Green Girls Podcast | Episode 10 | Let's talk about zero waste period options
Hey green beans, this episode is full to the brim with TMI and this will be your only warning. We want to discuss periods this week and there is alot to cover. The waste around periods is mindblowing and we want to let you guys know about all the low and zero-waste options out there for you, plus our own reviews of course. Topped off with some classic tangents and chats about our own period mishaps, sit with us and enjoy the cringe.
Want video? Green Girls Podcast is on Youtube too. Follow Green Girls on Instagram: @greengirls.podcast Follow Chloe: @bekindcoco Follow Mikaela: @MikaelaHofman / @RetroKittyVintage
Episode 10 Transcript:
Chloe: [00:00:00] Hey, green beans. Today's episode is gonna get bloody and not just cause it's nearly spooky season. Oh no. We are talking about how to have a low waste and low fuss period. I have a stat packed Google doc in front of me and I am far too excited about this. But before we get into that, hey Mikaela, what brings you joy this week?
Mikaela: Look, I think the one thing, and I know I talk about her all the time, but it's definitely my morning snuggles with Kitkat. I've been getting up at a reasonable time and doing a morning meditation, and I've been in the lounge room and she sits with me every morning and now she knows, like this morning I woke up late and she was meowing.
Excuse me, get up. So, I went upstairs. So, I think That's bringing me some calm and some joy this week.
Chloe: That is so cute. Oh my goodness. How long do you meditate for?
Mikaela: It's just a short one depending on what [00:01:00] time I wake up. Say for example this morning, I didn't give myself enough time, so it's just a five minute thing.
So I've done a couple of 10 minutes and, yeah, depends if I get up early enough, then I can sit down and have breakfast.
Chloe: So cute, kitty cat just joins you for it.
Mikaela: Yeah, and then I tuck her up in a blanket whilst I get ready in the morning.
Chloe: Oh my goodness.
Mikaela: Every time I walk past her, I'm like, oooooo, so cute.
Chloe: I love how obsessed you are.
Mikaela: Oh, I know. I'm sorry. Every episode I'm like, I somehow managed to bring my cat into the conversation.
Chloe: Yeah. Look I want this to be a weekly, however, weekly bi-weekly thing. Talk about what brings us joy, but some of the weeks it can't be your cat.
Mikaela: Oh no, I. But shes
Chloe: It could be your cat and something.
Mikaela: Oh, okay. Okay.
Chloe: Yeah.
Mikaela: I'll have to think.
Chloe: That's fine. The cat's good for now. Kitty cat week one.
Mikaela: Cat's good for like four weeks.
Chloe: Yeah, sure. That's fine. I'll allow it.
Mikaela: I'm sure I'll have something. Don't worry. Don't worry. What [00:02:00] about you? What brings you joy this week?
Chloe: I can really be very obvious and say I am just really excited about the conscious community launching the first week of October and the open week being next week.
And today I especially have joy because a few things have been ironed out , but in the back of my mind, something causing me a lot of. That therefore brings me joy when it works. My phone has not been charging.
Mikaela: Oh no,
Chloe: it's out in the other room right now. Cause I just managed to like wrangle the charger.
So it is actually charging and it brings me joy when it charges. My goodness. Living like I used to think the most important thing about a phone was a camera. No. It's that it works.
Mikaela: Yes, exactly right.
Chloe: It's that it charges.
Mikaela: Is it like, is it the phone or is it the charger? When you used to have like your iPod and your headphones, you have wrap around sometimes to make them work or press it in a certain way?
Chloe: Yeah I think it is the phone cause I've tried a few cables. Unfortunately it's the harder [00:03:00] one to fix. And I did try watching a YouTube video that was like five ways to make your phone charge again. And literally one of the five ways was your phone's probably buggered, you should see a specialist. I was like, No,
That was about joy and now I'm like, my fucking phone . So I'm gonna get into talking about some stats.
Mikaela: I'm sorry. Yeah,
Chloe: I did this to myself.
Mikaela: Yep. Yep.
Chloe: So periods are rubbish, But I'm weirdly fascinated by them. If nothing else, there's a weird and wonderful bond where in which we know that if someone needs a pad or a tampon, you can ask a stranger in the bathroom.
It's totally acceptable. I love that for us, We're all bonded.
Mikaela: So true
Chloe: in the bathroom, but I wanna know if you have any period stories to share. Have you ever been caught off guard?
Mikaela: I think I've been pretty lucky. I'm just trying to think now, if I've had any bad stories.
Chloe: How would you deal with it at school? Would you always just go in like a lunch break or would you have to sneak out with a [00:04:00] tampon up your sleeve?
Mikaela: No, so in high school I was a pad gal, and looking back now, I'm like, you're an idiot. Tampons would've been so much better. Of course there's all these products now, which would've been even better, but I think I was just too like uhh.
I was a pad gal and I used to like double undie because I'd be scared that it would go through. And of course you have the moment, you turn around to your friend, you pull, you're trying to look at your dress and you're like to your friend, Hey, is there anything? And they're like nah, you're good.
So it's like we all knew, but I still used to shove the pad up my sleeve and go to the toilet. So nobody knew that I actually had it. But then when you are in the toilet and you hear the scrunch.
Everyone knows what your doing, it's fine.
