Knowing menstrual cycle unhygienic is only natural for any woman. The trouble comes when you don’t try to battle it. The country certainly has been harsh and unfair to menstruating women in the past. There were very few options for general menstrual hygiene for women. There were regular cotton cloth pieces being washed and reused and until very recently, the essential sanitary pads were a thing only in the uber rich homes. The difference was that the women in the richer neighbourhoods of our metros were far more educated and had access to doctor’s advice, which was lacking in other areas that were still rural 3 decades ago. Anyway, then was then and now is now, and till date, a large part of the female population in our country doesn’t recognise the value of menstrual hygiene and there no doctors to give them tips on the same either.
If you’re menstruating today, you’re one of the 300 million women in the world that are menstruating together at the exact same time. A large number of these women are from Indian and a significant percentage is still using cheap cotton cloth as sanitary pads. So, be grateful as woman if you’re living in a suburban environment where period hygiene products and other amenities like clear water are available. Since, taking care of your menstrual hygiene is essential for reproductive and vaginal health, don’t ignore these important tips that safeguard your health-1. Choose your sanitary method carefully
Every woman has a different choice and should use the product that best suits their comfort, intensity of flow and the shape and size of their vulva. Most sanitary napkins are made of breathable cotton and the main absorbent material that keeps the blood from reaching the lining of your pants. They are to be chosen wisely as some of the designs might not be great for a woman with a bigger vulva, while some are not good at holding the blood and leak because they become lose at the sides. Choose sanitary napkins after trying out a few options and stick to that brand. For women who are comfortable using tampons, it is advisable to use a tampon that has a lower absorbency rate than the amount of flow that you get. Tampons with higher absorbency tend to swell up with the fluids and can hurt the vaginal cavity. It can also leave behind residue which can lead to infections, so changing them every 2 hours is necessary for safety. Menstrual cups are a very affordable, easy to use and eco-friendly period hygiene product. You can wash and reuse them multiple times before discarding. Namyaa’s Reusable Menstrual Cup is made from medical grade silicone which can be used for years and saves thousands of rupees. It can be worn for 10-12 hours before it fills up, at which point you shall remove it and clean up the cup with the Disinfecting Menstrual Cup Wash before using it again.
2. Change regularly
Period blood, when out of the body, attracts a lot of microorganisms that can cause different kinds of infections. Even on the days when you’re not bleeding too much, the bacteria in your sweat can multiply faster when mixed with your blood and reach the urethra. Which is why it is crucial to change your pads or tampons often through the days. Pads can be changed after 3 hours of use while tampons require a replacement every 2 hours. The changing also includes your underwear because bacteria from the previous pads or tampons stay back on your underwear causing rashes. So, make sure you change frequently on your heavy flow days or keep a timer for your negligible flow days.
3. Wash up more often
Out of all the menstrual hygiene tips, the most important one is frequent use of water to wash yourself. The main reason to wash frequently is to remove blood from the vulva. Mostly on your heavy flow days, blood can dry up around the vulva and get crusted on the crevices of skin like your labia, opening of the vagina and sometimes even above the clitoris. Washing off this blood is necessary to prevent buildup of bacteria and infections caused by them. Even if you’re out travelling or in office, you shall at least wipe your entire vulva with a wet tissue before changing the pad or tampon.
4. Ditch the regular soap
The daily use soap is the worst product for your period hygiene. Sure, it cleans and disinfects surfaces, but it’s harsh cleaning chemicals aren’t so good for the vagina. They make the vulva dry, disrupt the natural healthy biome (bacterial presence), disbalance the pH and make intimate areas more susceptible to infections. Especially during the menstrual cycle when the vagina has its own cleansing process, you shall not use soap to clean yourself down there. Instead use a mild intimate wash that is free of parabens and keeps the vaginal pH intact, like the Namyaa Haldi Chandan Intimate Hygiene Wash. It keeps the vaginal area free from irritation and soothes the skin with the goodness of Haldi and Chandan.
5. Discard your sanitary products properly
Along with your personal menstrual hygiene, you also need to care about the hygiene of your surrounding and your bathroom. So, discarding your pads and tampons properly is essential. If not discarded properly, they will create more infections and give out a foul smell. Hence, the best practice is to wrap the tampons or pads in a paper before throwing them in the dustbin. You should also make sure you never flush the tampons in the toilets. They will clog up the toilet and will create a horrendous septic condition in your bathroom.
There has certainly been a lot of stigmas in the past regarding menstruation but today there are a lot of options for women to maintain a healthy menstruation cycle. Yet, there are many in the country that still do not have the complete knowledge of menstrual hygiene. Using only pads or tampons to stop the bleeding is not enough, it is also important to keep sanitary conditions for your body. Which is why Namyaa brings you the Period Care Kit that gives you four products that maintain period hygiene and help with period pains and bleeding.
