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Original poster

Should I buy a mooncup…

51 replies

Spencer2 · 26/07/2023 21:51

Hi ladies,

Sat here feeling grim and p*ssed off on day 1 of my period! I dread it every month and I know it’s because pads make me feel so uncomfortable and just crap.

I wear baggy clothes all week because I am wearing big and ridiculously ugly knickers and get paranoid that the outline of the big ugly knickers is visible, and also the pad itself.

It just makes me feel crap.

Any way, I don’t get along with tampons so I was thinking of trying a mooncup? This is going to sound ridiculous but… is it easy to put in and take out?! I did just google if it could somehow get lost in there… google says that is impossible 🤣 so seriously considering.

Also, would you say you still have to wear the big ugly knickers with a panty liner?

OP posts:
Cloud992 · 26/07/2023 22:00

The idea of having to wash it in sink puts me off.
persosnlly I use tampons/ if you don’t mind me asking- why don’t you get on with them?

mainbrochus · 26/07/2023 22:00

Yea def get one - maybe a new one like a ‘diva’ cup that is softer plastic.

plus period pants from M and S and good to go, so much easier to use.

Archeron · 26/07/2023 22:00

Love mine, used the same one for 15 years. Very easy to put in and take out once you get the hang of it. Impossible to lose it, the opening in your cervix is the width of a matchstick so there’s nowhere for it to go. I also wear a panty liner on my heaviest day but my period is ridiculously heavy, you may not need to.

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Bramleyappletarts · 26/07/2023 22:00

There's definitely a learning curve on them, but I'm converted. They're easy enough to remove once you get the hang of it (you have to bear down to push it out), and I'm not going to lie it is messy, but also weirdly satisfying. I like that it's better for the planet and also once it's in I don't have to think about it all day (I empty mine morning and evening). There are loads of different brands out there - suggest visiting 'a cup that fits' to find the right one for you.

Biggest plus - you never have to remove a dry tampon again!

mainbrochus · 26/07/2023 22:01

Plus I SWEAR using a mooncup makes my period go faster.

BillyBraggisnotmylover · 26/07/2023 22:03

You’ve nothing to lose!

catsnore · 26/07/2023 22:07

The thing I didn't like about the mooncup was emptying it at my former workplace where there were only communal sinks. Aside from that - great.

Period pants are better in this situation although that doesn't solve the big knickers situation!

Doyathinkhesaurus · 27/07/2023 09:30

Yes by one immediately, get some period pants to go with it.

Unless you've got a Mirena coil in. Then you can't use cups.

CheerfulBunny · 27/07/2023 09:38

I've been using them for nearly 20 years, never looked back. Can't use tampons because of light days/thrush issues and pads give me the ick, as do period pants (definitely not for me). It's a bit weird using it to start with but honestly I'd never go back to anything else. Now I'm in peri and my cycle is all over the place it's a godsend. Never really had issues with leaks either. Oh and it's cost me precisely nothing since I last replaced it!

Auntieobem · 27/07/2023 09:46

Yes you should! I've been using one for a few years now, so much more comfortable than tampons/pads. I don't find them messy at all - just pinch to remove, empty in loo and then either rinse in sink if available, or a wipe round with some loo roll if not. I do use a pad as well on heavier days just in case of leaks, but am considering some period pants for that instead.

colouroftherainbow · 27/07/2023 09:49

It does take some getting used to but once you’ve nailed it, you won’t look back. My period pain drastically reduced and the time of the month went by so much faster.

I didn’t get on with tampons because I could always feel them but cups work perfectly because they are worn lower down and I don’t feel a thing.

Depends how heavy your periods are but I rarely need to empty during the day - morning and evening at home is fine for all days except the very first one.

Also second PP recommendations for period pants over pads - so much more comfortable

TicTac80 · 27/07/2023 09:53

I use a different brand of cup, but it's fab :) I also use cloth pads (really comfy compared with disposables). I've had all these for about a decade now (wish I knew about them years before!). I've not had a period for about 5 months now (NOT pregnant!! I've been single since XH pissed off), but if the periods ever come back, I'll happily keep using these.

BertieBotts · 27/07/2023 09:57

Absolutely get one, but another brand. I think the mooncup is much too big and stiff, it used to give me UTIs.

