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Original poster

Are mooncups overrated or am I incompetent? (Bit gross)

97 replies

1wokeuplikethis · 03/07/2017 10:29

I bought a mooncup on Friday for my period that started that day. Have heard great reviews and seen many mn-ers raving about them & love the concept entirely. But holy hell have I had a bloody (pun intended) nightmare with it.

Bought big fanjo size because I'm over 30 & had 2 vaginal births. Put it in and couldn't feel it; great! 30mins later I was suffering horrendous cramps radiating through my lower back akin to labour pains. Took pain relief, took the cup out & reinserted in case I had done it wrong, followed the origami of folding the thing and heard the seal...squelching (soz). Pain was so bad I felt sick. Couldn't sleep, eventually at 2am I took it out & shoved a tampon in.
Saturday morning, I was still in agony, so carried on with tampons & the pain had worn off by the evening so I put the mooncup back in. Had a coughing fit a few minutes later and felt it practically shoot out. Ran to toilet with fingers trying to hold it back in and the frigging stem scratching my innards to shreds.
Emptied, chopped off entire stem & reinserted. Ran my finger round and it was definitely in and sealed but I could still feel it and only felt comfortable lying on the sofa BUT then it leaked.

Basically, since Friday I have spent my period switching between the cup & tampons because the pain was unbearable, it was uncomfortable to have in and the times that it felt comfortable, it leaked!

I am a stubborn sod and not prepared to throw the (sanitary) towel in yet. Also ignored manufacturers advice to use it for the last 2 day and of my period for the first try because I know my vagina/insides/workings/flow etc and thought I'd just jump straight in.

Mooncup users and lovers... I summon you! What is going wrong here? I really want this to work. But with the pain and the leaking, I'm getting disheartened. Any advice?

OP posts:
GingerWh1nger · 03/07/2017 12:06

I've got the hump with these - bought one from boots which was v expensive, read the box instore, all ok. Got it home and the inner paper leaflet says to be very cautious using it with a coil as it can cause them to dislodge. I've expelled two coils before so wouldn't have bought it if it said that on the box, but obviously you can't return them for hygiene reasons - and as there's no hygiene seal on the pack I can't prove it's unused! Very frustrating.

catchyjem · 03/07/2017 12:09

If you are pushing it up through your clothes then it is definitely too low. It has to be high enough for your muscles to hold it in place. You won't feel it at all once it's in the correct position.

BlahBlahBlahEtc · 03/07/2017 12:19

It takes practice, I used mine on and off for a few months and then I got the hang of it and now every time it's a win regardless of how heavy my flow is.

By the way from what you've said it sounds as if you have it up too high still? The stem is supposed to sit outside of you, well, you don't have a stem now (no biggie) but you know what I mean, there's a "lip" from the entrance of your vagina to the inside, it goes there. If that makes no sense I'm sorry lol!

I run it under hot water and squeeze it in all different ways until the dirt's all come away (every time I empty it). Then I sterilise it in cold water (baby bottle solution) for a while once my period has ended.

BlahBlahBlahEtc · 03/07/2017 12:21

**sorry I missed the bit where you push it up through your clothes.Ignore the too high comment ;)

MrsFigg · 03/07/2017 12:44

I have a mooncup. Took me a while to get used to it. I had another baby (3) as well during this time.
I cut the stem off fully. I also could feel it slip down etc I do the c fold.
What I've discovered is that I actually need it almost as high as a tampon.
I also found out from reading on mumsnet that if you turn it inside out it helps and it literally changed everything! It won't hold as much so on my heaviest night I wear a back up pad but I no longer feel it. I can even go out of the house wearing it and only once in probably a year of turning it inside out have I been desperate to find a look to push it up a bit.
Also, it seems more painful to put in if I have worn a tampon prior to it. I suppose it's drying out so causes it to be more painful.
I've had no problems removing it but do have to have tissue handy for a mess free removal.

ApollO88 · 03/07/2017 12:48

Watching this thread. I bought a menstrual cup of amazon and will be having a go when AF arrives next (hopefully not while I'm on holiday). Since my DS was born 6 years ago I haven't been able to wear tampons! Oh how I've missed them! But they sit on scar tissue and it feels like I inserted it side ways! So hoping the cup will work for me!

LionsOnTour · 03/07/2017 12:49

I am totally in love with my mooncups. I think they are revolutionary and that they are amazing.... I took a couple of months to completely future them out but now I couldn't live without them.

However, they are obviously not going to suit everyone and perhaps you and they and they are just never going to work. Perhaps you could ask you DR if there is a reason they might be causing you such pain? but only if you want to, lots of people manage perfectly well with tampons.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 03/07/2017 12:53

Are you wearing it too high up OP?