Chloe: Yeah,
Mikaela: it's fine. But I don't think I actually had any. . Any bad stories or anything like that? Like thinking now? I think I'm pretty blessed.
Chloe: Yeah. Good for you. I've never been caught out and exposed. There wasn't any stain that I think anyone could see except once. Both of my stories are actually in university. So [00:05:00] good for me that it wasn't school, but the first time I was in the library and I was wearing like light blue jeans and I feel like I just had that feeling, and I was like, the current line of defense is failing. And so like I managed to have a jumper with me at the time, wrapped it around my waist and then went to the bathroom, was like, Yep. That went through and there was like a bloody stain on my jeans. Yeah. But I think I had sports leggings with me that I could change into that were black.
So I was like I don't have any extra pads or tampons here right now, but I can change into these and I can waddle my ass home and do my studying there. The second time I was at the gym again in black, working out with my friend, did a squat, and then felt this like something like and I knew like my underwear's gone, my leggings are gone.
I turned to my friend and was like, you can wait here, yeah. I need to go to the shop right now. . And I just walked across the road [00:06:00] cause this gym was luckily in the middle of town. So I could cross the street, buy underwear, go next door, buy tampons, pads. Everything I needed to keep surviving and they go back to the gym and she's just like What just happened?
Mikaela: So traumatic.
Chloe: I wish I could explain to a boy you know when you just feel it, you know what's happening.
Mikaela: Yep. You just know straight away.
Chloe: You just know even if there aren't symptoms, even if there aren't signs.
Mikaela: Yeah. Oh, there it is.
Chloe: Yes. Which I will get into right now. So here are some very fun period stats for you.
So the average menstrual cycle is 24 to 38 days, and the typical period lasts for 4 to 8 days. I don't know where I am in the middle of that. Probably the longer end of it, to be honest.
Mikaela: I think so too.
Chloe: I think if it was really four. My life would be so different. Oh my gosh. In fact, when I was a kid, so I must have learned in school, a period is four days.
And I thought that. [00:07:00] Once a week.
Mikaela: Oh no.
Chloe: Like it was just gonna neatly be like four times a month. Like every Monday or every Sunday.
Mikaela: Oh, bless.
Chloe: And when it finally happened, I'm like, Oh, all in one go. Really?
Mikaela: Yeah. What?
Chloe: That's a lot.
Mikaela: That is so funny. But that's the thing though. I feel like the education we get is, Subpar to what we should be getting.
And it makes you feel like such a topic that you can't talk about, but you should be able to talk about it with your friends. And I'm so grateful that it is changing now. There's so much more great products. There's so much more awareness, even like marketing campaigns on trying to normalize the fact that yes, girls get periods.
Chloe: Yeah. Yeah. It's part of everyday life for so many people. For all the menstruaters out there. Anyway, there it is. So yes, the typical period lasts for 4 to 8 days, so awesome of us to get through one stat now.
Mikaela: Sounds very Green Girls.[00:08:00]
Chloe: In addition to bleeding, 90% of people who menstruate say they experience various other symptoms.
Food cravings being a really common one. In fact, a study in America found that almost half of Menstruaters crave chocolate at the start of that period. High five to all of you. Because yes, more than half of menstruating people experienced some pain around their period. In fact, between 32 and 40% of those surveyed said they experienced pain so severe that they had to miss school or work.
And something I really wanna touch on is that one in 10 are affected by endometriosis. Do you know much about this already?
Mikaela: Yeah. I've actually got a few friends who do suffer from it.
Chloe: Yeah, same here. I guess one in 10 means it is actually pretty common, but yeah, the way I first found out about it was like, Oh yeah It's not common at all.
It's really rare. But I think I've got three friends that have endometriosis.
Mikaela: I have three friends too. What the heck?
Chloe: Yeah. So it's that common, and your friends probably relate to the [00:09:00] exact same thing these people do where it took years for them to get diagnosed. In fact, endometriosis Australia, I think says six and a half years is the average time it is to get a diagnosis.
Mikaela: Yeah. Yeah. I've remember them like even in high school having trouble and not knowing what it was. And then finally, I, when they got diagnosed and the first friend who told me what, like what it was and what, she had it, I was like, Oh, what the heck is this?
I've never heard of this before. Yeah. Now I'm like, Oh, wow. Three people I know have the same issue. That's not rare.
Chloe: Yeah. Or the last person, like the most recent person who found out, she's in her early thirties, I think , and she's just found out and I think just had surgery and it's yeah. Such a, breath out to finally know what the cause is and to therefore be treated. But there isn't really treatment. It can't be fixed. It's just one in 10 people getting through each month with endometriosis and,
Mikaela: just having to [00:10:00] live like everything's normal.
Chloe: Yeah. So one of my friends, the first person, like how I found out about endometriosis, she was misdiagnosed for years as just having IBS, like irritable bowel syndrome.
And so anytime she experienced pain not to be like doctors, you suck, but they were like, Oh, that's just the IBS and would treat that and I don't know if she even ended up having that, but there was one day where her pain was so severe, and this was like 10 years ago. This story, by the way, so my facts might not be exactly straight, but so severe she went to the doctors or went to the hospital even, and there was a visiting doctor, like someone that wasn't always in the practice who was in that day and he was like, Okay from your level of pain, it sounds like your appendix is about to burst. We're gonna do an ultrasound and check things out.
