Moon cups etc noone really uses them do they?

[justfuckoffthelottayer]

OK sorry to be goady but I know no one in rl who uses these most people have never heard of them and when they do they turn their noses up and would never want to use such a thing. Obviously great for those that do use it very green and eco friendly well done you but I cannot begin to contemplate using one I have super heavy periods low in iron because of and having to empty and wash that out getting covered in blood especially in public loos well... Why the hell would you far too much of a palaver if u ask me. Did buy some period pants but that's only so if leak it doesn't go everywhere but haven't even used those either.

Wow! I know loads of women who use them! I’ve had mine for maybe 15 years but not used it for three years or so due to being on meds to stop my periods which I’ve just stopped taking so I wonder if they’ll return!

Got mine in today. Stage 4 endometriosis and I bleed HEAVY. So much comfier than tampons and no sitting in blood on a pad.

My only regret in life is not switching to a menstrual cup (I use the diva cup) years ago.

I use a menstrual cup for every day of my period and never use anything else. It's changed my life. And I have very heavy periods.

It took me ages to get the hang of them then for soem reason mine seemed to not fit properly after having a miscarriage! So I went back to pads I am now pregnant again and will be trying to go back to the moon cup as soon as my body has healed from birth
So much better for the environment and just ease throughout the day

OK then I am coming round to the idea but how do u know when it needs changing and how the hell do you know what size u need how often do they need replacing as in buying a new one and is it OK to not rinse it everytime? In hot weather i imagine it's much more. Convenient then?

I am 44, I have used one for 5 + years. I have never been covered in blood. I take it out and tip the blood into the toilet. No mess and a lot less period pains than I have previously had

@Muddydoor

Genuine question, if you have to wash them between uses, what stops the blood flow while you are doing this?

I don't wash between, I just take it out and empty it then rinse it under cold water and put it straight back in. By the time even a drop travels down from where the cup was, it's back in.

I boil it for 20 minutes at the first sign of my period and then again when it's finished. That's it. It doesn't get dirty as it's constantly inside me during my period. I don't take it out and out it down anywhere.

It's so much less hassle than a tampon or a pad.

@maddiemookins16mum

In over 40 years of periods, I’ve never discussed what I use with another person. Who discusses Moon cups or, even worse, period pants over a coffee with your pals.

Wow, that's a lot of periods. I started at 13 and finished at 50, so 37 years.

I used them for 15 years until the menopause. I maybe had one or two conversations that mentioned it in that whole time. I have no idea what sort of sanitary protection any of my friends and family use or used to use.

@justfuckoffthelottayer

So how do u not get it everywhere when u take it out I'm willing to be educated how do u not get on hands or spill it? Also e interesting to know ages of those that use it as maybe I am older and stuck in ways? Also never seen one in shops do they sell them. If u changed from years of using other products and had super heavy periods how do u get over the fear of it not working?

There's little to no mess with a cup as it's all caught in the cup then emptied. I rarely get any blood on my hands and if I do, I just wash them.

With a pad, the blood is literally coming out of you and spreading in your underwear. It's far more messy in my opinion.

I do for the last 8 years maybe. Life changing. No idea if my friends do or not. But it was MN that prompted me to try

I’ve had one since it was launched in 2002. The same cup for nearly 20 years. You just empty it whenever you get the chance. If there’s a sink handy I rinse it, if not then I just wipe it with wet loo roll. On heavy days I also use a washable pad in case of leaks. It’s convenient not to have to carry supplies or purchase them every month, and it’s better for the environment and for your health.

@TheLovelinessOfDemons

The people who use them: on heavy days, how do you avoid making a mess while emptying them and washing them out? Don't you bleed everywhere?

I'm sitting on the toilet at the time.

They're really useful for the day when you think you might start or are nearly finished, as they don't irritate the skin. Heavy days are covered and it is actually very informative as you get a true sense of the flow and consistency.

There's just the one thing you need to be careful of [Looks at username]

Google put a cup in it, they have a questionnaire that helps identify what size to buy, they also have YouTube videos for how to put them in, take out without spilling etc. As for how often to empty trial and error at first, leave as long as you would a tampon and from how much was in it you can judge whether you can leave it longer, usually only need to empty 2/3 times a day I find.

Nope totally haven't used one for 13 years when my mobility allows it. Not at all.

