I don’t use pads or tampons

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This is inspired by the post on winged pads. I have always hated tampons and found them uncomfortable and used to use pads when I had a heavy flow as a teen but now in my mid twenties I have quite a light period and now tend to bypass both.

I find pads uncomfortable and also am reluctant from an environmental perspective don’t like to throw hundreds of them away each year. I intended to buy thinx or a similar brand but then just began using a little loo roll (as I’m sure most women have done when caught short!) and found that as I go to the loo once an hour or less anyway so can replace and am very light, it works fine.

Does anyone else do this?

I would have thought a thin pad or liner would be more comfortable?

Or resuables if you're very light.

But going to the loo every other is unusual isn't it?

I did the loo roll for a bit but now use washable pads which I personally like

I'm slowly swtiching to washable pads and special pads.

I' don't think I've ever been light enough to get away with toilet paper.

I guess I was lucky that my Mum taught me to always carry small bag of additional supplies which I've done for my eldest DD who thanked me for making her do same and also said she helped friends out as well on occasions.

I have washable cotton liners that popper into place - I tried the tissue thing as a teenager and it worked its way down my leg and fell out my trouser leg!

I can't imagine going back to those terrible tissue days..

I also find pads uncomfortable OP.

I’ve tried a couple of different brands (always, body form) but still find them too large to fit comfortably. Even the “regular” sized ones.

Does anyone have any recommendations of pads that they get on with?

That wouldn't work for me, but even if I had that light of a flow, I think I'd be constantly worrying about it shifting at an inopportune moment and ending in an embarrassing stain. I'm not willing to suffer through that worry, month after month!

With so many options available today, I can't imagine willingly using loo roll, but every period's different from the next, so maybe it's a legitimate choice for a few.

Moon cup plus leak proof underwear (M&S version) at night

What are you actually achieving using loo roll? It's bleached, has fragrance in, and breaks down?

Just use re-useable pads and be done with it

Sorry but yuck! Just use sanitary towels if you upset like tampons. Using loo roll is not hygienic

Washable reusable pads are brilliant. I don't know why you would use loo roll when there are more effective and more comfortable alternatives.

No - unless in an absolute emergency. It disintegrates and is not very hygienic

I would find that a bit uncomfortable personally but if it works for u that’s fine

Wouldn’t like to use toilet roll. What if you suddenly had a “not light” period?

I hate the smell of

Agree with using a menstrual cup.
My mum always used loo roll!
She used to say that she wasn’t going to waste good money on that sort of nonsense 😁

@equuscaballus

I have washable cotton liners that popper into place - I tried the tissue thing as a teenager and it worked its way down my leg and fell out my trouser leg!

I can't imagine going back to those terrible tissue days..

This happened to me!!

Depending on what I’m doing it’s a mix of tampax and pads

@Windyatthebeach

Period sponges? Are they still a thing?

I could maybe do it on my lighter days but I only go to the loo every 3-5 hours so it would be risky. I tried a mooncup about 5 years ago but didn’t find it reliable enough - it seemed to leak about 30-50% of the times over the 2-3 months I tried it, and wearing a pad as backup seemed to kind of negate the point, so I went back to tampons. I’ve been meaning to buy some thinx and go back to mooncup plus pants for any leaks, but haven’t got round to it yet. I don’t mind tampons but hate pads as I hate the feeling of the blood - I don’t know if anyone else has this, but I can always tell when my period starts without going to the loo because I think it has a different pH to my normal discharge and feels slightly uncomfortable/tingly. So using a pad I have this tingly feeling the whole period which I hate.

OP, if it works for you and you're happy, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks or does.

We don't need a specialised product for every possible need – if your needs are met by some folded over toilet paper, grand.

I used to be in heavy flow tampons and pads before I had my Mirena coil. Many times did I soak through everything and ruin bedding.
Now I don’t have to use anything, it’s so light i only notice it when I wipe after a wee.

I use period pants most of the time and tampons some of the time.

My pills stop my period but I got caught out this month because with a fussy baby I've not had much cause to need my pill and I've forgotten to take it a bunch.

Unfortunately I'm more on the "elevator doors in The Shining" spectrum so no protection is not an option for me.
I wanna look into a moon cup if I stop my pills ever. Otherwise, I'm using pads at the moment.

I barely have periods any more thanks to the coil, so I'm a bit similar - tmi of course but I find for the 3-4 days I have a 'period', it's so light that it is only apparent when I wipe - I never have anything in my knickers. I can't use pads because they irritate me and a tampon would be way too painful for the lightness of it. So I don't bother all round - maybe once every few months there's a day or so I use a tampon, but otherwise I don't use anything. The very little there is all just sort of seems to stay where it is until I wipe!

I've never found using toilet paper to work well for me.

I use Weenotions cloth pads for menstruation and for stress incontinence when I have a cold. One of the best purchases I've ever made after finding disposable options really irritating and mooncup became really painful and obviously doesn't help with sneeze-leaks.

I used a mooncup for a few years but then read about the risk of prolapse etc. I switched to reusable sanitary towels about six months ago and I love them.

I used to in my early/mid teens as my mum was kind of neglectful and didn't give me enough pads and I was too embarrassed to ask.

If it works for you then fine. I somehow got a nasty smelly infection which just added another reason to the bullying.