Why i switch to reusable menstrual cloth pads

Sebagai seorang perempuan tentunya aku gak pernah lepas dari tamu bulanan (menstruasi). Dan pastinya stok pembalut dirumah hampir selalu ada. Kalo bahas menstruasi pasti ga ada habisnya, dari emosi yg naik sebelum siklusnya mulai, jerawat bulanan, nafsu makan naik, sampai isu-isu pembalut berbahaya karena mengandung klorin. Tapi bukan topik itu yang mau aku bahas, ayo kita lihat sisi lain dari si tamu bulanan ini.

Sebelumnya ada beberapa pertanyaan nih, kalian jawab sendiri dalam hati aja yaaaa

Kalian tau ga ada berapa jenis alat pembantu menstruasi wanita ?
Jujur awalnya aku cuma tau pembalut konvensional di supermarket, dan emang itu yang dikenalin semenjak awal menstruasi.

Kalian kalo pilih pembalut yang kaya gimana sih? 
Aku tim pembalut tipis dan ga panjang2 bgt, darah menstruasiku normal aja sih ga banyak bgt ga dikit bgt juga. Jadi i prefer thin pads, lebih enak dipake juga kalo lg banyak aktivitas.

Kira-kira waktu siklus haid kalian datang, dalam sehari bisa berapa kali ganti pembalut?
Kalo aku bisa 3-4x, walaupun lebih baik ganti setiap 4 jam yaaa (tapi suka ga sempet)

Selama pake pembalut sekali pakai (kotex, softex, laurier, anion) ada gak sih keluhan dari kalian?
Aku sering banget iritasi gara2 pinggiran pembalut yang terbuat dari plastik, dan aku ga suka sama pembalut yang isinya kaya kapas gitu (kotex/laurier) soalnya kapasnya suka keluar2 kalau lg banyak gerak, dan pr banget buat nyucinya. Dulu aku pake pembalut gel dari anion, yg tipis dan dingin (ada sirihnya).

Biasanya kalian nyuci pembalut kaya gimana
Nah kalo aku, karena pake pembalut yg gel jadi aku cuci biasa dulu terus isinya aku flush (gaboleh ga sih harusnya???) nah bagian plastiknya kalo udah bersih aku buang ke tempat sampah.

sempat buat polling di instagram, dan hasilnya iniii

Nahhh buat yang belum tau, alat pembantu menstruasi wanita itu jenisnya ada banyaaakk banget. Tapi ada 4 jenis yang paling populer di dunia.

1. Pembalut sekali pakai

https://d3t543lkaz1xy.cloudfront.net/photo/5a5c074123b8dc15d37f2cf6_m

Pasti hampir semua perempuan tau pembalut ini dan mungkin pengguna pembalut ini. Merknya banyak banget, bahan yang digunakan juga macem2, yang jelas penggunaannya sekali pakai, lalu buang. Sayangnya pembalut ini ga semuanya aman, dan bisa picu kanker rahim :(

2. Menstrual Cup

https://scontent-atl3-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/4e3a71fe958fc591b05c593f28da1a61/5BA4D5C1/t51.2885-15/e35/27574722_169920223643955_397125148773187584_n.jpg

Nah, kalo jenis ini di indonesia jarang yaa yg pakai. Kalaupun ada kebanyakan yang sudah pernah berhubungan seksual, soalnya ini pr banget cara pakainya harus dimasukan ke vagina (serem yaaa). Tapi ini salah satu alat bantu menstruasi yang sangat ramah lingkungan! karena 1 menstrual cup bisa dipakai terus menerus sampai 5 tahun.

3. Tampons

https://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2017/04/27/09/tampon.jpg?w968h681

Jenis alat bantu ini sering kalian dengar di serial tv atau film luar negri, iya gak? Awalnya aku kira tampon = pembalut. Eh ternyata beda banget bentuknya! Ini juga jarang digunakan di indonesia, iya karena kita punya budaya timur yang masih sangat meninggikan virginitas (mindset ini ada baik&buruknya). Penggunaan Tampons ini hampir mirip menstrual cup, harus dimasukkan ke vagina, jadi yaaa kurang suitable untuk mereka yang belum pernah berhubungan seks. Bentuknya memang simple dan terlihat praktis, tapi hororrr sih menurutku.

