipes, something I’m not sure that I would otherwise have done. Last but not least, I have recently resurrected my old sewing machine and am excited to return to making some of the household linens and clothing.

So thanks, Deanna, for everything. You’re a fantastic role model and inspiration. We wish you, your fans and family all the best, and are proud to be your allies in taking better care of our beautiful planet. Oh, and while I’m here, Goods 4 Girls kits are an additional 10% off the already cost-price for the month of June, so if you haven’t already donated, please consider making a difference in this unique way.

Hi LunaLadies,

I just received my very first ever order of Lunapads today, and was excited beyond repair to actually open the package and feel them. They are rather elegant in their black and pansy colour combo, and I am wondering if they will double as serviettes at my next dinner party.

Pretty much ever since I started menstruating, I felt gross and inconvenienced by my period. Not being introduced to any part of it directly by my mother probably had something to do with that! I was never a ‘regular’ person and began to dread my period. At some point, it decided to only come three times a year, and I was fine with that. Especially, since it saved on tampons and pads, and that feeling of feeling gross.

After my second child, I got my first period 18 months after she was born. I had bought a Diva Cup from a health food store in town, and had quite the time adjusting to my first period post-partum and the Cup. But, despite the slight awkwardness, I realized that my period wasn’t actually as gross as I had thought!!

Upon first inspection of the marvelous, rich fluid beheld in the Cup, I realized, all along, it was the dreadful ‘feminine hygiene products’ that made me and my period smell nasty!! What a revelation!! I berated myself for not changing over sooner, as for years, I knew of the badness of pads and tampons.

Soon, the Cup and I became One. I would usually forget it was there, unless I felt that little ‘pop’ that goes with the suction breaking due to too much fluid. Even with the unpredictability of some periods, I became more in tune with when I needed to change it. Never mind the few times when I’d drop it and could make Jackson Pollock green with envy.

I’ve been Diva-ing for nearly 4 years now. The Diva Cup has made me love my period! I respect it, awe at it, marvel at it, and think it’s really gosh-darn special. Thanks for making that happen!!

I look forward to taking it to the next level with the Lunapads (For no good reason, I just couldn’t quite get around to not using the natural-organic pads for back-up, or when things were starting or tapering off). I am sorry to the environment for all the years of trashing it with my menstrual murder.

Thanks for all your hard work, and for offering an alternative. I will be excited and glad when my daughters come into their menstrual years, and I can share with them the best way to appreciate their periods, and hopefully maintain and nurture respect for their bodies, as well.

Viva la Luna!

Christine

I’ve been using Lunapads and the Diva Cup for just under three years now. They’ve become an integral part of my life and while I appreciate their convenience, their comfort and their healthiness (for me and the planet) each month, I didn’t really think I had a story to tell; until today that is.

A little background about me: I live with my boyfriend of just over three years in a little apartment near West Virginia University (we’re both graduate students in physics). Between the grueling and hectic schedule of being a graduate student, as well as the long duration of many lecture classes (and lab sessions), I would be in for some real embarrassment about once every month on the first day of my cycle if I were still using disposable products. I remember some very unhappy moments (before I’d discovered Lunapads and the Diva Cup) as an undergrad where I had to choose between walking out of a lecture because I was leaking around my tampon and ill-situated (and very crinkly) pad, or waiting until class was over and then rushing to the restroom hoping that the bloodstains hadn’t gotten too far out of control. Thanks especially to my DivaCup, I have never had to worry about being “well prepared enough” to get through the first day of my cycle and keep up with my graduate requirements. And this is where my story really starts. I was fortunate enough to secure a summer research internship with a company in San Diego (a city which is, by the way, much more spread-out than I was aware of). I arrived Monday evening, moved into my sublet (with two generally quite, nearly-never-home male UCSD students), and started working Tuesday morning. Since I don’t have a car here, my supervisor arranged for me to borrow a bicycle, which I took possession of on Friday. I decided it would be an excellent idea for me to bike my chosen route to work to make sure I knew the way and that I could survive it (four miles by bicycle in San Diego is quite an undertaking for me, since I’m a little out of shape and haven’t been on a bicycle at all in over a year). Saturday was taken up with grocery shopping, laundry, and the like; which left Sunday (today) for my first long bike ride.Thanks to the Cycle Chart I have been keeping the past few months, I knew I would be starting last night or this morning and so I put in my DivaCup before going to bed to ensure there would be no rushing to the bathroom in the wee hours of the morning, trying to avoid stains on the carpet. Sure enough, my cycle started right on time and, between my DivaCup and Lunapanties, I had no qualms about spending the morning biking around and through the UCSD campus.

I set out around 9:30 (breakfast and double-checking the route took a bit longer than I’d planned) and was on my way. I’m happy to say that I did survive the whole trek, going a bit farther than my minimum goal of four miles total (to make sure I’d be able to make it all the way to work tomorrow morning; I wasn’t quite ready for an eight-mile round-trip today) and arrived home in good spirits. To my extreme delight, there was not a hint of spotting in my Lunapanties and, since Lunapanties are all soft and fleecey, there was no insanely uncomfortable sweaty wetness like I remember from when I used disposable pads. I can’t even imagine how miserable I would have been had I attempted a 4+ mile, hot, sun-drenched bike ride with a disposable pad heavy enough to handle my first day. In fact, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been riding a bike at all if I weren’t using my DivaCup, due to the very real possibility of bleeding through and the intense discomfort of trying to manage such an adventure with a wet, sweaty pad refusing to stay where I wanted it.

So, in the end, what I actually realized today was that my DivaCup (and Lunapads) literally makes it possible for me to live my life and do my job; my DivaCup makes science possible and I absolutely love it!

—Stephanie of Morgantown, WV
(currently in San Diego, CA)