to ask for practical advice/info on menstrual cups?

[soupforbrains]

Hi everyone, I'm considering switching to using a menstrual cup instead of other sanitary products. I'm well aware of the environmental and economic value of them and am very tempted but am unsure how I would manage on a practical level.

I've looked a few things up and know that TSS is still a risk with menstrual cups (in fact recent research suggest it is a higher risk with menstrual cups than with tampons), and so you still have to change it every 8 hours minimum. Which would mean I would have to empty it during the work day. I'm not sure I would feel entirely comfortable doing this. Can anyone who uses one and works tell me how they go about emptying and cleaning in the workplace?

The other question i have is how the brands compare, what are the real differences between them and why did people choose the brand that they did? and also any advice about the sizing? I'm not sure where to stat on that.

Any advice, practical information and experiences/recommendations welcome. I've read the FAQs on some of the manufacturer websites but they are very clinical and don't really seem to answer the practicalities. Apologies if anyone thinks it IS unreasonable to ask for personal accounts, but I'm not sure how else to get the information I need.

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Hello. This thread is a little old now. Take a look at our round-up of Mumsnetters’ favourite menstrual cups - with a handy guide to finding and using the right cup for you - for more up-to-date advice. MNHQ.

[BertieBotts]

Short fingers should be okay because a cup is so wide that you can bear down to push it lower. Without a stem you grasp the bottom of the cup between thumb and forefinger, twist and pull.

The valve thing sounds dodgy as you wouldn't be totally emptying it. I do think it can be an issue - you don't need to rinse it every time but of course that does mean there will be traces of blood on there which will then contaminate the next lot of blood and any bacteria growing in the first lot will then infect the next lot. So best kept for emergencies really.

[soupforbrains]

Thank you Soren (and everyone else) that's actually super information.

I know some people don't like to talk about the real ins and outs (pun intended) of this sort of thing, but i didn't feel i could make any kind of decision based on only the clinical 'promo' information I could find.

I don't have a particularly heavy flow so I don't think I'm going to have the issues some people have had, and (once the toilet refurb on my floor is done) there is a disabled toilet on every floor of the building. [As a note i wouldn't use a disabled loo in public but due to my role in the company i know that we do not currently have anyone in the company who requires the use of the disabled loo]. I have quite long fingers so I'm not worried about being able to reach but I feel like a ball or loop would give me more confidence in terms of getting a grip.

Anyway, I'm definitely going to give a cup a go. I don't have time to review the brands, make a choice and get one in time for this month as I'm due in a couple of days but I'll let you all know how I get on and I may well be back for additional beginners advice!

Thanks again everyone.

[Babieseverywhere]

Make sure you break the seal by gently squeezing and twisting the cup slightly BEFORE you pull it out OR it will hurt a lot.

[AsMuchUseAsAMarzipanDildo]

Sorry to resurrect this, but had a baby 10 months ago and can feel my first period brewing.

Has anyone used the meluna short?

I used a mooncup before but had to cut the stem off as my cervix was already quite low. Since having DD it’s even lower (guessing a mild prolapse but been scared off TVT and that’s another thread).

Would the meluna short be better than going back to a mooncup? Also how the hell do you know what size s/m/l you need? And what’s the difference between sport/classic etc?

[MarmiteAndPB]

Hi AsMuchUse, I'm afraid that I'm not sure I can help much with this one. I haven't used the short MeLuna, but switching from the Mooncup with the stem to the standard MeLuna with a ball was much better. I would have thought that the short MeLuna would be worth trying over the Mooncup if you've had problems with the Mooncup in the past. MeLuna has so many more options!

The sport is harder than the classic. I found this explanation which seems to be helpful:

The MeLuna Sport is the absolute firmest of all MeLuna menstrual cups. It is ideal for women who are highly physical active and for women who participate in many sports activities. This firmness offers a better suction, for when the muscles are contracting and moving so that the cup holds in place to provide ultimate protection, and the best fit for comfort.

I'd probably go for the classic unless you think that the description for the sport suits you.

There's lots of information on this page! Including a guide to choosing a size

[AsMuchUseAsAMarzipanDildo]

Thank you, that is useful to know x

[Katybailey]

Just seen this thread & wanted to mention that if you’re new to menstrual cups or thinking about trying one, do it! It takes a few cycles to get used to it but if you persevere it’s worth it. I won’t lie, my first month using one was trial & error ha! I was massively pessimistic about it but wanted to stop using tampons after reading an article about how they make them (?!) they also dried me out a lot. As a house-hold we were wanting to stop using as many disposable products, so thought I’d give them a try & glad I did in the end, that was over a year ago. I tried a few but the best one I found (also ended up being the cheapest) was Catchyourflow. Ive ordered another one of theirs since as wanted a spare for holiday last year. They’re lovely ladies & great service.