Ann Alvarado, founder of Dig The Flow Reusables, is on a mission to transform the way people experience menstruation through creativity, sustainability and self-compassion. Inspired by her journey through motherhood, natural living and postpartum healing, Ann began creating one-of-a-kind handmade cloth pads that encourage people to embrace their cycles rather than hide them. What started as a personal search for connection and comfort has evolved into a deeply meaningful business centred around period positivity, cycle awareness and intentional self-care. In this interview, Ann shares how motherhood shaped her path, the story behind her vibrant designs, and why she believes periods can be both empowering and sacred.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
Dig The Flow Reusables began with a profound realisation – that a period can be a sacred time to honour and treat yourself with love, compassion and care. When I became a parent, I felt the strong pull towards sustainable living, because when you bring a life into the world, it’s no longer just about you – it’s about them. Leaning into the zero-waste movement became an anchor and after a while of mastering cloth nappies for my kids, I then went on to discover the world of cloth pads made by Work at Home Mums (WAHMs). At the time, I was struggling massively with post-natal depression, anxiety and feelings of disconnection, but having a beautiful pad in my mailbox – made just for me with lots of love – gave me the much-needed message that I wasn’t alone. Through the very act of menstruating, I was participating in something that was bigger than myself. Cloth pads enabled me to come home to myself and rediscover the joy of being fully and completely present in my own body.
Cloth pads made periods feel… exciting. The fact that I looked forward to my next period to be able to wear them was absolutely mind-blowing. They completely transformed an experience that I was conditioned to ignore into something I wanted to take part and be present in. I experienced a total mindset shift from “dealing with it” to “looking forward to it” and it completely changed the way I saw myself – I no longer felt disconnected; instead, I felt embodied and empowered. Cloth pads became a complete obsession from then on. I felt so much joy in collecting pads and building a beautiful collection that felt like “me”. And I especially loved the idea that I would never have to stress about having a period ever again, because I would be completely prepared and have a positive experience every single time – and that was life changing.
After a fair while of being a full-blown “paddict”, I started looking outside of the Australian WAHM space for more. Worldwide, there were pads made with a more creative flair. There were bat-shaped pads, pads that were horror themed, fluffy pads with embroidered eyes, pads with incredibly vibrant tie dye. I absolutely loved the idea that pads were not only beautiful functional pieces, they could also be creative, and that added a whole new layer to this idea of intentional period care. At the end of my cloth pad journey as a consumer, I saw a bit of a gap – that there wasn’t a maker in Australia that really leaned into the creative aspect of cloth pads – and that’s when the maker idea dropped in. I can do this too.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
As a customer, I noticed that the majority of cloth pads on the Australian market felt mass produced and heavily geared towards florals and pinks. And while I do love floral and pink, not everyone does. I felt like it was such a missed opportunity. I really wanted to see pads that were interesting, fun and more individual – pads that had personality, invoked a vibe or told a story. Pads that you would want to show someone because they looked really cool and they put a smile on your dial. And then the download came – an agaric mushroom shaped like a uterus. Since magic mushrooms are known to alter mindsets, and cloth pads had altered mine, it made perfect sense as a logo. I wanted to make pads that could alter mindsets – that were aesthetic, full of colour and personality for all people who menstruate. And then finally, the name dropped in – I wanted to make pads that could help others Dig the Flow.
When the idea of Dig the Flow came to me, I knew next to nothing about sewing. But I had the passion and drive to learn, so as a self-taught sewist, most of my craft was learnt through research, observation and lots of practice. I deep dived into absolutely anything I could find about cloth pads – the best materials to use and their function, different ways of making them, creative ways of making pads. I quickly found that I was most drawn to exposed core pads – where the pad is made as two separate components and then sewn together at the end. Exposed cores allowed more creative control through the choice and combination of two topper prints, and that was extremely exciting for me. I fell in love with the potential to play with colour, texture and pattern, which would give rise to the variety and a signature style in the pads that I could create.
