What's new in the world of menstural products?

December 2, 2016 11:38 AM

I just got my period back after three years. I'm interested in what's now available for reusable menstrual goods (cups and pads) and apps.

I just got my period again after a break of three years (pregnancy + nursing). I'm interested in exploring reusable pads or period underwear because regular pads feel like diapers. Any recommendations or are they all the same? Are they actually as effective as regular pads? What is the washing situation like? Any specific brand recommendations? What about the difference between pads, and the underwear I keep seeing ads for in Facebook? My current period is super heavy but I don't know how it will be once I get back into the usual cycle.

I'm also interested in cups - I have an old DivaCup (small size) - can I just sterilize and use that again, or do I need a bigger size? I had a c-section, limited dilation, so not sure if that matters. Or are there better cups now?

Finally, what are the good iPhone apps for period tracking?
(anon because I don't want my colleagues to see me asking about my period.)

posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (18 answers total)

Clue is hands-down the best period app.
posted by meggan at 11:40 AM on December 2, 2016 [10 favorites]

I too came in to suggest the Clue app.
posted by INFJ at 11:42 AM on December 2, 2016 [2 favorites]

I too had a c and I'm using the same size cup after. I'd just try what you have and if you have problems you can upgrade.
posted by emkelley at 11:49 AM on December 2, 2016

I'm here to un-suggest the Clue app. A couple weeks ago they released an update that completely borked the app on my phone. They have yet to release any kind of patch. Meanwhile I started my period today and have no ability to enter any new data because I can't open the app. On top of that, this is the exact month I went off birth control with the goal of starting to try to conceive within the next few months. So it's finally time to actually USE the data I've been storing with Clue for years, and I can't because they ruined the thing.

I'm sure they'll eventually fix this, but it disappoints me that they would let their app remain unusable for so long considering what its purpose is. Also, in the short term, if you want to track your periods, you should probably start with a different app until Clue is usable again.
posted by Sara C. at 11:49 AM on December 2, 2016

Sara C. - have you contacted them and let them know you're got a bug? If you've an older phone or lesser known model then they might be unaware of the bug.

I know I installed it yesterday (new phone) and have no trouble with it launching.
posted by INFJ at 11:56 AM on December 2, 2016

FWIW, Clue is working fine on my device, and I really like it. I appreciate the detailed level of information and the full citations, and the algorithm is quite accurate (but that depends on how regular your cycle is).

Cups - you might as well try your old cup and see how it works, it should be fine to boil and reuse, silicone doesn't really break down like latex does. If your old cup doesn't fit, but you used to like it, I would suggest to try the next size up in the same brand. They are all shaped a little different between brands in terms of how 'wide' or 'long' the bell is and the stem. I found the DivaCup uncomfortable for my particular anatomy so I use a Lunette cup which is a little shorter, wider, softer and therefore more comfortable for me personally.

Pads - they do work, at least for me, but they are not all the same. Some have plastic backings (like Party in My Pads, they snap up to a very portable size) which are pretty leakproof but some people have difficulty with slippage and bunching. Some take inserts (like Luna Pads) which is convenient for choosing whichever level of absorption you need, but kind of a pain in the laundry if you're prone to losing socks. Ones made of woven materials tend to be less absorbent than flannel; flannel is softer and more absorbent but also more bulky. My experience with the reusable pads is that they feel much much less bulky than disposables and the washing situation for me is no big deal, I rinse after use and let them dry on the edge of the laundry basket and then wash with darks. I find it surprisingly funny and enjoyable to use pads with interesting prints, also--the whole experience with reusables is more ah, visually pleasant for me than it was with disposables.

I have no experience with the underwear, sorry, I am curious about that too.
posted by epanalepsis at 12:05 PM on December 2, 2016

I was gifted a pair of Thinx undies that I like very much. I have only used them on medium or light days, so can't speak to their ability with a heavy flow. But I love them for the one day I use them (I actually would like to buy more). They are very comfortable, not bulky at all, and actually have a nice lace thing going on along the pantyline, so no elastic that bites or anything. They recommend rinsing them and then just toss them in the wash. Removing them before they hit the dryer is the hardest thing for me to remember, but they have so far survived a few drying cycles with no ill effects. The friend who gave them to me only uses Thinx now and likes them quite a bit.
posted by LKWorking at 12:29 PM on December 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

Thinx is awesome!! Especially for overnight usage on heaviest days (which is pretty heavy). One caveat is if you're wearing it the whole day, (and because this product is so awesome it lasts all day for me on my heaviest days), odor starts to become noticeable. This obviously isn't the underwear's fault. If I want to completely forget about my period, I pair Thinx with a Diva cup. Super comfortable, only notice wetness when the underwear is getting saturated. You do have to handwash it before throwing it in the wash (delicate setting, cold water I think?) and hang dry which can be in a pain in the butt, but is totally worth never having to wear uncomfortable pads/tampons ever again.

