The period project + Part one

If I have to live with it I might as well have fun. - My mindset around the health of the female reproductive system and periods evolved a little later in my adult life than I wish it had . I wish that the education and knowledge around reproductive health was more than stick a tampon in you, get on birth control if you don’t want to have a period, and if you want to have kids do it young before your eggs dry up. There’s multiple conversations to be had revolving reproductive health for women, but today i’m kicking off one surrounding periods ! Yep - your menstrual cycle, shark week, that time of the month ... Whatever you like to call it, we’re talking about it. 

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Choosing organic.

The period project is a journey that I may have started about 3 years ago without even knowing. Between 2016 and 2018 I spent those years battling bacterial vaginosis (BV) a bacterial infection, off and on and nothing that the doctors were providing me seemed to work. With the doctors leading me to a dead end of answers I really reeled in on finding information that could help solve my problems. 
Throughout that research I began to understand more about the balance of bacteria within the vagina, probiotics, ph, and one of the biggest contributors to my personal case, non-toxic period products! For many years none of us knew or even were aware to think about what was being processed into our period products ; chemicals like whitening agents, harmful dyes, and even pesticides used to grow the cotton ingredient were blindly resting on the shelf’s we shopped. 

Organic tampons & pads I love

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The Honey Pot Co
A black women owned personal care brand
​​ infusing their chemical and bleach free cotton menstrual products with aloe vera and calming essential oils. 

Shop with 20% off

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Lola ​
Redefining customization & convince in periods. 
Lola really focuses on catering to the individual period story & routine of every vagina with the offerings of custom period kits and boxes - if your flow is heavy only for day one and you’d just like 3 super pads and 9 regular pads you can do that !
​They also offer an array of tampons from non applicator, plastic applicator, and cardboard applicator allowing you the freedom
to choose your disposal preference. Their tampons are available in a flow range of four different sizes from light to super plus ! 

Shop with $5 off your first box

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​Rael 
Providing holistic feminine care that gives a natural and effective solution to each woman and every aspect of her cycle -
from menstruation, cramping, acne & breakouts - they’ve got you covered. 

Get 20% off & free shipping on your first order of $30+

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Moving on up ​

I used to be okay with just a good ole pad during my cycle until I heard about menstraul cups - a collection method for your period that you insert into the vagina and it collects & holds the blood rather than absorbing the blood like a regular tampon or pad.
I initially wanted to try the cup because it had aligned with my wants to eliminate the amount of waste I release back into the environment, but when I started actually using it I immediately realized how freeing & discrete life during periods can actually be.

The period cup I’ve been using is by The Honey Pot Co. 
A black women owned personal care company that offers everything for your pink pocket from pads, tampons, ph balanced washes, and period cups. There are a ton of brands now that offer these cups but supporting a fellow black woman is beyond important to me, so when Bea Dixon, the CEO of The Honey Pot Co added this alternative collection method to her line of personal care products I was so excited to buy one.

My monthly routine with using the cup is still in formation.
​I’d be lying if I said that using the cup is as simple as laying a pad in your undies but it’s not. I don’t believe that this alternative collection method from the pads and tampons will be for everyone, yet if you’re looking for moments & methods
​to redefine the narrative based around your period story I encourage you to try new things.

1.​ When beginning my morning - Before inserting my cup ( or reinserting after emptying it from the night ) I always release my bowls first. It’s so hard to poop once your cup is in, especially if you’re constipated too .

2.​ Gently wash the cup using a drop of soap that doesn’t irritate your vagina and it’s ph - I use castile soap into a mug with boiling hot water to rinse my cup before inserting it.

3. Don’t be afraid of lube! - To avoid additional friction I use a light oil like avocado or coconut just around the outside of my vagina so the cup slips in easily.

4. Pick your fold - Choose a fold that allows you to get the cup in with the most ease AND can be unfolded to suction against your walls once inside your vagina.
The punch down fold works best for me . 

5. Spread them legs boo - I sit on the side of the tub for a wider spread, but you can also sit on the toilet or prop your leg up while you’re in the shower. 

6. Breathe, a lot ! to relax your body and the possibility of unknowingly contracting your vaginal muscles. 

7. Insert the cup into your vaginal opening, releasing the fold as you get further into the vagina. The stem at the end of the cup should just peak out of the cervix while the rest of the cup is completely inside .

8. Listen ( with your body ) for a suction of the cup lining your vaginal walls. You can then also take your index finger and circle around the cup to check that it is rounded out with no folds.

9. Once the cup is in, pray for no leaks and protect your undies with a liner. Depending on how heavy your flow is will determine how long you can go in the cup without emptying it. For most flows the cup can be worn up to between 8 to 12 hours .

10. Removing the cup at the end of your day - With clean hands remove the cup by creating a small indication on the bottom/side of the cup with a finger to release the suction & pull. Empty the blood into sink or toilet.

11. Re-rinse the cup in boiling hot water. You can re-clean the cup using a drop of the same soap you used before, but it isn’t necessary for this rinsing step. 

12. Take a nice warm shower.

13. Track your cycle - I know I don’t have the best memory so tracking my period every month is essential. Using the Clue app helps me remember what time of the month aunt flow might be visiting along with patterns
​of pms, digestive issues, etc, that come with my cycle
at every stage.

Repeat ! - I redo these steps throughout my cycle and use my period cup until it begins to come out less than halfway full. This is usually between day 3 & 4, when I’ll transition to an organic pad or liner.

I then store my cup in the reusable baggie that it comes with until pulling it out for my next cycle. 

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A conscious cup wearer  

I enjoy using the period cup because of how discrete it allows my periods to be. I’m not sitting in a pad or having to remember to change a tampon, I just insert the cup and go about my day until I’m home for the evening and ready for a shower. Although that sounds like a menstrual cycle fairytale, it’s achievable ! ... once I get the cup in. Application is sometimes the only thing that makes me reach for a pad real quick rather than putting in the cup, because it does take practice with the cup to find an application process that gives you the comfiest and easiest results ( & with no leaks ! ) . Other than the momentary discomfort of knowing that the cup is there ( much like when you just put in a fresh tampon ), I love the freedom that the cup gives to my cycle throughout my day. 

I’M GIVING AWAY A FREE PERIOD CUP !
I purchased a second
​menstrual cup from The Honey Pot Co 
and will be giving it away to one lucky person
​who’s ​interested in trying it out. 

Giveaway is now closed

| All gifs in this post are not mine + links to products are referral links but are not sponsored or in partnership with the brands mentioned |