"Mom, what did you do before disposable sanitary napkins?" (making reusable napkins)

Not many women are likely to be thrilled about "going back" to the extra described in this article... nor to substituting cloth handkerchiefs for cellulose tissues, nor many other "little" things. But, like almost all of Countryside, there are two other lessons here aside from the obvious one.

1: Read this, and in case you ever have to know about it, you will.

2: Think about all the other "little," taken-for-granted things you (or others) use: Could you live without them? How? How do they affect the world, and you?

A woman in Countryside Contacts was looking for a source of reusable cloth menstrual pads.

Years ago I asked my mother, "What did you do before disposable sanitary napkins?". The answer is as close as the local department store. Gerber single layer cloth diapers with birds eye weave. The secret is in how it is folded for use as menstrual pads.

Wash the new diapers because they are square when they are first bought and shrink on one side only to become a rectangle. (The bird's eye weave is responsible.)

As the "package" is rolled up, the larger amount of material is in the center where it is needed. The last third of the material that is around the "package" will be thin and not bulky. These ends are used to secure to panties with safety pins.

If the flow is heavy, two "packages" are used. The second one to protect clothes from leakage, the first to change as necessary.

Remember, they did not have plastic as a protective barrier back then. Now, a strip of plastic (I suggest this be new plastic such as plastic wrap and not recycled plastic like bread bag plastic because if it has any holes it will leak) can be placed under the last layer for a modern menstrual pad that may be reused.

These are best rinsed out as they are used in cold water because blood will stain the cloth if rinsed in hot water. Carry a ziplock gallon bag to store the rinsed ones in until you get home and can wash them. The single layer diapers will dry in an amazingly short time when hung up to dry.

With new conveniences of living becoming available all the time, we adopt them because they are easier. We neglect to tell our children that there are other ways of doing things.

I felt trapped by the ever-spiraling cost of menstrual pads. I did not know there was any other way of dealing with the monthly expense. Even though my children are too young to need this information, I will tell them about it when they are ready. That way they will have a choice, and our heritage and prior knowledge will not be lost.

Why reinvent the wheel?