Today, in stores we can choose from a wide range of products that are intended to support us during menstruation. There are pads, tampons, cups and menstrual underwear. And all this in various sizes, forms and colors. It’s obvious that in the past there were no such fancy, super-absorbent products, but women somehow managed. How?
How did women deal with their periods 100 years ago?
Jasmine Chiswell posts various fashion and beauty related content on her TikTok. Marilyn Monroe’s lookalike regularly uploads videos in which she shows what certain products looked like a few decades ago. Recently, a video with personal hygiene products appeared on her profile. How did women deal with periods a hundred years ago? As it turns out, quite well.
As you might expect, various forms of sanitary pads have been the most common over the years. Interestingly, however, tampons came into use quite early, already in the 1930s. The first sanitary pads in a form similar to today’s appeared in the 1950s. In the 1980s, they were equipped with a layer of glue, thanks to which they did not move or need to be was to attach them with safety pins. The 1990s saw sanitary pads packed individually, in pink papers in which you could wrap used ones. Since around 2000, the personal care market has been booming. Although it must be admitted that it lacked the hits of recent years, i.e. cups and menstrual underwear.
What was it like in Poland? “Women have always been very inventive”
This is all about the United States. In Poland, the “period” situation was completely different. How? This is best described by the memories of women who lived in those times. And we learn this from the comments under the video. There were many statements by Polish women who shared what their mothers and grandmothers told them. The following conversation took place between users:
– In Poland, during communism, lignin and cotton were used, which were very difficult to obtain anyway.
– So how did they cope when they couldn’t?
– Toilet paper. And when he wasn’t there (and he often wasn’t), there were rags, scraps of materials.
It would seem that menstrual underwear is a total novelty these days. It turns out that not at all. It was known years ago, although in a slightly different version. Which one? “Do it yourself”.
My grandmother sewed special underwear for herself and her sisters, with a pocket to put cotton wool or some scraps of fabric. They had several pairs of these and washed them every day. These were the 1920s and 1930s.
My grandmother sewed inserts from various materials and used wood wool as insulation. She had several sets like this.
Women have always been very inventive, and our grandmothers are pioneers in creating menstrual underwear
– we read.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
