For years I have held out hope for the early menopause my mother and grandmother both enjoyed...42 and 38 respectively. Being right in between those ages, I hope to average out the age at which our family's women go through "The Change." Consequently, about 3 years ago I stopped buying the Costco box that would last a whole year. I didn't want to get stuck with a bunch of pads when my time finally came.
As I near 40, I have more and more reason (read: unrealistic hope) to buy month to month. Consequently, I have been privy to the changes in the feminine hygiene industry and have learned much from my frequent perusals of Target's "Feminine Needs" aisle.
For instance, there must be at least 100 permutations of wings. They can be long or short. The peel off part can be one piece or two, or even part of the stuff that peels off the back (I'm not sure how they accomplish that one). Wings come alone or with "Cottony Soft Side Barriers" for full length side protection.
I've also learned good absorption depends upon myriad factors: Whether one has heavy or light flow and is wearing the product at night or in the daytime. The type of quilting, a variety of oval shapes, and the nature and number of the micro-thin layers of padding.
Fortunately for all of us, the complexity of the absorption problem has been solved by at least one feminine protection manufacturer in the form of a sort of all-purpose box containing pads of every length and level of absorption, making it possible for us to go from heavy to light days with just one box!
Finally, there is the bit of fabric that keeps a woman feeling fresh and clean all day long.
During a recent sprint into Target (after discovering that I had not yet been blessed as my ancestors had), I found something completely new to me:
Fashion Feminine Hygiene
I have never had qualms carrying a box of pads for my monthly through the store and then out of the store without a bag. In fact, I would be one of those women in commercials who plop down a box of kotex and look the male cashier in the eye while paying, if only those commercials existed.
But last night when I found the Fashion Feminine Hygiene, I walked taller and prouder than ever before!
Sleek with its black matte coloring and hip color accents, the box was decades away from Kotex blue and Playtex pink. But the real joy came when I got home and opened the box...every pad was wrapped in a different hip color that did not carry the shame of the peach, yellow and light green I'd become accustomed to carrying in my purse.
Maternity clothing may have joined the ranks of the hip and cool after my time, but I am glad to have had a chance to participate in the coming of age of feminine hygiene.
That said, bring on the change!!
