New London girl launches online business to sell organic feminine products and remove stigma of menstruation

Mar. 5—NEW LONDON — Slender and soft-spoken, Mhina Reed is big and bold in her belief that a normal fact of life for half the world's population shouldn't be a secret and shouldn't be shamed.

Reed is talking about girls and women getting their period.

There shouldn't be a stigma about it, said Reed. "It's something 50 percent of the population goes through, so it doesn't make sense to hide it."

It's not the first time this type of message has been expressed.

But Reed is 14.

Many girls that age would collapse in embarrassment at the thought of talking publicly about their periods.

Reed, of rural New London, said she's seen girls struggle to "hide their supplies" in school and has friends who don't talk to their moms about the changes they're experiencing.

"I was raised in an environment where all of that was talked about. We were extremely open about it," said Reed.

"There are three women in this house, so that's kind of part of life here," said Christa Otteson, Reed's mom. "So I think it's amazing she's willing to talk about this issue."

Reed, who calls herself a shy and introverted person, is hoping that her willingness to bring the topic to the forefront will help women — especially girls and moms — become comfortable talking about their periods and realize the importance of taking care of themselves.

"I hope by doing this, other girls will see this as something they don't need to be shy or embarrassed of," she said.

To help make that happen, she's launched a new online business called "Take Care Girl" that sells earth-friendly pads and tampons, along with some sage advice and a little love and support.

There are options for one-time purchases and monthly subscription orders as well as a special box designed for girls when they get their first period.

"It's a nice way to show your daughter, or whoever, that you support them," said Reed.

That period care package includes organic tampons and pads, a homemade rice heating pad to help with cramps, coloring sheets designed by a New London artist, some chocolates and a booklet Reed wrote with basic information about menstruation, the importance of talking to an adult and an invitation for girls to celebrate their periods.

"I know it may not always seem like it, but getting your period is a wonderful thing," she writes. "It means that you are growing up and that one day you will be able to create life, if you choose. Isn't that amazing?"

Reed will donate 10% of every sale to local organizations that help women and there's an online option on her Take Care Girl website, www.takecaregirlworldwide.com for people to donate products to women utilizing services, like the local shelter.

Take care of the earth

Reed's desire to remove the stigma of menstruation is matched by her concern for climate change.

Reed is inspired by Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teen who is known for her worldwide environmental activism.

"She's such a young person and she's doing all this stuff that all our adult leaders aren't doing," said Reed. "It amazed me she was so young and could make such a big impact."

Reed said she began researching ways to reduce her environmental footprint at home and looked for "different ways I could get my voice out and speak about what we need to do."

That's why Reed, who is home-schooled and attends classes part-time at Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, chose to sell eco-friendly feminine products made from 100% organic cotton that she purchased in bulk from The Organic Project.

Reed, who has many entrepreneurs in her family, has been in "business" since she was 6 and set up a lemonade stand at the end of her family's gravel driveway along a rural Kandiyohi County road. By saving up money from past sales of her homemade slime, bracelets, cards and dried flowers, Reed purchased her products and got busy making her rice bags and booklets to send with orders.

She went to the bank to make arrangements so she could accept online payments and developed the website on her own, said Otteson.

"She's just been 100% the driver in all of this," said Otteson. "I think she's been around a lot of people who know how to start something and see it through. I think it's in her DNA."

Talk more

When Reed hit the online launch button for Take Care Girl in mid-February she got some immediate positive responses which she hopes will continue to grow, along with more open discussion about menstruation.

Menstruating is "a very natural thing and none of us would be around without it," she said. "So I feel this is something we need to talk about more."

That discussion shouldn't include just girls and women but also boys and men.

"Boys aren't educated about this completely natural thing," she said, which creates "stigma and false information."

Reed wants to include the voices of other women in the discussion.

There is a survey on her website that asks women of all ages to share their own experiences by responding to 17 questions about their first period, such as: Where did they get their information and was it correct information? Did they tell anyone? Were they prepared and supported? How did getting their period make them feel?

The survey also asks women to share something they'd like "girls across the country to know about changes and their periods."

Reed plans to include this information in a book she intends to call "Menstrual Stories from the Midwest."

Otteson said when she grew up, talking about periods was a "shameful thing" and certainly nothing she talked about with her own mother.

Otteson said she and her husband, Josh Reed, made concerted efforts to make sure their two daughters are comfortable talking about it.

"I'm proud that Mhina and sister, Clara, feel comfortable having this conversation and don't feel like it's icky, don't feel like it's gross or weird," she said. "And it's just like, really normal."