4. Reusable Menstrual Pads

https://cdn.idntimes.com/content-images/post/20160622/pembalut4-9675a87ac3b8dd71dccbcf3636810cdf.jpg

Lah apa bedanya ini sama pembalut biasa? Beda! ini bisa digunakan berkali2, ya walaupun ga se intensif menstrual cup. Menstrual pads ini terbuat dari kain, mirip sama pembalut orang jaman dulu yaaa cuma pake kain. Tapi ini dengan bentuk yang lebih disempurnakan. Banyak pros and cons penggunaan menstrual pads ini.

Pros :

• Ramah lingkungan, karena bukan sekali pakai 
• Ga buat alergi, karena bahannya lembut
• Aman dan bebas dari klorin
• Ekonomis untuk jangka panjang
• Umur penggunaan bisa 3 tahun lebih

Cons :

• Ribet, harus segera dicuci
• Harga satuannya mahal ( > Rp20.000 )
• Takut ga bersih nyucinya, nanti jadi sarang bakteri :( 
• Tebel :(((

Kira-kira dari 4 jenis alat pembantu menstruasi, kamu kepikiran ga mau coba yang lain? 

Aku iya! tapi bukan menstrual cup atau tampons, masih belum berani

Singkatnya aku sudah beralih ke reusable menstrual pads. Kenapa? Emang ga ribet? Ga takut jadi sarang bakteri pembalutnya?

Jadi, alasan utama itu karena takut bahaya klorin di pembalut konvensional. Karena sebenernya apapun merknya kandungan klorin pasti ada, cuma beda-beda kadarnya. Fungsi klorin disini sebagai zat pemutih, memang banyak artikel bilang kalau ga berbahaya. Tapi benar adanya kalau residu klorin di pembalut bisa memicu iritasi bagi beberapa penggunanya, dan mungkin aku salah satunya yang sering iritasi pakai beberapa jenis pembalut. 

Alasan kedua, lingkungan! Temen-temen tau ga berapa rata-rata limbah pembalut yang dihasilkan wanita dalam hidupnya? 150 kg limbah pembalut untuk seorang wanita. Padahal 1 pembalut sekali pakai = 4 kantong plastik, dan waktu untuk mendegredasinya minimal 800 tahun. Aduuh umur kita aja belum tentu nyampe 80 tahun, kok warisan sampah kita bisa sampai selama ituuuu. Melihat salah satu wasteful thing dalam hidup aku adalah penggunaan pembalut sekali pakai, so i make a switch! 

Kalo alasan ketiga, ternyata bisa hemat uang loh. Nih perhitungannya :

Rata-rata harga 1 pembalut sekali pakai: 2500

1 hari : 4 x 2500 = 7500

1 tahun : 7500 x 7 x 12 = 630.000

3 tahun : 630.000 x 3 = 1.890.000

Rata-rata harga 1 pembalut kain / Menstrual pads : 35.000 

Siklus haid biasanya 7 hari, kalau tiap hari ganti berarti

7 x 3 = 21 pembalut

21 x 35.000 = 735.000 (bisa digunakan untuk 3th bahkan lebih)

Tapi bisa aja kita cuma punya 10 pembalut, karena tiap hari kita cuci dan keringkan jadi pembalutnya bisa dipakai keesokan harinya lagi. Jauh lebih irit lagi kann.