I had the one they sell at Waitrose and I think my other one was a meluna.

Avoid the extremely cheap no brand ones on Amazon etc - you want something from a reputable company.

BertieBotts · 27/07/2023 09:57

I would recommend big pants and pantyliners while you get used to it, but once you are confident you won't need them any more.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 27/07/2023 09:59

I found it a game changer and used one for about 15 years until I had the Mirena. Not everyone gets on with them but I found it much more comfortable and easy once I got used to it.

overitunderit · 27/07/2023 10:00

I have one and I love it. I love not having to spend any money on period stuff and love the fact i never have to remember to buy stuff. You can also leave it in all day as it doesn't need to be changed like a tampon does. I use a mooncup and period pants and swear by it.

They do take a bit of getting used to though. You have to sort of fold it and shove it up then it unfolds inside you. But once it's in you can't feel it.

BertieBotts · 27/07/2023 10:01

I'll go against the grain and say period pants absolutely awful IMO. Really do not like them at all. I bought some to avoid sweaty pants on summer days and they do work well for that, but even on the tail end of my period I really disliked the experience of wearing them.

When I'm on my period, I want to change my pad every time I do a wee and you can't easily do that with period pants. (I don't empty my cup when I do a wee, usually just morning and evening, maybe once during the day on heavier days)

stravagante · 27/07/2023 10:02

They're a total game changer. There is a learning curve - took me about 6 months to really feel properly comfortable. They sped up my period and they're so easy to use. You may find it tricky to fit it at first - there's definitely a knack, but they make SUCH a difference. Less cramps as well.

KeepSmiling89 · 27/07/2023 10:05

Following as I'm wanting to try it to try to be more environmentally friendly! Switched to reusable make up pads so seriously considering a menstrual cup.

Thegoldgrind · 27/07/2023 10:17

Definitely try a cup! I find that I don't really think much about periods now. Apart from one or two heavier days I only have to empty first thing in the morning and last thing at night, don't have to think about buying pads and tampons, don't have to remember to carry them about...
They are comfortable and after the first couple of months putting it in and out is easy. They sit lower down than a tampon so you won't worry about not being able to get it back out! 100% recommend!!

usernotfound0000 · 27/07/2023 10:20

There's a website called put a cup in it which has a quiz and will tell you which is most suited to you. I use a Saalt cup. The first time I used it, I did nearly have a panic attack because I couldn't get it out, took me ages crouched in the shower and I really thought it was stuck Blush it gets easier now though and don't even feel like I'm wearing one. It will depend on your flow if you also need period pants or a pad as a back up but I don't need to.

WildAbandon · 27/07/2023 10:28

I liked the Diva cup and only wish I’d discovered it 20 years sooner. Used for over 10 years (replaced once). I think they make cramps a little lighter. Night time flooding was reduced. I’m post menopause now so it’s all a thing of the past. Would highly recommend.

SusiePevensie · 27/07/2023 10:35

Yes! They shouldn't be advertised as the lentil-weavy alternative, they're just a better product.

blobby10 · 27/07/2023 10:40

Another vote for mooncups! I had horrendously heavy periods and was persuaded by my sister to try a mooncup - I will never know if it was a coincidence but over the next 6 months my periods got much less painful. They were still heavy and I still needed the security of pads for the first three days, plus had to get up during the night before it overflowed but it was so much easier (and cheaper) than tampons. Now my periods are much lighter (coil and peri combo) I only need to empty every 12 hours. And you don't need to rinse and sterilise every single time!
Downsides - yes if you're heavy flow then you get blood on your hands which makes a lot of people go yeuuuck. But this wipes off with loo roll and there isn't often you won't be near a sink with soap. I had more blood on my hands after removing a tampon during heavy flow.
Lots of blood in the loo has a nasty habit of not disappearing on the first flush - which is OK at home, not so OK in public loos.
Errrrm - struggling to come up with any more downsides!

Go for it!

massistar · 27/07/2023 10:42

I use a Saalt cup and it's been absolutely life changing. Only wish I'd discovered it years ago. Empty it once in the morning and once at night. Just make sure you cut the stem off as that was a bit uncomfortable initially. Now I hardly know it's in.

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