This is your fair warning that this post is about mama cloth. Though I try to use discretion in order to not be gross (and not attract weird google searchers!) there is bound to be at least some “TMI.”
Those who have been reading for a bit know that I’ve been interested in Mama cloth for quite a while. Though I know I’m not alone when I say I initially though “reuseable WHAT?!,” it didn’t take long for the idea to grow on me. I think it was after switching my son to cloth that I started to think “hey, I want this soft cloth instead of paper too!” A few weeks ago, Party in My Pants Pads had a special offer where they sent the first 1,000 people (who had never tried mama cloth) a liner, absolutely free to try. Who can say no to that?
From the very beginning, I was impressed with the company. They were understandably overwhelmed by the traffic the promotion brought, and I had trouble getting my form to go through. I wasn’t sure if the 1,000 liners were gone, or if it was just a traffic issue, so I sent them a quick email. I received a personal, very sweet email from Melissa almost immediately. I chose my options (I could choose from mini, demi or luxe in cotton or flannel fabric, I chose the mini in cotton) provided my address, and I was set! About a week later, I received my shipping notice with tracking number.
The package arrived so discreetly that I didn’t realize what it was at first! I opened the package while I was waiting to pick my daughter up from school. I wanted to rip into it immediately, but it was packaged so nicely (see the first picture) that I had to photograph it first to show you! I love how the liner folds up onto itself and the wing snaps keep it closed. Also that there’s a little tag labeled “mini liner,” so you don’t have to try to keep track of what’s what.
Look what I found when I opened the liner! This was such a fun surprise. It was such a small thing, but just very neat, and speaks volumes about the company. My daughter spotted the chocolate unfortunately, but I did get a bite (and boy, was it delicious!!)
One fun thing about mama cloth is all the prints you can get! I didn’t get to choose the print for my sample, but when I saw what I received, I had to laugh! If you think about it, you are wearing money in your undies when you use disposable feminine products (only you throw it away afterwards!)
Of course, there’s no adhesive on mama cloth, the wings snap closed to keep it in place. I love this. Once you snap it on, you can slide it a bit to get it placed just right. With disposable products, I always have the trouble of needing to try to peel it off and re-place it, without the adhesive sticking to everything & having the wings stick to themselves.
The top of my liner is cotton (you can also choose flannel) and honestly, it just feels so much nicer to have cloth against my skin instead of paper (not to menton it doesn’t crinkle, making me feel like I’m wearing a diaper!)
I wanted to see how it stacked up next to a disposable liner, so I grabbed what I had in my stockpile, these Kotex long liners.
I think they are very close in size. Once I got the liner situated and the wings nice and flat, I didn’t even notice it. initially I felt like you could/should be able to see the line through my jeans, but I checked (I’m sure I looked silly bending over and looking over my shoulder in the mirror, LOL!) and you couldn’t.
The mini liner measures about 7″ x 2″ and is for very light flow/every day use. They’re available in a variety of flannel, cotton and organic cotton prints and have a breathable nylon layer to guard against leaks. The snaps are also nickel free. The mini liner retails for $9.99.
The pads are available in a huge variety of sizes, from thong liners to queen pads. The Party in My Pants (P.I.M.P hee hee) website has an awesome PIMP prescription page to help you choose the right pad. They sell kits to help you get started, and even have a “Mama Rama Kit” and a “Mama Mini Kit” for postpartum Mama Cloth (you can buy the Queen and Overnight pads separately too.)
So, what my verdict?
-I’ve only used this liner for “everyday” use, so I haven’t had to figure out the washing issue yet, since right now it’s no different than washing undies. However, when my disposable pads bunch up on me, I wash my underwear, I don’t throw them away. So I’m really not that intimidated about washing cloth pads.
-They’re soft and comfy. I find disposable pads irritating in many ways, and since I had my son, tampons aren’t comfortable for me anymore.
-They’re better for the environment, and I find it far more disgusting to have that stuff sitting in my trash can, than to have cloth in a wet bag for a day or two.
-If you normally pay for feminine products, these will save you money in the long run. Like cloth diapers, there’s an initial investment, but it will pay off over time. I’m a big couponer and haven’t paid more than a few pennies for this sort of stuff for years. Still, the benefits of mama cloth are worth it to me. Be sure to check out the sale section, where they have the “Cloth Pad Curious” (what I got) available for $3.99 now that the 1,000 free liners are gone.
-I’m loving this company. Their products are great and well made. The people who own/work for the company obviously care about their work and their customers. The little things like the packaging really impressed me.
So, what are you waiting for? Go try some mama cloth!
Discount: Use coupon code MM52011 to receive $5 off your order of $35 or more. Coupon expires 6/10/2011.
FTC compliance: I received the pictured item at no cost (along with 999 other people) as part of a promotion unrelated to this blog. I was not asked to write this review, I was not compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.
Maria wants to live in a world where cloth diapers are the norm and moms can make parenting choices without judgement. When she’s not chasing her 18, 14 and 11-year old kids around, you might find her checking out the latest gadgets, organizing something (again) or exercising in the fresh air. 