And I, so I dunno if she was under or not when they did the ultrasound, but they noticed that they couldn't see her ovaries, and so she went into the operating room. Her appendix was totally [00:11:00] fine. And the reason they couldn't see her ovaries is they were so covered in cysts.
Mikaela: That is terrifying,
Chloe: you could not see them.
She had been suffering with it for so long that the growths that endometriosis can cause. Were just everywhere. And so I think she had to have a lot of surgery to get over that. She was told, I think 40% of people with endometriosis can't have children. but 10 years on, in fact, I think only three years on from that she actually became a mother, they didn't hold her back. She still has to live with a lot of pain.
Mikaela: Of course. Yeah.
Chloe: But it didn't stop her there, and I'm thrilled. Thrilled for her in that respect , but so frustrating that it was misdiagnosed for so long.
Mikaela: Oh, definitely. And that's the hard thing. I feel like a lot of things are just brushed off.
Sometimes, this is my own personal opinion and my own personal experience like, don't come for me, but,
Chloe: let it out.
Mikaela: Like I'm currently suffering from what I can only assume is food intolerances. But I've been to the doctor, I've had scans, [00:12:00] I've had blood tests, and was just like, You're fine.
you know you're constipated. And I'm like, No, I'm not. I go to the toilet very regularly that's not it.
Chloe: Excuse me.
Mikaela: I've just left it for like months and I've been keeping track of what I'm eating by myself. And now I've got another appointment with a new doctor and it's like we shouldn't have to go through all of this trouble.
When we know our bodies and we know that something is wrong and something is telling us like we're smart, something is telling us, Hey, wait a minute, something's not right. So to be just brushed off is, ugh.
Chloe: Grinds my gears.
In your respect, are you thinking of going to a dietician or a nutritionist?
Mikaela: Yeah, I think I'll have to, cause it's like I've never had any food problems before and I, it's like really bad bloating and I've done, my doctor Google Research, which is just makes things worse. So I need to go to a new doctor, get a second opinion, and possibly get a referral. Go see anutritionist or [00:13:00] dietician or something.
Chloe: Yeah. Cool. Keep us posted. How annoying. My mum suffers from literally phantom pains all the time. , I believe most pain began from like giving birth. And then like from 10 years ago, she experienced like awful headaches and just pain is, everywhere it seems and she does not know what to do about it.
Mikaela: But then we just end up, we end up being like, Okay, I'll just deal with it. Which is so not the case. That's not fair.
Chloe: It shouldn't be. And one of the things about Endo, I've heard people prefer to endometriosis as endo and I keep screwing up how I say it. So Endo is how we're sticking with it from now on.
Mikaela: Love it.
Chloe: I've heard of so many people don't even check it out because periods are painful. And if you're just told, yeah, it's normal to experience pain and you've only experienced one level of pain, you can just assume that's normal.
Mikaela: Yeah. You can't compare it.
Chloe: Yeah. And people's pain thresholds are so different. Look at people getting tattoos and like the [00:14:00] differences in in how people people react. But pain is not the only symptom. I'd like to go over them in case anyone is out there thinking about this, the earlier you can get it, the better.
So the most common symptoms are fatigue. Pain that stops you on or around your period. Pain on or around ovulation. Pain during sex. Pain, during bowel movements. Pain when you urinate, pain in your pelvic region, lower back. Having trouble holding your bladder or having to go to the bathroom a lot and heavy or irregular bleeding, and you can get a lot more information from endometriosisaustralia.org.
And some fun facts. Celebrities with Endo, looked this up.
Mikaela: Okay. I was like, Are they fun? And then you hit me with celebrities, I'm like, Okay.
Chloe: Woo. Getting a bit gossip Mag here. Amy Schumer, Chrisy Teagan, Whoopy Goldberg, Daisy, Ridley, Emma Bunton, Baby Spice. They all have [00:15:00] Endometriosis. And Susan Sarandon.
Mikaela: Oh, Susan Sarandon. Yeah.
Chloe: Sarandon. There we go. I hadn't said her name out loud, thank you.
Mikaela: No, that's alright.
Chloe: I recognized her, but I didn't realize she was Louise from Thelma and Louise.
Mikaela: She's got a very recognizable face once you know her.
Chloe: Yeah. I'm like, I feel like I've seen you in more things. She was only diagnosed when she was 40.
Mikaela: Oh my gosh.
Chloe: Yeah, it literally just said she thought that pain was normal. She'd had no idea how abnormal it was. And yeah, please, if you're out there suffering, especially during your periods, check it out. Your level of pain may not be normal.
Mikaela: No, definitely.
Chloe: Oh, I feel like there was someone else, but I have not written them down. Do you know the woman Kayla something? She's got an app called Sweat.
Mikaela: Kayla, Itsines?
Chloe: There we go. She also has endometriosis.
Mikaela: Oh, wow. See, there's just like so many people.
Chloe: Yeah, it's, yeah. One, one in 10.
Mikaela: Yeah. One in 10, crazy.
Chloe: In fact, think endometriosis Australia [00:16:00] says 1 in 9.
Mikaela: Yeah. There you go.
