January 24, 2018 (Updated March 30, 2023)

My Fave Natural Feminine Care Products

by Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

56 comments

Thank you to LOLA for sponsoring this post! Use the code FannetasticFood for 50% off your first order. Gentlemen, you may want to skip this one. 🙂

A couple years ago, I shared how I was working to slowly transition my personal care and beauty products over to natural versions. (If you missed that post, here it is: the Best Natural and Organic Beauty Products that I’ve found so far – including natural deodorant, toothpaste, makeup, etc.) Part of that journey also included switching over to natural feminine products; my pick was LOLA, who I first discovered through a blog review and then became a loyal subscriber of for a year and a half up right up until I got pregnant! IMG_1889

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 LOLA reached out to me shortly after Riese was born to share some great new updates and additions to their product line, which I was excited to hear about as they took place while my account was inactive due to pregnancy, so I didn’t know already! First, their 100% cotton products are also now organic, which is awesome. Second, they have added an environmentally friendly non-applicator option as well as a biodegradable cardboard applicator option. (They also still offer their original BPA-free compact plastic applicators.) And third, they have launched pads and liners! The pads and liners were perfectly timed for me because apparently after giving birth (even via C-section) you bleed FOREVER. For me, it went on for about 5 weeks, with it tapering off to just occasional, not every single day bleeding by the end. I don’t know why it surprised me so much that you bleed a lot even if you have a C-section – I mean, duh, Anne, all that stuff that was in there supporting the baby has to go somewhere, right?! Anyway – all this to say that timing was perfect when LOLA reached out and asked if I’d like to try their pads and liners and do another blog update about their new product additions and improvements. IMG_1892 If you are in the market for natural feminine care products, I highly recommend LOLA. Most major brands use a mix of synthetic ingredients in their tampons including rayon and polyester, and often treat the tampons with harsh cleansing agents, unnecessary fragrance, etc. LOLA products, on the other hand, have no added chemicals, fragrances, synthetics, or dyes, and are also insanely convenient because they arrive at your door via customizable subscription. Not having to go to the store to buy feminine products = the best. And in addition to choosing how frequently you want deliveries, you can choose the quantity of everything too – both how many boxes and which combination of pads, liners, and tampons (they offer light, regular, super, and super+) you want in each box. Over-order? No problem, you can modify the subscription, cancel, or skip an order at any time. My period hasn’t come back yet since giving birth to Riese in November, but when it does, I’ll absolutely be starting my LOLA subscription back up. Speaking of, I hear that how soon periods come back after pregnancy can vary wildly based on the person, but I’m still curious. Mamas – when did yours come back?! I’m kind of nervous about a teenager-esque white jean situation happening since I have no clue when it’s going to arrive again… yikes. (I don’t even own white jeans, but somehow, inexplicably, one is ALWAYS wearing white jeans when their period comes unexpectedly, right?!) Did you get any warning signs beforehand or no? IMG_2035 Which of your personal care and beauty products have you switched over to more natural versions? I have a pretty good routine now, but I’m always open to recommendations! And since we are already in TMI territory, and just for fun – any really good first period stories to share? 🙂 And if you’re looking to switch over your feminine products, don’t forget to use the code FannetasticFood for 50% off your first LOLA order!
- anne

