Period Underwear yarns
I have been using reusable period underwear for over 2 years now. Why? Because, pads (no thanks), tampons (not feeling ya), menstrual cup (uncomfortable since having my child), here is my experience with them.
Period undies are AMAZING. I am in love. here are some of my personal opinions on them, I have also included questions I get about them regularly, but this is all from my personal experience so take it with a grain of salt and decide what would suit your body best.
I wish I had thought to try period undies after giving birth, the recovery process of tearing would have been A LOT more comfortable wearing period undies than pads. *Maybe not straight away because you need to watch colour etc).
Do they feel like you are wearing a wet thick pad?
No, they feel like you are wearing normal firm undies. Once they get full you might feel a touch wet, but that isn't a bad thing as you know it is time to change. Before using them I had an image of my entire undercarriage being smeared in blood (sorry for the visual) but that doesn't happen unless the undies are full. The fabric wicks away the moisture so it doesn't sit on your skin. I can use one set of undies per day without needing to change, but that is very dependent on personal flow.
How do you use them?
I pop my undies on after a shower in the morning, and off I go, throughout the day when you go to the toilet there is a more sloughing (I love that word) released in to the toilet, but that is where it belongs and you don't have to deal with that, just don't look at it. Then at the end of the day I throw them in a bucket of cold water and let them soak until I put a cold wash on, at which point I rinse the undies off and throw the undies in with normal washing. This isn't gross like I thought it would be, the soaking gets most of the red out, so you just tip out the bucket and put them under a running tap then you are good to put them in the washing machine. Then line dry, or in the winter I put them by the fire.
Do they smell?
No, I have not noticed they smell (but if you have noticed I smell like period please let me know, ha, how awkward would that be?) That may be an individual thing though? Anyone is welcome to offer feedback in the comments on this.
Can you exercise in them?
I have done Pilates, weights, yoga, chased a toddler, walked and run in them with zero issues.
Do they leak?
I thought they would, so I have been really testing them out, side lunges, squats, some splits practice (just kidding, I can't do the splits) and have had no leaking. ZERO LEAKING. I have used them for over two years successfully so far with NO leaking. This is better odds than when I was using tampons and when I used a menstrual cup!
Can you wear them at night?
Yes, they have a night specific undie that has a larger waterproof area in case you are a back or a tummy sleeper.
Do they help with cramps?
I have been told (on good authority) that they are great for people with endometriosis as they can help relieve some pain by not having something rammed up your vagina while your uterus is trying to contract and expel the uterus lining.
Personally, I have had a significant decrease in cramping but there are a lot of other life factors that might be contributing to that too. That aside, I would put using period undies up there on the contributing list.
Can teens wear them?
Honestly, I think these would be GREAT for someone new to getting their periods. So much less invasive. I would absolutely be using period undies for teens!
What do you do if you were out and about and needed to change?
I don't need to change them throughout the day often, but just in case of emergencies I have a reusable wet bag that I put in my handbag, it is small and discreet and I would take my undies off in the toilet, put a new pair on and roll up the full period undies and pop them in the wet bag and zip it shut. When you take period undies off and they are full, they aren't sopping like a wet towel would be, the liquid is contained in the moisture-wicking fabric. When I get home I would take them out and pop them in a cold bucket of water to soak.
Are they pretty?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Alright, that is a summary, pop questions in the comments and I will answer any more questions I can.