Chloe: Yeah. It's really common, and I would not be surprised if it's more common, simply because there's a lot of people out there that are just like, Yeah, I experience pain.
Mikaela: Yeah, exactly. Yep. But when you've got nothing to compare it to and you're just told that yes, periods are painful, then how are you to know?
Chloe: No. Yeah, Like I crave sweets and I bleed and it's painful. Duh.
Mikaela: Yeah. I thought that was normal. Oh my gosh.
Chloe: I'm gonna do, my last ooh, fun little stat. I looked onto a website called Clue. It's a menstrual tracking app and they have a list of the 5,000 euphemisms for periods
Mikaela: 5,000.
Chloe: Yeah. And here are all of them.
Mikaela: This now what green Girls is.
Chloe: We're just gonna go over a hundred of these every week.
Mikaela: Oh my gosh.
Chloe: No, I picked my 4 favorite, which, Strawberry Week. V O, which stands for Vaginally Out of Order. [00:17:00] Cooking Black Pudding.
Mikaela: Ew..So bad.
Chloe: And my personal favorite because what the fuck, the small little elves.
Mikaela: What? Who just goes, What are these people like? Talking to their friends and being like, Oh man, I can't come over. The small little elves are out and about.
Chloe: I imagine so and clearly to them that makes total sense. Yeah.
Mikaela: Oh my gosh. Actually just, okay. Just came back into my brain. I don't know. I would've been very fresh on my period. Very like new to the whole period world. Just this just brought back like memories of, I think I've. Like putting it away at the back of my brain.
Chloe: Supressing?
Mikaela: Uhhuh, that's the word. Yeah.
Chloe: Get it all out honey.
Mikaela: Yep. And my friend lived down the road and she had a pool, they had a new pool. Really exciting. And she's like tou should come over. And me being me, very new into the period world was like, Oh no, I have that time of the, And I [00:18:00] didn't say that time of the month, I said something completely frigging wrong. And she was like, What? And I was like, Oh, like I, that time. And I couldn't figure it out. And in the end I just had to be like, I have my period.
Chloe: Aww.
Mikaela: So embarrassed.
Chloe: Oh, you were so new you didn't know the.
Mikaela: No, I didn't know what it was. I could've just said Strawberry week. Sorry girl.
Chloe: You could of,
Mikaela: or can't come over I'm cooking Black pudding.
Chloe: Just watch them go gross. But I get it.
Mikaela: Yeah. Yep.
Chloe: Ah-huh,
Mikaela: Oh dear.
Chloe: Gotcha. Yep.
Mikaela: So good.
Chloe: Cooking black pudding. Yeah. I like VO. Yeah. These were all in different, in French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese. All the different languages. So maybe it sounds different. Yeah. I'll link it up after this please. I'm like the small little elves?
Mikaela: Yes.
Chloe: What?
Mikaela: I don't, like, I'm not sure.
Chloe: My one guess is do elves wear red hats and does that have anything to do with it?
Mikaela: Oh, maybe. [00:19:00] Yeah.
Chloe: I am grasping at really short straws here. Anyway, that's how I'll refer to it from now on. SO the small little elves are in town. And they're wreaking fucking havoc everywhere.
Let's get onto the period products. The reason that we're here today, and so according to Bustle, menstruaters experience around 450 periods and they go through 11,000 tampons and pads in their lifetime. EAch of these tampons and pads come with a plastic wrapper and with more than 12 million females in Australia alone that adds up really fast.
Mikaela: And what about in America where they have the applicators?
Chloe: Wait, is that not common here?
Mikaela: No, we don't have applicators.
Chloe: It's common in the UK.
Mikaela: Really?
Chloe: Ever.
Mikaela: Have you? No. I've never ever seen a tampon with an applicator.
It's just, you just up there.
Chloe: Yeah.
Mikaela: With your hand. Yeah, that's it.
Chloe: England just had both. Like it was more budget friendly to get it with either a like card applicator, which was a bit [00:20:00] like rubby or like a
Mikaela: Yeah, paper cuts in your insides
Chloe: Satin, soft plasticy one. Budget to luxury. All for your VU.
Mikaela: That's crazy,
Chloe: there was a stat I saw from London, back in 2018 so Dear London, I hope this improved, but it was from the BBC News. It says, Every day TEM's Water removes 30 tons of wet wipes and sanitary towels, which congeal to form fat burgs and clog up sewer systems, The End.
Mikaela: That's disgusting.
Chloe: Fat burgs. Congeal. Yeah. Such great words. Really glad they're on the podcast.
Mikaela: They're horrible words.
Chloe: I can say black pudding again, if you like.
Mikaela: No, I'm really good. I'm really good with that one. Thanks. Gosh.
Chloe: Yeah. And there are 1.5 billion sanitary products that get wrongly flushed down our loo's and go straight into our beautiful oceans, [00:21:00] and if not there, they end up in landfill. So there is a whole lot of mess associated with, the little loves coming.
Mikaela: Even septic systems like septic tanks. You can't you shouldn't be flushing stuff anyway, but, That makes it real bad.
Chloe: Yeah. There are toilets out there where you should not flush the toilet paper. I'm like, what?
Mikaela: Yeah, exactly right.
Chloe: Use the bin, please.
