WOMAN FOREGOES MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS TO FREE-BLEED DURING HER CYCLE, HERE'S HOW SHE DOES IT

PEOPLE

 

Woman Foregoes Pads and Tampons to Free-Bleed During Her Period. Here's How She Prepares Her Home for Her Monthly Cycle (Exclusive)

By Sara Belcher  Published on April 30, 2026 10:57AM EDT

 

One woman is showing the internet how she prepares her home for her menstrual cycle.

 

Zoey Butler, a massage therapist and “body whisperer” from Kiama, Australia, shared a video on Instagram Reels showcasing all of the prep work she does around her house before her period starts so that she can free bleed without worrying about staining any of her furniture.

 

“I think in my upbringing growing up, most women were actually really not taught that much. It's quite a secretive conversation,” Butler tells PEOPLE of early conversations around her period. “For some mothers, they're really uncomfortable having these conversations about what's so natural in the body… There's no real education around hormones, the actual cycle, which has four stages, and what's happening to your body and how to best support it.”

 

She shares that she began taking birth control pills at just 15 “for my skin,” and would often skip her periods when she could “without any education around the implications of heath.”

 

It wasn't until Butler was in her 20s that she decided she wanted to work on “healing the relationship, specifically to my womb.” As a result, she found that free bleeding — or menstruating without the use of traditional sanitary products to catch the flow — benefited her body the most.

 

“I'm privileged,” Butler acknowledges. “I have created a life where I can just kind of go all into this.”

 

Now, Butler lives her life around her cycle. After spending some time tracking the four phases of her menstrual cycle (menstruation, follicular, ovulation and luteal), she started carving out time so she could be home during her period, allowing herself the flexibility to rest and bleed freely at home.

 

In her Instagram Reel, she outlined the products she sets up around her home to prepare for her cycle. This includes red waterproof sheets and duvet covers, as well as red waterproof blankets on her couch and work chairs, making it so she can freely move from room to room.

 

“I would say first step was to find something that you resonate with to bleed on,” she says for those who are also curious about free bleeding and wondering how to prepare their homes. “It doesn't even need to be waterproof. It could be a towel folded in a few different layers. But finding something that you feel comfortable bleeding on.”

 

From there, she recommends confronting the parts that make an individual uncomfortable with their period blood. She admits it wasn't an overnight change for her, and starting slow to ensure one feels comfortable is necessary.

 

“Even just starting with one day, even just starting with one hour, even just starting with a couple of hours — it's not something that you have to feel like you have to go from zero to three or four days at home,” she says. “Make a little ritual out of it. So wherever you're gonna bleed.. really honor that and don't distract yourself. Don't get on the phone — actually notice what happens in your body when you do that.”

CHINESE CAR MAKER GRANTED PATENT FOR VOICE ACTIVATED IN-VEHICLE TOILETS

Daily Mail

 

Chinese car maker granted patent for voice activated in-vehicle TOILETS

By FREDA LEWIS-STEMPEL, MOTORING REPORTER

Updated: 07:35 EDT, 17 April 2026

 

Thomas Crapper move over - there's a new loo patent in town. And it's going places, quite literally.

 

In a bizarre piece of automotive engineering -and one that could easily be taken as an April Fools - a Chinese car maker has been granted a patent to install voice activated 'in-vehicle toilets' in its EVs.

 

Seres, a Chinese electric SUV brand, has invented a waste disposal unit that slides under the passenger seat so that passengers can go to the lavatory on the move.

 

With UK car buyers already endeared by some of the state-of-the-art tech offered by Chinese newcomers - including cabin fridges to parcel shelves that transform into cinema screens - this revolutionary gadget might be too much of a push for reserved Britons.

 

While the technology has been patented, Seres - which mainly sells cars in mainland China but has also expanded into Europe, the Middle East and Africa - hasn't confirmed if any of its cars will have toilets fitted as standard.

 

Is it a pipedream or will we see a flush of them in EVs soon?

 

According to a filing on the China National Intellectual Property Administration, Seres' in-vehicle toilet slides from under the passenger seat and can either be accessed with a push or a voice command.

 

Waste is collected in a tank that has to be emptied manually, similar to that of a caravan or motorhome loo.

 

The in-vehicle toilet also has a rotating heating element so urine and other waste can be dried and evaporated, the company states.

 

When bladders aren't bursting and access to the toilet is not needed, the toilet is concealed beneath the passenger seat, taking up none of the space needed for legroom.

 

If you're wondering about 'fumes', the loo will come with a fan and exhaust pipe to channel odours out of the car, according to the patent.

 

No need for Febreze inside the car then, but you might want to turn your air conditioning off it you're down wind of a Seres car on the motorway.

