A menstrual cup is a safe, reusable alternative to menstrual products like pads and tampons. They are made of medical grade silicon and are completely safe inside your body. Once you get used to it, they are usually much more comfortable than pads and tampons. They are also an environment friendly alternative that prevents accumulation of sanitary waste in our landfills.
They do not restrict movement, they are hassle free, and can last many hours for someone with average flow. Typically, one has to change them every 8 hours at least or sooner on heavy flow days. There are a lot of myths and fear surrounding menstrual cups. Let’s dive into them.
Menstrual cups might take some time to get used to, probably a few cycles. However, once you get used to it, it’s the most comfortable, mess free and economical option. For using menstrual cups, one needs access to clean bathrooms and clean water while inserting / removing it. So please keep that in mind if you are using it while travelling. Hygiene and You channel on youtube is a very helpful source to know about menstrual hygiene, that I discovered during my research. However, all the suggestions, and experiences shared in the article, are first hand experiences. Some women might not be ready to use menstrual cups which is absolutely OK. There are other sustainable options, like cloth pads and plastic-free pads that I would talk about in other posts.
Things you need to know before you consider the menstrual cup
- Try the menstrual cup during your periods and not before. Reason being, during menstruation, your vaginal canal is naturally lubricated and it is infinitely easier to slip in your cup. 🙂
- The cup would not get lost inside of you. It is not technically possible… If you are unable to accurately hold and twist it out, then breathe out, calm down , squat for a while, and the cup would come down.
- Â You can use the toilet while wearing the cup because the opening for menstruation is different from those for other body fluids.So you can go to the loo without being worried about the cup.
- Â If the cup is full, which is usually after 4-8 hours depending on the flow, then it would leak a little. So it’s a good idea to have a panty liner or a cotton pad as a backup.
- It’s not scary or eeky. It’s actually mess free, more hygienic, healthier and very comfortable.Â
How to use a menstrual cup?
Step 1: RELAX
Step 2: SQUAT (preferably on the bathroom floor to make it easier)
Step 3: Make a Punch down fold (shown in video to the right) on the cup and insert it into the vaginal opening. Please note the vaginal canal is not straight up, it’s inclined backwards. Some women hurt themselves trying to push it up instead of slightly inclined towards the back.
Step 4: Once you push it in,it just naturally pops open. However you can try to rotate the cup with your fingers a little, to make sure it opens up. You can feel the walls of the cup to make sure it has no folds. After wearing it, you shouldn’t feel you have anything inside at all. 🙂
Step 5: When you want to take take out the cup Repeat Step 1 and 2, locate the cup, pinch it to break the air-tight fit of the menstrual cup. Slowly rotate and pull it down. (Details in video to the left)
Do not yank out the cup as it may cause spillage. With repeated practice, cups can be removed with zero spillage, by pinching and gently removing it. Empty the contents into the commode, and just rinse or wipe the cup before re-inserting. Cups need to be sterilized in hot/boiling water for 10 mins in between period cycles. Two key things while using cups are RELAX and SQUAT. 🙂Â
A medium sized cup might fit 70-80% of women and you might want to experiment with a couple before zeroing in on one. You could instead choose to measure your cervix before purchasing to be sure. See video to the left.
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How to choose the perfect menstrual cup?
Menstrual cups come in a number of different sizes. We would be primarily discussing Stonesoup cups for the purpose of comparison. There are also a whole lot of brands in the market that you can try.
A firm cup is advisable for people with active lifestyle, regular workouts or sports, as they would have tight vaginal muscles. A soft cup is advisable for women with a sedentary lifestyle or have had one or more natural childbirths. A cup with medium toughness is advisable for women in between.
Stonesoup cups are mainly without stem, but have grip lines to help you locate the base of the cup while taking it out. Click here to buy these cups from Stonesoup website.
Some other reliable options with a stem for easier location of the cup are Shecup and SochGreen. You can cut the stem according to your comfort.
Some cheaper options in the market might not be the best option as it might lose elasticity with time. It’s better to opt for a quality product as you would be reusing it for many years.
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