Mikaela: Yeah. I wonder if it's something to do with some people don't have bins. I remember going to my friend's place like recently, maybe like just not recent, five years ago, and I went to their downstairs toilet and her sister lived like off a little, there was a little area with a bedroom and bathroom and stuff.
And I was like in there and I'm like, Oh my gosh, they don't have a bin in here. And what do I do? So I like wrapped it up and I stood there for a minute being like... and then I went out and I was holding it like hidden in my hand, but I, it was all girls and I was like, Ah, I need a bin.
And she was like, the sister was like oh my gosh, I'm [00:22:00] so sorry. I didn't even think about it. I use a menstrual cup so I don't need a bin. And I was like, What the F? Is a menstrual cup. And that was my first introduction to it. So like some people don't have bins,
Chloe: She was like, Oh Honey, lemme tell you.
Mikaela: Yeah, maybe then that's why like things get flushed cause people panic or they're embarrassed or they just don't know any better.
So there's like, flush.
Chloe: I mean five years ago, I, Yeah, I would've been in the exact same boat.
I think It was around five years.
Yeah. Yeah. Cause I think it took me a long time to go into,
Mikaela: It did, Me too
Chloe: Reusable Period products. It's just a new change and it's something that is already annoying.
Mikaela: Yeah.
Chloe: Like, why do I want to try something else?
Mikaela: Exactly.
Chloe: But luckily both of us have now .
Mikaela: Yes. We'll get to that later though, .
Chloe: Yeah. We'll have a few more tangents before that. Oh. No we wont. Hey.
Mikaela: Oh, we're right there.
Chloe: We're here.
Hey, we made it.
Mikaela: Look at that. If I hadn't have said anything, that would've been such a beautiful segue
Chloe: I would cut it out. But I like that. Here we are. Live in the podcast. Just being awkward [00:23:00] as all hell. So yeah, there's a few different products out there and I will even throw in a special one at the end, which is actually still tampons and pads from a very specific, wonderful company because I know there are people out there who cannot use specific products for whatever reason.
So it's good to address the, the bo standard tampons and pads and the better ways that you can use them.
Mikaela: For sure.
Chloe: So I've broken it down into the two categories, being exterior and interior.
Mikaela: Makes sense.
Chloe: Thank you. Exterior being reusable pads and period and interior Menstrual cub, cup. Wow.
Interior being menstrual cups and disks. And I have tried all of them. I assume you have not tried a disk, have you?
Mikaela: No. I was just about to ask you please enlighten me on a disk.
Chloe: A disk. Very similar to the cup, but wider and more shallow.
Mikaela: Okay.
Chloe: And so it, it sits inside you on top of your like pelvic [00:24:00] bone. Instead of just Up there as a cup. Up there, yeah.
Mikaela: I gotcha.
Chloe: Yeah we get it from the gestures that you can see on podcast.
Mikaela: Yeah. You guys can't see the gestures, but yes.
Chloe: If you watch on YouTube, you're like, Yeah, I get it. Stop doing that hand movement.
Mikaela: Yeah. Stop. It's really awkward,
Chloe: but I've been really enjoying the. Mine's from a company called Hello, which is a Kiwi company, New Zealand company. They make cups and discs. And I supported their like Kickstarter campaign for the disc. And the disc I think was actually around before Cups were.
But, cause I've heard of someone saying Yeah, my mom's been using that for donkeys years. I was like it's news to me.
Mikaela: Yeah, news to me too.
Chloe: No, they're freaking brilliant. But then your friend was using a cup five years ago and we're like, that's bizarre.
Mikaela: Yeah, true. But she works in she works in a lab where they make babies. What is that called?
Chloe: All I can think of test tube baby. That's not the right,
Mikaela: Why can't I think of this?
Chloe: Ivf,
Mikaela: Thank you. What the hell? Yeah, so she works in that. So I think she was quite across [00:25:00] like technology and the female bod.
Chloe: Yeah. Fair enough. Cool. Into the scene, as it were. Yeah, so menstruall cups and discs, and I suppose I experienced with both like pads and cups at the same time. What about you?
Mikaela: Yeah I have started on pads, like I said before, and then went to tampons, and then I knew about the cut, but I was a bit apprehensive. I don't know, it might have been like the price or just something new, but when you think about it, like $50 or something for a cup, as opposed to buying however many tampons worked out. And then, yeah, I used it the first time was like game changer. I never went back. Look, I don't remember the last time I used a pad or a tampon.
Chloe: I actually have because I've been like stuck in weird situations and I've just still had them in the house.
Mikaela: Well sometimes you need to. Oh, I still have an emergency tampon and pad in my bag that I carry with me everywhere, but I should probably throw that out. Cause that's probably really old, right?
Chloe: As long as it's in the liner, I'm sure it's fine.
Mikaela: It's sealed. Yeah.
Chloe: And you might be that person in the [00:26:00] toilet,
Mikaela: Ah I can give it to a friend. Yes.
Chloe: I need. And you're like, Yes, I've got you. Yeah. I think I carried a pad and a tampon around for a while either for myself or in case someone else was in need. Cause you cannot really share a cup. That's
Mikaela: no.
Chloe: One of the cons.
Mikaela: Definitely not .