I then decided that I would do something completely different to what I’ve seen and make one-of-a-kind creations – and in doing so, every single pad would truly become a vessel of love – intentionally made, just for you. Over time, I began sourcing and collecting fabrics that I loved or could find a way to work with. I bought patterns and a machine to experiment and teach myself how to sew. After a few months of practice, I put out the call for testers in a zero-waste group. After almost a year of feedback and honing my sewing skills, I finally opened my Madeit store in 2020 and launched Dig the Flow Reusables.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
My biggest breakthrough was realising that my work was important. By changing mindsets around periods, my work could create a ripple effect. I could actively work towards dismantling the taboo around reusables by just showing up. Cloth pads opened the door to the bigger picture.
As someone building a business in the menstrual space, I was confronted by how deeply ingrained period stigma is and how it impacts everyone. I gained awareness of period poverty (which is why Dig the Flow donates 5% of every sale to Share the Dignity), and the crushing lack of empathy in societal attitudes towards menstruating people. I also realised that there was a significant gap in mainstream education; just covering the menstrual cycle in a biology class wasn’t enough.
Although I had successfully overcome my internalised stigma, I discovered that I had zero knowledge on how to track my own cycle. Tracking was a subject completely overlooked in school, overlooked at home – and it was something that I had to find in order to learn. It gave real-world advice based on the innate wisdom we all possess, and it really cemented the fact that there was nothing wrong with me – it was just society wasn’t built for people who menstruate.
I finally understood that we are cyclical beings with distinct phases that strongly influence our needs and desires. We were never designed to push through every single day, because we would never be and feel the exact same way. We are follicular, we are ovulatory, we are luteal, we are menstrual. All of our different beings are still fundamentally us, but all of those phases were never treated equally. The second half of the cycle, particularly the menstruation, was neglected in self-compassion and in most cases completely disregarded and ignored. In an ideal world, we would be treating our period self with just as much love, compassion and kindness as we treat ourselves and others through the other phases – and this is where Dig the Flow comes in.
With cloth pads, you can confront period taboo head on and give yourself the gift of a better bleeding experience. Every person who menstruates will experience their period completely differently, and your own period can change every single time. That’s because your period is a direct reflection of you – your environment and conditions – and this is where cloth pads truly show their value. With cloth pads, you can live a life aligned with your body – not against it. Cloth pads are completely customisable to fit your needs and preferences perfectly. They’re incredibly effective, easy on the eyes and they’re easy to use and change throughout the day so you can remain as comfortable as possible. But most importantly, they meet you where you are, without changing or diminishing what it is – and that’s true, unconditional love.
Dig the Flow makes one-of-a-kind reusable cloth pads so you can embrace your flow. Your menstruating self is a whole way of being that deserves to be honoured – so why shouldn’t it be beautiful?
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Learning how to keep the balance is insanely challenging and something I’m still actively trying to figure out. My “grandma days” are so invaluable to catching up on work, and I do my best to schedule in “time blocks” that can work around the family. I’ve learned the hard way to not overcommit – saying no thank you and keeping boundaries is so helpful in preventing the dreaded overwhelm.
Thanks to my cycle awareness, being extra mindful of which phase I’m in has been super helpful in figuring out the best time to show up, the best time to write or edit and the best time to pull back or plan ahead. I’ve had to undo years of conditioning that resting isn’t productive – but sometimes resting is the best work.
Having a support network is absolutely essential – your village is important, no matter how small it is. Motherhood and small business can be so isolating and lonely, and this is where finding a community – even if it’s just online, really matters. My main source of connection is currently with the incredible Madeit community. It is a true privilege to be amongst the artisans on the platform who are deeply passionate about the value of handmade and the joy it can bring to both maker and customer.
They say that comparison is the thief of joy – what is best for you will not always work for others and that’s okay. To accept when things are the way they are, especially when kids are so little and chaotic, and letting go of the need to control absolutely everything has been my key to achieving a balanced life.