Kemarin aku pakai menstrual pads saat traveling, memang sengaja mau nyobain aja. Menurutku gak ribet sih, selama kalian masih bisa menemukan kamar mandi, ember, dan tempat mengeringkan pembalut (air dry ya). First impression, aku ngerasa kaya ada yg 'ganjel' karena memang agak tebel ya si menstrual pads ini. Rasanya mirip kaya pakai pembalut malam yg 30cm lebih, jujur agak mirip pake popok..... dan mungkin karena aku gak biasa pake pembalut tebel dan puanjangg. Tapi bahannya lembut banget, bahkan lebih lembut dari CD ku yang merknya pasti dipunyain semua perempuan (sorex). Oh ya, aku jarang bgt pakai thigh jeans atau thigh pants, jadi aku kurang tau kalau dipake skinny jeans akan terlihat bulky atau engga. Selama aku pake kulot atau gamis, so far terlihat normal kok.

Untuk daya serapnya, menurutku ini bagus sih.. walaupun darah mensku bukan yang banyak bgt kayak habis potong ayam, tapi biasanya kalau pake pembalut biasa di hari kedua siang2 darahnya udah ga ketampung. Tapi pake menstrual pad ini, masih berasa kering kok.

Kalau mau ganti gimana fa? Pembalut bekasnya ga langsung aku cuci, tapi aku simpen dulu di wet bag, kalau udah sampe rumah atau hotel baru deh dicuci. Tapi lebih baik kalau punya akses untuk nyuci, ya dicuci dulu aja say. Wet bag ini punya 2 kantung, 1 untuk nyimpen pembalut bersih, 1 lg untuk pembalut kotor. Tenang, separatornya waterproof kok jadi ga akan ngotorin pembalut bersihnya.

Wet bag

PRnya nih, nyuci! Aku disarankan penjualnya untuk pakai detergen yang dipakai untuk cloth diaper bayi, karena bebas dari pelembut. Kenapa harus bebas pelembut? Jadi ternyata pelembut akan membuat lapisan baru di atas kain, yang nantinya bikin daya serap pembalut berkurang. Oke deh kemarin aku bawa detergennya di jar kecil. Merk detergen yang aku pake ultraco beli di toko perlengkapan bayi, bisa juga pake sunlight hijau atau daia lemon.

• Nyucinya pake air mengalir yaa, nanti luntur sendiri kok darahnya. 
• Setelah darahnya turun semua, dan tinggal sisa stain yang agak bandel kamu rendam pembalutnya di air yang udah dikasih detergen.
• Rendam sekitar 15 menitan aja, terus dikucek2 sampai stainnya hilang
• Bilas, lalu peras
• Keringkan

Sering nih banyak yang nanya, kalau stainnya gabisa ilang gimana? Sebenernya bekas darahmu itu kalau dijemur dibawah matahari bakterinya akan kabur ya walaupun masih ada bekasnya. Dan ini gak najis kok teman-teman. Aku sudah tanyakan ke orang yang ahli di bidang fikih dan kalian bisa cek artikel ini :

http://benangmerahdasi.com/hukum-fiqih-darah-kering-yang-menempel-di-baju/

Sepertinya sudah sangat panjang post kali ini, terimakasih sudah membaca dan menunggu post ini rilis. Semoga bermanfaat!

Aku banyak belajar di akun youtube ini :
https://www.youtube.com/user/preciousstarspads

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71a3WYIPxHL._SL1140_.jpg

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61WdH1iMwcL._SL1143_.jpg

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71PWXqA8%2BSL._SL1146_.jpg

Online shop penjual reusable menstrual pads :

https://www.baby-oz.co.id/ (aku beli disini)

https://www.ducksavesearth.com/shop 

http://greenmommyshop.com/product-category/zero-waste-products/personal-care/menstrual/

Beberapa artikel dan website untuk menguatkan post ini bisa dicek yaaa :
https://menstrualcupreviews.net/reusable-cloth-pads-faqs/

https://gladrags.com/learn.html#good-for-planet

https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/berita_indonesia/2015/07/150708_indonesia_pembalut_klorin

https://www.baby-oz.co.id/single-post/2015/10/30/Mencuci-Pembalut-Kain

https://www.baby-oz.co.id/single-post/2018/02/14/Berapa-Lama-Mengganti-Pembalut
https://www.greenchildmagazine.com/making-the-switch-the-benefits-of-cloth-menstrual-pads/

