Last couple.of days of period on holiday WWYD

[Wahwahwahwahwah]

I'm going on holiday next week. We'll be staying the night before (which will be day 4 of period) at an airport hotel and flying on what will be day 5. I normally use a menstrual cup and period pants for back up if necessary. The problem is I'm not sure how I can sterilise and store the cup while I'm away. I do have a period swimsuit so I can use that. Would you just use the period pants /swimsuit, rinse them out and give a little hand wash and store them in a waterproof bag? Or use the cup and take Milton tablets? I don't fancy going back to tampons after years but pads feel so bad for the planet, especially since I'll be near the end and probably only use them for a day or 2. What should I do wise people of Mumsnet? Thanks

Just use pads, you're on holiday, make life easy.

just rinse your mooncup out for the last couple of days, make sure its dry before you put it in its little bag and sterilize properly before you use it next month. I'm very lax about sterilizing mine - just rinse in hot water- but haven't had any infections from it.

I'd use pads, it's only a few days. Sanitary protection should not inconvenience women, we have enough to deal with already.

You’re meant to sterilise your moon cup?!

You’re meant to sterilise your moon cup?!
This was news to me too, and I've been using one for week over 20 years...

Yeah I am sort of tempted to use pads. I just feel guilty. I haven't used disposable sanpro for 5 years or so. I actually can't quite believe I've made it to my 40s without holidays clashing with my period before. It must have done. Maybe I've just forgotten what I used to do before cups. I guess I would have used tampons 🤷

I would just use pads/tampons. I consider the environment and do what I can, but when it comes to sanitary items I still use pads and tampons. Mother Nature didn’t consider me when creating something so painful, inconvenient and messy, so I don’t consider her while I deal with it.

Ha! Yeah you're meant to sterilise it at the beginning and end of use each month. But if you take it out, rinse it and stick it back in straight away that's fine. I have a little steriliser pot thing, fill it with water, stick the cup in and it goes in the microwave for 3 minutes. Super easy. As long as there's a microwave..

I'm a carer and we use a many many many incontinence pads of all sizes and descriptions every day. Much as I applaud your desire to reduce waste, a couple of day's worth of sanitary pads is not going to make a dent.

Equally, using the moon cup should be very convenient. Just wash it then sterilise when you get home.

I’m not sure I get the issue - why can’t you clean it under hot/warm water and then store it until you get home? Or pour some boiling water from the hotel kettle over it (if there is one). It’s really not a problem though. Why complicate things?

@ThunderclapCloud incontinence pads are a bit different though because there's no alternative. But you're right a couple of days won't make a difference. I could use the cup. It just feels a bit gross to have it sat there without being sterilised. I'm a bit lax about emptying it often enough towards the end of my period, because it doesn't fill up in 12 hours like it does earlier on, so it has been known to smell at the end 🤮

Just use the mooncup, you don't need to sterilise it.

I’d take the tablets to delay it-I did on my holiday this year.

I don’t really understand how a period swimsuit works…. Doesn’t all the blood wash away out of it in the pool?!

You could order a brand new mooncup - I would be worried if mine smelled at the end of a period and probably replace it. The only time mine went smelly was one time I had BV and it came on gradually just after my period. I treated the BV, boiled the mooncup, obviously thought the mooncup was OK and put it away. It was fine stored and dry, but it then smelled the same when I started to use it in the next period - so I ditched it.

I wouldn't be miltoning it! That's not going to be good for your microbiome, or whatever its called!

I used to use one and used a special soap it came with to wash it before I boiled it. But apparently the sanex 0 body wash in the pink bottle is exactly the same as the special soap. So I just used that when the special soap ran out. You can use sex toy cleaner too, I think.

I'd just wash it well and sterilise it in you microwave thing when you get home. You don't Milton your fanny after your period (unliless I've missed a memo somewhere?!) so I'm sure a cup washed carefully will be fine for a week or so.

You don't Milton your fanny after your period (unliless I've missed a memo somewhere?!)

This made me laugh 🤣

@EthicalNonMahogany don't think I need a new one. It doesn't usually smell but has done a couple of times. I googled it and it's because I don't always empty it often enough. If you don't the blood starts to degrade and it smells. Yuck. It's fine after it's been sterilised though. Maybe washing alone would do the job anyway I'm not sure

I would use the mooncup. Try and remember to empty it a bit more often and then give it a good wash at the end.

You can sterilise it when you get home, I mean.

I have used my mooncup on hols before - I just wash with soapy water between uses and at the end and sterilise when I get back. I wouldn’t be tempted by pads at all - in hot weather and in and out of pool.

no issues at all foreseen here - enjoy!!!!!

You're flying on a plane but worried about the eco impact of a few pads?!

Think about that.

Also use a tampon if you're in a pool shared by others, please.

I know what you mean about no alternative with the incontinence gear @Wahwahwahwahwah I do wince with so much waste in my job so I try to to do what I can at home. It doesn't combat it in any meaningful way at all but it makes me feel a little better. I'm of the generation that was taught to flush tampons and towels (athough way less plastic in towels then) so I'm attempting to offset that too.
Mooncup will be fine if changed and rinsed regularly.
I plan to start using my reusable pads if/ when I become incontinent!

You can get reusable pads. Try Etsy.

I use a mooncup the vast majority of the time, but have just realised that we are travelling the on my heaviest day this year - driving through France.

I can't be dealing with French service station toilets and a mooncup - so I'll be using tampons that day. I used reusable pads and a mooncup the rest of the year, so I'm not too fussed about using disposables very occasionally if it is more convenient.

I would think that buying reusable pads to use once would be less environmentally friendly than using disposable ones.