These Women Tell Us The Story Behind Their Favourite Period Products!

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Period products, over the recent time, have got a lot of recognition and acknowledgement from not only its users but also organisations/ individuals working towards the development of menstrual hygiene and its awareness.

For a menstruator, choosing a period product means a lot and their choice, undoubtedly, does make an impact on several other fellow menstruators.

But the real question is how much impact it brings on ground?

Recognising the #MenstrualHygieneDay this year, Infano decided to talk to some of the women who wanted to share their real-life experiences of choosing a or switching to another period product.

Namrata

It was the first year of my period! So apparently, period and period products were one of the top talks in my school schedule.

I remember using handmade cloth pads — mostly because my family couldn’t afford a packet of synthetic sanitary napkins every month.

In those days, Whisper and Stayfree were luxuries and some of my friends who could afford them were no less than princesses to us.

I remember when I got my first packet of Whisper — I was elated!!

But that feeling lasted only a few years.

Growing up, I used to read about UTIs and vaginal infections. Eventually, I gave up on these synthetic pads and went back to my original option. Fast forward to as of this writing, I am following sustainable practices and hence given up on any kind of disposable or plastic-based period products. I’m completely into menstrual cups and reusable cloth pads now — they are long-lasting, soft to my body and clean and I don’t need to throw them either and oh yes, it saved me loads of money as well! And let me say, I’m so in love with them!!

Sheetal

I’ve always been a pad woman! I could afford to buy the best sanitary pads brands and other menstrual hygiene products but I chose to stick with pads. I don’t know if it was the comfort or lack of knowledge or if I was reluctant not to switch to any other product — but I always remain stuck with these pads. UNTIL — I decided to give in to my passion for swimming.

Now swimming as you can imagine demands daily practice and hours of dedication. While I was totally up for it, my periods weren’t. And that is when my instructor recommended me to switch to menstrual cups. Again, I was reluctant, but I had no choice!

My first few cycles were messy and the very first day was an honest disaster but it took its own time — and one day it felt like that cup was solely made for me!! LOL!

I have to admit, I was being fussy but that menstrual cup is the next best thing that happened to me after swimming. It changed my life completely and I still get mad at myself for not choosing it earlier.

I represent West Bengal in swimming and preparing for Nationals currently.

Meena

I’m 53YO — already hit menopause and now living a blissful period-free life.

Menstruation in our life was considered a curse, a sin and something that women could only talk about behind veils.

From not entering the kitchen to sleeping on the floor to teaching my son about it — I’ve seen it all!

I’ve mostly spent my life using old clothes as pads. Even after marriage, I mostly used clothes. However, while on family trips, I used branded ones too. It was a choice that I made for myself. Mostly, because cloth pads made me feel comfortable while readymade ones were only a choice I had to make on sudden periods. And I stayed with this until a few years ago.

2-3 years before I hit my menopause, my son got me a period panty. He is a very kind and responsible kid and has grown up into a considerate gentleman. He wanted me to switch because he felt those were most relaxing and worry-free for someone at my age. Not only he helped me in understanding, but he also kept asking for feedback until I used it for 3-4 cycles. He wanted to ensure that I was satisfied with what I was wearing.

While I won’t say that it’s as good as my classic cloth pads, I can definitely say that it’s no less than that.

Saba

Being an event manager, I’m always on wheels — sometimes for 16 hours at a stretch and the adventure it brings while I’m on my periods is unmatchable!

I’ve PCOS and mostly have irregular periods. While I always keep a panty liner with me, I’m a great fan of tampons. Maybe because I’ve been using it since 9th grade but I never really thought of replacing it with any other period product. I keep good ol’ sanitary pads for emergency purposes, but as long as the light is green, tampons are my saviours!

Shivi

What do I use? I’m a hardcore traveller — go on trips every alternate month and also suffer from PCOD.

When I’m home, I prefer reusable cloth pads for spotting and menstrual cups for heavy flows and I always keep a set of period panties with me.

For the first two days, a menstrual cup along with a cotton panty liner is a great combination for me. In third and fourth days, I stick to period panties, they are the best! For the fifth day, I say alvida to my periods with a reusable cloth pad. I always keep a packet of biodegradable pads in my bag for emergencies.

I’m focusing on reducing my carbon footprints and these products have helped me a lot in doing that. It’s been two years and I haven’t bought a single packet of synthetic sanitary pads.

Infano thanks these lovely women for sharing their stories!

This #MenstrualHygieneDay, #Infano along with #TheLogicalIndian, is addressing nuanced conversations on period centering on the well being of the menstruators as they power through every day. Share your experience with period products in the comments because your story can trigger an important aspect that we all need to know and talk about! #IPeriodMyWay #MHD2022

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When I talked to Ankita for the very first time, little did I know that her story would be stuck with me forever!

A resident of Palitana, Gujarat, Ankita Shah moved to Ahmedabad with her family almost a decade back. “My right leg was amputated due to polio in my childhood. There was an alternative to that severed leg, but regrettably not of my dreams,” she says.

Her father, when, was forced to leave work due to poor health, Ankita decided to step in to meet the needs of her family of 7 people.

A graduate in Economics, Shah’s degree became of no use when most of the companies started giving importance to her disability more than her talent — as a result of which, she never got a good job — she was either the job denied during interviews or was offered half the salary as compared to other candidates.

“I got a clerk job at a local high school in Palitana. He promised me a fixed salary after working for three months. I worked there for ten months, but could not get a single rupee in the name of salary. I did all kinds of things here in Ahmedabad — worked as a housekeeper in hotels, in call centres, real estate, stock market and whatnot, but I could not survive anywhere. A call centre asked me to quit because of my poor English, while in a real estate firm I came to know that I was being paid less salary due to my disability. I was refused outright in many interviews because of my disability,” Ankita further adds.

In June 2019, she knew that her fight had become longer when she came to know about her father’s cancer. At that time, she worked in a call centre where a 12-hour job would not have allowed her to go to the hospital with her father. As a result, she decided to quit her job.

“After that, I gave two more interviews for the post of a back office executive, but I was rejected again because of my disability. That day, I decided that whatever I will do, I will do it on my own,” she continues.

After thinking many things, making several calculations and predictions, she decided to become an auto-rickshaw driver.

Yes, there were many difficulties. Her family disagreed. But Ankita was firm on her decision. Her friend and fellow driver Lalji Barot taught her to drive autos and also helped her find a customized auto-rickshaw with hand-operated brakes.

It’s been more than a year since she became Ahmedabad’s first disabled female auto driver — and she never regretted her choice even for a bit!

The coronavirus lockdown did bring her a lot of stress of worries, but she eventually pulled through it.

But it was not just the lockdown that caused Ankita trouble. Being stared by people, mocked by bikers, and facing sexist comments by other male drivers became a part of her daily routine.

But Ankita, as I would say, is very obstinate — she never gave up!

She is fighting her fight every day. Pushing herself and making her siblings’ future bright. She wishes to run a cab in Uber or Ola after completing her auto’s EMI. As of now, Ankita’s younger brothers have also started working, and they also contribute to their father’s treatment and other household expenses.

Ankita Shah is just one of the many examples of women empowerment — a ray of hope and a constant source of motivation.

If you know someone who reminds you of this gritty lady, share their story with us, and we will share it with the world! #InfanoWomen