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56 comments
  • Kath Eats
    I love these because the packaging is just so pretty!! All of the eco benefits are the icing on the cake :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      I know, it's so clean looking - I love it too!
      Reply
  • Sarah
    Mine came back about ten months postpartum. I don’t remember any warning signs other than some light spotting so I was prepared! ?
    Reply
  • Briana Lucas
    I got my period back pretty much the day after my last nursing sessions with each of my kids respectively. After baby 1 I nursed for 4 months, stopped, got period like a day later. Baby 2 was 6 months. Stopped, got period back a day later. Baby 3 was 8 months, stopped, got period day after ha! I mostly hear that woman don't typically get their period back while nursing, however, some are not so lucky and do. It'll be a crap shoot for sure, so I wouldn't go investing in White Jeans in the near future :) I'm going to look into Lola, I love the idea of subscription based, and the all cotton option for pads!
    Reply
    • Anne
      Wow - like clockwork! I'm hoping I'm one of the ones who doesn't get theirs til nursing is done... we'll see!
      Reply
  • Marie
    For my first child, I didn't get my period until she turned one. She nursed a lot though, 40 minutes at a time. My second child, whose nursing sessions didn't last nearly as long, my period came back when she turned 9 months. I've found natural products in Target and CVS now so that's what I use. Love how eco-minded this company is though!
    Reply
  • Jessica
    Thanks for sharing! Mine came back at 8/9 months post partum even though I was still nursing. He was night weaned and only nursing 4-5 times per day by that age so it may have been longer if he was nursing more frequently.
    Reply
  • Sarah
    My period came back crazy crazy crazy early with both my babies, despite round-the-clock exclusive breastfeeding with the both of them. With my son it came back at 10 WEEKS, like clockwork. My daughter - born this November - at 11 WEEKS. Most of my girlfriends and family members didn’t get their period until after about a year. Interestingly, I got pregnant with my second while my son was 9 months old and as soon as I got pregnant he refused to nurse anymore; even when I pumped.
    Reply
    • Anne
      Whoa, that's early! And that's really interesting about the nursing when pregnant - I wonder if the milk tasted different? Or does supply go down if you are nursing while also pregnant again? Fascinating!
      Reply
  • Sarah
    Pads and liners are great but i will never stick a tampon up there ever again. Menstrual cups ROCK! Plus if you are TTC, using tampons can interfere with tracking your fertile cervical mucus. Mine came back at 10mo post partum. I had light spotting before it started so i had some signs. I was nursing/pumping A TON - 5x daily. I was shocked and hoping it stayed away longer. Oh well. My body ovviously wants to make a sibling for my baby. Lol. My friend who pumped just as much as I did didn’t get hers back til 15mo post partum. Go figure.
    Reply
    • Anne
      Interesting about the tampons and the mucus situation! It really does seem like return of period timing is ALL over the place based on the comments!
      Reply
  • Stephanie
    Mine was still not back 8 mos post delivery (about a month after I stopped nursing) which is when I became pregnant with #2! Love having all of mine close together but don’t fool yourself into thinking you need to have a period before you can get pregnant:)
    Reply
    • Anne
      A lot of friends have warned me about that, lol!
      Reply
  • Ash Diamond
    My period came back 5 months after giving birth but this month it REALLY came back in a huge way including all the fun side effects - cramps, headaches, etc.
    Reply
    • Anne
      Oh man, yikes!
      Reply
  • Lara
    11 months pp! And in the middle of the night, though I was totally expecting a white jean scenario! It's shorter than before baby and no cramps, but still heavy...go figure!
    Reply
    • Anne
      Middle of the night is kind of annoying too, depending how intense it is!
      Reply
  • Laura
    Hi Anne! My period came back after about 5 months, and right afterward my daughter was no longer interested in breastfeeding. Apparently the hormonal changes alter the taste of your breastmilk (thanks Google). It just showed up one day, although I wasn't looking for signs anyway. I think it came back so early because I wasn't breastfeeding as much. I had to pump because I was back at work. I pumped for another month and then I was done with it. She was 6 months by then and I was comfortable with the amount of antibodies she had gotten from me, and she was happy with formula anyway.
    Reply
    • Anne
      No way - that's fascinating about the milk taste change!
      Reply
  • Erin
    Mine came back at 5 months despite exclusive breastfeeding/pumping. There was nooooo warning at all. It was there one morning when I woke up. No fair!
    Reply
  • terri d.
    No warning signs for me...I am still nursing (down to one session per day) and gave birth December 2016 and got my period in January 2018. Clearly, it varies for everyone!
    Reply
    • Anne
      Wow, that's a long break!
      Reply
  • Bethany
    I started a Lola subscription right after you first shared the post about them and could not be happier! Thanks for sharing then, and now!!
    Reply
    • Anne
      Yay! That's awesome, I'm so glad you like Lola too!
      Reply
  • Amber @ Bloom Nutrition Therapy
    Wow! I didn't realize it could be such a LONG time for women to get their periods back after baby! Let's see... fun period stories. Well, I definitely don't think it was fun, but I got my period when I was in 6th grade. I can remember one occasion (not the first but a few months later), when all the girls were changing out in the locker room. Some of the girls were snickering at me and I had no idea why. I discovered later that day that I was on my period (not sure how I didn't notice when changing clothes?). But definitely mortifying. P.S. Why are middle-schoolers so mean?!
    Reply
    • Anne
      Oh man. Middle schoolers are the worst!
      Reply
  • Adriane
    Mine took 16 months—I exclusively breastfed/pumped and then kept nursing until she was 33 months old. Not for everyone, but worked for us :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      You do you! :)
      Reply
  • Ash RD
