My RUMPs stash

Hello, and welcome to literally my favorite topic. Well, one of them. Today I’m introducing you to my reusable menstrual products (RUMPs) stash to show you all how Kotex’s colorful packaging has nothing on eco-friendly period products. Let’s be real: I just want to show you and find out if you use these, too.

Like, have you ever seen a menstrual pad that isn’t white before it was bled on? How boring.

What is even the point of a pretty package if you just throw it away and still have a white pad? That’s not very flowery-meadows and surfing-the-seas to me.

Photo of cloth pads, menstrual cups, and three small storage compartments

The rest of this post contains affiliate links, and I’ll be compensated if you make a purchase. What there isn’t: sugarcoated methods to hide your period so we can pretend the shedding of uterus lining is reminiscent of daisies in July.

Reusable menstrual pads

Photo of cloth pads in a row

I loooooveee my pads?? I used to hate pads, but it turns out everything Big Pharma Disposables tells us about pads is a lie. Loud? No. Bulking up? No?? Plain, boring white? AS IF.

If I had a Waverider, I’d tell Gideon to take me back to my puberty self so I could inform her of reusable menstrual products (even though it’s against the rules to visit your past self in time travel).

When I need ’em, my reusable menstrual pads are as much a part of my wardrobe as my undies…and I see them as a way to express myself through my style.

Liners

Photo of cloth pad pantyliners

The first two, Green Recycle and Camping Foxes, are from Yurtcraft and the two pads I ever bought. They’re lined with cotton and way smaller than all my others because I was unaware of the importance of knowing about measurements. I didn’t realize buying reusable pads meant I had to know more about them than what absorbency I needed. I reviewed them on Crunchy Family.

Limited Edition Green Peace is from Tree Hugger Cloth Pads and made of minky (a man-made material that is stainless and super soft; it’s considered a prestigious fabric).

White Stars on Blue is from GladRags and was sent free because #ambassador. They changed the program, and I opted out of joining the new one because while I like their intentions, I felt more like an unpaid salesperson. (And I disliked their pads, more because I’m not into cotton pads.)

Rose is made of flannel and from Party In My Pants Pads (PIMPs). It was a free sample and my first pad ever. I seldom use it, like the blue one, because I’m not as big a fan. Rose is backed with nylon, which on my underwear. Maybe it’s the issue of me needing a second snap (same for Blue), but my other pads that just have one snap don’t experience this issue. I reviewed it at Crunchy Family.

Zebra is a minky pad from ChelseaBeeCreations, an Etsy shop that sadly shut down! I loved her pads and meant to get more, but she’s no longer around. I really like this pad. It was listed as “moderate to heavy” and an imperfect (minor flaw, but no malfunction in use), but I use it as a liner. I love that it’s thin and covers a lot. Because it covers more, I actually feel it less than my pads from Yurtcraft. The shape is also amazing, because it’s smaller at the center, which wound up being exactly what I needed for a pantyliner and everyday use.

Photo of cloth pad pantyliners pressed together to show the thickness

Thickness-wise, they’re not too bad! They’re not paper thin like disposables, but they’re more absorbent and also not thick-thick. Unless I’m wearing my white American Eagle booty shorts, no one’s ever the wiser.

Party In My Pants Pads are known to be some of the most absorbent, yet thin, pads within the community. I’ve yet to see anyone who has tried PIMPs and decided another brand’s was thinner, whatever the absorbency. If they didn’t back their pads in nylon, I think I would own more of them. On the other hand, they’re like the Hollister & Co. of the cloth pad community, which is another reason I don’t own more. I’ve saved more money via Tree Hugger Cloth Pads…and they plant a tree each time I buy a pad, so!

Moderate & heavy pads

Photo of cloth pad moderate-sized pads and one heavy pad

Foxes is one of my favorite pads and from Ding & Kennie. I just need another snap. I reviewed it over on Crunchy Family. It’s my kind of moderate pad, although it was listed as “heavy”. Before I got Planes, I used Foxes overnight with a menstrual cup and was fine. The design makes it function a bit like two pads in one, but it’s just one pad. It’s one of my favorite designs.

