Mens...Barbara Hanneloré ©2017 [email protected] If you use disposable pads or...

Barbara Hanneloré ©2017 www.womenswaymooncycles.com [email protected]

Menstrual Products& Fertile FlowThe Cycle of Fertility

Here are a few things to consider about menstrual products. There are many alternative products available, and several good reasons for using them!

You’ll also find here a bit of insight into the fertile time of your cycle. There are signals to look for that can help you understand what your body is doing, all month long!

Finally, I’ve included some links to good references for a visual chart of female biology.

1. Alternative menstrual products - better for you, better for the environment!

© 2017 all rights reserved Barbara Hanneloré www.WomensWayMoonCycles.com 1


If you use disposable pads or tampons, you may want to learn more about what is really in these products! The pads from the larger, “mainstream” companies are filled with plastics, fibers and dioxins (toxic bleach) that should not be near our delicate tissues!

You can find disposable pads and tampons at health food stores (Seventh Generation is a popular brand) that don’t contain these harmful toxins.

Many small companies are now creating cloth menstrual pads. Yes - you re-use them!

These pads are much more cost effective, over time, than disposables, and many women find them much more comfortable as well. They are environmentally friendly, too, because they don’t end up in landfills. They can be soaked, washed and dried, and used again and again! Here are some of my favorite sites.

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These sites have a lot of good info, and Q&A.

New Moon PadsWeMoon.com.auDominoPadsEcoKarma.net


sherr

Cross-Out

https://www.newmoonpads.com/info/faq.html

https://www.ecokarma.net/best-reusable-pads/

http://dominopads.com/

https://wemoon.com.au/


These same companies also carry menstrual cups, another alternative that you and your daughter could consider, over time. The cups are inserted internally and worn for a few hours. Then, you empty, rinse, and repeat!

These are NOT disposable, so they end up being very economical. There are many sizes and styles of cups, so look at a good tutorial or chart before you choose one. Here’s a tutorial:

http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-menstrual-cup/

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IMPORTANT: link below

When you wear tampons, even if they are a more organic brand, they need to be changed regularly to avoid bacterial overgrowth which can cause toxic shock syndrome!

This is very important to know. Toxic shock can be deadly. It can come on quickly, and be difficult to diagnose.

Here is a very informative, important LINK to a post on Toxic Shock Syndrome, listing symptoms and precautions to take.



Please read, and share this information with your daughter. It will be good for her to know, so she can share it with friends, even if she does not use tampons herself.

ToxicShockSyndromeInformation

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2. Fertile Flow - what happens during the rest of the month!

Women have different types of flow throughout the month. Our menstrual flow is obvious - it is red! Our fertile flow is a surprise to many of us, and each month we wonder - “What’s that in my underwear?” Unfortunately, many women and even many doctors are not familiar with fertile flow, and think that something is wrong when they see it!

Fertile flow is perfectly normal, and simply indicates that we are ovulating! It is one of the main signals of fertility each month (along with the change in body temperature), and serves a valuable purpose.



Your fertile flow appears at the opposite time in your cycle from your menstrual flow - about 2 weeks later, if you have a 4 week cycle.

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After menstruation, a new cycle begins! For the first half of the cycle, the uterine lining thickens again, and a few eggs in the ovary start to grow. When ovulation happens, a mature egg bursts from the ovary. Fertile flow accompanies ovulation. During ovulation, the fertile flow will be at its peak.

In most women this flow is noticeable. Each woman can learn her own rhythm and what the fertile flow looks like for HER, each month, at ovulation.

All month long, your flow is changing. After menstruation there is not much happening for a few days (these are called “dry days”), and then the flow begins to increase a bit, so that you feel more moisture.

As ovulation approaches this Fertile Flow becomes more evident. At the peak of fertile flow, it is usually clear, like egg white. It also has a stringy quality to it, meaning that it will stretch into strands between your fingers. Fertile flow dissipates quickly once ovulation is over.



This will be a very valuable thing for your daughter to observe and understand throughout her life, whether she is someday trying to become pregnant, or just wanting to know what is normal for her body.

Her “body literacy” will develop over time, as she learns to understand these signs and signals (to “read the language” of her body!).

This body literacy helps women to feel more confident, with a better understanding of their bodies, and this confidence

actually extends into many other areas of life.

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I mentioned that Fertile Flow serves a valuable purpose; the clear, long strands of Fertile Flow provide a “superhighway” for sperm to easily swim up through the cervix. It also provides nutrition for them!

At other times of the month, the cervical flow, (another name for fertile flow, which is produced by the cervix) is rather thick and tacky, inhibiting sperm travel and protecting the uterus. But at ovulation, it becomes clear and easy to navigate!



Fertile flow signals fertility! So of course you will want your daughter to understand that this is part of the responsibility of having a cycle - to know that she is extra fertile at these times.

Cycle Savvy, by Toni Weschler, is written for teenage girls and offers a wealth of colorful, easy-to-understand information on this topic.

3. Biology of Reproductive System

I won’t include a diagram here, but will direct you to a few wonderful resources. Hope these will be useful!

http://www.drnorthrup.com/wisdom-of-menstrual-cycle/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_reproductive_system

http://kidshealth.org/en/teens/female-repro.html?WT.ac=ctg

https://www.girlshealth.gov/body/reproductive/system.html


Mens...Barbara Hanneloré ©2017 [email protected] If you use disposable pads or...

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