Skip to content
Infano-logo
  • Health & Fitness
  • Sexual Health
  • Mental Health
  • Periods
  • Pregnancy
  • Parenting
  • PCOS
  • HerStory
  • Campaign
  • Download App
  • pink-search-icon
    • Close
Infano-logo
  • Health & Fitness
  • Sexual Health
  • Mental Health
  • Periods
  • Pregnancy
  • Parenting
  • PCOS
  • HerStory
  • Campaign
  • Download App
  • pink-search-icon
    • Close
  • Health & Fitness
  • Sexual Health
  • Mental Health
  • Periods
  • Pregnancy
  • Parenting
  • PCOS
  • HerStory
  • Campaign
  • Download App
  • pink-search-icon
    • Close

Boondh Is Spreading Menstrual Advocacy, One Drop At A Time

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin
May 25, 2021

Highlights

Boondh is a hybrid organisation that works on Sustainable Products, Menstrual Literacy, Advocacy, Policy and Programming.

It offers a range of menstrual cups and cloth pads while also hosting workshops or capacity-building programs with varied stakeholders.

Bharti Kannan with co-founder Sonal Jain aim to address, challenge and subvert systemic exclusions, violence, denial of rights with respect to information and healthcare and WASH, surrounding menstruation in India through their initiatives.

  • Quick Read
  • Full Read

Started by Bharti Kannan and co-founder Sonal Jain, Boondh is working on menstruation-related interventions, activism and advocacy.  Through their outreach programs they have sponsored cups for economically underprivileged menstruators in Leh Ladakh to fisherwomen and govt. health workers in Kerala in the south, domestic helpers in Kanpur and menstruators in West Bengal, Hyderabad and Uttarakhand.

“For beneficiaries who opt for sustainable menstrual products, we also integrate a supply chain of Boondh Menstrual Cups and Boondh Cloth pads”, says Sonal. Boondh also conducts workshops for campus youths and aspiring change-makers, green period educator program for workplaces that spark conversations on sustainable menstruation and menstrual health by creating a menstruator friendly environment.

 The Crimson Wave is their non-profit initiative in menstrual art by Boondh. Titled after a common euphemism used to describe one’s period, this project aims to bring the dialogue on menstruation to the mainstream. Erythrean, a sub-project of The Crimson Wave, features artworks created through the medium of menstrual blood. “We’re always taking in new submissions so if you have a story to tell through your art, you can submit at our website”.

Boondh’s development of Minimum Standards in Prisons for Menstrual Hygiene along with Resource Toolkit Reporting Guidelines got them the Priyadarshini Award for achievements in the Menstrual Health and Hygiene Space. Boondh represented the Women’s Major Groups (WMG) as part of the Major Groups in the United Nations Environment Assembly held in Nairobi in 2019. It was among the 3 selected social enterprises to exhibit its work and impact as part of the Laureate Global Fellowship in DC, USA in 2018.

Spread the love

When it comes to India, one can never say that there is enough menstrual literacy and awareness because of the poverty and illiteracy that exists among the population. Boondh is a hybrid enterprise started by Bharti Kannan who noticed a gaping hole in menstruation-related interventions, activism and advocacy. Co-founder Sonal Jain came on board when they and Bharti met.

Today, after five years Boondh is seven members strong and like they say, they are working hard to make menstruation a ‘non-issue’ in the country. They work on sustainable products, menstrual literacy, advocacy, policy and programming. Boondh offers a range of menstrual cups and cloth pads while also hosting workshops or capacity-building programs with varied stakeholders.

Bharti Kannan, strives to be a conscientious entrepreneur hoping to bring about positive outcomes along the themes of gender, health and environment. She was awarded the Priyadharshini Achievers Award 2021 by the Karnataka Mahila Congress for her achievements and contributions in the Menstrual Health and Hygiene Sector; she was also selected to participate in the Royal Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering for Development symposium on the theme “WASHing away inequalities”, co-hosted by Fomento Mexicano in Mexico City, 2019. Bharti was also a Representative, Women’s Major Group (WMG) at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 2019), Nairobi, sponsored by Women’s Environment and Development Organization.

