cruelty-free menstrual options?

[wundermuffin.livejournal.com]

ok, i posted yesterday about sea sponge tampons, but they are not vegetarian-friendly, and thus not an option for me. i have a mirena IUD and my flow should be lightening up anyway; i'm just looking for something to use on those days it is NOT light. i LOVE the IUD; it's the only form of birth control that's really effective, convenient, and actually works out for me and my fiance. but, it expelled last year because i took my keeper out wrong. it's REALLY been a pain in the ass to get a new IUD, but yesterday i finally got one.

i'm not sure if i've exhausted all my options yet or if there is something else funky out there that i could try out, but:

-reusable cups: expelled first IUD after difficult, suction-y removal of the keeper. finally got a new IUD, & am currently using the divacup. not entirely used to the divacup yet, and not too comfortable using cups with IUDs again even though MANY MANY MANY women do and are fine.

-instead cups: should not be used with IUDs because they are up closer to the cervix. i know of at least one woman who uses both together, but after expulsion and then reinsertion being such a drag, i'm avoiding this too.

-reusable pads: what i'm using now, and down to use for as long as my IUD is in, but i don't LIKE pads & it is not the most convenient option for me... and honestly, i'd love a product that i'm fine using and find convenient.

-cotton pads: no point; if i'm using pads i'll use reusables.

-cotton tampons: give me yeast infections. blah!

-sea sponge tampons: they are an animal, not a plant, and thus NOT cruelty-free or vegetarian-friendly, so i don't feel comfortable using that.

so...... i probably should just stick with my glad rags, eh? or is there something i'm missing that i don't know about?

x-posted to naturalliving

Comments

[yolen.livejournal.com]

Are the sea sponges killed for this purpose or harvested after they die, or what?

[smilegal-246.livejournal.com]

cheak out thses links and see if they help you. I bought some of them but i could not use them - the idea that i would be putting an animal up there (i am vegetarian going to vegan) freaked me out! I love my diva cup!

http://www.seac.org/tampons/seasponges.shtml
http://www.shadowside.com/fh/fhsponges.html
http://lunapads.com/products/sea_sponge_tampons/

[smilegal-246.livejournal.com]

and sorry about the spelling

[yolen.livejournal.com]

It's ok :)

[yolen.livejournal.com]

Well, I've never had any intention of sticking sponges up my chacha, but that was informative. Thanks!

[smilegal-246.livejournal.com]

lol - you're welcome!

[wundermuffin.livejournal.com]

yeah, i've been veggie my whole LIFE, and while i don't plan to ever go fully vegan, i eat vegan probably 75-80% of the time. i thought it was a plant! sticking a dead animal in my vagina sounds REALLY FUCKING CREEPY.

also, your icon rules. i am still so sad that he's gone...

[smilegal-246.livejournal.com]

I have be veggie my whole life too!!!!!!!

[meredydd.livejournal.com]

If you go to the art supply section of your local craft store, you can get those small, "sea sponge" synthetic sponges. They work just as well as the animal sea sponges with the benefit of being veg friendly. I've used them many times (I'm vegetarian) and had no complaints. Just experiement with them to see if you need to trim them down. They sell different sizes--the smaller ones seem to work best b/c they're less porous.

[wundermuffin.livejournal.com]

oh MAN. you are awesome. thanks SO much for that info. i'm going to call them and see what's available. how long can you leave them in for? are they useful for a heavier flow?

[meredydd.livejournal.com]

I use cloth pads now but when I used sponges, I just used 'em like regular tampons in terms of timing. Heavier flow you might want to use a light pad with them just in case of leakage.

[wundermuffin.livejournal.com]

awesome. any clue how many cycles i can use them for? i'm sure i can find this info elsewhere if you don't know; i'm just asking you since you said you've used them. can you sleep with them in?

also, eddie's not available on DVD here? a few of my friends have his DVDs, but maybe they ordered them online or something... i really don't know. anyway, thanks so much for your help!

[meredydd.livejournal.com]

I rinsed mine with vinegar water after each use and let them air dry. I had four and would have two drying while the others were in use, lol. You can use them for quite a while--I'm pretty sure mine are still good, even two years later. You just have to keep an eye on them, watch for changes like smell or the sponge getting crumbly or tearing. You can sew a bit of string to them to make the removal easier. Like tampons, you can sleep in them.

And he might be available now... I know when I last looked I couldn't find any of his DVDs... now I have to go check, lol.

[wundermuffin.livejournal.com]

sweeeeeeet. thanks so much for the info; now i just have to find a craft store nearby that'll sell 'em. good luck finding an eddie DVD! =D

[wundermuffin.livejournal.com]

also, another reason you're awesome that i meant to include in my previous comment - i just watched 'dress to kill' for the umpteenth last night to unwind after my IUD insertion, so nice icon.

[meredydd.livejournal.com]

*G* I love Eddie Izzard... I have most of his routines on my HD and I'd love for them to become available on DVD in the States.

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

sucks, eh? i'm currently weighing birthcontrol options, and it's similarly frustrating. everything has a ridiculous drawback. i'd look into synthetic sponge tampons, but maybe cloth pads are really your only viable option. 'course, you've probably learned more about yeast infections now than anybody alive, so maybe natracare tampons would work? and there is free-flow, but that's not ideal for most women.

[wundermuffin.livejournal.com]

you've probably learned more about yeast infections now than anybody alive

ha. amen to THAT. :D

if i have to just deal with cloth pads, i'll do that - i don't get how that's too much different than free flowing into my underpants, except... i just won't stain my clothing. but if i can do the synthetic sponge tampons, i am so all over that.

it sucks that everything DOES have that drawback, and that there's no TRULY easy and convenient way to take care of it. lately i'm worried that i'm sterile anyway, which is bad because 1) i want to have kids and 2) this means i've wasted lots of time and money for no reason. but this is just paranoia and has absolutely no founding anywhere except in the fact that i'm out of my mind.