Walking down the feminine care aisle

Who knew that a trip down the Feminine Care aisle would be so confusing?

I remember 20 years ago when there were only a few feminine products. You had maybe three manufacturers who carried a pantyliner, a mini-pad, & a maxi-pad. Then there were maybe two tampon manufacturers. Not much to choose from but you knew the selection & it was simple.

Today? Oh my gosh! There are tons of products on the shelves. When I've got the kiddos with me all I do is grab the same packages I used the last time. I didn't have the kids with me on Sunday, so I had time to actually look at what was there. Oy!

Maxi Pads, Long Maxi Pads, Maxi Pads Overnights, Maxi Pads with Wings, Long Maxi Pads with Wings -- all these seem to come in regular and ultra-thin thicknesses -- but then there's also the regular versus super absorbency -- then there's unscented versus scented! The combinations seem endless! Then you still have to figure out which brand you're going to purchase -- Kotex, Always, & Stayfree.

There's even confusion when you check what's available as a basic pantiliner. Some gals use these everyday. Some gals use these for light flow days. Some gals use these as a tampon backup. But there are a wide array of selections on this front. Carefree used to have one basic pantiliner that came in either scented or unscented. It now has a regular absorbency and a "fluid lock core". They offer long pantiliners. Then there's the "Perfect Fit" ones that are ultra-thin and are flexible. They even have overnight and thong pantiliners! Even Kotex and Always have as many choices on the pantiliner front.

What amazes me is how many female products there are out there. We have to buy pads & tampons to take care of our menstrual cycles. Some gals use douches. Some gals use deodorant sprays. Some gals use the lubricants to stay moist. Some gals need to take meds for menstrual pain. Then there's the stuff for yeast infections!

Men have no idea the things we females have to deal with monthly and yearly to stay healthy. I can see so many men cringing at the thought of having to have to do that exam where they have to "bend over and cough". You know which test I'm talking about? Well, what if they had to have a doctor open them up and take a swab sample of them every year? We don't complain about having to do that, do we? We do it because we know we need to get checked, right? Some of us do it so we can get birth control -- the pill (the many varieties & strengths), the IUD, the Patch, the Ring, Norplant, Depo-Provera, etc.

Then there's the whole different ballgame when we get pregnant! Oy! How many different doctors, nurse practitioners, midwives, and nurses did YOU see when you were pregnant? My OB had a practice that had 3 other doctors and one nurse practitioner. I got to see them...let me correct myself here and say that they all got to see me by the time both kids were born! By the time I had my c-sections, I really didn't care WHO saw my netherlands. Just get the kid out, okay! It's amazing how your sense of privacy and space gets thrown out the window when you're in labor (but that's a story for a different day).

I have to say that the walk down the feminine care aisle really got me to thinking about all the decisions we women make for ourselves in our lifetime....