Talk to me about menstrual cups

[StylishDuck]

I really want to try one but I don't know where to start. I've always just used tampons but I'm becoming ever more conscious about the single use applicators. Plus since I've had my babies, my periods have become a bit more irregular in terms of flow. I need something I can trust not to leak. I need one that's easy to insert because I'm a complete novice. All the instructions I've read online sound complicated

Following with interest, I didn't get chosen for the lunette MN product test (suspect too old at a grand old 39 ) thought bugger it they look decent I shall buy one l instead but fuck me painful trying to put it in and painful coming out, and I've had a baby, I thought a size 2 would be fine!

So anything easy to insert that people can suggest would be great, like super duper soft and easy!

They do take a bit of getting used to, especially getting them in and out. Once I got used to my mooncup I've found it life-changing.

I use a Mooncup but I started with a Meluna. There are more options with Meluna and are a little easier to get out, especially with the ring or ball stems. If you get a Mooncup, cut the stem off, they don't help and they're uncomfortable.

Meluna have different softnesses and a questionnaire on their website so you can find the best for you.

Following with interest as I just tried a Mooncup for the first time last month.

Ok so DON'T do what I did and just buy a Mooncup because that's the one everyone goes on about. Do the quiz on putacupinit, find which one is best for you.

Had a few issues with my Mooncup leaking and disappearing up and to one side over night Emailed their customer service who were lovely and very helpful but I think actually the cup just isn't a good fit for me and I wish I'd looked into it more and chosen a different one.

Persevere! The convenience is well worth the effort (not to mention the amount of money you will save). They DO take a bit of getting used to - the elegant ‘one leg poised on the edge of the loo’ pose helps. Try and remember to bring a bottle of water with you when out and about (for a quick rinse). I used one for years and now seem to be at the end of my menstrual career (applause? Thank you! It was an experience....my ovaries have retired to Bournemouth and taken up crown green bowling).

It is a faff to get started. But it is worth it. Periods are so much less of a hassle now. Do it.

I prefer to shuffle along while sitting on the loo to put mine in. They're brill, I have 2.

I have an Organicup, I only purchased as they had a BOGOF Offer (I'm so glad of this as I accidentally flushed one; don't ask!)
I've never leaked with it, it's really comfortable and their CS is fab too!
(Mine didn't turn up, so they sent me some on Express delivery)

I used a mooncup before I had my periods stopped because I was having problems with dryness with tampons getting stuck on the light days and it was amazing. It also coped with my very heavy days before I had my ablation. I thoroughly recommend, you won't look back

@MissSmiley The tampon dryness is one of the reasons I'm looking for an alternative. I can go from heavy to light to heavy in the space of 24 hours and it's really difficult to predict. There's honestly nothing worse than pulling out a dry tampon 🤢

I have tried a few:

I bought a mooncup over ten years ago and didn't like it at first. I left it in a cupboard until after I had my second. It was the prebirth, under 30 size but seemed fine. I've always had to double up with tampons and pads, so I thought the slight leakage was OK.

I bought a shit £2 off ebay and that was about as much use as a paper cup. It was too soft so wouldn't open. It was also too small as I bought the same size i'd had previously.

I ordered another, more expensive one and then also got chosen for the lunette trial. They are both the bigger size, but the lunette is much firmer (more so even than the mooncup).

I've tried both this month - the lunette was a bit of a task to get in and out the first couple of goes - it is very firm. Once it was in I couldn't feel it, and it was literally like a plug. I forgot it was there.

I tried the less firm one for one day and foolishly left the house. It opened, but I think my vagina is a bit smaller than the diameter of both cups. With the lunette that was fine because it was firm enough to push against the walls. The less firm one basically got pushed out by my super fanny and sat right down low, causing me to walk like john wayne. When I finally got to a loo I found it was almost upside down and I was very glad I had worn a back-up panty liner.

My advice therefore is:
Get the right size
Firmer is better

And finally cut the stupid stick off the bottom. I always do this - if I don't it stabs me in the lips and is agony.

*my second child I mean.

My fange was too tender to shove a dry tampon up.

I have a tulip cup and a tulip stem cup. Dont use the normal one much but the stem cup I love. It has a much thicker, hollow stem with a valve in the bottom. Taked a bit of getting used to but the valve allows you to empty the cup straight into the loo without removing it. So much easier in public toilets.
I do find it less comfortable on lighter days though and tend to just use washable pads on those days.

I have a kind cup, it’s soft and comfortable. I cut the stem almost completely off, and even though I’m over 30 and have a child I bought the smaller size and it fits perfectly. The key thing is to get very comfortable with, to be blunt, putting your hand up there! You need to be able to twist it once it’s in to make sure it’s fully open (it sits lower than a tampon though so this is doable). I was sceptical but LOVE mine now!

