Page 4

Frequently Asked Questions!

1)Which pad should I start with?

If you are looking for pads only, I would suggest that you start with the heaviest pads of the make you are interested in that is not designed for nights. This would include the Super Minki pad, the Moon Times Pocket pad, the Ellas House Heavy pad , the Florence Heavy pad, the Go With The Flo Standard Maxi and the Wee Notions Heavy pad. Many women report lighter periods following the switch to cloth pads and this pad will either work for you as a heavy day pad or a night pad if your periods become lighter. I would also suggest that you buy at least one lighter pad or pantyliner for use at the end of your cycle. Some women like to buy 6 or so pads to start so they can try a variety. Others like to buy one per month! We have tried to keep our postage charges low so that it isnt costly to buy in stages!

If you are looking for backup pads for menstrual cups or sponges, I would suggest looking at the Teenage section which has slimmer shorter pads but if you want longer wider liners I would look at the flannel topped Pantyliners made by Ellas House and the cotton, minkee and lycra topped pantyliners by Wee Notions. There are also suitable shorter fleece topped regular pads by Minki which are designed to be adult width.

2) Which pads that you stock have more than one popper so that you can adjust them to fit different sizes of panties?

All new stock Wee Notions pads have 2 popper fastenings. All Ultimate, Ultimini and Ultimini XS pads by Homestead Emporium have double popper fastenings. All Moon Times pads have aplix fastening instead of poppers making them very adjustable. It is important to note that European underwear comes in many different widths. It is best not to assume that the pads you buy will definitely fit but to measure across it and check against the measurements given in the pad description. This is especially the case with smaller pads which often have only one popper setting and are typically narrower than larger pads

3) Which materials in the pads are most absorbent?

There is no absolutely agreed opinion on this! It is generally thought that bamboo and hemp based materials are more absorbent than cotton based materials.  Many pads use a proven mix of materials ie not just one to make up the pads

4) Which is the most absorbent pad?

I dont think you can beat the Ultimate pad by Homemademama. We currently stock these with organic cotton/bamboo velour tops all having organic cotton inners. They are very large but slim pads and cleverly designed to especially cope well with nights and postpartum.

5) Which is the best waterproof backing?

Preferences vary greatly. That is why we provide a range! PUL and Naprap are generally agreed to be most waterproof and makes for a trim pad but some people find them a bit sweaty and less breathable. Some people think they are slippier and dont stay in place quite as well but some of our pads have a further cotton outer or cotton coating to address this. Windpro or polyester fleece works very well. It stays in place well but isnt quite as waterproof as PUL. Wool is extremely luxurious and comfortable and again not as waterproof as PUL. We also stock one style of Minx pad by Ellas House which has no actual waterproof backing which some people prefer. They use a pad based on a hemp fleece inner which works well without a backing but pads need to be changed accordingly. Additionally the Moon Times pads have no waterproof backing but you choose how many pads you require for them to work for you.

6) Which pads do you stock that are not backed by PUL/Naprap?

The Ellas House pads which have no backing, all Moon Times pads, all current Homestead Emporium pads, Go With The Flo which are fleece backed or wool backed,  some of the Jimmy Riddles and some of the Florence pads. Some of the Florence and Jimmy Riddles pads are backed by wool. All the pad descriptions state the backing of the pad so you are clear what you are buying.

7)How many pads do you need?

It depends on how often you wash clothes and how often you need to change your pad. Most women who use cloth menstrual pads report having from between 12 to 20 pads. Some do have more but thats sometimes as they like to have a large collection to choose from!

8) Which of your pads are wraparound?

All our pads attach with poppered (or Moon Times have aplix fastening) wings round underwear. Those with absorbent wraparound wings are Wee Notions, Florence, Moon Times and the wrap pads by Jimmy Riddles and Homestead Emporium.

9) I am interested in buying a Mooncup or a Femmecup but have a lot of questions about them. How do I find out the information I need?

For Mooncups the best place to start is the Frequently Asked Questions section from the Mooncup website:  http://www.mooncup.co.uk/menstrual_cup_faq.html They also offer an advice service on Telephone number : +44 (0) 1273 673845 .   I have also found some of the talk threads advice on the Talk section of the Mumsnet website informative- see www.mumsnet.com/Talk  - Either look at the Health section or do a search on Mooncup. Additionally there are now a lot of useful practical how to use them practical tips videos on You Tube - do a Mooncup or menstrual cup search such as http://uk.youtube.com/results?search_query=mooncup&search_type=&aq=f

For Femmecup the best place to start is the Frequently Asked Questions from the Femmecup site: http://www.femmecup.com/faq.html 

You are also welcome to contact us for advice as per our Contact Us section. However if you have medical concerns you should seek qualified medical advice.

10) What are the differences between  the Mooncup and the Femmecup?

 There are a number of internet sites where interested women work to promote the use of menstrual cups for health and environmental reasons. Many of these comment on the similarity of these cups certainly compared with the variety available internationally.

For your information I provide links to some of these. You should be aware that while I believe these reviews are well intentioned and intend to provide good information to women , some may be out of date and also may have errors. For example some initial reviews commented on small holes in the Femmecup but these are now much larger to facilitate cleaning.

http://labyrinth.net.au/~obsidian/clothpads/TheCups.html

http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/tag/femmecup

11) Which pad topping would be the best for me? How do I make a choice?

As per the choice of backing, preferences vary! The most stain resistant are the man made fabrics such as fleece, minkee and lycra. Some people are more comfortable with natural fibres against their skin and prefer toppings made of hemp, cotton, soy and bamboo. We get very good feedback on the comfort of velour fabrics. Some women choose fabrics with organic content which we stock in bamboo velour, flannel cotton and cotton ecru. We stock some pads that are undyed so that women have the choice of non dyed fabrics with organic content. Overall currently the best selling fabric toppings are minkee, bamboo velour and cotton. I would suggest that you try these if you are having difficulty making a choice and also try a variety. If you have ever had issues with sensitivity to disposable pads or issues with thrush I would definitely suggest choosing natural fibres.

12) Are your pads suitable for incontinence?

Yes they are suitable for light incontinence use. PUL backed are lkely to be more suitable.

13) How do I find all the pads made by one Work At Home Mother (WAHM) rather than searching by pad topping?

You go to the Manufacturers box on the bottom right of the Home Page. Find the name you want, press it and it will bring up all the products made by that WAHM or our other Manufacturers. The only products which wont be listed are the Trial packs which contain more than one WAHM's product.

14) Can I pay by credit card?

Yes we accept all major credit and debit cards through Paypal.

15) I dont want to use Paypal. Have you any other payment method?

We are happy to accept bank direct transfers for customers in the UK. This is now an automatic option on the site. Payment often takes 2 to 3 (but please note it has been known to take 6 days to reach our account despite what banks state) and we will send your parcel once the payment has been received.