PSA: You Might Want to Stop Using Conventional Maxi Pads

All right, guys.  You might want to just close this window now.  I have something important to share with the ladies.  STOP USING YOUR CONVENTIONAL MAXI PADS.  They might be messing up your reproductive hormones.

My periods have become more and more like a gruesome murder scene over the years.  I thought it was because my body wanted me to have a baby.  After the baby, they were okay for one month, and then they got so much worse.  I read that bleeding 2-5 tablespoons in that week was in the range of normal for most women.  Normal for me was something like 5 quarts.  I don't really know how I'm still alive, but they say some women just bleed alot. 

Yesterday, I posted this on one of the crunchy mommy forums:

My periods have always been super heavy, but now that I've had a baby, they are worse.  It's not cysts or anything like that.  I don't have pain, not even really much cramping.  But, it's so heavy for a couple of days that it wakes me up in the middle of the night and I have to jump out of bed to prevent it from getting everywhere.  Sometimes, I wake up the baby, because my boob was in her mouth.

Do you have any tips for herbs or other ways to reduce menstrual flow?

The responses that I got back included: 

Do you use mama clotth or disposable pads,or tampons? I have read that even switching to a greener brand of disposable pads can help reduce flow and cramping for those that get cramps. Cloth is supposed to make a greater difference though. -Anna2007

And:

Mine was completely like that until I got off all commercial products. I use Mama cloth for night time and sea sponges during the day (hadn't found a cup that fit me well). Suddenly my period was down to just one day of heavy bleeding with cramping and pain then 4-5 days of moderate to light flow. Then I added liquid calcium/magnesium/D3 (BlueBonnet brand) to my nightly routine, and boy was I surprised. About half the time (as long as I'm faithful), I get slight cramps about 2 hours before I start, and my heavy day is now a day that I would have called moderate before. Then it's just 2-3 days of light bleeding (even turning brown by the 3rd day) and a day of spotting. -Sharims

And:

Yes, I found the same info from pps when I was looking before. Low on those minerals and vitamins, and changing to cloth pads.  Also found some great info in the book making babies, believe it or not.  Another thing that helped me even out (from the book, actually, as I was ttc) was drinking loose leaf green tea. Made such a difference! -oceanmel

Yes.  This is it.  It's the conventional pads.  I would have never figured it out.  I was researching herbs for decreasing flow.  But, it's the MFing pads.  I have been using the Always super in a box forever.  I use the natural pads when my flow slows.  And, I thought it was really odd that it was heavy for 5 days now, instead of the 2 or 3 before I gave birth.  Since it's going to be heavy, I put the Always pads on when I first start bleeding.  This is actually causing my bleeding and cramping to increase!!  Can you believe that?  My period started yesterday, and it was really light.  I got excited.  Put an Always pad on and BAM.  Murder scene.  I was drinking lots of water for two days, trying to balance my hormones, which actually sorta worked to decrease the bleeding.  In previous months, I thought the excess water was decreasing my milk supply, so I wasn't drinking that much.

After I read that feedback today, I pulled out one of the natural pads (you can find them at Whole Foods, another organic market, or online) and put it on even though I was bleeding like a water hose.  THE BLEEDING IMMEDIATELY SLOWED ALMOST TO A STOP.  My cramps stopped.  My area down there stopped aching like someone punched it.  I feel great. I even went to dinner on day 2 of my period and sat somewhere for 2 hours at dinner, didn't use the bathroom, and I hardly bled at all!  I associated all of this with being late in the week.  I would have never thought it was the pads.

And, I bled for 3.5 months after birth.  My midwife said it was hormonal.  I thought the stress in my life had jacked up my hormones.  But, it was those damn pads.  Ugh.

mama cloth

I was reading on how hormones play a role in how heavy your period is, and I'm thinking that something in those conventional pads blocks your hormones from telling your body to stop bleeding.  Sean and I were talking about it today, and we think that it might not have been intentional on the part of the conventional pad companies, but once they figured that out, they decided to keep it going because they could sell more pads.

I am going to look into mama cloth, which is reusable pads.