 

It wouldn't be the first in-vehicle toilet...

 

Anyone with caravans, campers or have endured long-haul coach trips will be used to the idea of having access to such amenities on the move.

 

However, loos in smaller passenger vehicles are very rare - and for good reason.

 

One known example of a toilet in a car is in a one-off 1954 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith that recently changed hands at auction.

 

The car was commissioned by American inventor Joseph J Mascuch who wanted to be able to broker deals on the move uninterrupted in the fifties.

 

This includes making calls from the car's inbuilt telephone and the ability to relieve himself without having to pull over.

 

In a quite revolting turn of events, the gold-plated toilet concealed under the passenger seat cushion doubled as a champagne cooler.

 

The car was sold at an RM Sotheby's event in Milan last year for €126,500 (around £110,000).

 

There too are a number of online blogs dedicated to creating your own DIY loo-passenger seat conversion.

 

One website, SUVRVing.com, gives you a step-by-step guide on how to 'add a toilet to a Subaru Forester for SUV camping'.

 

This method isn't patented, though.

PLASTIC VERSUS CLOTH-BACKED ADULT DIAPERS: WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU USE

This article provides good information on this topic as well as a bit of the history of adult incontinence products. 

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HOW TO PREVENT THE ALCOHOL-INDUCED RUNS

New York Post

 

Doctors reveal how alcohol causes ‘booze butt’ — here’s how to prevent it ahead of New Year’s

By Deirdre Bardolf, Fox News

Published Dec. 31, 2025, 10:47 a.m. ET

 

A night of drinking doesn’t just come with a headache or dry mouth.

 

It can also mean urgent trips to the restroom.

 

The phenomenon — dubbed “booze butt” by Men’s Health — is real.

 

Alcohol can irritate the digestive tract, alter gut bacteria and interfere with how the intestines absorb water, doctors said.

 

“Alcohol itself can cause loose stools due to several mechanisms,” Dr. Leybelis Padilla, a San Diego-based gastroenterologist and lifestyle medicine physician, told Fox News Digital.

 

It can also inhibit fluid absorption in the intestines and speed digestion, she said.

 

“When the intestines move too quickly, there’s less time for water to be absorbed,” Padilla said. “That can result in loose or watery stools.”

 

Alcohol hits every “layer” of the gut as it moves through the digestive tract, according to Dr. Jason Korenblit, a Florida-based gastroenterologist.

 

It can worsen heartburn, increase stomach acid and weaken the gut barrier, Korenblit told Fox News Digital.

 

“Alcohol can also make the gut ‘leakier,'” he added. “Alcohol and its byproducts can weaken the tight ‘seals’ between intestinal cells, allowing bacterial toxins to cross the gut barrier and promote inflammation.”

 

Girl standing in front of a toilet bowl holding her butt.

 

But not everyone experiences digestive issues after drinking, and doctors say several factors determine who is more susceptible.

 

Dose and speed matter, Korenblit said. “More drinks in less time equals more irritation and more leaky-gut or irritable bowel effects,” he said.

 

Underlying digestive conditions such as acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease or chronic gastritis can increase sensitivity.

 

No alcoholic beverage is completely “safe” for the gut.

 

Genetics can play a role as well, Padilla noted.

 

“Certain genetic variants can make someone more susceptible to alcohol’s effects,” she said.

 

While no alcoholic beverage is completely “safe” for the gut, doctors say some drinks are more likely to trigger symptoms than others.

 

Common offenders include mixed drinks, wine and beer, as they often contain sugars or sugar alcohols that can worsen diarrhea, Padilla said.

 

“Some of these sugars include fructose, lactose, mannitol, xylitol and erythritol,” she said.

 

Beer and sparkling drinks can worsen bloating and heartburn due to carbonation, while high-proof shots can cause irritation, Korenblit said.

 

Creamy drinks may be problematic for people who are lactose-sensitive. “Sugar also makes drinks easier to over-consume, which increases total alcohol dose,” he noted.

 

Lower-alcohol, lower-sugar drinks consumed slowly are generally easier on digestion, both doctors agreed.

 

To lessen the risk of digestive issues from drinking, doctors also recommend eating before drinking, limiting intake to two drinks a day, staying hydrated and not mixing alcohol with caffeine, which can further stimulate the gut. (Many doctors note it’s best to abstain from alcohol completely.)

 

They also recommend caution if taking other medications.

 

“Mixing alcohol with NSAIDs — ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin — increases GI bleeding risk and can worsen irritation,” Korenblit said.

 

Health officials note that other commonly used medications, including certain antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), can also worsen diarrhea or increase gastrointestinal irritation when combined with alcohol.

