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.

JTP don't come here and say eurgh! If we want to talk about this stuff we will, this is Mumsnet first and foremost and periods play rather a large part in being a Mum.

Now run along and amuse your groupies or I'll link to some pictures for you!

Shineoncrazydiamond

arrrgh go away

sits here with fingers in my ears humming loudley

mooncups are gross,in my humble opinion

I'm very pro moon cups too, luckily a friend told me about them very early on, so only had to deal with tampons for a year or so.

I guess it's practice but I have never had any trouble using mine, it's never leaked, never fallen out which someone was worried about, and is fine for swimming and safe to wear for a while before and after periods in case of spotting.

So better for your wallet, your body and the planet, so it's a no brainer really.

Been using a Keeper menstrual cup for about fifteen years, then got a Mooncup after DD was born. I had such an awful time with my periods that I imagined it and as soon as I read about it I sent off to Canada for one. The Keeper is made of dark brown gum rubber whereas the Mooncup is made of clear (latex free) silicone.

What's the boiling in a pan for? I've never done that or any kind of sterilising. Before I put it away I wash it extra thoroughly with plain old soap and water like the Keeper company recommended. I've never had a problem with it and don't think there is one. I think Mooncup put that advice in just to let people know that they can boil it if they want to.

Uggh to washing in a washbasin in a public area. Sometimes I just put it back in - why clean it when it's only been in for half an hour and it's going back into the same old mess anyway? Otherwise, pop a bottle of water into your handbag and take that into the loo too.

Think the main reason why the Mooncup is not more popular is because the marketing is based on how novel it is ("Are you ready to try something completely new?") instead of how well it works.

I'm quite tempted to buy my friends mooncups for Christmas. Aibu :o ?

honestly jason, piss off.

Thanks Hoochie, days 2-3 are very heavy (no coil, just heavy)

It looks like something you would unblock the kitchen sink with, but i might give it a go.

I bleed like I've been attacked by Vlad The Impailer, I'm also rather large down there these days due to 3 babies popping out over the last few years. I doubt they'd be any use!

With reference to the mooncup campaign idea, you could write to a large supermarket chain, tell them all about the mooncup and tell them they should have a display on a weekend, at the end of an aisle (like they for cheese tasting etc)to make women more aware. I reckon it could be a go-er.

Saying that, after about years of being converted on MN, I still haven't bought one. I too get awful dragging, cramp feelings with tampons (I only started using them last year as a tester as I usually only ever wear towels) but stopped after a day as the pains were awful. I have heard lots of people say they have reduced period pain which for me, would be fab. I just worry about the folding/inserting/getting it out thing!

Shineon, just reread the thread and had to laugh at spillage on the floor. Sit on the loo to take it out. Then the spillage goes in the loo. Oh you poor, poor traumatised thing.

Practise in the bath so you figure out how not to drop it in the loo. Kind of cup your hand underneath it so when it bounces back into shape (as it does) and slips through your fingers it will land back in your hand.

I have to say it is the only form of sanitary protection that has had me doubled up laughing. Or maybe it's just me.

Stealth - they come in two sizes a=before baby b= after

have seen some threads though that do say about leakage and having to wear a towel too which defeats the whole thing.

thing about heavy periods is that they ime get appreciably lighter with mooncup. also what are you using at the moment?

and tbh, big babies aside, some pelvic floor exercises might be in order if a sink plunger an inch and a half across would just fall out.

Having read this thread, I'm going to get one of these and see what all the fuss is about. Having recently moved somewhere in the middle of nowhere with no mains sewerage, this could be a godsend.

well keep doing what you are doing then...

that to shineon. why are you so negative about them? how did you learn to put a tampon in?

Im just about to order one, what is the going rate? Best bargains?

I love my mooncup!

Aren't they about 17 quid on their own mooncup website?

re: heavy periods - the mooncup hold more blood than the largest size of tampon, so it can only be an improvement really
if you are very prone to flooding / clotting / having to change very frequently, then you may want to use a pad as back up, but you probably already do that, if you have heavy periods
as mentioned several times (hello aitch!) it can lead to lighter and more comfortable periods anyway

i have spoken to so many women who have experienced dramatic, sometimes life changing differences while using the mooncup
it kind of rankles when you then get people coming on and saying "eeeurgh"

and OP, yes looking at the blood is surprisingly brilliant, isn't it? periods simply aren't revolting, anymore, they are this kind of cool thing your body does

oh and you might want to CAT me about the wnaky thing :o