Oh! And they're actually pretty cute on. I have the hiphugger, sport, and cheeky and love all of them.
posted by blueberrypuffin at 12:35 PM on December 2, 2016 [3 favorites]

You can always sterilize and try your old Diva cup, just to see how you feel about the fit. I found the old Divas really stiff and uncomfortable and ended up with a Sckoon, which is thick-walled but the most flexible I could find.

I haven't had any trouble with Clue. It's given up trying to predict my period thanks to my funky perimenopausal randomness, but it has always worked.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:36 PM on December 2, 2016

I use an app called ovuview. I like it 'cause its very customizable and works well as a fertility/period tracker. and if youre doing the whole temp/discharge/cervix deal along with other symptoms its pretty decent. it also reminds you to check your boobs in a timely manner, which is good.
posted by speakeasy at 12:46 PM on December 2, 2016

I like the panties from Lunapads. The liners mean the actual underwear stays fresh. They're very comfortable and great backup for cups. Also wide protective area for sleeping/athlethic activity.
posted by platypus of the universe at 12:55 PM on December 2, 2016

i like the Planned Parenthood "Spot On" app
which i thought i had read about here on AskMetafilter but i am not finding the mention...
posted by calgirl at 12:59 PM on December 2, 2016 [2 favorites]

eBay and aliexpress and dhgate and so on are full of dirt-cheap menstrual cups -- the idea is not to my liking so I haven't tried any, but it always struck me as a good way to accumulate a bunch of different shapes/styles to see what you liked best, cup-wise. Not unlike buying dollar store make-up to see if you actually can rock purple eye shadow, or if it'd be better to skip buying $25 purple shadow.
posted by kmennie at 1:22 PM on December 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

I love my Divacup very much and wish I had discovered cups years ago. A reminder that if it feels uncomfortable you can trim the stem down to just a little nub - once I did that mine was 10x more comfy.
posted by beandip at 1:44 PM on December 2, 2016

Also popped in to nth Clue, which I discovered on the blue. (calgirl, are you maybe thinking of Spot-On's appearance in this FPP?)
posted by Fish, fish, are you doing your duty? at 1:59 PM on December 2, 2016

I use a divacup and trimmed the stem completely off. I just pinch the base to remove it. And as a bit of a guide I was using my "pre baby" size cup with no problems until after baby number 3, all vaginal births and longest labour was 84 minutes, smallest baby was 7lbs14.5oz so I'm fairly sure the pre baby size will work fine for you still.

Even then, I bought the new one as a gift for myself as the previous one was a decade old, not because I desperately needed to size up per se.

Reusable pads work fine, but I only use them if I want a break from the cup overnight, I have a variety of types people have given me. They're much of a muchness imo.
posted by intergalacticvelvet at 2:10 PM on December 2, 2016

I love SpotOn (by Planned Parenthood).

You can track your:
Mood (happy, fine, frisky, stressed, irritable, etc.)
Body (bloating, acne, cramps, nausea, etc.)
Actions (had sex, exercised, ate well, ate junk, etc.)
Period (None, spotting, light, medium, heavy)

Then you can see how your cycle interacts with those things.
It will also remind you to take your pill or change your ring or whatever.
posted by meemzi at 6:13 PM on December 2, 2016

There are so many cups on the market these days, it's hard to believe. If I were you I'd give your old Divacup a boil and a fresh try; see if there's anything about it that you don't love. If there is, the world is full of other options. Personally I love my Fleurcup for the round-bottomed (not pointy) shape.
Here's a page that lists many options and has reviews; I don't really agree with their ranking because cups are so personal, but the pictures and descriptions can be helpful. This page gives you a great overview of the multitude of options.
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:50 AM on December 3, 2016 [1 favorite]