 

While these tips can mitigate symptoms, there is no surefire way to prevent them altogether. “Hydration helps — but mostly by preventing dehydration, not by magically stopping diarrhea,” Korenblit said.

 

If symptoms linger, he recommends sticking to easy-to-digest foods such as oatmeal and bananas.

 

Soluble fiber, broth and soups can help firm up stools and replace lost fluids. Fermented foods like yogurt or kefir may also help for those who tolerate dairy.

 

Greasy foods, spicy meals and more alcohol — including “hair of the dog” — are likely to worsen diarrhea, doctors agree.

 

For most people, however, the gut microbiome is resilient, Korenblit added.

 

“In studies of heavy drinking, microbiome diversity and related changes improved with abstinence and a healthier diet, suggesting recovery is possible,” he said.

 

“Stopping or cutting back is one of the best ways to let the system rebound.”

 

If diarrhea after drinking lasts more than 48 to 72 hours or is accompanied by blood, black or tarry stools, severe or worsening pain, fever, vomiting, dizziness or signs of dehydration, people should seek medical attention, according to the American College of Gastroenterology.

MOM TEACHES EIGHT YEAR OLD SON HOW TO GET PERIOD BLOOD OUT OF CLOTHES

PEOPLE

 

Mom Teaches 8-Year-Old Son How to Get Period Blood Out of Clothes. Now Her Lesson on Menstruation Is Going Viral (Exclusive)

By Jordan Greene  Published on December 30, 2025 11:36AM EST

 

Gee Gee D. was loading the washing machine when she noticed a blood stain on her underwear. Rather than feeling embarrassed or alarmed, she saw it as an opportunity for a valuable life lesson.

 

“At that moment, I thought, ‘This is a great chance to teach my son how to clean blood out of clothing, including underwear, and remind him that women’s period blood is normal,’ ” the mom tells PEOPLE exclusively. “One day, he might face that situation as an older brother washing his little sister’s clothes, a husband washing his wife’s laundry or even a student at school who notices a girl’s blood stain on her pants.”

 

She called her 8-year-old son, Brayden, into the room, showed him the stain in the washing machine and grabbed a bottle of peroxide to demonstrate how to remove it.

 

“That moment was an extension of all the conversations we’ve had about periods,” Gee Gee, a 30-year-old Para-Sub for children with special needs in Nevada, explains.

 

“The only new thing was showing him that blood can stain underwear, this is how you get it out and it’s completely normal," she adds. "Don’t freak out if you see it — just take care of it or help if you can.”

 

Capturing the lesson on camera, Gee Gee later shared it on TikTok. She says her motivation was to help other parents normalize women’s menstrual cycles early.

 

“Otherwise, kids grow up shaming women, being ignorant or bullying,” she explains. “I’ve even heard grown men say awful things about periods, calling them disgusting. If I can inspire just one parent to teach their sons respect, then I’m changing the world for the better.”

 

The video quickly went viral, amassing over 10 million views and 50,000 comments. The response, she says, has been overwhelmingly positive.

 

"this is amazing 🥹👏," Flo Health, the period tracker, commented.

 

"Good Job!! Mom," another user added.

 

"And look how he’s ACTIVELY listening to what you’re saying, this generation raising little boys to be attentive and caring is what gives me hope," another wrote.

 

“People have called me an intentional parent raising a King," Gee Gee says. "Many adult women said they didn’t know peroxide could remove period stains and would have just thrown the underwear out. Knowing I’m teaching millions — even something small — warms my heart.”

 

Looking back, Gee Gee says she began talking to Brayden about periods when he was just 6 years old. At the time, he noticed the blood, tampons and discomfort she experienced from her menstrual cycle — even when she tried to keep it private.

 

“I didn’t want him to worry thinking mommy was ‘hurt,’ because kids associate blood with an ‘owie’ or a wound. I decided to normalize it because periods are normal,” she says.

 

Over the years, these early conversations have grown into practical lessons about empathy and care. Earlier this year, Gee Gee shared another video with her 600,000 TikTok followers showing Brayden offering to use his own money to buy her favorite snacks during her cycle.

 

“He insisted, even made me close my eyes for a few surprises,” she says. “He catered to his mommy. It was such a selfless and special moment. Every month, he knows when I’m on my cycle because I communicate it. He’s very understanding and helpful.”

 

Gee Gee hopes her example will inspire other parents and help raise a generation of boys who understand, respect and support women.

 

“I want him to honor and appreciate a woman’s bodily functions, not make fun of them. Show kindness and help her when necessary,” she says.

 

“This isn’t about being graphic or shocking,” she adds. “It’s about teaching empathy, normalizing what girls experience, and breaking cycles. I didn’t grow up with these conversations, so being able to do this with my son is a blessing — for us and for future generations.”