Chloe: So I've got a couple of pros and cons across everything. And I think I went straight to the cup, but then I bought like Hannah pad, the reusable pads.
Mikaela: Oh, I haven't tried those.
Chloe: Pretty good. Honestly, the biggest con is because it's not like it's got a sticky thing on the other side that like sticks to your underwear. They can shift around.
Mikaela: Yep, that's why I think I like the period underwear because they're just one.
Chloe: Yeah. Yeah. I like the ease of that. Reusable pads and period underwear. The best pros that I find, they're fairly easy to change , so like you just take a bag with you for all the used ones. , they're way thinner and comforter than you would think they are.
Mikaela: Yeah. And you can get different. I guess weights is not the right word, but [00:27:00] you can get, something for
Chloe: absorption, absorbance,
Mikaela: right? Yeah. You know what I meant yeah. So you can get different ones, for like lighter days or as a backup or you can get something that is gonna, take you through the thick of it.
Chloe: Yes. And I love that you can get like the ones which are industrial strength that like have the pad that goes all the way around. Yeah. It's like you can sleep these and you are fine.
Mikaela: Front to back.
Chloe: Everywhere you could get blood. We've got you. Love that. Thank you. Three pairs and they're pretty easy to clean. I wash mine either in the sink or in the shower with me in the morning. Like I'll just take it in there with me. And then after that, like first wash, then I put it and put it in the washing machine.
Mikaela: Yeah. Yep. I'm a shower gal too.
Chloe: Yes. It's just easy. And same thing goes with the cup. Like you can just wash it while you're in the shower. And the great thing about the cup is how often you do or don't need to change it. Yeah. Means like when you wake up in the morning, you do. You just change it as part of your routine.
It feels like you [00:28:00] don't really have to take time out of your day.
Mikaela: Agreed.
Chloe: So the cons to the reusable pads in period underwear. Taking time to clean them after use , I'm not gonna lie, there are definitely some stains because I just waited too long. Like you cannot avoid stains. That's another con that you just cannot, But I don't care about that so much.
But I've definitely been too lazy.
Mikaela: Yeah. Yeah.
Chloe: Way too lazy and left it there for too long and now it's a bit like I might have to replace them sooner because I haven't taken the proper care of them. But at least I think with Hannah Pad, it's all natural and apart from the little plastic popper, I think it's therefore compostable.
Mikaela: Oh, that's good.
Chloe: And yeah, if you don't clean them properly, they can become. Rigid and like the stains were almost impossible to avoid. But like I said, I don't care about the stains too much.
Mikaela: Yeah. Mine are all black, so I can't really, probably stained. Yeah, I don't know. I just follow the instructions. It like rinse until you know the water's clear or whatever. And you're good to go. [00:29:00]
Chloe: Yeah pretty much.
Mikaela: I'm like, eh I don't know what you can't see can't hurt you .
Chloe: It's fine. I've got the Love Luna ones.
Mikaela: Yeah, I have some of them too.
Chloe: Yeah. I really like them. They're like really soft as well. And they're cheaper than Hannah Pad?
Mikaela: Oh,
Chloe: Yes.
Mikaela: Actually two things. Yes. I don't know what my brain's gonna take me to first.
Chloe: Awesome.
Mikaela: This one. Okay, so my friend she messaged us, it could have been back when we were doing this original recording, and she was asking all of our friends about what products they use and she actually made a spreadsheet of all the different period products, and I am going to message her after this and ask for that spreadsheet so we can share it with you guys, because it's great.
Yeah. It's so good. I just, that just boop, memory. So bless her. Bless Jess. Thank you.
Chloe: Thanks Jess.
Mikaela: Very good.
Chloe: I love you and I haven't met you yet. When this comes out you'll know it cause I'll have told you in person.
Mikaela: Yep. Yep.
Chloe: Like Jess you're famous.
Mikaela: Yay Jess. Yay.
Chloe: Where was I? Oh, you [00:30:00] had a second thing.
Mikaela: Oh, yes. I was just, when you talk about Love Luna, I just had a memory of, it's not Love Luna. That was my memory, but you triggered me. The first pair of period underwear that I got was actually a pair of Modi Body. And it was from Jake's umm. And it was a, it was like, she's so cute. She does like Christmas stockings for us and I'm included. So I get a little stocking and it would've been a couple years ago, maybe three years ago now. And I pulled out this like underwear and she's she laughed and was like, Oh, it's a bit weird.
But I saw them and I thought, I got Jake's sister one as well and I thought it'd be really good. And I was like, Oh, okay, thanks. That's cool. She knows that I'm into sustainability and like less waste and stuff. And I was like, Oh, I've never heard of this before. Like my favourite pair now I'm like they're great. So thanks Jake's mum. Appreciate you.
Chloe: Thanks Jake's mum.
Mikaela: You introduced me into the period underwear.
Chloe: Yeah I'll say that like the underwear is my preference a lot of the time. I just have that trust that it's not gonna [00:31:00] slip,
Mikaela: slip and slide.
Chloe: Yeah. Yeah. Go about its business away from where it should be.
Mikaela: That's a good segue back into the other cons.
Chloe: Yes. The biggest con, oh. Two, two last cons for you. So like a pad, duh. You are a lot more aware of your period. It's not kept neatly inside. It's gonna do its thing. It means like you might feel all kinds of ways, which if you're not comfortable with of course, you might be more inclined with the next options we have. But the biggest con I'd say is that you need to get quite a few of them to get you through your period.