Colleges Preparations

Been so long after i haven't post anything here, i was too busy preparing for colleges. ITB was my main goal after finishing high school. And that's the reason why I took a month study camp preparing Joint Entrance for State Universities (SBMPTN) in Yogyakarta, the other reason is because I didn't passed National Selection for State Universities (SNMPTN) because my academic records couldn't reach ITB categories. This is my first time dumped (cri cri cri) and my mother was the first person who checked the result, i was little bit mad at her because i'm not mentally ready for this. I was planed to open the site at night, but my mom just did and she text me with super long motivational text.

A lot of my friends asking me why did i took course in Yogyakarta and not in Bandung. They thought i was changing my mind to stop chasing for ITB. Actually i never have any second option beside ITB, my first option is of course School Of Architecture in ITB (SAPPK) and if i can't get there faculty doesn't really matter for me but what's matter for me was i shall be one of ganesha. Why i choose Yogyakarta because i can get rid of people i don't wanna meet. 

First day in new place always be hard, i need to fit in with people who already there 2 weeks before me. But everything gone well, i met my new room mates from different cities. I'm not going to tell everything about my life in camp because until this post reach limits character the story won't end. 

Days by days i survive there with more than 7 hours classes and consultations everyday, hundreds of paper tests, wake up in the dawn of the night everyday, coffee, sleep late but never eat late. 

31st of May was one of the biggest day of my life, because this is the only last chance i can reach my goal. But after the test, it's feel like i lost my confidence, my hope. I was pessimistic, i never felt this before i always optimistic about what i took. And i hate all the people around me that talking about the test, how many question they have answered and how they said it was easy. (ugghh screw them all) Because for me it's too hard and i run out of time, like i can't bring out all my ability or maybe i did but i can't do that. I was optimistic before, because all my tryout reach the passing grade. 

Four days after that i took another test. In 4th of July i took UNDIP independent test. I'm not really sure about this test, i've already studied until late night but i still lost my confidence and because this is not what i want. I still blaming myself why i wasted my last chance to get trough ITB, why everyone said they could handle it but i couldn't. I didn't understand what happened to me when i took UNDIP independent test, how can i sleeping in the middle of the test? How can i didn't took this test seriously? And how everyone said it was easier than SBMPTN test?

UGM independent test was my last test i did in Yogyakarta, and fortunately i didn't sleep during the test. I was a little bit happy because the TPA test was easy for me, even i lost everything i've learned in physics. But i didn't know that TPA test didn't use minus score, that's why I left 4 questions blank. I realize it after the test, after i met my friend she said the test was really easy and she was glad because there is no minus score in TPA. Of course i was surprised and regrets what i've done and i couldn't stop thinking about this. How could in every test i took i did something stupid.

The announcement is one month after the test, it was 28th of June for the announcement of SBMPTN. I was so scared to open the site, but i was really curious too. And the result was...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

THEY CHEERS ME UP, THANK YOU !

For everyone who thinks i was tough, no i'm not tough. I'm mentally breakdown, I cried all day, all night long blaming myself about what i did in my life. What i did a month in camp. I was applying for 2 University it was ITB and UGM but i got none of them. I was forcing to met people, especially with them who asking about my test result. I feel like i'm disappointing my mother for everything she already gave to me, she facilitated me everything. My study camp that cost just like a motorcycle, my courses in senior years, she giving me the best school in town but i couldn't afford her the best university. I was so weak, but I thank god i have the best mother. She's the one that cheers me everyday, pray for me, remind me that God has the best plan, that hard work will never betray and told me that I have done my best. 

1st of July 

I was so mentally ready for the result. I will accept everything God will gave to me, any faculty, any University at least i go to collage this year. I wait my mother from her office before i open the announcement. Because whatever the result is i have her by my side. When she's arrived, together we opened UNDIP independent test result. But i couldn't reach my data, i tried 2 times and that's because i missed to fill the birthdate it's should be 22 but i write down 20. 

