Reader, I must disclaim that, as someone who's currently sat on top of 1000-degree (read: a safe, not skin-burning temperature) hot water bottle, aspirin on board and feeling very sorry for myself, I'm well aware of the limitations of a period heating pad. Then again, when the period cramps feel so bad that it seems nothing - not a nap, not curling up in a ball on your bed and sobbing for relief - will help, heat therapy is always my next point of call, even if just to take the edge off. Can be rechargeable cordless or mains-operated devices. These range from wrap-around belts to pads that appear merely to be a small section of an electric blanket. You can even buy electric heating pads with a TENS or massage function. BESPOKE AND TESTED FABRIC: The Ova Therma Belt comes with fabric that has been tailor made to allow for more effective and safe heat distribution. Providing you with better muscle relaxation, blood circulation, which works together to relieve pain.

Most disposable pads are made from cotton. Cotton is an all-natural, breathable fabric that absorbs moisture, but it’s often grown with harmful chemicals that can be irritating and potentially unsafe. Buying organic pads is gentler on sensitive skin and delicate areas. Eco-friendly I, like countless preteen sensations before and after me, learned many of the hard facts about puberty, periods, and breast enlargement exercises from Judy Blume's Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret. And I, like many many other young women since the book's 1970 publication, was completely befuddled by the book's reference to the "sanitary belt" that Margaret uses when she finally gets her period. I knew about tampons, pads, and the other terrifying accoutrements I would be expected to deal with in my own rapidly approaching menstrual career — but what was a sanitary belt? Most people’s first experience with menstrual products usually involves pads. They’re easy to use and less intimidating than tampons and menstrual cups. Depending on your flow and needs, some features may make your experience with pads more comfortable and discreet.

Each person can have a different flow. Some have a light flow, while others have a heavier flow. The absorbency of each pad indicates whether it’s compatible with the heaviness of your flow. We might also assume that tampons and pads are all made from cotton, organic or not, but the other major ingredient in menstrual products is plastic. It’s important to remember that there are health and safety guidelines in place to protect us from nasty side effects. But menstruation is typically seen as a female ‘problem’ and is underfunded in medical research—so there may be issues with the standard of these guidelines in the first place. And yet, in our era of seemingly infinite menstrual options — I personally have a Diva Cup, regular tampons, O.B. tampons, and "overnight" pads under my bathroom sink right now — I wondered if anyone was still using a sanitary belt. I had friends who used washable pads, and I myself usually jammed a clear rubber cup into my bleeding ladybusiness. Was it so out there to imagine that maybe some people were still using sanitary belts by choice? But as I neared the end of my five days with the sanitary belt, I had learned only to be grateful for progress — and more aware of the weight of history in how we view our menstruating selves. As a teenager, I'd always been confused by tampon ads that emphasized how you could swim or ride a bike while wearing them. Of course, I'd think — why on earth wouldn't you be able to? But those ads weren't speaking to me — they were speaking to the women raised before me, who certainly couldn't swim or ride a bike or feel very sexy in these belts. Even though the belts were long gone by the '90s, the cultural memory of what a menstruating woman couldn't do in them lingered.

When testing has been done on certain examples, chemical agencies have reported finding various hazardous chemicals. They advise that these chemicals are low in concentration and therefore don't pose a risk, but here too we might raise questions about how standards are set. Eco-friendly pads are usually gentler on your skin and the environment. They are usually made of cotton, hemp, or bamboo. Sustainable period pads should also be free from fragrances, dyes, chemicals, chlorine, and dioxin. I mentioned this earlier, but I struggled with some of the buttons, which also might be my own fault. Not everyone might have the same trouble with turning the belt on and off but this was my personal experience with it.With a chemical filling (often activated charcoal) and adhesive application, these have more of a deep, artificial heat feeling. That said, lots of buyers of these patches have attested to their effectiveness, so they're not to be overlooked. BENEFITS: The use of both heat and massage therapies has been proven to help reduce: the feeling of bloating, relaxation of the abdominal muscles, soothe cramps, reduce congestion and deal with the effects of period pains and endometriosis. Overall, I think the OBI belt was really helpful with soothing my period symptoms and letting me go about my normal routine during a painful day when I otherwise would've just wanted to curl up in a ball. Here are my honest thoughts on it: The TensCare Ova Therma Belt carries on the Ova range which has helped millions with period pain using TENS Technology. This belt has both heat and massage modes to provide instant relief from period pains, dysmenorrhea and endometriosis. Allowing you to carry on with your day without the fear of pain. It is a small unit which means you are able to wear it out and about or sitting at home or desk. Providing you with comfort. Furthermore, it also helps with numerous other things such as reducing congestion, reducing bloating and relaxing abdominal pains - providing complete relief. With a unique fabric to allow for heat distribution efficiently and effectively will give you give pain relief utilising the 3 separate modes. Furthermore, there's no side effects or adverse impacts from chemicals, which could be found in more conventional pain killers and the unit is rechargeable. NO SIDE EFFECTS: Unlike conventional pain medication, with many different chemicals, the Ova Therma Belt is natural and drug free meaning there’s no side effects and you can use it again and again with confidence.

From cute animal-shaped stuffies to flaxseed, wheat or lavender filled bags, microwavable heating bags are reusable and ready-to-go in as little as one minute.All pads share the same purpose, but there can be a lot of differences between two similar-looking products. Here’s what to pay close attention to when making your selection. Absorbency In fifty years, we'll probably have period products so convenient and effective, they'll make today's tampons look as absurd as sanitary belts look to us now. But I wonder if we'll have shaken off the baggage of all the menstrual products that came before. My period with the sanitary belt taught me that no bleeding woman is an island — we're affected by all the ideas and taboos about periods that came before us.