The Birth Lounge Blog

Sex,  Menstruation , Re-evaluating Cultural Norms, and more with Rebecca Alvarez of The Bloomi (Part 2 of 2 of our interview derived from Podcast episode ) HeHe : So we talked a little bit about the stigmas and the shame about menstruation. Go into that a little bit more, like, just share your thoughts.   Rebecca : It makes me kind of upset to think that there's still such a huge portion of us that feel that sex is shameful or dirty. Or menstruating is shameful or dirty. I'm Mexican. Both of my parents immigrated here and I grew up with a lot of cultural norms that had to do with these topics where the idea of staying clean. Meaning when you're on your period, wash yourself really well using these very fragrant products. Those ideas were just part of my cultural norms, I'll say. And I think that's the case for a lot of women, especially women of color.  Then the idea that sex is more on the dirty side. A lot of like the douching practices that are still being used t...

Sexual Wellness Products with Rebecca Alvarez (Part 1 of 2 of our interview derived from The Birth Lounge Podcast Episode 130 ) You GUYS. I am SO excited to bring this interview to life here on the blog. Did you know that 98% of all feminine care products has at least 1 toxic ingredient? That's scary! Rebecca Alvarez earned her BA in Women’s Health & Sexuality from UC Berkeley and her MA in Sexuality Studies from San Francisco State and is the founder of The Bloomi. She is joining me to dive deep into what’s wrong with traditional sexual wellness products, how to spot harmful ingredients and false labeling, and what you need to know about long term effects of these issues in sexual wellness and women’s health! So Let's have Rebecca introduce herself! Rebecca : I consider myself a sexual wellness expert. I'm also an entrepreneur and my passion is bringing clean intimate care products to women and femmes. I'm sure we'll talk about why that's important and wha...

My First Time Using a Menstrual Cup I want to set the stage for you before we dive head first into my last period. I have been using  Thinx  period underwear for almost two years. I have nearly 10 pair. I do not period with them. I even travel with a pair or two when my period is nowhere in sight...ya know, just in case. When I say these underwear changed my life, I mean it. I made the transition to  Thinx  after an absolutely terrible (read: traumatic AF), 18-month journey with the copper IUD. I share more about this experience on episode #71 of The Tranquility Tribe Podcast. Because of this experience, I fell into the world of free-bleeding and this led to my discovery of these magical underwear. For the longest time, I was not open to anything else but  Thinx  to manage my period. You read that right. For nearly 18 months, I was free bleeding and even avoiding the pool if I was on my period. I had...

Period like a Queen  My menstrual cycle wasn't something I was always so in tune with. It wasn't something I had extensive understanding about and it certainly wasn't always a casual topic of conversation for me at networking events and Facebook lives. No, actually, my period was something that I wished away for so long and you know what? It worked! I didn't get my period until I was just shy of 18 years old. While other girls were lying about Aunt Flo showing up and boasting that they had to change their tampons, I was busy mumbling under my breath "please don't let my period come anytime soon." Bleeding every month for 7 days isn't ideal for a gal who loves to be naked or at least wear as little clothing as possible at all times. I am a summer child. The beach is my happy place. Naked is my preferred state of being and just the idea of a period seemed disruptive. Of course, I knew I need "it...

Hey Tranquility Tribe! This week, we are digging deep into all things down there - yup, vaginas! There’s no one better to guide us through this topic than the vagina aficionado herself, April Davis. April is the mastermind behind The Vagina Blog, an incredible blog and social media presence dedicated to our lady bits. In our society, most of us with vaginas are unfortunately not educated about our own anatomy and are quite frankly scared of poking around down there. As a doula, birth photographer, and birth assistant to a midwife, April has been up close and personal with too many vaginas to count, and she’s excited to share all she’s learned with you! Caring for your vagina The vagina is a self-cleaning, independent woman, but what do you do if you’re experiencing some stank down there? April is always waking down the feminine hygiene aisle and taken aback by all the special soaps, perfumes, and deodorants for sale that your vagina...