I have a Luna cup, I’ve got a really high cervix and this one works for me. I’ve also got heavy periods and am prone to flooding.

It took me about four periods to nail it. Things I wish I’d figured out earlier - you do need to run a finger around the rim to check it’s open; you need to be able to tug gently and not have it move for it to be effective; and it needs to sit under your cervix (which you can check when you run your finger around the rim - if you can feel your cervix then it’s not in the right place).

I’m still perfecting getting it in & open easily, but figuring out how to check it’s in the right spot has been the most important.

The most disconcerting thing is the air bubbles when you are bleeding heavily; it feels like you’re leaking if you are used to tampons - I have dashed countless times to the loo to find out all is fine!

I have a yuuki cup and I love it. I have really really heavy periods, and with the yuuki cup I can wear it for 12 hours (and overnight!) with no issues. It's no exaggeration to say it changed my life. Honestly I hated periods previously, I would constantly leak even with tampons and sanitary towels, it was a nightmare when I wanted to go for a run etc. With the yuuki cup, once I got used to inserting it properly (it took a little bit of trial and error), it's just so much easier and periods are much less stressful.

Most people when they decide to try out a cup will go for mooncup or one of the other well known brands but there are loads out there. There is a website where you can do a quiz to find out which menstrual cup will suit you best, based on how heavy your flow is, whether you exercise a lot, whether you've ever had a child etc.

Its here

I got a mooncup after hearing about the here. It took me 3-4 months to get used to it, and also had problems with the long stalk. I trimmed it down gradually until I'd taken it all off and am amazed how much comfier it is.
I use a (separate) saucepan to sterilise it before and after use, and haven't had any leaky problems after the initial bedding in.
Good luck!

I got a mooncup and have never looked back. I almost cried when I thought DH had binned it by accident.
My periods are too light for tampons and I cannot stand towels anymore. These made such a difference. Genuinely life changing for me.
Follow the instructions and use a towel alongside it until you have got it right. It shouldn't be uncomfortable to sit down. You shouldn't feel it at all.

Definitely recommend the putacupinit quiz. Took me 3 cycles and 2 different cups to get the hang of it. I find a wide squat a good position, and you do have to get used to having a good rummage. Also trimmed the stem off completely

I use a Comfy Cup with the stem trimmed off completely. I've had 2 children but only one vaginal birth (with a 3c year that's left me suffering from dryness). I always found tampons quite uncomfortable and they became impossible to use post tear because of dryness but I can use a cup comfortably. It does take a couple of periods to get used to it and at first I found it easier to insert it if the cup was wet. The cup has softened up the longer I've had it too.

I'm not exaggerating when I say it was life changing. I'd been suffering from very heavy irregular periods with clotting, I'd had norethisterone, provera, and was being told I'd have to have a mirena fitted, which being hormone based I didn't think a great solution (the tablets made me really moody). I'd have a couple of weeks respite and then another 2 weeks of having to get up 2-3 times a night to change pads, tampons were useless.
The mooncup was a lifesaver. I'd actually get a full night's sleep, I could work, I could go on holiday, I could go out on my heaviest days without a worry.
It took getting used to, I had to be prepared to have a good rummage up there - and the stem needed cutting right off. I feared once or twice that it was lost up there forever, but it always turned up. But I remember it with fondness.

And although I only got 2 or 3 years out of it, it saved me a fortune.

Have a Mooncup sitting in its box. What happens if you cant get it out ?

Thank you everyone! Thanks @NamiSwan for the link to the quiz. I just took it there and it recommended a Saalt cup, which after a quick scan hasn't been mentioned so far here, typical I might take the plunge and try it out next month. I think I am really drawn to the convenience of it and definitely the fact that it's more environmentally friendly. I'm most concerned about the actual insertion of it! But I guess it's just a case of practise makes perfect.

I have the saalt soft cup. I previously had the organicup but found it slid down over time but no leaks. Did the quiz again and it recommended the saalt soft as it's not supposed to need as much pelvic floor support. Used during one cycle and it was fine. I've read that saalt has good customer service so if you find it's not working for you they will give you support/guidance for next steps.

I did a quiz and got the Lunette as the only one available in the UK. Unlike most people I like the long stem and would like it longer as I have short fingers and a long fanny! I found a website of ways to fold a cup for insertion and one of the dozen methods works.

Took a few months to master, eg feeling if it's not in right, and how it feels when getting full and you need to trot to the toilet soon, but it's been way better than pads or tampons from the start.

I can now manage a quick empty even in a normal toilet cubicle so don't need the one at work with a basin, but have to admit an airline toilet defeated me!