Mikaela: Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Exactly right. You can't just have two pairs. You've gotta have, you've gotta have enough to get you through the possible four to eight days, plus maybe a couple extras if you have an oops.
Chloe: Absolutely. So many people will have spotting and that sort of thing. And you don't wanna assume, like you don't go from one day to then just not.
Mikaela: Nothing. And yeah, you think you're good and then surprise.
Chloe: Exactly. And you need to be ready for that. So it was like, you [00:32:00] will always have like at least a day at the end where it's totally clean, but you're like, Yeah, but
Mikaela: I'm still gonna wear these, just to be sure.
Chloe: This is still necessary. Definitely. Yeah, so you need quite a few to get through. So even if they're like $11, $19 each, you're gonna buy quite a few pairs to get you through. But once you've done it, once you've invested, and I'm pretty sure so many brands know that and therefore we'll do like a starter pack or something of 5, 7, 10 to get you through.
And that will include heaps of different sizes so that whatever your flow is, you can stick with that.
Mikaela: And the other thing too, if you are not sure that they're for you, you know you can buy one or two pairs and try them. Amongst your other products. Even sometimes, I'll wear a cup, but on a, it's on a day, where I'm like, Oh, I'll wear a light pair of underwear as well.
Like period underwear. Just as a peace of mind. Or you think your period's coming and you're not sure and you're like, Ooh, I'll just pop these on. That's caught me a few times and being in the job that I'm [00:33:00] in, sometimes you're at a customer's house or you're not sure when your next toilet break's gonna be. They can save you.
Chloe: Yes.
Mikaela: So yeah, you don't have to buy, you don't have to buy a whole lot to get you through straight away. Just try a couple first and see if it's something you like. Maybe you can try a different product as well, cause you don't wanna be spending all your hard earned money on eight, nine pairs and then be like, Actually I don't like these.
Chloe: Yeah. True. And you definitely can't return these products.
Mikaela: No. And I don't think you can really give them to a friend .
Chloe: Probably not if it's new. Sure. But yeah. Ain't no charity shop accepting them.
Mikaela: Oh no.
Chloe: That receipt is worth nothing.
Mikaela: Correct.
Chloe: Yes. You're very right. Definitely experiment if you're not sure.
But if you did like pads before then this is probably right up the street. Yeah. But for me yeah, I think I started on pads as well. but my goodness, the tsunami, like the war zone that would rage inside my 15 year old body, I had to get used to tampons pretty quick.
Mikaela: Yeah. Fair, [00:34:00] valid.
Chloe: So the menstrual cup was something I was really scared to try, but definitely something that I then ended up loving. Are you in the same boat or are you more pad gal?
Mikaela: Absolutely.
Chloe: Really I bought you over?
Mikaela: I was. Oh, you did. Yep. As soon as I had my first period with a cup, I was like super nervous first go. Amazing.
Cause I've heard stories of people being like, they're not quite sitting. Or, But if it's in right, you shouldn't feel it. So my first go straight, I was like, Sweet. This is great. And then that whole period I felt like I didn't even have my period like, change it in shower. I haven't used yeah, tampons since I haven't used pads since I got period underwear and the cup and that's it.
Chloe: Yay.
Mikaela: Would definitely recommend you guys give it a go. It's seriously a game changer.
Chloe: Yeah. So you sound very pro, very pro cup.
Mikaela: Oh, absolutely.
Chloe: So happy for you.
Mikaela: I've said to my sisters, I've said to my friends I think it was probably after the first time, my first period with it, I was like, you guys. If you haven't tried this, like you need to get on it, do it. And they were all like, [00:35:00] Oh, okay. But I think some of them now have them
Chloe: Oh my gosh, you're like Arbonne Repping. Hey honey,
Mikaela: I know guys, give me a discount code?
Chloe: They are like, they're expensive. That's probably the largest con it is $50, not like $11 for a pad, or like $7 for a pack of tampons. But you do make your money back, honestly.
Mikaela: Oh, definitely.
Chloe: So the pros, I feel like you're gonna be like, hallelujah. Yes. To all of these. . . It can feel like you aren't wearing anything and you don't feel insecure.
Mikaela: Most definitely 110%.
Chloe: Yeah. If you don't have other symptoms, then it's just, you going about your day.
It's great. Another pro, you can wash it in the shower. Love that. In fact, I feel way cleaner using a cup because I'll take it out and like properly be washing myself and washing the cup, not just going straight from tampon out to tampon in. And if anything had dripped or whatever, that's still sitting there. I'm not, I haven't changed [00:36:00] my underwear, whereas this time, I'm thoroughly clean.
Mikaela: Yeah, definitely. That's one thing.
Chloe: I just feel way more hygienic.
Mikaela: Yeah, for sure. And like I, my most recent period, like this is so TMI, but like I don't even care anymore. However, we're talking about periods like, of course.
Chloe: You've signed up for this already.