THE RESULT WAS I GOT DUMPED AGAIN

The 3rd time i got dumped, but i'm not crying because i knew i've done it wrong and i'm not taking it seriously. Too bad i didn't screen capture it.

After that we opened UGM site, this is where my mother wants me to go. As we opened it, i don't understand what the site said. Because i have already receive 3 apologize from 3 Universities. And this is what's on screen. 

Even though this is not my dream, but at least this is my mother's dream. She cried, hug me and congratulate me but i just sit, silent and confused. Should i happy or sad? Because my plan was i wanna try to apply for ITB Cirebon or i want to try it next year. But seeing her happy and so enthusiast, i change my mind. And it's still one of The Big Three Best University in Indonesia. How can i'm not proud?

The hardest part of all this was letting my dreams buried, everybody knows that i wanna go to ITB. Everybody knows i wanna be an architect just like the mayor of Bandung "Ridwan Kamil" that i already admire since i was Junior High School. Since he still stay in Singapore, the first time i read about him in a magazine before he was a mayor. But i remember that time, it was in school trip to Yogyakarta we visited UGM, some of my friends said they want to go here after high school and i said "Even i wanna go to ITB, it's ok to be here as well." Because what you say is what you pray for, and God hear that. 

You may not understand what is happening in your life right now, but God knows what he is doing. Trust the process and it's won't betray. You never know what's behind everything you think was good for you, but God knows.

I start accepting, i start letting go that i wouldn't swearing the mighty Sumpah Ganesha. 

BUT I AM GAMADA  

The Largest Acidic Crater in the World - Ijen Crater

Mt. Ijen 2.799 mdpl

     I take a one day adventure to Ijen Crater, because my mother won't let me do a night trip to Ijen. I was wondering to see the incredible blue fire, that only exist in Iceland and Banyuwangi. The best to see blue fire is at 3 in the morning. But it was rainy season, and i didn't get permission from my mother and I start hiking in the morning without camp first at night. Flew from Bandung to Surabaya by plane, and accompany my mother on her seminar in Jember. We took 4 hours driving from Surabaya to Jember. 

     In the second day we went to Bondowoso at 5am from Jember, fortunately we only take 2 ours to Bondowoso from Jember because it's usually takes 3 hours. And the road from Bondowoso to Paltuding takes about 2 hours driving, with pine forest as the scenery along the way. We don't need to use Jeep because the road is already paved, we use our rented car from Surabaya (Daihatsu Terios). From the place where we park our car, we need 2 hours walking to reach the crater. There's only one route to the top so you won't lost, and there's also a lot of people too.

      We reached the top around 11 am, unfortunately the fog is so thick and makes it hard to take pictures and also hard to walk because we barely see the road. Wearing mask is the most important thing beacuse the fog is poisonous if we stay there for long time. Actually my mother, father and my little brother stopped in the hill behind the crater and i'm walking alone to the crater. I was planned to go down to see the crater closer, but it's not allowed cause of the fog. It's almost noon when we reached the top so all the miners that brings tens of sulfur from the carter are not there. Only some workers that have another livelihood as sulfur carver selling their work. We have to go back to the parking area before 14.00, because the fog will be really thick and we can't see the way. And also at noon the fog make us hardly to breath. 

         People said that at night, the weather are really cold until it reach 2 degree celcius, but at noon i still can survive by only wearing 1 layered sweater. Maybe because i keep moving, but my little brother still freezing. I go back to the parking area around 11.45 and arrived at 12.45. Yes because it's faster to go down, but still be careful because the ground is slippery. Don't worry because the track is safe, and ramps. If you planned to see the blue fire you better to came to Paltuding one day before you start hiking, build a camp there. They allowed us to build a camp in the field near the parking area. Or you can stay in the car until it's 12am and you start hiking to the carter. There will be a lot of miners working at night, and you have to give ways for the miners. They usually carry 80-90kg of sulfurs from the carter. 

Mountain is not a trash can, please bring back your trash