They ARE sold in Boots btw to the pp.

CheeseToastie123 · 03/07/2017 12:53

If you think you might have it only slightly out of position, an orgasm always leaves mine exactly right. I have endometriosis, and occasional very heavy flow, and for me, it's been terrific. Good luck

Syc4moreTrees · 03/07/2017 12:59

I had a similar issue with the cramping, particularly at night when i started using the moon-cup, have no clue what the problem was caused by, but after a couple of nights it settled down and I actually found the cup seems to reduce my symptoms. I used to get horrible tooth-achey legs for the first three days of my period but since starting with a mooncup all seems to be well.

badtime · 03/07/2017 14:48

I know several people who found the Mooncup too hard but had better luck with the softer Fleurcup (which is also cheaper).

I don't get along with them, but I don't get along with tampons either, so I didn't really expect to.

msrisotto · 03/07/2017 14:52

Oh that is a lot cheaper badtime. Worth knowing about.

I hope you don't mind me asking on your thread, but while we've got the mooncup brigade here: I have the mooncup, small version, had it for years. Should I buy a bigger size now i'm 31? No kids though.

skinnymalinkmalojin · 03/07/2017 14:54

I turn my moon cup inside out too. It made a massive difference.

YouRockMyWorld · 03/07/2017 15:00

I could have written your post!! Had exactly the same experience..... binned it after three days of trying.
Back to tampons for me.
X

Greypaw · 03/07/2017 15:01

Couldn't bear the Mooncup itself - I could feel it (really uncomfortable) and it leaked a lot. Tried a Lunette which is softer and that made a massive difference. Also tried putting it in a little lower which also made a massive difference - it definitely needed to be in lower than a tampon.

I can be a bit hit & miss with positioning so sometimes get minor leaks, so always wear a cloth pad with it just in case.

Thekitten · 03/07/2017 15:10

Another lunette fan here.. I used my mooncup for about 5 years and it was a nightmare leaker. Even on light flow days, the blood just found a way out! I switched to a lunette late last year and I get on much better with it. Part of it is finding the right cup for you and the strength of your muscles, and also the position of your cervix (high/low). Trying out many is too expensive, but you can generally find reviews on YouTube. One I watched was precious star pads. She compares cups to each other and goes into the ins and outs of how wide/soft/firm etc they are.

OutnumberedbyFurchesters · 03/07/2017 15:18

Could your cervix be too low for the length of the mooncup?

I use a MeLuna, which come in all sorts of different lengths and firmness. The lady a PP mentioned, Bree of Precious Star Pads, is great with videos and her Facebook page at giving advice on this.

FATEdestiny · 03/07/2017 16:02

You can't use a menstrual cup if you have a coil?

UnaOfStormhold · 03/07/2017 16:14

Another mooncup fan - it does take a bit of getting used to and a different brand may suit you better but if it works it is good enough to be worth persevering. I have mine quite high so worth experimenting with what works for you.

Msrisotto you don't necessarily need to change - I'm no longer in my 30s and still find the small size better. 1 CS, no vaginal births.

BlahBlahBlahEtc · 03/07/2017 16:28

You can't use a menstrual cup if you have a coil?

Wait... what? Confused

FATEdestiny · 03/07/2017 16:31

Dunno, someone upthread said that.

I have a copper coil and am thinking about getting a menstrual cup. Maybe not though?

isupposeitsverynice · 03/07/2017 16:54

You can use them together you just have to be careful about breaking the suction before removing the cup in case it pulls the coil out with it. I think. My doctor said she'd never heard of it happening, so it's presumably quite rare. My own experience was that I just could not get the mooncup comfortable when I had the coil in. I don't know why - I've used it before and after with no problems. I did have dreadful cramping with the coil so i have wondered if that had something to do with it, but don't know how that would work.

Original poster
1wokeuplikethis · 03/07/2017 18:42

Right. Had the cup in all afternoon, day 3 of my period so medium flow. There has been a bit of leakage so I needed a pad too (but I do that even with tampons because I leak if I have a wee but don't change tampons). After 4hrs, cup was almost half full. Took out, washed & turned inside out as advised here. Back in & been an hour, so far no leaks. No cramps either. Woo flipping hoo! Keeping fingers crossed.

OP posts:
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 03/07/2017 18:48

Are you twisting it to seal it?

msrisotto · 03/07/2017 19:29

Fingers crossed for you 1wokeuplike this. It took me quite a long time to get used to it.

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