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.

wrt leaving it in for 12 hours - is that actually safe?

FFS! WIl those of you going ''So it's the faffing of finding a public toilet and having privacy while I wash the thing out and then back to the loo to reinsert.'' please read some of the info posted here.

you don't HAVE to. It will last all day.
If you REALLY have to, you can take it out, wipe it with tissue and reinsert it.

sethstarkadder - don't be daft!! (actually, now you mention it, it might do the share-price some good......).

Just googled mooncup - looks nothing like I imagined. Maybe it's a bit late for me (old dog, new tricks etc.)

Yup, you can leave it in for longer if you're feeling brave (not reccomended though). Because it's silicone it's completely inert - the blood doesn't dry out, and nothing grows on it. Anecdotally heard of someone who forgot about it and left it in for 2 or 3 days, was slightly smelly but didn't die

a tmi question.
i did see someone selling mooncups, years ago at glastonbury and thought eeewch.
but now, i think, hmm, maybe.
but when my period is heaviest, i change a super tampax every hour.
would that be all too much for the mooncup? how long could i leave it in?

sorry to be blunt but doesn't all the blood run down your arm when you pull it out? (have heavy periods and have had v negative experiences with contraceptive cap )

Ok, Can somebody answer a stupid question?
What happens when you lie down? Does all the blood fall out of the cup? Also, what about clots, I get fairly big ones that would surely overflow it?
thanks!

I've never had that happen. You might get a tiny bit of blood on your fingers, but rarely.

I bought one but just couldn't get on with it.

I cannot exactly remember why now (it was a few years back) but I did buy a pelvic floor exerciser soon after. I think my uterus is prolapsed to some extent which is almost certainly related.

Maybe I will give it another go....

The cup completely seals your vagina shut so there in no way clots will overflow it. If your cup runneth over you will get a tiny bit of spotting through some pinprick holes at the rim.

Until you get the hang of it, it can be messy to get out (I spilt the entire lot my first time), but you quickly learn with practice.

mollyroger - that happened to me too! I was amazed how many tampons I got through too (am nearing menopause). I thought perhaps my flow had tailed off but obviously not.

I wish it hadn't taken me until I was 40 to find out about them. Thank you MN.

My sister doesn't use them because the sight of blood makes her faint.

i think it's a bit outlay at the moment for something that (may not) suit.
but if it works for me, it's a bargain. wish i had bought one when i had had some money...

Well, seeing as we're in tmi territory, I have extraordinarily heavy periods. In the past I have had to resort to using nappies and / or setting my alarm to go off at regular intervals overnight to avoid waking up in a flooded bed.

I find the mooncup so much neater than tampons for the very very heavy days.

No blood down arm. Perhaps a little on your fingers but nothing that 1 square of loo roll won't fix. You're not birthing a cow. It just sits there filling up (very quickly for me) and then I carefully twist it out not spilling a drop, pour the contents carefully into the loo (no splashing), if your basin is within arms reach of your loo just reach over to give it a rinse, and pop it back. Done.

whatkatydidathome that reminds me, I had a diaphragm about 15-20 years ago and used it sometmes as a kind of mooncup. I found that a bit grim tbh, but then so are tampons I suppose.

I'm still not convinced. Although I do appreciate that environmentally they're the way to go.

What sort of volume do they hold? Like Concordia, I can have mega periods at times - I'm not sure I could actually get anything with that kind of capacity anywhere near my cervix

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.

Sorry, I find that very yucky!!

Thankfully, I am at almost at the end of periods anyway so won't be converting.

I thought tampons were mainstream because before that, women used natural sponges in the same way? My mum gave me a book her mum had given her and it said all about it. Also had sanitary towels attached to belts tho... I dont use tampons anyway so wouldnt consider a cup, but my friend raves about hers.

ha ha, I'm with Yuno on the coolness.
Thing is, because the blood is fresher and nicer with a Mooncup, a lot of the yuckiness of periods disappears anyway - it's just blood.

Will it work for use when swimming?

Oh thank god SSM. I was beginning to feel like a right weirdo!

I bought mine years ago from an old mner - frannyandzooey (remember her?). I love it, but in answer to Shiny's question - yes, it does work it's way out of you when you're running (mine does anyway!) so I wear tampons for running.

i have an unreasonably irrational fear of being sucked inside out by mooncup removal.

i prefer my menstrual sponges!

Lynli, I empty it before I go swimming, as I find water does get in when I am bathing, but it is great to actually swim in. Can't feel it.

what on earth is a menstrual sponge??!!!

I remember F&Z. I want her Wnacky Basket instructions, but I fear she has well and truly left Mumsnet.

It holds about 30mls