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Original poster

Are menstrual cups uncomfortable

73 replies

SeaBoat · 16/08/2022 16:21

I grew up using disposal pads and then when I went into my 20s I used pads and tampons.

About 4 and half years ago I became unwell with a very bad cough. Since then I found tampons very uncomfortable for some strange reason. They don't feel right. It's been a few years since I used them.. Since then I made the move to reusable products as in reusable pads and period underwear and I love it.

I will need an option going forward for a swimming pool. Either tampons or a menstrual cup. I don't know what to decide on. My main products of choice will be pads and reusable underwear but I need an option for a pool.

I had a look online and there's such a thing as period swimwear. Would period swimwear work in a pool or would period blood get washed out from the swimwear?

All help would be appreciated.

OP posts:
BryceQuinlanTheFirst · 16/08/2022 16:27

I like them a lot but you might need to experiment. I actually find mooncup (the dominant brand) the most uncomfortable. There are quizzes you can take to recommend. They take a bit of getting used to but once you're confident they are excellent. I use period pants too for overnight and if I'm worried about leaks.

They look big but actually more comfortable than tampons and hold a lot more.

Whatwouldscullydo · 16/08/2022 16:31

Try the putacupinit quiz.

Mooncup I found really " brutal"

I get on really well with a saalt ,ruby or lena cup. Wish id tried it years ago instead of putting up with the itching of tampons.

The swimwear i think.is just designed for sitting around a pool/at the beach or back up for a cup or tampon its not really for on its own

mindutopia · 16/08/2022 16:31

I personally find them uncomfortable, yes. I would prefer a tampon in this instance but use reusable pads otherwise. Period swimwear is more about when you’re outside the pool than in.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Beauty
ouch321 · 16/08/2022 16:31

I tried both sizes of the Mooncup and both put pressure on my bladder.

Found it very hard to go and sometimes couldn't at all and it would feel like burning. Remove cup and it was fine.

I'm not the only person to experience this but it's just luck of the draw. Liked the product otherwise but had to abandon.

Original poster
SeaBoat · 16/08/2022 17:35

Thank you for the replies. I did that test and lunette was recommended along with luna, saalt and ruby.

I think I will try one of them.

OP posts:
RedBonnet · 16/08/2022 17:44

Be careful. In my youth I tried a sponge designed for menstrual use. It gave me toxic shock. I was still able to use tampons but very low absorbency ones only.

I tried a mooncup, comfy, easy to use, but after a year of use and cleaned with Milton fluid, I again got toxic shock. I think cleaning it caused it to become rough and therefore no longer able to resist germs.

So be careful about cleaning it. The Milton was too harsh I think.

This was when they 1st came out, maybe 20 years ago, so could be different now.

EBearhug · 16/08/2022 17:48

I can't feel my mooncup at all when it's in (it's from Hey Girls.)

RudsyFarmer · 16/08/2022 17:48

I’ve used mine for about twenty years now and can’t feel it at all.

only negatives I’ve heard is health professionals warning about the suction removal of the device potentially causing issues with pelvic floor. When I read this I made a conscious effort to pull my pelvic floor up each time I removed it.

PaperMonster · 16/08/2022 18:05

I’ve used a Mooncup for 15 years. Not so much over the past few years as I wasn’t having periods thanks to the pill and now I’m off it I don’t have so many. I did find it a bit hard work inserting it when I started to reuse it but I’m peri menopausal I think so that might have been why. But when I used it every month, I couldn’t feel it when it was in.

Mangogogogo · 16/08/2022 18:16

I didn’t get on with them and I tried a few. I couldn’t pee with them in and my body just wanted to constantly bear (bare?) down.

had a similar issue with the coil so maybe my vag just doesn’t like anything up there that isn’t a D!

Swannning · 16/08/2022 18:18

I can't feel mine when it is in however I did remove the stalk bit.

It seems to improve my pelvic floor as I don't pee as much when I sneeze / cough if I am wearing it.

CoraPirbright · 16/08/2022 18:19

Once you find the right one, cups are a doddle. I use a jenny & seriously cannot feel it at all once in position!