From building menstrual life skills to advocating for sustainable period products to raising awareness about menstrual disorders – Boondh’s outreach work is carried on through various programs, campaigns and workshops, each designed and contextualized to suit the specific audience group. “We believe strongly in the power of safe, non-judgemental spaces, experience sharing and active listening, and strive to realise these tenets”, say the founders.

Sonal Jain is not only a Menstrual Health Advocate and lives with PCOS & PMDD. They have been an MHH (Menstrual Health & Hygiene) facilitator since 2013. Their previous work includes facilitating teams for World Merit UK in the space of environmental sustainability and education. Their everyday activities include empowering conversations and living mindfully. And that is why the values and mission of Boondh resonates with them.

Mission and Vision

Boondh is also very Intersectional Feminist in a way that is conscientious of how caste, gender, capital, religion, etc interplay in everyday menstrual experiences and choices.

They are eco-conscious towards urging for sustainable ways of program delivery and in turn WASH infrastructure development. Their campaigns include advocating for sustainable menstruation methods by switching, which are also available on their website to shop from. Through their outreach programs they have sponsored cups for economically under privileged menstruators in Leh Ladakh to fisherwomen and govt. health workers in Kerala in the south, domestic helpers in Kanpur and menstruators in West Bengal, Hyderabad and Uttarakhand.

 Advocacy through art

Among other programs, The Crimson Wave is a non-profit initiative in menstrual art by Boondh. Titled after a common euphemism used to describe one’s period, this project aims to bring the dialogue on menstruation to the mainstream.

The central idea of the project is to curate artwork about periods, myths about menstruation and different representations of female biology from a diverse range of artists across the world.  It is India’s first traveling menstrual art exhibition. Exhibited in a different city each year leading up to Menstrual Hygiene Day, TCW has traveled to Chennai, Bangalore Goa and Delhi so far, and went online for its 2020 edition.

Erythrean, a sub-project of The Crimson Wave, features artworks created through the medium of menstrual blood. “We’re always taking in new submissions so if you have a story to tell through your art, you can submit it at our website”.

Over the years, Boondh has worked with corporate and development sector organizations alike, building menstrual interventions to impart menstrual life skills, advance menstrual literacy, raise awareness about alternative menstrual product options as well as improve menstruation-related organisational policy and infrastructure.

“For beneficiaries who opt for sustainable menstrual products, we also integrate a supply chain of Boondh Menstrual Cups and Boondh Cloth pads”, says Sonal.

Boondh also conducts workshops for campus youths and aspiring change makers, green period educator program for workplaces that spark conversations on sustainable menstruation and menstrual health by creating a menstruator friendly environment.

Their Resource Toolkit Reporting Guidelines is consciously designed to make discourse about menstruation more representative, accurate and holistics for media persons and is a solid starting point towards enabling refined discussions and reportage surrounding menstruation. Boondh’s development of Minimum Standards in Prisons for Menstrual Hygiene along with this toolkit has been recognized by the Karnataka Mahila Congress with the Priyadarshini Award for achievements in the Menstrual Health and Hygiene Space.

 “Our mission keeps the menstruator at the centre of the ecosystem, attempts to be participatory in seeking menstruator choices, decisions and approaches to addressing change through an intersectional feminist approach”, they say.

Boondh is a recipient of a grant for menstrual advocacy to the tune of 37000 GBP from Amplify Change through a fiscal sponsor. Boondh represented the Women’s Major Groups (WMG) as part of the Major Groups in the United Nations Environment Assembly held in Nairobi in 2019. It was also among 3 selected social enterprises to exhibit its work and impact as part of the Laureate Global Fellowship in DC, USA in 2018.

