Eco-Friendly Parenting - Reusable Sanitary Products

Protecting our environment has come to the forefront of public attention in recent years. As parents, it’s something we can all participate in.

In recent months, I’ve developed a huge interest in the environment, and how we can parent in the most environmentally responsible and sustainable way possible, the black bin being full of stinky nappies also being a motivating factor! Lots of the parents in our community have told me that they’re unsure where to start, or anxious about changing when they’re in a comfortable routine. Understandable, I felt the same way, but I feel that this is something really important to address!

The prospect of changing things up can be daunting, but there are so many easy swaps you can make during your parenting journey that will be kinder on our planet, protect your local ecosystem, and reduce the footprint you leave on this earth for future generations too.

In this series of guides, I’ll be exploring all the wonderful tips and substitutions that exist that are more friendly on the environment, and as as bonus may are kinder on your bank balance too!

We’ll be exploring;

• Eco-Friendly Baby Products
• Cloth nappies and wipes
• Biodegradable nappies and wipes
• Reusable sanitary products (this edition)
• Wooden toys vs. plastic toys
• Buying eco-friendly baby and maternity clothing, or using charity shops more
• Use of ‘single use’ plastic

We aim to dispel misconceptions about how difficult it is to change your habits, and also show the amazing benefits of each of these eco-friendly parenting ideas, with recommendations on where to go to find everything from environmentally friendly toiletries and eco-friendly options for mum too.

This edition is dedicated to reusable sanitary products – we hope that it helps!

Reusable Products For Mama…

Cloth Sanitary Products (CSP):

Like reusable nappies and wipes, these aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. However, like nappies, tampons and sanitary pads really aren’t kind to the environment. Think how many we use over a lifetime potentially; then multiply that by three billion. Yeah, that is a LOT of non-biodegradable waste! A great way to do your bit is to switch to reusable sanitary products. But where can we get them?!

Ecopipo have you covered, mama! They manufacture reusable sanitary pads and portable wet bags for soiled pads. You can choose from regular, and higher absorbency levels for postpartum bleeding and incontinence issues. And of course, their prints are just as jazzy as their cloth nappies! Shop the range here.

Lots of our mums don’t like the idea of adding soiled pads to their laundry, but these don’t add to your load much at all, and can be presoaked easily.

Reusable Bamboo Breast Pads:

If you’re breastfeeding, you’ll need breast pads to avoid any damp clothing! However, like sanitary towels, breast pads are not biodegradable and contain chemicals that may leech into the groundwater, which isn’t ideal. These reusable bamboo breast pads by Little Lamb are the perfect solution! For one small initial outlay cost, you’ll save bin space, money, and make a difference to the environment.

Mooncup

The Mooncup is an absolute marvel, and a hit amongst environmentally savvy mummies. Size A* is advised for mummies who’ve had a baby, and size B is advised for women who haven’t. Made from medical grade silicone, the Mooncup is soft, won’t cause dryness, and won’t expose your feminine parts to nasties like bleach (unlike tampons). You simply remove gently and pour the blood away into the loo, give it a little wipe or swill with water, reinsert, and then sterilise between periods.

A lot of mummies are a little perturbed by these; they’re perceived as gross, uncomfortable, and expensive. However, they’re much more hygienic than tampons and pads, will save you bin space & bins full of bloody products, they’re so soft that if you have the right size you won’t feel this at all, and the saving you’ll make after the initial outlay is huge especially considering the tampon tax imposed on us.

And there’s our overview of reusable sanitary products for mummies – what do you think? Has this changed your perspective? Tell us in the comments!

Love from Katie. Xx