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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think using mooncup in a small office with a frequently used loo is a bit gross?

121 replies

lessonsintightropes · 13/12/2013 21:28

I've certainly been educated about the benefits of mooncup and reuseable sanitary supplies on here over the last few weeks. What I fail to understand is how this is remotely practical in an office with a small public toilet. We have separate mens and womens loos, but the female loos have two stalls and a shared washbasin area. The loos get reasonably high traffic as we often have company wide training in our Boardroom. So seriously moon cup users - how do you manage not being caught washing out said device in the sinks? Sorry if this is a bit gross but would like to hear how others manage before seeing whether this is something I could consider using if I can get over the ick factor.

OP posts:
MissBetseyTrotwood · 13/12/2013 22:04

There's a slight, ahem, noise when I remove mine sometimes. Bit fanny farty. Probs doing it wrong. Grin

MarlenaGru · 13/12/2013 22:05

If I can't use the disabled loo before I get flamed there is nobody who needs to use it in my office where I can give it a rinse I just put it back. I bleed heavily for 3 or 4 days so need to empty it about 3 times a day, but it is much nicer than tampons and I really do adore it. I hate using tampons now. I just wish they made even bigger mooncups Grin

sebsmummy1 · 13/12/2013 22:09

Yep, love my moon cup too. I would take it out, wipe it with tissue then pull pants up etc. walk out of cubicle, give it a wash under the tap and then back in cubicle and reinsert. If you are in an office environment where there are always others about by the sinks then I would just wipe it out with a tissue. At the end if every cycle I put it in a dilute Milton sterilising solution and it never smells.

valiumredhead · 13/12/2013 23:54

I don't rinse it in a sink,I wipe it.

Moxiegirl · 13/12/2013 23:57

I'm very grateful for my mirena! No period for years Grin

ShowMeYourTARDIS · 14/12/2013 00:13

I change mine in the (often crowded) loo at my uni. I empty it, give it a quick wipe and and reinsert. It doesn't smell because it's only exposed to the air for maybe a minute. I give it a good wash in the morning and evening, though.

Didyouhearmeontheradio · 14/12/2013 00:20

I'd never wipe it, I like it to be wet to insert, but am I the only one to rinse it in the flushing water? Same water that is in the tap. I do generally flush twice to make sure the blood is washed away. And on heaviest days, I need to empty every 2-3 hours.

VonHerrBurton · 14/12/2013 00:29

How do you know when it needs emptying? Do you just 'know', like you do with tampons?

Really intreaged.

Sorry for going off-road with the topic op!!

Original poster
lessonsintightropes · 14/12/2013 00:30

Didyou do you mean you hold it into the flushing water whilst the loo is flushing in order to rinse it? This might be a step too far for me.

OP posts:
goodasitgets · 14/12/2013 00:54

Mine feels a bit lower down when it's full. Generally I check it by taking it out as its not like a tampon where you think "argh could have left it a bit longer", you could empty it as often as you wanted

MrBarnaclesHorses · 14/12/2013 01:08

Re bottle of water, surely just take handbag to loo with you? That's what all women on their periods do!

honeycrest · 14/12/2013 01:21

Didyou do you mean you hold it under the flushing water in the toilet?! The water flowing from under the bacteria ridden toilet rim?

BohemianGirl · 14/12/2013 01:48

There are things I read on this forum that I just wouldnt believe unless I read them!

Lovely image now of shoving that back up full of bog germs. Lovely breeding ground, warm and wet.

birdmomma · 14/12/2013 01:50

It's no fun sorting it out at work. I try and leave it in and use reusable sanitary towels to soak up the leaks. I've tried emptying it and reinserting without washing, but it feels gross. Even worse is the time I dropped it into the loo at work ....

IceBeing · 14/12/2013 01:55

Re.didyou yes yes presumably she spends a lot of time wondering why she has a permanent infection down there and has totally failed to correlate it with the water from the toilet. Or maybe...maybe people's assumption that GERMS are the end of the universe is ever so slightly bullshit.

IceBeing · 14/12/2013 01:57

I would be slightly more worried about any loo block chemicals than I would be about germs

Mind you I blew water through a really manky pipe in the lab today and have probably contracted legionnaires disease by now...

IamChristmas · 14/12/2013 02:02

I love you all

BlingBang · 14/12/2013 02:07

It's tricky - there is always the potential for splatter. Went to the loo In a restaurant once and splattered my blouse and had to walk back to the table pretending the red spots were just part of the pattern.

honeycrest · 14/12/2013 02:19

IceBeing I'm by no means a germ freak but I would presume that the toilet bowl would have traces of faeces being swirled around by the water. I wouldn't want that going anywhere near my vagina! Also, bleach. I'm not bothered by people just wiping it with toilet paper but that is just a step too far

confuddledDOTcom · 14/12/2013 02:33

It's really unusual for someone to lose enough to need to change it too often, they hold about 20ml and the average week is 60ml. I started using it whilst losing 100ml a day so was changing loads! When they come out there's nothing dry on them, I wipe off the obvious bits, although I don't totally dry as it's harder to put in, and put back in. At home I have a toilet cubicle (or coffin as I tend to call it Hmm) and when I'm at my heaviest I can't leave it out long enough to go into the other room. I do use washable baby wipes that aren't used for bums any more.

sykadelic15 · 14/12/2013 03:08

I only heard about these relatively recently. I personally don't use them and most likely never will, but OP, PLEASE google and Youtube some of the "horror stories" associated with these things... I'm not trying to turn you off them, but can't hurt to know some of the risks.

Good luck with you decision!

goodasitgets · 14/12/2013 03:25

What risks? V low if no risk of toxic shock, it can't get stuck or lost inside you, sure it might hurt if it pings wrong but it's not going to injure you. Horror stories implies someone has been dramatically injured by the use of one
I'm willing to bet there are more "horror stories" relating to tampons

steff13 · 14/12/2013 04:06

I don't use a moon cup, I use a Diva Cup, which I think is a similar item. I, too, am interested in the horror stories. My lady parts are very sensitive, and my periods are very heavy, and I haven't had a moment's trouble with my Diva Cup.

sykadelic15 · 14/12/2013 04:30

The two that I saw one was really bad. I don't want to link bad/scary stuff and get into trouble so MN I'm sorry if this is against the rules

  • ...long story short she had some "skin" (she thought it might be hymen or something) stuck around the stem of her diva cup and on trying to remove the cup the skin tore resulting in some seriously bleeding. She did eventually remove it using a mirror to see what she was untangling and by being in a bath to wash the blood away when needed.

Another one (youtube vid) was more about how much it smelt (in and even worse out) and especially so for someone with bacterial vaginosis symptoms. It took about 6 months for her to finally give up, it got worse over time. People in the comments suggested boiling it occasionally.

Most of the comments/reviews online about difficulty are with removal an the "suction" feeling. One about basically having to "fist herself" to remove it.

I understand the premise, I just... no. Maybe I'll feel different down the line and it's great to know about it but I can't stand inserting tampons, I assume (ass-u-me... I know) it would suck more because it's bigger. It's probably one of the reasons I loathe IUD's as well... my periods, when I had them, sucked. Ooohh the pain, the pain.

BlousyMumsyTwat · 14/12/2013 05:29

It's not going to "dry out and smell" unless you lie on your back for hours at a time with your legs spread and up in the air, with one hand pointing a hair-dryer at your vagina and the other hooked under the rim of the mooncup.

Neither do you need to empty it every time you go to the loo. Goodbye tampons, hello mooncup!