Today, what Boondh is doing may just be a drop in the ocean but remember, it is such drops that maketh the ocean. 

boondhboondh cupsMenstrual CupsMenstrual cyclemenstrual hygeine dayMenstruation

Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin

Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin has done her masters in Journalism & Communication and has worked as a senior journalist, editor and columnist for leading publications like The Logical Indian, Deccan Chronicle, Worldwide Media Corporation, The Bridge and Provoke.
With Infano, she hopes to create more awareness about women’s health issues. Suffering with Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition, she has also been advocating for its awareness through media.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Infano Care

Placenta: The Life Supporting Organ

Written By: Misha
March 7, 2022 | 01:12 PM |
867

Highlights

  • Did you know about a newborn’s tree?
  • Placenta is an organ formed only during pregnancy.
  • The organ is not just a biological waste but is of enormous importance.
  • Reddish purple organ covered with blood vessels connect the mother and the developing fetus inside the womb.
  • Quick Read
  • Full Read

The placenta performs a critical function in ensuring your baby’s health during your pregnancy. It does it all: from providing nutrients and oxygen, transporting waste-producing vital hormones and protecting against infections.

The slightest malfunction with the placenta can lead to devastating results, including prematurity, stillbirth,  miscarriage, low birth weight,  pre-eclampsia, etc. If you are interested to know more functions and the positioning of this fascinating organ then ask your healthcare provider the next time you consult them.

Spread the love

“A parasite upon the mother” is how the book “Life’s Vital Link,” by Y. W. Loke, a reproductive immunologist, describes the placenta. 

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development refers to the placenta as “the least understood human organ and arguably one of the more important, not only for the health of a woman and her fetus during pregnancy but also for the lifelong health of both.” 

Realdus Columbus, first used the term “placenta” in his book De Re Anatomica, published in 1559. 

If you are pregnant or about to enter the phase of pregnancy apart from getting a lot of conventional advice, you must have heard about the changes the body undergoes during pregnancy. Well, that’s true! 

Your body goes through remarkable changes throughout pregnancy to produce the ideal environment for a baby to develop in. There is a formation of a whole new extra-embryonic organ found only during pregnancy- the placenta.

But what exactly is the placenta? Where does it come from? These questions are massively confusing to many people. Have you ever given it a thought whether it is made by the cells of the baby, by the maternal cells, or by both? Let’s figure it out! 

What is Placenta? 

The baby is not alone inside a person’s womb. Yes, you read it right! Throughout pregnancy, it is continuously surrounded by a companion. This is the placenta. 

The placenta is a complex and fascinating LIFE SUPPORTING organ that develops in the uterus during normal pregnancies and serves as a vital connection between the mother and the fetus. It grows from the cells of the embryo and not from the uterine cells of the mother. The disc of tissues is bluish to dark red in appearance, linking to the uterine lining on one side and umbilical cord on the other. 

It is an organ that contains a biome of information within itself about the baby and the conceiving individual.

What does the placenta do? 

Placenta is the interface between a pregnant individual and the fetus (an unborn offspring that develops from an embryo). It sustains all biological tasks that fetuses are unable to perform on their own during the pregnancy. 

The placenta serves the following purposes: 

Supplies oxygen and nutrients and eliminates waste– It transports oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the baby and eliminates carbon dioxide and waste products produced by the fetus, such as urea, uric acid, and bilirubin, is absorbed into the mother’s blood via the placenta serving as the baby’s lungs, kidneys, and digestive tract simultaneously throughout pregnancy. 

It not only nourishes the baby but provides a variety of products to enable the maternal body to sustain pregnancy and afterbirth events, such as the production of milk. 

  • It produces pregnancy hormones, each of which plays an important role in supporting your pregnancy such as – Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the hormone detected by pregnancy test kits. 
  • Provides immunity as the antibodies can pass through the placenta to the fetus.
  • Regulates the baby’s body temperature.
  • Another hormone produced by the placenta is progesterone, which supports the implantation of the fetus. During pregnancy, estrogen encourages the growth of breasts and milk ducts.
  • And Human placental lactogen (hPL) stimulates the growth and development of the fetus. To read hormone action during pregnancy in detail, click here.

You may also check out this video about the placenta: The incredible organ during pregnancy.

When does the placenta form? 

The chorion (an embryonic organ that develops before the placenta) forms as soon as the fertilized egg implants in the uterus. As per normal biological conditions, nearly it requires 18–20 weeks of pregnancy for the placenta to be fully developed in most of the pregnancies. And nearing 14 weeks of pregnancy, the mother’s blood supply is completely attached to the growing placenta. 

