To be completely baffled as to why the tampon is more popular than the mooncup?

[YunoYurbubson]

It just doesn't make sense.

I am a very recent convert to the mooncup and all I can think is wtf was I doing with tampons all those years?

I feel almost... betrayed by the generations of women who have made the tampon the mainstream menstruation product of choice.

Ignore your prejudices because those would work either way. If you were used to using a mooncup and someone suggested carrying around a bloodsoaked wodge of cotton wool on a string in your vagina instead you would think that was gross. It's just what you're used to.

So, prejudices aside. Agreed?

Lets just look at this logically.

The mooncup produces no waste, so no flushing things you shouldn't, no filling a bin with smelly waste, no furtive smuggling of used tampons wrapped in loo roll up your sleeve when there is no bin and you don't have pockets.

It's every bit as comfy and convenient.

It's cheaper.

And it is SO COOL seeing how much blood you have lost. I'm sorry, but it is. It's much less yucky because it's not old, brown drying smelly blood. It's a fresh little pot of new, clean blood. It's just not yucky.

And this isn't a thread to critisise or judge or feel superior. I just REALLY want someone else to be converted and feel the joy too . I want someone else to have the scales fall from their eyes and feel as delighted as I do right now.

I had a Diva cup first but it was made of rubber and I developed an allergy (ouch) so bought a Moon Cup.

I thought I'd be grossed out by it but I actually found it strangely fascinating how the blood changes during the period. The first day is mainly mucous, the second day very thin bright red blood, followed by darker blood and clots.

I have very, very heavy periods and need a pad too on the heaviest days but I always did with tampons, even the extra extra large Lillets.

My main complaint is, at 45 and after birthing large babies, the largest size isn't quite big enough. I could do with a tiny bit more girth!

Oh and it's messy as hell. I've managed to ping it across the bathroom a number of times. I am extremely clumsy though.

Oh I forgot to say, I wouldn't dare boil mine to clean it. I've had enough disasters with boiled eggs to know that it would work out very, very expensive.

I use the sterilising tablets that are for babies bottles. Rinse really well after of course but it works brilliantly.

I boil up a full kettle, pour the water over my tea bag (in a mug of course) and the rest over moonie , boil away while tea brewing, on completion of tea, I take pan off hob, pour cold water over so can get it out and nip off to bog. Don't need to carry on with minute detail do I ?

Edgar if you read just ten posts above yours you will see that someone experienced trouble with tampons falling out, but not a mooncup. So my uneducated guess would be that it won't fall out.

If anybody is worried about it getting stuck - put it this way, it's a hell of a lot smaller and more flexible than a baby's head! If worst comes to worst you can always push it out.

Besides it's smaller than the average penis, what are you all complaining about?

Right, I'm off to Boots to buy one. The Guardian article says they come in two sizes, depending on your age and whether or not you've had children. I have had children but only by elective C-section. I'm 42. What size do you think I should go for?

It's a hard one really, because I have no way of knowing how my fanjo measures up to other women's.

I've ordered size A as I'm 30 and had three c-sections. I think you should order size A too parakeet as over 30 is A and under 30 is B. Having children vaginally is A too.

Am secretly hoping its too big as I'm on the cusp and don't feel I'm ready to be 30!

I've also had a couple of glases of wine, hence my sudden authority on advising people what mooncup to buy!

just because you're all evangelical about mooncup doesn't mean anyone else is.really your eulogising about menstrual blood is a bitty weird.cool isnt word that springs to mind instantly

lol 'cos that makes sense

After delivering a 10lb 110z baby and tearing ......am sure a moon cup would fall out of my fanjo! Dont trust tampons up there either......prefer to let the blood 'out' rather than hold it in there!

When do you ever see mooncups advertised? Never! Meanwhile tampax, bodyform, etc are often on the telly.

I heard about them a year or so ago, and had a little giggle about them with my colleagues, and promptly forgot all about them until now. I have never used one because I have never seen one on sale. I never go to boots. I usually buy all my toiletries from the supermarket.

crap business plan that's why salizchap. No point advertising something which doesn't need to be replaced.

But we can help

I'm getting one. I promised a few weeks ago I would but haven't had any loss since.

Need to watch this situation a bit carefully

I've just googled them then totally grossed the DH out explaining it to him, in great detail of course.

Took a sadistic pleasure in it too.

Also I agree with sparklycheerymummy never liked tampons or the idea of anything being left up there.

I have an image of a plunger type device sucked onto my skin for hours and thats not pleasant. are there any issues/thoughts re. the air tight seal/suction that it creates inside?

It's fine! it doesn't hurt, isn't painful, easy to insert and remove (I had no problem from the start) and they are far cleaner than the throw away alternatives, pays for itself within a very short time if you add up the cost of tampons or towels. I've now had periods for 33 years and I wish I'd been a Mooncup user for 30 years. It makes total sense. You know it does!

Mooncups are sort of like the everlasting lightbulb, aren't they?

it's not airtight, there are little holes round the side at the top. i think airtight would be pretty dangerous tbh. but apart from that a sink plunger is not far off. which is why you are once again advised to break the seal before removing and to cut off the stem.

I worry, well not worry, so much as wonder if I'll be abe to get it in & in the right place. I have quite short arms and I'm overweight, I'm not sure I could insert it properly. I do use tampons but you only need one finger to push it into the right place?!

(Rockbird I did see your post x)

I'm only 5' tall and a size 22/24 so if I can insert a Moon Cup ok I think anyone can. :)

They look quite big, even folded, to shove up there?! Yes, blokes are bigger, but tbf I'm a lot more lubricated when a penis is headed up there!

Whippoorwhill - thanks! How long did it take for you to get it in the right place?

I've just watched some hillarious youtube clips on mooncups!

Still on the fence. Had terrible stomach cramps earlier though, had to cut the day short and come home, remove the tampon and stretch out... getting better now.

I miss my pill :(

if you put it in wet the lubrication is not a problem.

totally agree with op
I have been using mine for yrs , am trying to convert dd

only time I use tampons is if I am on my heaviest day at work
emptying it at work is a bit yuck as sink is outside of cubicle and it leaves blood at bottom of pan etc

Have people who get bad cramps with tampons really found them lessened with a moon cup?

Chippingin, you don't have to push it up as far as a tampon so it is actually easier in that respect.

diddl, yes, I have personally been told this by several women
their cramps lessen and their flow is lighter(sometimes life-changingly, for instance a woman whose periods were so painful she was literally immobilised every month)