The remaining five are all from Tree Hugger Cloth Pads. Because I have a problem. I got the Free Shipping add-on with my first order for $10CAD, and it was downhill from there.

All the Limited Edition ones are my favorite, and I find any and every excuse to use them—unless it’s Planes, because Planes is heavy and thick and an overnight pad made for overnight/postpartum usage.

But otherwise, because my cycle is irregular because that’s a consequence of eating disorders (ugh), I even wear pads if I think I might pee a little from laughing. Or? They’re also good for hot days. Yeah. So. Even though I’ve more than gotten my money’s worth out of what I’ve spent on my RUMPs collection, I love them too much to let them sit dormant for six months.

Scales, Red, Green Pixels, and Damask are Heavy Day pads. One of the things that makes Tree Hugger Cloth Pads one of my favorite pad shops is because they have two separate moderate/day pad types: light and heavy. Since my cycle flows on the heavier side, I go with heavy!

I got Red from a “giveaway”, which…like, if you spent $30CAD during the promo, you got a free pad. Obviously, I made certain I got a free pad.

Photo of cloth day and night pads pressed together to show the thickness

I don’t remember what Ding & Kennie used for their pads, but Tree Hugger Cloth Pads uses Zorb, which is super absorbent and frequently used in pads to ensure adequate absorbency. Some other absorbent fillers include old T-shirts, flannels, cotton strips and wash cloths. But I loveeee my THCP pads an how absorbent they are.

The days I wear my “regular” pads, I don’t wear a lot of tight clothing, but the tightest I’ve worn would be Hello Kitty pajamas, and you can’t see them. Planes is less discrete because its whole purpose is for overnight (or postpartum) use.

Menstrual cups

I have two! Well…I sort of have three, but I don’t really count Softdiscs and am actually trying to rely more on my more durable menstrual cups instead.

Photo of two (one blue, one pink) menstrual cups

I got my pink INTIMINA Lily Cup Compact first, as per a review during their Kickstarter campaign. It was my first viral post, and no amount of preparation/therapy could have prepared me for that experience. Takeaway: Don’t blog about menstrual cups if you don’t want your ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend’s mom sharing it to her Facebook profile.

What I love mostest about it is how it’s compact. Like, it literally fits in my pocket—which is important, because I can’t even fit my phone in there.

My blue Lunette was won via a giveaway, with which they sent cup wash and cup wipes.

So…I didn’t pay for either of these “real” menstrual cups, but I think it’s better that way, for me, because I didn’t know where to start. There are so many more menstrual cups out there today than there were back in 2014, when I got into this rabbit hole. I entered the Lunette giveaway thinking, “Meh, probably won’t get it, but it’s fine,” and I didn’t even know about the Lily Cup Compact until Charlise was like, “Hey, you wanna review this?”

I was trying to be daring and say yes more. I didn’t know it would forever alter my life into…well…what you see here, in this post.

Storage

Not living by myself, I use RUMPs discreetly. I’m not sure if my grandmother is aware of what’s inside the zebra bag she’s commented on so much, buuuut I’m not sure how to bring it up to her. Like how drinking cow’s milk was normalized, society thinks using reusable menstrual products is weird and “wrong”, even though it used to be the other way around. (Where do you think “on the rag” came from?)

Photo of bags used to store reusable menstrual products

The zebra bag is a wet/dry bag, meaning it’s got compartments for both. The circuits bag has a compartment for wet things, but can be used in whatever way. Both are from Tree Hugger Cloth Pads, but neither are sold anymore by the brands who made them (Assunta Store; Planet Wise). They do still have a wide array of wet/dry bags of all types and sizes, aaand I aspire to get more bags in the future.

