Would you appreciate reusable.sanitary items for your dds?

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

Period poverty measures mean that our county funds sanitary products for the school kids. Brilliant news.. they give them out to.all.as they have so many and I have not had to buy dd any at all.
The school nurse explained that a percentage has been spent on reusable pads and these arrived at my school this week for our y5 and y6 pupils..
I'm not sure how practical they are. They come with a bag to out used ones in it ideally they need a rinse first and in our school the sinks aren't in the cubicles so it's not a private thing to do. In my dds high school their sinks are communal and she was horrified at the thought of having to use and then store used.pads until they could be washed.
And yet I think for home they would be a good idea.

I use them and I find them more comfortable and effective than disposables, but I don't think I would have been comfortable dealing with them when I had just started my periods. If the girls mother doesn't like the idea of washing cloth pads or finds them "icky" what is the girl supposed to do with them.

On a practical note, they don't need to be rinsed as soon as you change them, I just cold them up and pop them in a small zip up bag, then soak them in cold water before washing them.

DD wears period pants as she doesn’t need to change at school, the first two months of her period meant lots of stains as she was totally embarrassed changing pads at school and that was Y7. At primary she would have been even more mortified if she had to deal with reusable pads.

In theory good for the environment but not everyone finds it easy to deal with

As above, no need to rinse first. On heavier days I put them on a rinse before washing with the rest if the dark load. On lighter days I just bung them in with the other washing. If I had a dd, if be happy for her to use them.

I’d have hated them for school.
They could still be useful at night/weekends etc.

I’m not sure reusable sanpro would be of much use to someone going through period poverty.

If your child did want to use one but rinsing was a worry/holdback due to communal space could she not flush the toilet holding them in there? I know it sounds grotty but I use reusable nappies and now the baby is weaning I have to rinse. I can't be bothered to buy a bidet or anything so I just hold in the toilet and flush.

OP- are they supplying JUST resusables, or are they offering a choice?

DD’s periods started in year 6 and where very heavy. I don’t familiar with reusable pads so can’t comment on washing but storing of used pads would be impossible for her at primary and first 2 years in secondary. I think a range of options should be available. Some could be happy with reusable ones some may not have facilities to wash them at home. Some girls prefer to use tampons from the very beginning. I think at the start they should use whatever they are comfortable with.

Given the cost of washing and the fact that some children in poverty may have a difficult home environment / inadequate housing provision I really don't think they are a suitable solution for period poverty at that age group.

I use a diva cup so a cup would be my preference over reusable pads but I’d be open to my daughter’s trying them. I understand that they aren’t necessarily the most practical thing for young girls though, they may not NEED to be rinsed but at that age the thought of changing a disposable pad in public toilet was mortifying enough never mind carrying around a used reusable one for washing.

Apparently some counties have used their budget on only reusable. Ours has spent the majority on disposables and just some on reusable, but at over £5 per small towel it is a big chunk of the budget.

Given the cost of washing and the fact that some children in poverty may have a difficult home environment / inadequate housing provision I really don't think they are a suitable solution for period poverty at that age group.

^This. Many children who live in poverty have limited gas and electricity to wash reusable sanitary items.

They work great as panty liners in combination with a menstrual cup to catch the actual period. I wouldn’t use a reusable pad by itself though. Firstly I don’t like the idea of carrying used pads and secondly they don’t stay put. Unlike normal pads which have sticky bits to keep them in place, reusable pads have poppers, which keeps them fastened to your knickers but doesn’t keep them in the right position or the right way round. I find they slide out of place and there’s a risk of leaks if they’re your only protection. For girls in period poverty a menstrual cup would be better because it requires no laundering.

My 10 year old daughter has just started her periods and yes, I think she would appreciate them, in fact, I am about to look them up as I haven't seen them before. She is very environmentally aware so would appreciate them from that point of view. She has coped brilliantly with her periods, I am quite sure she wouldn't be phased by putting a used pad in a bag and carrying it home.

But...it wouldn't be for everyone. We are very open and not at all embarrassed by bodily functions (I am a nurse!) but I imagine in different families, it could be quite embarrassing to bring home bloody pads and ask parents to wash them etc...

I just read the post above mine. A menstrual cup for year 5 and 6 girls? I don't think that would be ideal either. My daughter is a bit put off by the idea of putting tampons in, pretty sure she would balk at a menstrual cup at 10 yrs old.

Surely menstrual cups would be better for children living in poverty.

I believe menstrual cups are offered as an option in secondaries but not purchased for primaries.

As others have said they don't need to be rinsed. I just put them in the vag and bring them home. I find they do stay in place and don't move so I don't use anything else with them.

It sounds pretty stupid. If this is about providing sanitary protection for girls whose parents can’t or won’t provide it for them, how are reusables supposed to help?

For girls in period poverty a menstrual cup would be better because it requires no laundering. I don’t think there would be much of a demand, especially when they’re at school, probably using communal toilets and washing them out in communal basins. In fact, I think they’d struggle to get rid of them.

They go into a waterproof, zipped back to be laundered at home. They have a cold rinse then wash as normal.

I've managed them well when camping and they are more discrete without all the plasticy rustling around. They feel much nicer and don't give thrush.

If a school has spent their whole budget on reusables what happens if the child unexpectedly comes on during school and doesn't have the reusable with her, what if she has a feckless parent that doesn't help her or keep up with it soaking/washing?

Doesnt sound practical for all, especially for a significant % of the children they are primarily meant to support.

I seriously can't see how they would be practical for young girls just beginning to learn with coping with their period.
I also don't think they would be practical for those families living in "temporary" accommodation, poor housing and other situations of poverty.

Agree with others, they don't need to be rinsed.

I think for some families they would work better than disposables and they provide a solution that would last for many years. But for some families there's no way that reusable would be a good option.