What happens to the Placenta after childbirth? 

IT IS OFTEN CALLED THE AFTERBIRTH. If you have a vaginal delivery, the placenta is expelled out vaginally after the baby comes out. In the case of a cesarean section, it is removed at the same time when the baby is taken out. To avoid infection, all leftover fragments are removed from the uterus by the health care provider. 

The spiritual belief 

Placenta is considered auspicious and is buried deep within the soil in some cultures to symbolize the baby’s link to the earth. It is believed to bring good fortune to a newborn baby. To celebrate the birth, some parents place it in the yard. Ceremonial handling of the placenta by many cultures around the world is a symbol of life, spirit, and good fortune for the newborn.

To read more on women’s health, click here.

This text is provided for information purposes only and is not aimed as an alternative for professional medical advice. Always take the advice of a health specialist if you have questions regarding your health or a medical condition.

afterbirthcaesarean sectionfetal developmentmotherhoodplacentaPlacental hormonespregnancy

Misha

Related Posts

Sexual Health 4 mins Read

Sex And Sexuality: Why Am I Just Not Feeling It Anymore?

Written By: Infano November, 11 2021 | 04:17 PM
HerStory 3 mins Read

A Girl’s Quest to Empower Her Hostel Inmates with Menstrual Products

Written By: Infano March, 8 2021 | 04:08 PM
Sexual Health 3 mins Read

Stealthing; A Breach of Consent

Written By: Shweta Singh July, 5 2022 | 07:48 PM
Trending 3 mins Read

Are You Shocked by the Recent Statements Made by Some Politicians?

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin March, 20 2021 | 05:56 PM
Pregnancy 4 mins Read

Why Do We Crave Some Foods During Pregnancy?

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin June, 10 2021 | 12:59 PM
Pregnancy 4 mins Read

Pregnancy Care Blog: All You Need To Know About The Caesarean Scar

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin November, 25 2021 | 06:41 PM
LGBT 5 mins Read

Bisexual Women and Casual Bi-erasure

Written By: Humzaad August, 24 2020 | 11:13 AM
Sexual Health 2 mins Read

Five Simple Steps To A Happy Vagina

Written By: Shweta Singh March, 6 2022 | 12:41 PM
Health & Fitness 2 mins Read

Self-Care Before Holi Shenanigans

Written By: Shweta Singh March, 17 2022 | 02:40 PM
PCOS 3 mins Read

Superfoods To Help Manage PCOS / PCOD

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin July, 8 2021 | 09:00 AM
Mental Health 5 mins Read

How Postpartum Depression Took Away One Year Of This Woman’s Life!

Written By: Sonali October, 1 2021 | 09:30 AM
Mental Health 4 mins Read

Mindfulness: An Effective Treatment For A Mental Health Disorder?

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin November, 7 2021 | 04:39 PM
Mental Health 4 mins Read

Relationship Advice For Women: Here Are Ten Things I Have Stopped Apologizing For

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin August, 30 2021 | 07:17 PM
Health & Fitness 3 mins Read

Here Is Why You Should Get The Cervical Cancer Vaccine

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin September, 7 2021 | 04:25 PM
Health & Fitness 3 mins Read

#MyStory: How I am fighting with Endometriosis

Written By: Infano September, 17 2020 | 09:00 PM
Social 4 mins Read

Do Homemakers Need to Be Paid For Their Work?

Written By: Infano January, 8 2021 | 01:51 PM

Subscribe to our Newsletter

To keep yourself updated with women-related news around the globe, articles, opinions, suggestions and exclusive offers that you should not miss, subscribe to our newsletter.

    Home | About Us | Contact Us | Terms & Conditions | Cancellations and Refund Policy | Privacy Policy
    © 2023 Infano Women's Health | Lifestyle | Success Stories • Powered by GeneratePress

    Insert/edit link

    Enter the destination URL

    Or link to existing content

      No search term specified. Showing recent items. Search or use up and down arrow keys to select an item.