Selfsufficientish.com

Ive put this on the eco products thread too.
Just thought I pass this on just incase it hasnt been aired before. The mooncup is the eco friendly alternative to tampons towels etc and also exceptionally cheap when you consider just how much we must spend over our menstruating lives.

www.mooncup.co.uk/wc.php?u=1493

I always get a bit worried when people talk about ECO products.

Hygeine products are either biodegradable or if disposed of properly, by burning. People complain about mixing plastics with our ECO system, but aren't our own bodies part of that ECO system? and inserting plastic into your body cannot be a good thing. A company can make many claims about how the plastic is not harmful but aren't we putting trust in a company who's bottom line is to make money? I'm afraid this product won't get my vote.

It isn't plastic - its medical grade silicon.
Silicon is a naturally occuring substance. It is soft and flexible and has antibacterial properties.

Using a mooncup can save 15,000 sanitary towels.tampons going into landfill. The mooncup can be used for 10 years or more, and when it is finished with, it is one small cup that goes into the landfill.

The mooncup people exist to make a profit and to protect female health. I would place a lot less trust in companies such as tampax and always who make disposable products. Think about it this way:

You buy one mooncup. One. In ten years. The company gets one purchase from you.

You buy roughly a pack or two of sanitary towels/tampons a month (i can't remember, i've had a cup too long). They are disposable, therefore, you have to buy them all again next month.

Read some of the facts regarding your disposable sanitary wear -

Tampons contain dioxins as by products of the bleaching process. These are carcinogenic.
Tampons leave fibres behind in the vagina
Tampons are dry, and therefore not only suck the moisture out of the vaginal area, but they also cause minor tears in the vaginal walls - letting bacteria in. When using a mooncup, it is smooth and doesn't damage the walls in any way. I've noticed the difference myself - it doesn't hurt to take out a mooncup on a light flow day, whereas it used to hurt to take out a tampon - even a mini one.

Sanitary towels are plastic backed- this keeps in moisture and bacteria and created a damp warm enviroment - this is idea for bacteria and for thrush. especially thrush.

People using mooncups have reported significantly less symptoms - they have a lighter flow, and less cramps.

If using a mooncup, you are either throwing your blood into the sewage sytems, which is perfectly able to handle it, or, like others, you can dilute it and feed it to the veg garden. The same can be done with cloth pads - throw the soak water on the garden.

Almost always, disposable sanitary products are never disposed of hygenically - they are not burned in a medical incinerator unless they are taken from chemical bins in public toilets, or from bins in hospitals. I've never had a little yellow biohazard bag out with my bins to be taken away. The products end up in landfill, where they rot, or try to. They are made of chemicals and unnatural additives made to 'keep you dry' and to 'avoid odour'.

The problems with the cups are that not enough women are comfortable enough with having periods - they've believed the adverts, that disposables are better because what comes out of their bodies is dirty, and smelly, and no-one should ever know!! A cup is worn internally, and no-one need know unless you tell them, but i don't see tampax telling you that it works the same way.

Sorry to rant a bit, but menstrual wear is something i'm a bit passionate about - i'm fed up with young girls being told that periods are dirty, and they should never come into contact with their own blood - its all bullshit, there are healthier alternatives - ones that aren't going to encourage bleeding and thrush. As if young girls (and women in general) don't have enough negativity to deal with already.

Fee - I have to say that I have ummed and arred about getting a mooncup for ages. Ive read all the reports and info but still havent been convinced until now.....uve totally convinced me. Im gonna order one right now - well done Fee

Cool!

One thing though - you WILL be telling every female you know about how great it is!

It takes a couple of goes to get it right, but when you do, you'll be so pleased.

And, being silicon, you can do dry runs with silicon-friendly lube to get used to it before the main even so to speak

why do you think that this product gets no advertising [tv, radio etc]? I can only think its because its a small company without the budget of the big boys - if thats the case I thinks its pretty much our responsibility to spread the word ourselves.

I still cant believe though, how some women still wont discuss menstruation - its 2007 and some women still react to my bringing it up with disgust !!! The same women will happily talk about sex, poo and all manner of other stuff but not something perfectly natural like menstruation.

I agree! Women are scared of their own fluids!

Have a look at:

www.vaginapagina.com
www.livejournal.com/vaginapagina
www.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups

There's loads of info there!

I'm a bit squeamish about mooncup (you can maybe try and convince me!0 but I do use washable sani pads - washing nappies anyway so they don't take up any room. For lazy days I have some natracare, but once you are in habit of washing, it is very easy and every dispo you use feels unnecessary.

i wouldn't try to convince anyone - if you're uncomfortable with the idea, then that's your perogatiive, and you should never be forced to feel otherwise.

I've always had a slightly unhealthy interest (or should that be healthy...) in how my body works and what it does, so the mooncup was a great chance to have a look!!

See, i couldn't deal with washable sanpro - i've tried and failed. Its the soakpot i can't be doing with!! I still have those residual fears of smell...

Nice to meet someone as passionate about this as I am fee!

I get a bit passionate sometimes...

I just hate the way society deals with menstruation, by shoving something up there to stop it - and by using products with advertising that tells women that they're dirty for being female, and almost, that its wrong to have periods!!

I hate the embarrassment factor too. My mum was always really embarrassed to tlak about it, and used to say 'are you on' which used to drive me mental, because i didn't understand what she was one about!! Then, i had the same embarrassments for a good few years - i'd run to the bathroom with a towel or tmapon up my sleeve so 'no-one knew'. Then, i started reading vaginapagina and realised that i was being embarrassed for no reason. That's when i started to speak out. Its natural, and if you can talk about going for a wee, or sex and poo, then why not blood? what makes blood more dirty and wrong? surely, knowing your own blood gives you a headstart on finding something wrong (gods forbid!!) - you can notice changes before it gets serious.

i don't know - i suppose i think that people whould be aware of what happens to their bodies, and able to deal with it in the best way known to them.

I thought the mooncup would a be bit icky and squeamish but it's great (I wish it were cheaper to 'try out'). It's really quite clean and so much more comfortable that tampons or towels once you get the knack (2 or three goes) you honestly forget it's there. I have fairly light periods and tampons were alway uncomfotable and towels were smelly this is like a dream almost as good as no periods.

(I'm completely mortified writing this and I don't think I'd say it face to face but it's the way I was brought up)

my mum refers to periods as "your visitor" which my sis and I used to find hilarious and drive poor mum up the wall "is your visitor here?" "no who is coming? Who are we expecting ..." ad nauseum until mum was an embarrassed wreck on the floor. I had difficulty with tampons which prob has coloured my view of the mooncup, and as for smell (soak water etc) if you get in the thunderbox after my dh you cease to notice smell after a while

(I'm going back to continue packing the car for bgg now!!!!!)

Hahaha!!!

I know it doesn't smell, i know that for a fact. BUT, all those years of social conditioning...

(We'll be packing later!! Can't wait..really stupidly excited now...)

I have ordered my Mooncup and am very pleased with myself. Am a little concerned about suing it tho as my friend (who I actually introduced the Mooncup to and she bought before I did!) said her first time taking it out was pretty horrendous. She sorted of slipped and dropped it all at the same time and the contents went up her white walls She did say it wont deter her from using it tho!