Organic Cloth Menstrual Pads: Homemade Mama Review (Women Issues)

Edited to say: I was mistaken; the panty liners I got had a fleece backing. The hemp pad had PUL backing.

Edited Jan 4 2010: homemade mama is now called homestead emporium http://hyenacart.com/HomesteadEmporium/

Well I finally used all of my cloth menstrual pads from several companies. So here is my review for the first of those companies: Homemade mama. I only tried organic pads with wings from each company so will only be reviewing organic pads.

Homemade mama: This was one of the Canadian companies I tried. Peggy, the owner, sells cloth pads in a wide range of fabrics, including organic cotton velour, organic bamboo velour, organic hemp, and also many non-organic fabrics as well. I first heard about this company from a fellow delphi forum poster (thanks Flower!) who recommended the hemp and bamboo pads (she told me that they were much cooler to wear than some of the other fabrics from other companies). I bought a blue organic cotton velour tiny liner, a blue marble organic bamboo velour tiny liner, and a cream colored organic hemp medium pad with waterproof backing. The tiny liners were essentially panty liners and cost $5 each, while the medium pad (which is at least the size of a conventional pad or maybe a little longer) was $7.50. HM is one of the least inexpensive companies I've found, which was surprising since they use a lot of organic fabrics that aren't as easy to acquire as (and are more expensive than) the organic cotton flannel that many companies use.

First I'd like to comment on the great customer service I received from HM. Before I ordered, I emailed Peggy with a bunch of questions (mainly asking which pads were organic, whether the custom/sampler kits were available, and questions about shipping) and she responded to all of them quickly in a very friendly manner. The thing that struck me about her customer service was that several days after she first responded and after I had already ordered and received my pads, she emailed me to let me know that the custom kits were now available (they weren't available when I initially ordered). I wasn't ready to buy more pads yet, but I thought it was great that she had remembered that I had asked about them and then sent me an email about them when she put them on the site (it was nice if her to email me since items on her site go fast when she posts them up--I didn't buy more, but I checked the website twice after she emailed me, and all the custom sets were gone in less than a day).

Anyways, about the pads: first thing I have to say is how well made they are. I liked the fact that they were all-in-ones (AIOs) because AIOs tend to be less bulky than the ones with liners or inserts. Also all of her pads were very soft, especially the bamboo and hemp ones, though the cotton velour was pretty nice too. The colors of the panty liners, while not as bright and intense as some of the other companies I tried, were still very pretty. I also received my order quickly (about a week, though sometimes orders can take up to 2 weeks since it is an international company). And even though I only ordered 2 panty liners and a pad, Peggy included a 10% off coupon for my next order, which is awesome, especially since the prices of her products are already super inexpensive compared to some other companies.

I really liked the hemp pad with PUL waterproof lining. I think it is the pad I liked the most out of all the companies I tried. Many pads from other companies were close seconds but I really loved this one because it was the thinnest pad I tried (only a little thicker than a disposable ultra pad), and since it had a waterproof lining, it had superior leak prevention protection. Now I have to say I didn't leak with any of the pads from any companies I used but I was sure to change them in a timely manner (many of them were made only of fabric except for one other company :) ). But this one I used for several hours longer than other pads and it was so absorbent and stayed in place, yet the waterproof backing was not hot at all, did not irritate my skin, and though the hemp top was cream colored I did not have a problem with staining (be sure to rinse and soak promptly to avoid staining). And did I mention it was soft and comfortable? And thin? And inexpensive?

The panty liners were great as well. They had a fleece backing and they were very effective, extremely soft, and comfortable.

Homemade mama sells many other products, such as baby products and products for nursing mothers, and from time to time they offer sampler kits (free shipping with sampler kits) and custom kits (where the pads are made to order) at great deals. Overall, an excellent company, and I am definitely getting more pads from them :)