I have had many, many inquiries from readers about Mama Cloth. In case you haven’t heard of Mama Cloth it is the fabric version of disposable feminine pads. Many moms find that after they start cloth diapering they question their own disposable products, including those used during their monthly cycles. As with disposable diapers tampons and pads contain chemicals we shouldn’t want near our bodies either. I have still not seen a post-baby period (going on 16 months) but when I do I will be using a Diva Cup or a similar reusable menstrual cup (more about this in another post.) Emily was kind enough to perform a review of Leslie’s Boutique Mama Cloth for the readers who have questions about using it and how it works. You can read her review below and scroll all the way down for a great giveaway as well!
If you had asked me to try mama cloth three years ago, let alone write a review I would have said, “No thank you”. However, once I started cloth diapering, I started really evaluating at all of the paper/plastic products that I use and most of them have been banished. Pardon the pun, but the laundry list of disposable products that I no longer use include; disposable wipes, paper towels, paper napkins, plastic bags at the grocery store, and plastic bags for food storage. Switching from disposable menstrual pads to mama cloth seemed like a natural transition, so that is why when Leslie’s Boutique asked me to review their Mama Pads and bags, I welcomed the opportunity.
Leslie’s Boutique makes Mama Pads in three different absorbencies: light, regular and heavy/overnight. Each pad is topped with soft cotton velour and backed with a coordinating printed flannel. In between these are layers of organic hemp/cotton fleece and a hidden waterproof layer. The light pad has one layer of hemp/fleece and is eight inches long, regular is ten inches and has two layers of hemp/fleece, and the heavy/overnight has three layers and is twelve inches long. Each pad has wings with a snap that wrap around underwear to keep the pad in place.
There was a little bit of a learning curve trying to figure out which pad would be the right pad and when. If I were to go and buy disposable menstrual pads, I would buy something in the realm of super or super plus. With Mama Pads, I initially tried the Heavy/Overnight pad for day one but it was really more appropriate for over night and offered more pad and absorbency than I needed for daytime. The regular pad was enough for days one through three. And the light pad was perfect for the remainder of my period
I was concerned about the pads staying in place since they don’t have a sticky backing like disposable pads. The flannel backing kind of sticks to the cotton lining of your underwear so it doesn’t slide around. Because Mama Pads don’t use an adhesive it is so much easier to remove the pad rather than peeling a disposable pad off your underwear.
Washing and Storing
Leslie’s Boutique makes a hanging wet/dry bag especially for Mama Pads. It has the signature pleated pocket on the front to store your clean Mama Pads and a top zippering wet section. It is large enough to fit an entire supply of mama cloth and snaps to either a towel bar, toilet paper holder, or door knob. There is a fleece square in the wet section that you can put essential oil on to help with odor control. I didn’t utilize the fleece square because I don’t have any essential oil around and because I decided to completely rinse the mama pads with my diaper sprayer before I put them in the wet bag. Not sure why I decided to rinse the Mama Pads before washing. I think it is a cloth diapering habit and since the sprayer was there I decided I would use it. I sprayed each pad until the water pretty much ran clear. This is probably and unnecessary step, but just like I don’t like stains on my children’s diapers, I don’t want stains on my mama cloth and rinsing really does help stains from setting in.
I washed the pads and the wet bag with my diaper laundry in Rockin’ Green Detergent. (note from Kim- Rockin’ Green now also sells Femme Rock for washing Mama Cloth!) I use the Auto Soak feature and then use the Sanitary cycle on my front loader. I only put Rockin’ Green in for the wash cycle, not the soak cycle. Everything came out dry after one medium low cycle in the dryer (I use wool dryer balls and I really do think they help things dry faster).
I was pretty skeptical going into this, but I have to say I really liked Mama Pads. They are as trim as most disposable pads you would buy and create no waste. Here is the too much information part of the review: Yes, it is a little gross to spray out the pads, but for me, not nearly as gross spraying out a smelly poop. And there is no stink from your garbage when you use mama cloth. Just like used disposable diapers have a smell to them, I think that used disposable pads have an even worse smell.
Just like any reusable product, the initial cost is higher than buying disposable pads. Mama Pads range in price from $8.99 to $11.99 depending on absorbency. But just like creating a stash of cloth diapers, they can be purchased a little bit at a time and supplemented with disposables pads until you have a full supply.
Best thing of all, when you have a Mama Pad in your purse or your children get a hold of them (clean ones, I mean), there is zero embarrassment and no explaining “underwear stickers” !
About the Author: Emily G. is a mom of 2 precocious girls, Pinterest addict, and cloth diaper enthusiast. Sadly, her youngest baby just potty trained so maybe Mama Cloth is the next print obsession?