Mikaela: Yeah. You have, you know what's happening. You've had an hour to be like, No, this is not for me. might not be an hour in actual time, but in recording time yes. I was just like, Ugh, I can't be bothered. I'm just gonna wear underwear. And I felt like at the end of the day, like it was probably mid period, which I don't normally do. I normally use a cup. Yeah. At the end of the day, I was just like, Ugh, I feel gross. It's like a pad, everything is out and about and on everything. It shouldn't be. So at the end of the day when I had a shower I was like, Oh my.
Chloe: What has happened down here?
Mikaela: Yeah, exactly. So whereas a cup, you don't have that. It's all internal and you can just boop, tip it out and give it a nice wash and yeah. Off you go.
Chloe: The weirdest [00:37:00] pro, not even on my list here. Is, I quite like that you can be like, that was it today?
Mikaela: Yeah. Okay. Actually.
Chloe: The cup is this full or this full?
Mikaela: Yes. Interesting. Because I feel like I've seen so many videos of people being like to boys being like, Oh, guess how much? And they they put a tampon in a cup of water, or and you think to yourself, Oh, I wonder how much I've got today.
With a cup, you can tell you just, Oh, that was interesting.
Chloe: Exactly this amount. Yeah. I feel like I saw a stat that was like the average period is four tablespoons of blood. I was like, no. Hmm, So much more. No. Not me. Uhuh, no.
Mikaela: Yeah. That's the thing is everyone can be so different. Like we're fed all this information, which doesn't necessarily relate to us, so it's interesting to know your body and know your flow.
Chloe: Yeah. People talk about it in such like hush tones. Oh, I'm on my period. The small little elves are here.
Mikaela: I'm not saying the other one. Don't say the other [00:38:00] one.
Chloe: You're saying it in your head. I don't have to.
Mikaela: I am, I know.
Chloe: I'm a big fan of Shark Week. I know people like, Oh, that's so bad. I, yeah, I quite like that term.
Mikaela: I think Shark Week's funny.
Chloe: I like. The painters are in. Yeah,
Mikaela: I haven't heard that one. I like that.
Chloe: Maybe that's from good old, the painters are in and Auntie Flo is coming to town.
Mikaela: Oh yeah. Auntie Flo. I know.
Chloe: Good old Auntie Flo.
Mikaela: Yeah. And of course the rags, which I feel like though that's used as oh, you on your rags, Like why are you grumpy? So it's not a good one.
Chloe: Yeah, I think I didn't hear that before Australia.
Mikaela: Oh yeah. Cause like back in the day, women used to have to use rags. And they actually sent away from like towns and things when they had their period. Cause people thought that they were unclean. So they're off on a mountain, somewhere on their rags.
Chloe: I wouldn't be suprised.
Mikaela: Probably having the time of their lives being separated from all the rude biatches.
Chloe: What a wonderful time. And then they'll be visited by elves. And and [00:39:00] so the story goes ,
Mikaela: Back to our pros or are we on the cons now?
Chloe: Yes. My last pro is that it's the only thing you might need for your whole period. My cons. . And the biggest reason why. Listen, I'm very lazy. I dunno if you know this about me.
Mikaela: Oh, yeah I know where this is going.
Chloe: Hi, I'm Chloe and I'm lazy. They need to be cleaned prior to use like you boil 'em in water for five minutes.
Mikaela: Sterilize. Yeah.
Chloe: I am. I am so lazy that I'm like I'm just gonna wear pants because then I clean it after, not before. I'm like, I need it now. And I can't be bothered to wait five minutes. And it's literally five minutes outta my day. But that's such a pro for me. And Oh, you need to clean it beforehand.
Mikaela: Yeah. It's like one of those things, it's like unloading the dishwasher. You're like or changing the sheets. I don't wanna do it. And then really it takes you five minutes.
Chloe: Yeah. Can I wait? Oh, it made my life so much easier.
Mikaela: Yeah. But I know the feels, I have had that same thought Oh, I just can't be bothered.
Chloe: Yeah. So I do, I love my period underwear alongside this and I guess, like I've said before, [00:40:00] sometimes it really is quite the battlefield down there . And so I will have, A few lines of defense, like I'll have the cup because I've tried Juju Cup and the Lunette Cup and I don't know what's going on, whether I change size or something.
But sometimes one is perfect and sometimes the other is perfect. And they are two different sizes. One is softer than the other, like the Juju Cup is way more it's I think, larger and like thicker, Like harder. Whereas the Juju Cup, which is Australia made by the way, Is smaller and very soft.
Mikaela: Yeah. I've got the lunette and I actually have two of them. I bought one originally and I remember when I first bought my one, they had a really good guide on how to pick your size. And I remember it took me a while to commit to purchase. Cause I was like, I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what it is.
But looking through all of that information, I was like, Okay.
Chloe: So the size guide helps you pick the right one for you?
Mikaela: Yeah. Yeah. Like I said, I was really lucky with my first use. It seemed great. So then when I bought my second one, I bought the exact same, just a different colour. Cause I [00:41:00] was like, my first colour choice was probably not the best color choice for a period product,
Chloe: Just transparent? Because that's what mine is.
Oh, you are not transparent anymore.
Mikaela: It was like a light blue and I was like, it's a bit, It looks gross now. But like it's clean.
I got a hot pink.
Chloe: Yeah. It's much closer to red on the color spectrum. I like it. Yeah. I didn't know what I was thinking like, cause these things can stain,