Calling menstual cup users: got my first and needs some tips!

[BogstandardBelle]

I bought a Fleurcup and have been using it for the first time, over the last three days. It’s so much better than tampons! I’m totally converted. But I have some questions if anyone can help...

1. I haven’t cut any of the stalk off... I can’t feel it and it’s comfortable, do I don’t need to, right? I can’t see how I’d get it out without the stalk. But an awful lot of people seem to trim it off.

1. In the heaviest days of my period, I found that it leaked just a little bit on and off through the day. Not enough to be a problem, just enough to show on tp when I wipe after peeing. Is this a sign it needs emptied? or is not a good fit? No leaks on the lighter days. I find it really hard to tell if it’s in properly. It feels comfortable but I’m just assuming that it’s unfolded and in the right place.

1. I did need to get up and empty it overnight on one night, so after maybe 4 hours? Is that normal with a heavy period? Even with that, it’s still much better than flooding through super tampons and towels....

Thank you and sorry if TMI- i don’t know anyone else who uses one. I wish I’d got it 10 yrs ago...

I found the YouTube channel precious star pads so helpful when I started using a cup, or tried and failed to use until I watched her videos. My cup doesn’t have a stem and I don’t have issues taking it out. Slide a finger up the slide to break the seal and then hook it out with your finger

I also found mine wasn’t opening fully but I thought it had. I feel like I’m stiring (TMI) but running a finger around it all will help you feel if it’s fully open or not

Following as I'm tempted to make the change from tampon to cup!
Mine are really light so I'm worrying I'll forget it's in there!

I wish I read the tip about ‘breaking the seal’ before I nearly sucked my cervix out the first time I tried to remove mine 😳

Bianca, you can leave the cups in longer than tampons. I’m prone to really heavy ones but when I’m light I use my little cup and it’s amazinh, I completely forget I have a period!

I didn’t cut the stem on mine either. If you still get blood it’s not fitting properly. You can do as Daisy suggests or push against the wall of the vagina to allow it to open. Short fingernails are needed or it’s ouchy.

I run mine under the cold tap before use so it’s stiffer.

If you're comfortable then no need to cut anything. In fact when you cut it it can make a sharp edge which can pinch so if you don't feel the need definitely don't.

If it's literally only showing when you wipe, it's probably not a leak, it's probably just some blood which was remaining underneath where the cup is inserted.

I don't have heavy periods so I can't help with the last one. Bianca you just have to make sure you empty it and rinse it once every few hours. It can be twice a day - though I think they recommend a bit more often now. I have on occasion forgotten mine and you don't want to do this as the blood will start to decay and it's horrible.

This is a really good website for tips on leaking, comfort, troubleshooting etc: putacupinit.com/

After a few recent threads on here I dug out my old one to try again. No problems using, but removing is nearly impossible. Now remember why it was banished to the back of the bathroom cabinet, but really wish I could use it. Just don't have the coordination or the space to simultaneously hold the stem, break the seal, fold it up etc?

Thanks for all the tips. I will try “running my fingers round” to check if it’s opened properly but there isn’t a lot of room to manoeuvre up there;-) and I seem to have a very high / bony pubic bone getting in the way... hmm now I can see why my first ds was a shoulder dystocia... once it’s in I can reach the stem and the bottom couple of cans of the cup, but no further up. I’ll try with more contortions / determination today ;-)

It comes out quite easily, not much of a tug required, which also makes me wonder if it’s not sealed properly. The only slightly painful bit is getting the hard rim past said pubic bone.

Cans = cms

There’s a mumsneter who keeps a special spoon to get hers out

I used to use a mooncup but switched to a super jennie cup in the summer which has more capacity as my periods are really heavy.

I agree if it's just a bit of blood when you wipe it's probably not leaking just residual blood. Overnight I would get some leaking due to it being full so I would wear a towel as well.

I find the cup so much better as my period is quite clotty (sorry!) So just isn't absorbed properly by tampons or towels.

I converted to a cup around a year ago and wished I had done it years ago!! It's brilliant. I went for the original mooncup from Boots although I know there are a number on the market. To answer your questions -

1. If it's comfortable when walking and sitting and you don't feel the stalk, then no need to trim. It means you have a naturally higher sitting cervix.

1. You'll know if you needed to empty it earlier if, when you do empty it, it's literally full to the top and you have obvious leakage. A small amount of blood on the TP after going to the look - more of a wash appearance - most likely isn't a leak. You'll know if the cup has opened by running your finger around the base of the cup after inserting. If it's round and even with no bevels, it's in properly. Also, and this is when the stalk comes in handy - after you have inserted it and checked the base of the cup, give the stalk a 'very' gentle tug. If the seal is good, it'll feel sucked in. Job done.

