Ever wanted to get better acquainted with your period? Meet Hey Zomi, Australia's first reusable menstrual disc. Get to know the co-founders and sisters behind the brand as they share insights into the innovative journey that led them to where they are today.
By Zoe Fehlberg & Mika Koelma, co-founders of Hey Zomi
Has your period ever held you back from doing the things you love?
Or ‘period anxiety’ — feeling stressed out by the inconvenience and pain of it all?
What about ‘period logistics’ — timing when to change that bloody tampon, am I right!?
We hear you! Hey there, we are Zoe and Mika and yes, yes and YES, used to be our resounding answers to those questions above!
We’re sisters and co-founders of Hey Zomi, bringing you Australia’s first reusable menstrual disc. We're on a mission to empower women and menstruators to have periods on their terms.
Our menstrual health is a monthly affair and it is such a key part of our lives, yet the education we received in school was lacking. For some of us, normalised conversation about our period doesn’t exist. A healthy, open dialogue or ‘period acknowledgment’ between friends, family, co-workers and even our partners may be missing, often leaving us to silently struggle, without realising support is needed and that we can have it better!
We were both dissatisfied with the period products we had been using for years, and nothing was available that seemed to support our lifestyles fully. We both worked very busy jobs with long hours, making it difficult to get to the bathroom when needed.
The disposable period products available couldn’t handle travel, scuba diving, swimming, gym workouts, snowboarding trips, marathons or back-to-back meetings and classes without a chance to get to the bathroom in time. A period cup was uncomfortable, tricky to use and prone to leaks.
We’d had enough of below-par period ‘care’. And thought it was time to stop settling — there had to be a better way!
We started trying every product on the market until Mika came across a ‘menstrual disc’. She was blown away by how amazing it was and shocked to learn how few people were aware of it. When she convinced Zoe to try the menstrual disc, it was an ‘aha’ moment.
We couldn't wrap our heads around the fact that after experiencing periods for over 20 years, a reusable product like this could have such a profound impact on our lives. We realised there was a real gap in the menstrual care market, especially here in Australia.
What if we could make our own high-quality, Aussie-made, eco-friendly disc, with our own unique design upgrades?
We worked with silicone engineers and designed the Hey Zomi reusable menstrual disc.
The disc allows you to have ‘periods on your own terms’ because you can do anything you want on your period. We mean it, ANYTHING… *wink wink* completely mess-free!
So what is a menstrual disc?
Menstrual discs are the newest innovation in period care. The disc is designed to fit bodies better than cups or tampons for a more comfortable fit and flow.
Menstrual discs have revolutionised this space by understanding the female anatomy and carefully considering where the disc sits in the body — cupping the cervix fully, rather than using suction or friction to stay in place.
Held in place by the pubic bone, the disc sits neatly tucked away, moulding to the individual's unique internal shape. Many users are also raving about how it has relieved their menstrual cramps while going about their day with the disc completely unnoticed. Wearers can even have period sex, mess-free.
Menstrual discs are the highest capacity period product available. It can be worn all day and night and can even be emptied without removing it from your body.
The Hey Zomi reusable menstrual disc is the first to be designed and made in Australia. The disc is unparalleled in what it can offer in terms of comfort, convenience and fun on your period.
It can feel overwhelming, the thought of using a menstrual disc for the first time. The first thing most people say is “How does it fit?” or “Will it get lost in there?”
We get it, menstrual discs look a lot bigger than period cups. But you squeeze the disc and they become thinner than a tampon and easier to insert.
We promise it won't get lost inside your vag! The Hey Zomi disc has a unique little handle that is easy to find with your finger and makes removal so easy.
Here are our top tips to help you get started using a menstrual disc:
- Practice before your period starts.
The Hey Zomi disc is made from 100% medical-grade silicone, so it is completely safe to use when you are not on your period. Practising before you need to rely on it is a great idea and you’ll be more relaxed.
2. Use lube.
Using a small amount of water-based lube on the rim of your disc can make inserting a breeze, and help your disc slide in place easier, especially on the first day or two of your period, when you are more internally swollen. We have a helpful video explaining this here.
3. Find your cervix.
Your disc needs to fully cup your cervix to catch your menstrual fluid. You can even double-check it’s in position, feeling for your cervix from beneath the disc. This is especially helpful if you have a tilted or high cervix. This may sound tedious or complex, but it’s amazing how simple and normal this can be. We have a great tutorial on this here.
There is such power in knowledge! We LOVE this about using internal products like the Hey Zomi disc and seeing our customers feeling empowered and supported for probably the first time ever for period care! We are strong advocates for better menstrual care and wellbeing, breaking down stigmas and normalising the conversation around periods.
But where should you start?
Well, don’t be hard on yourself if you know more about The Kardashians than your menstrual cycle. Despite how far we’ve come, periods are still shrouded in intense stigma! We’ve seen journalists mock period brands as ‘gross’, and the wording of many feminine hygiene products still implies that periods are ‘unclean’. Why is the period care aisle in Coles or Woolies still labelled as the aisle to find ‘Feminine Sanitary Items’?
If someone bleeds from injury, that blood is met with concern, but we wouldn’t treat it as embarrassing or shameful. Yet many talk with disgust or embarrassment when the blood flows from a vagina.
As a society, we generally don't know how to speak about periods, especially with our male counterparts, or even our children. The menstruation conversation is evolving. The more informed individuals are, the more empowered they become in the conversation.
Our periods can be our SUPER POWER!
Our monthly cycles are so much more than something we endure, and we have discovered that putting the power back into our own hands through a ‘period re-education’ and having period care like the Hey Zomi disc, is an absolute game changer!
If you haven’t heard of Lucy Peach and discovered the way she ‘life hacks’ her period by embracing the four seasons of the menstrual cycle, then definitely check this period queen out! Through the latest research in female health and refreshing ways to reframe the way we understand our bodies and ourselves, we can start to turn the negative menstrual mindset into an empowered way of being.
We could all be more open in sharing our period experience. We should check in on friends, to see if they need support during their period and start being the change that eliminates the stigmas associated with periods.
What’s next for Hey Zomi?
We are very excited to expand our product range in 2024. In fact, we have just launched a world-first product for reusable period cups and discs! Our Hey Zomi sanitising and stain-removing tablet just dropped last week. This means no more boiling your cup or disc on the stove to sterilise it and the eco-friendly solution also removes stains from the silicone.
We also have so many ideas and are already testing some new products launching later this year. We would also love to see Hey Zomi in stores, making better period care more easily available for all!
We are so here to radically change the period game and stoked that women and menstruators can have period care that is better for their bodies, more affordable and better for the planet. The Hey Zomi disc is available here on the Wrapd App and we think THAT is pretty bloody amazing!