    Mine came back really soon despite exclusive breastfeeding until my baby was 11 months old. I also sadly had a c section and I bled for 6 weeks pp and my period started again between 2-3 months pp. I had Mirena placed about 10 months pp and haven’t had a period since (that was 4 months ago) yay!
    Reply
  • LSS
    Mine came back 9 months postpartum, and I was still exclusively breastfeeding and pumping a lot (thank you baby who doesn't like food!). I did notice some pain in my ovaries about two weeks earlier, around the time I would have been ovulating. I never noticed that before getting pregnant, but now I always do.
    Reply
    • Anne
      That's interesting! I can usually feel some ovulation pain - I wonder if that will get more pronounced.
      Reply
  • Amy
    Mine came back just about a week after I stopped breast-feeding, so about a year. It was a couple years ago, but as far as I remember I had regular symptoms...cramping, overly emotional, etc, so I did have a heads up!
    Reply
  • Jessi K
    Ok, definitely signing up for this service! After baby #1, I think I got my period around 9-10 mos pp and after the twins I think with the twins it was around 8 mos pp. If you're exclusively breastfeeding it's supposed to help keep the period at bay, when they started dropping feedings (baby #1) and I started weaning (twins) was when mine showed up. And I always just traveled with a panty liner and tampon for whenever it decided to start?
    Reply
    • Anne
      Ooo that's a good idea... totally don't keep tampons or liners in my purse anymore like I always used to! Better put some in now while I'm thinking of it. :) I hope you love LOLA too!
      Reply
  • Amber P.
    I nursed my first son for 16 months and got my period exactly one month after stopping at 17 months postpartum. My second baby is now 5 months old and exclusively breastfed, so still no period yet!
    Reply
  • Molly
    15 months for my first mini-period, but they were really crazy for a while. It took 54 days to have a second period, then 26 days, then like 40! I remember so well because we were trying to get pregnant and it just wasn’t happening! I nursed my daughter until she was almost 2.
    Reply
  • Errign
    My period didn’t come back until I weaned completely.
    Reply
  • Leah
    My period came back around 7-9 months. Probably correlated to baby sleeping a little more and less feeding. First period was the day I got my braces put on in 7th grade. Worst day of my life, is how I thought at the time!!
    Reply
    • Anne
      Oh man, braces put on AND period?! That is the worst day lol.
      Reply
  • Meika
    Mine came back after my first son at about 7-8 months. I'm 9 months out after my second and nothing except two days of spotting so far! I'm nervous, too, because I had absolutely NO warning signs with my first. I also was breastfeeding him more frequently than I'm pumping now ?‍♀️
    Reply
  • Megan B.
    I just signed up to try LOLA out through another blog. I'm excited to try them out! Finding non-toxic feminine care that doesn't cause, um . . leakage, has been challenging. Fingers crossed! I've had 2 babies and with the first, my cycle returned at about 9 or 10 months. With my second, it came back a little earlier (she did not have nearly the same appetite, so I think I wasn't producing as much milk, which contributed), around 7 months. And I've had friends whose returned at 4 months and others who still hadn't had one 2 years later. Everyone is so different! And with both of mine it took several cycles to regulate - one month I would have a 26 day cycle, the next month would be 35, then 28 . . . you get the idea.
    Reply
    • Anne
      So crazy how much the timing varies for different people! And I hope you like LOLA. :) I haven't had any leakage issues with their products at all.
      Reply
  • TrackBuddy
    Too funny - I have no memory of when my period came back after either baby. Also there are a lot of other memories that are mysteriously absent from those infant times. LOL. I will say though that I had been crazy irregular my entire life, and after baby #2 I went to a like clockwork (for me) every 5-6 week cycle. AND I got much faster running. I chalk it all up to hormonal changes. So crazy / fascinating!
    Reply
  • Sarah
    Mine came back 11 months post partum and I don’t remember having any warning signs. I have a friend who went almost 2 ½ years without it while breastfeeding. I’m so glad to know that they have pads now because after having my baby using pads gave me a rash and I’m sure it was all the weird things that go into it. Now I use a menstrual cup which I like but will definitely keep Lola in mind for future use.
    Reply
    • Anne
      Same here - the regular pads from the hospital gave me a rash, too. It went away when I switched to the LOLA pads.
      Reply
  • Diego Lopes
    Love the post! I'll share this with my fiancé, I bet she'll like it too. Thanks!
    Reply
    • Anne
      Thanks for sharing!
      Reply
  • Brigid
    Ive been using Lola for a while now, since I discovered them on your post a while back. Love them and the new addition of the liners and they were perfect for when my bleeding slowed down after my 2nd baby. As far as a period, I didn’t get mine back until 13 months with my first!! As soon as I stopped nursing right after he turned one, it came back. With my second, unfortunate my milk dried up around 8 months and I got a period back the next month. You will know when it’s coming!
    Reply
    • Anne
      So glad you are enjoying Lola too! And that's interesting about the periods - definitely correlated to the nursing for you!
      Reply
  • Kris S
    Thank you for posting this and re-posting your previous one! I was trying to remind myself to go find your old post so you did it for me ;) Now that I'm back in the US looking to start using new products since I'm sort of re-doing my life from scratch anyway, in terms of products I'm buying. Missing regulated European products.. womp womp.. Going to give some of your suggestions a try and see what works for me!!
    Reply
    • Anne
      Yeah, Europe definitely has it together way more than the US does with regulations in terms of food/products, IMO!
      Reply
  • Bridget
    I just found out about this brand on Pandora commercials! Ha! I'm so glad to know they are such a good company, I will have to try them. I am very sensitive to anything other than U by Kotex so I'm glad I have another more organic and simple option. Thank you for the discount code!
    Reply
    • Anne
      Awesome, hope you like them too!
      Reply
  • Sarah
    "This too shall pass" ha! love it!
    Reply
    • Anne
      I love that too :)
      Reply