How to make reusable menstrual pads

My favorite "Peace Corps activity" to do is teaching on menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and how to make reusable menstrual pads (RUMPS).  There are a number of reasons why I love this teaching so much: 

1. Oftentimes, people want to have something tangible from me; they know the information and want to be able to do something with it.  I do not have much to give in terms of technical expertise, but I can sew a great RUMP and can teach others how to do the same (though, their sewing skills depend totally on their abilities and willingness to learn)
2. It is such an empowering curriculum!  I can teach people, from both sexes and of all ages, about normal body functions and how to take care of the body during this time.  I have seen the way it has made a difference in peoples' lives and know that, if people are able to apply it to their lives, can keep more girls in school!  We can debunk myths and talk about the questions that have gone unanswered.  And it's easy material to be shared from person to person.
3. If someone becomes a master at making reusable pads, then they can sell them for money.  I recently trained a women's group on how to make these RUMPS.  I am friends with one of the members and she told me that the group has partnered with a secondary school to sell these pads to them!  It is one of those items that has a huge impact on the buyer, as well.

I have taught hundreds how to make pads over the past couple of years with many types of people and, generally, people have really loved making them with me.  There are many ways to make a RUMP.  I have been shown a couple of different ways, but the way that I am going to show you is one that I came up with on my own after doing some online research about how people make their own cloth pads in the States.  If I have the opportunity to work with people prior to meeting them to make the RUMP, then I will let them choose the RUMP that they most like to be trained on.  And this is the style that most people have preferred to learn over the other (which has the towels on the outside of the pad, instead of sewn on the inside).  Both styles have their positives and negatives, but I do tend to prefer this style over the other as well.

You may be a PCV who wants to make RUMPS with their community groups or pupils or you may be someone simply interested in learning how to make a RUMP for your own personal use or otherwise.  I think it's a pity when PCVs think that this way is only for host country nationals to manage menstruation because these are a great way for all of us to learn more about our bodies and a good eco-friendly alternative to disposable pads.  All of my RUMPS are hand-sewn, but I am sure that they could be made using a sewing machine as well.

Materials needed:

• Needle (or sewing machine)
• Thread
• Button
• Two-pieces of fabric cut out into pad shape
• One piece of fabric about the size of the pad base (the part of the pad with no wings)
• Towels (2-4 depending on thickness) about the size of the pad base

Optional material:

• Durable plastic (you can use plastic if you would like to 100% prevent blood from soaking through to the clothes and will not dry them using extreme heat that will damage the plastic)

Step 1: You will need to cut out the shape of your pad!  This is an example of what a RUMP can look like, but you can make it any size that you would like and can make the wings in any shape or length.  Select your choice fabric (anything that is cotton (i.e. a clean t-shirt) can do) and fold it in two.  On one side, trace the shape of your pad using an existing cutout or freehand.  Once it is traced, you cut out the folded fabric together so that you have two identical shapes.  

At the same time, you can trace the size of the pad base (the part of the pad that is colored yellow above) and cut it out.  You only need one piece of fabric in this size, but you can still keep your fabric folded while tracing and cutting out so that you can have another piece for later use.

Step 2: Sew all the way around the outside of your two pieces of fabric and be sure to lock it with knots on both sides.  After you have finished, cut a hole on one side of the fabric only!  (If you would like to put some plastic on the bottom of your pad, then place the plastic on one side of your pad and sew it with the two pieces of fabric.  Do not sew it in between the two pieces of fabric, but on top of the two fabric pieces.  When it comes time to cut the hole, cut the side that DOES NOT have the plastic as shown above.) 

Step 3: Turn your pad inside out so that none of your stitches show.  This make take a minute, but be sure to pull your fabric completely out because sometimes it can get stuck. (If you have sewn plastic with your pad, then it should now be inside of and at the bottom of your pad.  If it is not inside, then you have sewn it incorrectly and will need to start over.  No worries, you are practicing!)

Step 4: Take your towels and sew them together to keep them from moving individually inside of the pad.  Pictured here are three towels, but you can use any number that you feel comfortable with and depending on their thickness.  You also can do this ahead of time (as a part of step 1), so that you do not have to stop to sew them together while making your pad.  I usually have these towels already sewn prior to training a group to save time in the process.  

Step 5: Put the sewn-together towels inside of your pad and make sure that they lie as flat as possible in between the material.  

