*Originally posted on June 16 2011.
I am asked this question so often, that I felt it needed to be revised and bumped back up again because making that first step into the wonderful world of cloth can be very confusing!

So you’ve decided that you’re finally going to do it!

You’re going to make that big switch, the switch from disposable pads, to cloth pads.

Now what?

Where to begin? What to buy? There’s SO many options, so much to choose from, it can be SO confusing!

How many pads does one truly ‘NEED’ for their period?

I’m going to try and keep this post as simple, and short, yet as informative as possible.

How many pads YOU will personally need in total depends a lot upon how often you’ll be washing your stash. For example, if you are able to wash your stash daily then your stash needn’t be so large.

If you usually wear one disposable pad per night, then you just need one night time pad per day.

If you are changing out your disposable pads 4-8 times per day, then you’d need 4-8 regular flow pads per day.

If you have a lighter flow, you’ll need even less pads.

If your flow is heavier, you will need more pads, OR simply more of the heavy flow pads instead of more of the regular flow pads and wash more often then one with a lighter flow or a larger stash of pads.

A cloth pad stash does not NEED to break your budget.
I know you have possibly seen huge stashes on facebook pad groups etc. but often these women have such large stashes simply because they want to. Or they have been buying or making cloth pads for years, and their stash has grown over time. When you first start out with cloth pads, if you are on a tight budget, begin with the basics and as you have the funds, grow from there. Keep it simple, it can get overwhelming!

I’ve found in speaking with hundreds of women about their periods, even those with the heaviest flow usually have days where their flow does taper down. Personally, I use about 4-8 heavy flow pads per day for my cycle because I have 24-48 hours where my flow is very heavy. However, once it tapers down, I am fine with the regular flow pads and I really only need about 4-8 of those per day. As my flow tapers down even more, I switch over to a light pad/panty liner. I really don’t like to wear more pad then I need to.

Cloth Pads Canada

So to share, in real short form, here are a few examples of packages for each type of flow.

Typical Regular- Heavy Flow Package:

  • 2-6 Heavy Flow pads (the largest will be used at night to keep you well protected)
  • 6-12 Regular Flow Pads
  • 2-4 Light Flow Pads/Panty Liners

Heavy Flow Package:

  • 4-8 Heavy Flow pads (if you have a super heavy flow, 1 or 2 UltiMax are helpful)
  • 4-8 Regular Flow Pads
  • 2-4 Light Flow Pads/Panty Liners

Light – Regular Flow Package:

  • 1-2 Heavy Flow pads (mainly to keep you well protected at night)
  • 4-8 Regular Flow Pads
  • 2-4 Light Flow Pads/Panty Liners
I hope this helps ease some confusion for those of you wanting to take that first step into the wonderful world of cloth! If you’d like to read more, I have several articles pertaining to cloth pads in my All About Cloth section here on the blog.
I have several other links for your reading pleasure as well:
And if you’re still unsure and would like to read feedback from other women just like you, we have LOTS:
So if you have been hesitant before now, I hope this eases your mind and gives you the boost you need to simply go for it, just do it. It really IS much easier, and much more comfortable, then you could ever imagine!