Women continued to create homemade menstrual products over the years and they perfected their techniques and materials over time. By the time American cities were bustling in the 1700s, menstruating women were wearing simple cloth rags similar to their babies' diapers. They would wash and reuse these rag pads, which were often embroidered and personalized. Ever heard the colloquialism "She's on the rag"? Well, she literally was.

On Southern farms, women were known to make their pads out of sheepskin that had been rubbed with oil to resist moisture. The fur side of the sheepskin would be worn next to the body and it would be boiled clean after each use.

West-bound pioneers and other traveling women needed a pad that didn't require cleaning while they were traveling across the country. They would make a small sack out of cheesecloth, stuff it with cotton, and flatten the sack to wear as a pad. The cotton would be discarded after use, and the sack could be re-stuffed and reused.

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