1. Again, was the cup full or was it a sensation that you needed to empty it? With a heavier flow, you can often feel the sensation of the flow. Perhaps try another brand that has a bigger cup.

It's hard to understand that something so simple in design works so brilliantly - it's sad that this product isn't marketed more. Well done for making the change. X

Apologies in advance if this is a diversion too far, but DD is interested in a cup and I've never used one.

Ocado sell them, brand TOTM. Are they OK? It's certainly the most convenient way to buy. Or is there another brand that s widely preferred?

I had to snip the handle on mine as I could feel it and it was sore. Try removing cup by pushing down with your pelvic floor when sitting on the loo. You can grasp the end of it and pinch it to break the seal. When you put it in, to make sure its properly open, you can grasp the end and rotate it which helps it open up.

Ive kept the stem on mine, as long as it's far enough in it doesn't bother me. I've found doing exaggerated hulahoop hip movements once you've put it in can help it open up properly. I absolutely love mine and won't ever go back to disposable Sanpro now.

Watching with interest as I keep thinking about getting one but am put off by the idea of emptying it at work. The sinks are outside the cubicles, so I keep imagine emerging from the cubicle with hands dripping with blood a la Lady Macbeth. How do people manage that?

Also, I have a tilted cervix which even experienced nurses struggle with when I go to have a smear test. Does anyone else on here have a retroverted cervix and uses a moon cup or similar? I don't want to invest the money and then find it doesn't work.

Can’t answer your second one. For the first, it’s doable if not ideal. So you take it out, empty, then wipe out the cup with tp and reinsert. Then wipe yr hands with a wipe before exiting and washing. Having said that, I haven’t found it anything like as messy as taking out / inserting a tampon. The other thing is that you won’t have to do it anything like as often as with disposables. I work 9-4 and I reckon on light days I wouldn’t need to empty it at all at work.

Or Is there a disabled toilet anywhere that you can use? They often have more space and a sink.

For removal - push as though trying to do a poo/give birth (not as hard of course, but if you've had a vaginal birth pushing out a little cup suddenly seems 100x more doable in comparison)

Use stem to grab initially. Do little pushes to move it down while holding stem so that it doesn't escape back up. Once you can reach the bowl of the cup, grab and pinch that instead so that the seal breaks and the top ends up more of a flat 0 or loose 8 shape, then you can pull it out. I tend to tip mine out at an angle so the edge facing my back comes out first, and position my fingers side to side, so that the part I'm guiding out is the thin end of the 0. It can be uncomfortably stretchy if you're trying to remove the entire rim at once.

If you have an actual Mooncup brand they are some of the bigger and stiffer on the market so you might find removal easier with something smaller or softer. I find my Meluna medium to be much more comfortable than the Mooncup. However we are talking millimetres difference and for most people it's fine.

If Ocado is selling one it should be fine. It is the cheap Chinese ones on amazon and ebay you should watch. Otherwise Precious Stars Pads on youtube has reviews of different types, maybe your DD could look there. Most brands can be bought online with home delivery. If she is a teenager and hasn't finished growing and/or isn't sexually active she might prefer a smaller cup than a standard one so PSP is worth a look.

I have a tilted cervix and it's not an issue as it sits in the vaginal canal, it doesn't nestle the cervix like a diaphragm. Emptying at work is OK, you do sometimes get blood on your hand (only one usually) but I would wipe with a tissue so not dripping. Sometimes it's still visible around nails etc but if it bothers you you can make that hand into a fist to hide nail area until you get to the sink, and it washes off easily with soap and water. I don't think anybody would notice. And yes unless you have very heavy periods, you can often empty in the morning and when you get home and not worry about it at work.

@Ethelswith there are lots of YouTube reviewers who discuss the available cups on the market and their suitability for different ages, flows etc. They cover their shape and size, what they are made of, how easy they are to insert and remove, I found them really useful when choosing mine.

"uncomfortably stretchy" sounds about right Just pinching the base didn't break the seal. Had to sort of hook it out, but couldn't fold or angle it enough so that I wasn't just basically pulling the whole rim out.

I think it's a Ladycup, which is apparently medium firmness, wary of going softer for risk of leaking?

I have a question- I have really heavy periods and I normally use super plus extra or ultra tampons , plus a pad and I can change it every 30 minutes to an hour . This is usually only for a day, the rest of it is fairly "normal", so... would the cup work for me?

@EmmaGrundyforPM I have exactly that and the moon up works fine for me and is comfortable.

Thanks for all the advice on here, I am now tempted to go for one. I'm in my 50s so possibly I'm not going to get very much use out of it as I'm sure I will hitting the menopause soon!