NyanBinaryJohn · 16/08/2022 18:24

I have the larger Saalt cup and I'm fully converted.

https://putacupinit.com/quiz

This quiz will help you wade through what's on offer and which cup is most likely to suit you. I did it about 2 years ago and whilst it took a few months to fully get the hang of using the cup properly, I am very happy with the one that was recommended and still use it today.

reluctantbrit · 16/08/2022 18:32

I had trouble with them but I also can't wear tampons since having DD.

Period swimwear - two teens I know who club swim have the swimsuits and find them great unless it's a really heavy day and they then use tampons with it. We bought the bikini bottoms for DD for a watersport scout camp but I think they are really only as an additional layer, not like the actual period pants who will last her (and me) for several hours. She will wear them with tampons.

outnumbered77 · 16/08/2022 18:34

My cup is very comfortable (si-bell) but the only time I wore it swimming it did leak so I use a tampon for swimming now. Post babies I find only non applicator tampons are comfortable.

LilacSky95 · 16/08/2022 18:43

I love my menstrual cup! I cut the stalk off as it was very uncomfortable, and then I used a nail file to sand the rough edges down on the part I'd cut off. Like others have said I found the mooncup brand uncomfortable, but I tried a cheap version I found on ebay for less than a to fiver, and I've been using it for 3 years now with no issues!! They can be fiddly to get in and out when you are just learning, and I also had a few leaks due to me not inserting it properly so it definitely takes practice. I wouldn't stick one in first time and head for the pool, I'd use it for a couple of months first until you get the hang of it, and so you know it won't be leaking etc

GoldPig · 16/08/2022 18:46

Mooncup was ok but not great. Diva cup was perfect.

Imnotanumber · 16/08/2022 18:51

I wonder what that Scottish male period expert could add to this thread? He might have tips and tricks nobody else has thought of 🙄

I use a moon cup small size and it's completely reliable. It took about two periods practicing with additional protection before I was confident with it

CakeCrumbs44 · 16/08/2022 18:53

I had a moon cup before having kids and it was fine. Since having children it was really uncomfortable - I tried both sizes and they just weren't right. To be fair to them, the customer service was excellent - they asked me lots of questions and made suggestions on how to make it more comfortable, sent me the second size for free and when it still didn't work they refunded me. So it's a low risk option if you wanted to try it (just keep the receipt)

CakeCrumbs44 · 16/08/2022 18:54

I think there's a website called "put a cup in it" which can help you find the right one.

orbitalcrisis · 16/08/2022 19:22

Another vote AGAINST the Mooncup, SO uncomfortable! I find the Femmecup much softer and easier to get hold of too.

Reallyreallyborednow · 16/08/2022 19:26

I tried a mooncup, comfy, easy to use, but after a year of use and cleaned with Milton fluid, I again got toxic shock. I think cleaning it caused it to become rough and therefore no longer able to resist germs

wow that’s really rare! Did you get a write up in the medical journals?

no that’s not sarcasm, there seriously has only been a couple of recorded cases so they do actually get written up :)

ChagSameachDoreen · 16/08/2022 19:30

Mooncups are too thick and rigid for me. I have a cheap one off ebay that is more supple.

Ringmaster27 · 16/08/2022 19:40

I really like mine. I use an OrganiCup.
I hate the feeling of pads - how I imagine wearing a nappy must feel like 😬
And tampons always feel uncomfortable for me.
It took a few tries to get my cup positioned properly the first time, but once it’s in place, I don’t even feel it’s there. Never had any problems with leaks or spills either.
Only (slightly hilarious) issue I’ve ever had is when I “lost” it 🙈😂 The geography of my nethers means that I had to trim the stem of my cup right down to nothing to stop it from pinching (quite common I have since found out!). I called a close friend of mine who’s a nurse in a mad panic that I couldn’t reach the base of the cup to get it out 😂 She talked me through some bathroom gymnastics and I was able to retrieve the Houdini cup without any permanent injury….except maybe my pride 😂

SBAM · 16/08/2022 19:43

I did the put a cup in it quiz and it recommended saalt or Lunette. I got the lunette because it was cheaper and I’ve been really happy with it. I use period pants with the cup just as backup and I’m now finding my periods a lot less stressful than using tampons and pads.
Cups sit lower than a tampon, and I removed the stalk on mine completely as I found it poked me a little, but without the stalk I can’t feel the cup. There is a bit of a learning curve with getting them in and out, but I find them much more convenient than tampons.

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