Me an a female freind of mine were hanging out and this question honstly poped up and we noth have no clue as too the anwser.
2006-10-30 19:25:03 · 8 answers · asked by jpanime13 1 in Health ➔ Women's Health
They used what they had...most made pads of rags, or rags wrapped round plant fibre such as cotton etc., and had to wash the rags each time. Kinda gross and not v. good if you had heavy periods! This is why in many cultures a woman with her period was self-isolated from others; for example the Sioux Indian women would go off and live alone for that time.
There's a website called "the hillbilly housewife" with a modern-day pattern for a reusable sanitary pad made of flannel liners with a cloth outer casing, pictures and all. Google it if you're interested in seeing what they're like.
Personally I'll stick with the individually packaged, winged pads we have now.
2006-10-30 19:36:10 · answer #1 · answered by anna 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question! Most people don't wonder about daily or monthly occurrences like that... we take it for granted.
My grandma told me that in the 'old country' they used rags or cloths like the others have mentioned. Since the rags didn't help with leakage now & then... that the woman would use her underskirt to wipe her leg when that occured. The women were working together separated from the men anyhow so that motion of wiping wasn't a big deal I guess. Nice eh?! Keep in mind too that all of the clothes back then were hand washed with bar soap... time consuming and a bit icky....oh the stains!
Found a site that's a short read about this topic..
http://pacificcoast.net/~manymoons/historypad.html
2006-10-31 03:37:32 · answer #2 · answered by Gigi 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've been readin a book called 'the clan of the cave bear' by Jean M Auel. According to the book she says that during menses, the woemn used to be isolated and used a kinda thin absorbent leather strap. Other than that I guess they use thin cotton strips as in villages Africa and India.
2006-10-30 19:58:41 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they used rags that's where the saying comes from u got your rags.
2006-10-30 19:28:26 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think they used clean small towels and hand-washed them when removed.
2006-10-30 19:28:06 · answer #5 · answered by rinah 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Used whatever was available.
2006-10-31 03:26:35 · answer #6 · answered by Pencil 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they used cloths...that's why it's nicknamed ragging or being on the rag.
2006-10-30 19:38:31 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they were using cloth
2006-10-30 19:27:38 · answer #8 · answered by kuti 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