The rainbow line bag was made by Charlise several years ago and given tom me as a present! It used to say “Sarah” in serif font, but I removed parts of it to make it look like a handwritten font on steroids spelling out “Liz”.

My Lunette cup came with its own bag, and the Lily Cup Compact’s whole purpose is to fit into a compact case.


So there you have it! My stash.~

How do you feel about reusable menstrual products? Do you use any?

P.S. I’m going on a lil’ trip ’cause my cousbro is getting married! Eeeee.

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Reply to Dani @ Perspective of a Writer

Comments on this post

My periods ended up causing me real pain and the flow was always so draining, so I was lucky enough to get an IUD and will stick with it. I just wish it was easier for others to get on birth control because the choice of menstrual products is limiting sometimes and hurts the environment but it’s great to see that reusable pads do exist. I was happy to know that diva cups existed as my whole menstrual cycle revolved around pads and tampons and I loathed them. :/ I am better informed these days and I certainly learned a bit now from this post.

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One of the things I’m determined to do is try raising awareness in the DFW area around this stuff! I think “birth control” gets such a bad rap is because it’s called “birth control” instead of other suggestions I’ve seen—”ovarian therapy”, for instance.

I’m done with birth control (and I don’t need it to prevent pregnancy), but my ovarian cysts, period pain, and flow changed drastically after using reusable products for four cycles. The phenomenon is commonly discussed in RUMP communities, but the FDA gets upset because “it’s not something you can test”. Disposable companies and their supporters (scientists, publicists, investors, etc.) call it a “placebo effect”.

My initial reason for switching to RUMPs was because I was having to buy $20 Always® brand overnight pads every cycle, and my period sucked up my money—I was literally bleeding on $20 each time and throwing it in the garbage. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me! I have a list of future posts around this topic, but I only know ideas for what I searched for beforehand (and that was four years ago).

I’m glad the IUD works for you! My goal re: talking about periods is to help break the stigma and help bleeders feel empowered by making them aware of their options—so you having something that makes yours less miserable makes my night.~

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I totally don’t know what to think! I never thought of reusable products or cups or anything. It is totally fascinating though all the products we have now! And it’s too true that before disposable everyone used to use rags.

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I love your little collection! I must say that the one menstrual cup I have (Juju) changed my life. Having a period is no longer uncomfortable or disgusting or a hot mess. I just empty the cup periodically and usually in the comfort of my own home/in the shower, it’s easy to clean, and I dunno… but I feel like since using RUMPs my periods are only a few days as opposed to practically a week?

I don’t think I have experimented with reusable pads enough to know what works for me. I bought a panty liner and two pads (which are obviously bigger) but the panty liner is just dubiously massive and bigger than the crotch of my underpants 🤣 I need to get that shit sorted.

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I feel so-so on reusable menstrual products. On the one hand I understand the importance of getting away from the disposable products because they are so bad for the environment and probably bad for us as well. On the other hand I kinda feel like Luana. I am not sure I would be comfortable using them outside the house .

I would really like to buy some to use around the house and I would love to try a menstrual cup. I’ll be honest I hate hate hate pads and only use tampons which I know are bad, both health wise and for the environment.

I also use panty liners for really light days or as added protection. I just am not sure how I feel about any of it because I can’t stand the feeling of wearing a pad of any kind beyond a liner and even that I hate.

And the cups just seem like they would be so awkward and uncomfortable in so many ways. I have wondered about it and looked at them in the drug store but my husband was so grossed out by it I kept on walking. I guess I shouldn’t care much what he thinks.

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That’s interesting! I probably wouldn’t use them outside because I could never go around with dirty clothes in my purse/bag (I buy nature-friendly disposables whenever I can afford them) but I’d be curious to try reusable home and see how they work for me. Yours look pretty cool anyway! 😀 So colorful!

– Lu

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It’s not that bad carrying them around. They don’t smell. On the other hand, I’ve never carried more than two soiled pads at once and it still wasn’t all that bad. 😏

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