What did women do before the bra was invented?

Answer 1

They used rags that is why some women still refer to their period as rag time or they are ragging.

There was also a product introduced in 1932, a menstrual cup and it is still available today. Its a flexible silicone cup that is inserted into the vagina and collects the menses, when its time to empty it just dump the contents down the toilet, and rinse the cup out before reinserting it. It is also more friendly to the environment since you do not have all the waste pads and tampons create.

1. Tampons are not new and have been used by women for centuries.

2. The ancient Greeks invented tampons made from lint wrapped around a small piece of wood, recorded in writing by Hippocrates in the fifth century B.C.

3. The ancient Egyptians invented the first disposable tampons made from softened papyrus.

4. Byzantine women used tampons made of soft white wool.

5. Other materials used for the first tampons have included: wool, paper, vegetable fibres, sponges, grass, and later cotton.

6. The first commercial tampons were used in the United States in the late 1920's or early 1930's.

7. The modern tampon (with applicator) was first patented by Doctor Earle Haas, who wanted to make a tampon capable of being mass produced.

8. Earle Haas filed for his first tampon patent on November 19, 1931.

9. His patent description was for a "catamenial device," derived from the Greek word for monthly.

10. The trademark and patent were purchased by Gertrude Tendrich.

Answer 2

This was totally dependent on the geographical area where the woman lived. For example on the north American continent, balls of cotton were plentiful. However in colder European coastal areas, dried Kelp was often used for its absorbent qualities.

Answer 3

Tampons have always been used - the earliest mention is from ancient Egypt but there's no doubt that women inserted things vaginally to plug-up and absorb menstrual flow. Women may have also used pads, particularly in the Western world sanitary belts and pads were used long before modern tampons were introduced. In many parts of the world women would sit in huts to just bleed, sometimes these were about segregating menstruating women as menstruation was seen as negative, but sometimes these were about women coming together to share knowledge. Menstrual release would have also always been used too, this is where women learn to control vaginal muscles to hold flow in until they can release flow at an appropriate time.

Answer 4

What people used during menstruation depends how far back in time you go and the culture. Western women wore rags or period underwear just before disposable tampons and pads came onto the market. Ancient civilizations often used mosses or grasses inserted vaginally. Some cultures also used menstrual huts where women would bleed freely. If you go back far enough you'd find few women menstruated at all as they'd always be pregnant or breastfeeding.

Answer 5

Lots of things; many of which they do today.

Answer 6

Cotton?