Hey you, menstrual bleeder. Yes, you. If you’re period underwear curious, you’ve come to the right place. Only a few moons ago, I was a nervous yet inquisitive period undie newbie. I had heard of all of its wonderful benefits, sure, but I still had my doubts. Like, won’t it feel wet? What if it leaks through? Will it look bulky, like I’m wearing a nappy?? For my entire menstruating life, I was purely a pads gal. But wanting to become more sustainable in my everyday choices led me to look at greener alternatives. And boy, am I glad I did.

Here I take you through a week in the life of my latest period cycle. Come with me and experience the high highs, the low lows and the moody mood swings. TMI incoming.

 

Day One

Flow: Heavy
Feeling: Ugh!!!!
Wearing: Everyday brief

Ah-ha! That explains it – my closed-offness, my moodiness, my breakouts… Yep, my period’s arrived. I know the importance of tracking my cycle (hello, luteal phase), but it’s something I keep annoyingly keep forgetting until said period surprisingly comes knocking. Nevertheless, I do the old one-two and furiously scrub last night’s soaked knickers in the bathroom sink. Oh, the joys. I hitch on my Bikini Brief. And ok, having my period isn’t too bad when I have underwear as cute as these. They’re got a thick waistband and stitching down the sides of the front, giving me retro dad vibes in the nicest way possible. The rest of the day remains uneventful. I cry when my sister slightly raises her voice at me and I fork out $9 for a tiny tub of ice-cream. Classic period stuff.

Day Two 

Flow: Heavy
Feeling: Cramps galore
Wearing: High-waisted brief

A few years back, I heard that some people watch their period blood run down the shower drain and pretend they’ve been shot like a soldier. Drama, I love it. In a less violent sense, I actually love washing my period undies. Hear me out before you label me a psychopath. All you need to do is rinse it in cold running water and there’s something very cathartic about watching the water run clean. It’s quick, it’s easy and afterwards, you chuck it in the washing machine on a cold cycle. Day two’s period isn’t kind to me. My flow’s still as heavy, and my body is riddled with cramps. I take a nap and stay close to my wheat bag all day. At least I’m wearing my High-waisted Brief which sit snug and contours to my body. 

Day Three

Flow: Moderate
Feeling: Chill
Wearing: Boyshort

Expensive ice-cream for breakfast is fine on your period, right? Right?! I wake up with my period giving me a tad less grieve than the prior days. As you can tell from the aforementioned ice-cream, I’m taking a chill one today. Clothing wise, I pair my Boyshort's with an oversized t-shirt. No pants bliss. These full-coverage babies mimic the fit of bike shorts, so I channel my best Instagram-model-off-duty look and slick my hair back and throw on some necklaces, elevating my pyjamas look to effortless cool girl status. I wear the Boyshort's all day with no complaints, no leakages and no fuss. I rinse them just before I hop in the shower (or hot tip: you can take them into the shower to wash too) and they’re ready for the washing machine.

Day Four

Flow: Light-to-moderate
Feeling: Optimistic
Wearing: G-string

Wearing a G-String on my period feels very risky! I was a wee bit nervous to try this one out but as my period is lightening, I muster up the courage to pull on this very cute G-String. And bam, it’s like I’m not even on my period anymore. I feel ultra-cute and like I’m just wearing normal undies. On my self-love high, I decide to pick a cute outfit to wear. And (f)lo(w) and behold, they fit snugly and don’t show. Washing my worn period undies is as easy as pie. I pop my underwear into a laundry bag and set the washing machine to cold, using mild detergent. I dry them on the washing line so they’re ready for tomorrow’s adventures!

Day Five

Flow: Light
Feeling: A bit meh
Wearing: High-waisted seamfree brief

I’m someone who usually annoyingly breezes through my period. Sure, I’ll have minimal cramps in the first couple days or so, but I know I’m lucky, considering that one in nine menstruators experience Endometriosis. But today, I wake up with less-than-fun back and leg cramps (ugh!). I decide to try and get myself out of this rut by putting on my comfy as Full Brief's on and pulling on a pair of exercise tights. It’s easy to be tempted to stay inside all day and mope around when cramps hit, but fresh air and a stretch of the legs can do wonders. I coerce myself into going outside for a walk with the temptation of coffee at the end of it. My knickers stay in place under my leggings, there’s no pesky panty line in sight and I get my caffeine hit. A win-win for the mornin'.

Day Six

Flow: Spotting
Feeling: Happy
Wearing: Boyshort

Day six is here and I’m so glad to see it! My period flow has reduced to spotting and I feel a renewed kick of energy in my wake. Fueled by this, I wear my Boyshort's and I roll out my yoga mat. I chuck on some Yoga with Adrian on YouTube – heck, she’s even got a flow for cramps and PMS, god bless her. I go down the no-pants route and feel ultra-secure. These babies have full coverage and can easily hold three tampons worth of fluid, leaving me care-free. Well, care-free in the period department, not so carefree so I struggle in downward dog.

Day Seven

Flow: Barely there
Feeling: Productive
Wearing: G-string

It seems that my period is finally packing its bags and saying goodbye (until next month that is). But I know better. My sneaky period tends to pretend it’s finished but it sometimes surprises me with a cheeky next day treat. So, I pick out my Scarlet G-String to deal with any unannounced flow that may pay me an unexpected visit. She’s a super comfy pair, with a mid-rise silhouette and cheeky bum cutting. I get going about my day and almost forget she’s there. Looking back at my week, I’m surprised that all of my Scarlet period underwear stay dry and are super quick at absorbing my period; it’s not like wearing a big pad like I once thought.

The verdict is in: I’m a newly converted period underwear lover and I ain’t going back.