@justfuckoffthelottayer

OK then I am coming round to the idea but how do u know when it needs changing and how the hell do you know what size u need how often do they need replacing as in buying a new one and is it OK to not rinse it everytime? In hot weather i imagine it's much more. Convenient then?

I think you just get used to how much it can hold over the first few uses. Same as a tampon I guess. When I was first using mine I used to take it out every couple of hours to check but quickly realised I could leave it loads longer, and now literally empty in the morning and before bed usually.

With my organicup, there are 2 sizes. One for women who haven't given birth and one for those who have. I cut the stork down a little as it was too long for me, but apart from that it's been fine and fits perfectly.

My cup (and probably most of them?) is just silicone so I can imagine it will last for years. I have had mine about 3 years now and it's still the same as when I got it. I sterilise it at the end of each period to ensure it's properly clean.

If I am in a position to I do rinse it each time I empty it, but I am usually at home. I have emptied it in public loos before and just wiped round with a tissue and put back. And tbh even that was just to keep my own hands clean as I put it in, probably isn't really a need to wipe.

I’m 41 and barely manage to separate my recycling into the right bins. I do evangelise about them if periods come up in conversation, but since that’s hardly ever I don’t expect most of my friends would know.

I switched a few years ago as a way to manage flooding. I have an ENORMOUS cup for days 1 and 2, a smaller cup for days 3 to 5 or 6 then period pants for light flow and spotting. I struggled with the cup for the first 2 periods, despite being very at home with rummaging around downstairs. I persevered and love them now!

I would recommend a small cup used on one of your lighter days to start, teamed a pad or period pants for peace of mind. My vagina is seemingly weirdly shaped so I have to wear mine higher than recommended to get a comfortable fit, so don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works for you.

One huge advantage is that you can put them in before you start bleeding, so if you’re expecting your period you don’t have to worry about that mad dash to find a loo when the cramps start.

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion

I don't know anyone irl that uses them, but everyone on mn does.

I have only told my sister IRL that I use a mooncup. Beyond the age of about 16 does anyone regularly discuss which form of sanpro they use?

Anyway, I've used one for 10 years. At work I don't wash it, just empty down the loo and put it straight back in. At home I walk the two steps from the loo to the sink, give it a quick wash with soap and water then put it straight back in.

Public loos - firstly, you’re less likely to need to empty it than change a tampon. Secondly, if you’re in a cubical with no basin I pop some loo roll down the toilet (or the blood doesn’t flush properly), empty the cup, give it a wipe and shove it back up.

I think in the early days I may have worn a tampon to avoid public changes, but find them less messy to change than tampons now (which tend to swing forward on their string, splattering clots across the cubical )

They sound horrible. I don't like the idea of a cup of blood swishing around until it's removed. Much rather it was absorbed. My preference is tampons. No sitting in a mess or having something uncomfortably wadding up your arse, as with pads and no cup of blood sloshing around and possibly making a mess on removal, as with moon cups.

I love mine and have used it for years and would never go back. It's so much easier, comfortable and convenient. I don't have hugely heavy periods but fairly heavy for a couple days, I've never leaked from using a cup.

I don't know anyone else who uses them but I've never asked any friends or sisters if they do so they might!

I never leak with my cup. I used to leak all the time with tampons as the bastarding clotty bits would sneak around the edges and end up in my knickers, or I’d bleed so heavily that I’d saturate the tampon and the blood would wick it’s way down the string onto my underwear before I could make it to a loo.

Oh the joys of womanhood

I'm 31 - I've only been using one for just under a year, and really like it. It took a few cycles to get used to it - the one I bought (Pixie Cup) came with a few sachets of lube which really helped when I first started. Now I'm ok just shoving it up.

I also watched a couple of videos on different folding techniques, as the one Pixie recommended wasn't really working for me, and the cup wasn't unfolding and sealing properly. Tried a few others and found one that worked.

Mine has a marker on the inside so you can see how much blood is in there, I generally never hit the max before I change it, and like others I'm only changing when I wake up and before bed. So it gives you a very clear picture of your flow.

I do find it a bit messy though, when I remove mine blood spills on my fingers - maybe I'm pulling out too quickly?! But I'm always at home and can reach the sink from the loo so it's not a huge issue. So yeah, in all I'm a big fan, and never going back to pads or tampons.