DIY period blanket: use a red fleece blanket and say goodbye to itchy pads and tampons

Lits Eylül 13, 2022

Where are the days when my flow was so horrible that I had to use lady pants? You know, those incontinence panties?

I have come a long way since.

I tried cups. Don't get me started. They pressed against my walls, caused pain, spilled at night, and were a nightmare to get out (imagine fisting yourself to try and squeeze the bottom of the cup with 3 fingers just to get the suction out, and when that's out, it's still stuck!)

At night it's a hassle to keep sheets from staining. High absorbing tampons are dangerous to our health, painful and itchy, while light tampons can leak, and ruin underwear and mattrasses. Lady panties work well, but look like diapers and smell like it too. Liners are unreliable, mega itchy and uncomfortable. Menstrual panties don't absorb enough. Period blankets from Thynx have a very high price tag. We could use towels but they are usually hard to lay on, slide around, leading to more anxiety and restless nights. A waterproof mattress protector is cool, but it's hard and supposed to go under the mattress sheet, leaving the mattress sheet still exposed to stains, leading to more costs.

So I came up with an idea. Is this all really worth saving our sheets and mattress for? What if we took a mild risk and let nature run its course at the same time, leaving our bodies a bit more free and healthy, and giving our peaceful nights back?

Here is my idea: why don't we sleep on large, folded, red fleece blankets? A red fleece blanket of good quality is not a very high cost but it feels like a dream to lay on. The red hides stains from the period. Yes, you will have a dirty bum when you wake up, but you will also feel so much more comfortable and the natural lubrication of the blood will feel soothing to your vagina rather than a bleached, hard absorbing tampon. The fleece blanket can go in the laundry along with other dark fabrics and voilà!

There's soft red plaids in all price categories. I've seen the blanket with varying prices between 10 and 150 euros. I wouldn't pay the most expensive one, since you'll have to wash it once a month, but of course the more expensive the better the quality. I found a great one in imitation fur which seems to have a sort of waterproof bottom layer, just like a Thynx blanket. The cheapest fleece blankets from your local home decor shop will get matte and rough quite quickly and you don't want that. In between these you have the fluffier textures that feels almost like a white kitten. It's up to you.

Appalaches, red plaid in imitation fur, € 129