Step 6: Sew the hole closed.  Now, this may not make much of a difference, but I just like to have everything sewn to ensure that it will last longer from the repeated washing.

Step 7: Take a bigger piece of fabric in the shape of the base of the pad, tuck in the outside edges, and use pins to keep them in place.  This covers the hole that we cut to put the towels inside and gives it a clean look.  The fabric that goes on top of the pad can be in the shape of the base or rectangular so long as it is a bit bigger than the base and can be folded around the edges to keep it from fraying at the sides.  

However, if you are doing this for the first time, or do not have the resources to have many pins in the side, you can use a piece of fabric that is the shape of and smaller than the base (i.e. what you see as pinned to the top is what you would cut out to be placed on top so that it would not need to be folded along the sides).  It will have some frayed edges, but that's okay!  It is a good way to teach a large number of people at one time, especially pupils!

Step 8:  Sew completely around the edges of the base and be sure to lock it with a knot from start to finish.  It is important that you sew through the towels and onto the back of the pad because this completely locks the towels into their place, which means they will not shift during wear or wash.  I have had many people only sew at the top of their pad, but you should see your needle go all the way through one side and out the other.  (If you would like to ensure that your towels will absolutely stay in place, you can also sew a straight line down the center of your pad making sure your needle goes all the way through one side and out the other.) It can be difficult if the pad is a bit thick, but with a little bit of time and persistence, you can get it looking nice and neat.

Step 9: Add your button on the wing of your preference and a hole on the opposite side.  If you would like a clean look, you can sew around the edges of your cutout hole to keep it from fraying (I did not do it in this case).

If you did not put in any plastic, then either side of the pad can be the top (i.e. the side touching the vulva) or bottom (i.e. the side touching the knicker/underwear) when putting them on knickers/underwear.  If you did put in plastic, then it means that this side shown (with the additional fabric sewn on top to cover the hole used to place the towels inside) will be the top of the pad when putting them on knickers/underwear.  You do not want to plastic to be on top  because then it will be a mess as no blood will enter through the plastic.


Congratulations!  You now know how to make a RUMP!  It actually is much easier than people think it is to make RUMPS that look this good; it only takes a little practice and an eye for precision.  If I have all of my materials prepared ahead of time, then it only takes me a couple of hours to complete.  But I wouldn't be a very good teacher if I did not tell you how to take care of your RUMP to ensure that it lasts you a long time and does not give you any infection.

RUMP care 101:

• You are responsible for cleaning your RUMP and you alone.  These are your body fluids and it is not sanitary to give to someone else to clean for you.
• If you are away from your house and need to change your RUMP, then you can bring an additional one (or two...three...etc.) in a plastic cavara/bag (each pad should have its own bag).  When you go to the toilet to change, take the clean one from the cavara and put the dirty one inside.  Be sure to not leave this bag anywhere for anyone to get into.
• If you have access to a washing machine, consider yourself blessed.  You can just throw your RUMP in and wash it.  If you do not and have to hand clean it, consider soaking your RUMP for about 30-minutes prior to washing to get the blood out of the material.  You will deal with less blood this way and it will help with stain removal.
• Once the pad has soaked, wash it the way you normally would with clean water and soap.
• Hang the pad to dry.  If you do not want to hang it outside in the sun, then it's okay for it to be hung indoors.  However, you never (EVER) want to put on a wet RUMP.  RUMPS should always be completely dry before use because wearing a wet RUMP can lead to infections.  Therefore, I encourage people to iron their RUMP (as long as there is no plastic inside) to ensure that it is dry and kills any bugs (i.e. mango fly) that lay their eggs on drying clothes.
• In order to prevent you from wearing a wet RUMP, please make sure that you have enough RUMPS to last for one entire menstrual cycle.  I do not know what this looks like for you because every flow is different.  Some people may need five while others need ten.
• Lastly, as a side note, don't put on a dirty RUMP after bathing.  Put on a clean, dry RUMP.

Now, have fun with it!  I have made a RUMP the size of my arm for teaching demonstrations and have made many smaller ones as examples to pass around.  Once you start making them, it's hard to stop...especially if you use kitenge!  (If you have any questions about the sewing process or RUMP care, then please feel free to connect in the comments below.)

Xoxo,

Emilia

DISCLAIMER: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.