To not understand the moon cup love

[Kangar00]

So, if you use a moon cup, do you work? I just can't imagine wearing one at work.

It's scary to put in. I have the smallest size and I've had a child but I still find it scary and it reminds me of childbirth!

I just don't get it. I don really want to as it's more environmentally friendly. Did it take you a while to get used and adjust to using one?

@FutureFairy, actually most vaginas tear during birth and it's extremely painful.

I haven't had a smear and don't intend to.

I have sex fine but a penis has a rounded end designed for insertion, plus it doesn't "pop" open inside you....none of the Mooncup folds worked for me, they were extremely painful and I felt like it was going to do me an injury if it fully opened.

As always, Bree has all the answers you need: www.youtube.com/user/preciousstarspads/videos

I use a Lunette and love it. A couple of things that I don't think have been mentioned: I love that you never get the smell of dried blood which sometimes happens with pads or tampons. The cup holds the blood inside and it's still fresh, and therefore not smelly, when you empty it. And secondly, I love that I never have to remember to stock up before a period, because I'm not very regular and I would always forget. But now I always have my cup handy!

For tilted cervix, I think you could try the Lily Cup that has an asymmetric top.

I think that its easier when you're more comfortable doing it because youre relaxed and you're not fumbling trying to work out if its in properly or not.
The plastic is very soft so to take it out i just gently pull the bottom of the cup until its about half out then i can get a grip of nearer the top and sort of flex it a bit so the vacuum breaks.

It really does take practise.
But maybe it just isnt right for you.
I just found that once I got the hang of it, it made a huge difference to my life when I'm on my period.

I haven't had a smear and don't intend to*

@YoloSwaggins - mooncup aside, please do have a smear.. My friend died leaving her child because she didn't until too late.
.

I think they’re a bit like marmite. You either love them or you hate them.

Personally I wouldn’t use one and the idea of them makes me feel ill. And yes, I know that periods are a natural process n all but I don’t wish or need to be that closely acquainted with any of my bodily fluids. and the fact that people seem to feel they have to persevere with them for months and months just doesn’t do it for me. But to each their own....

MandyBee I have a “...weird cervix” (a direct quote from my gynaecologist when I was undergoing IVF, he was genuinely a lovely man) and if I follow the bog standard instructions it doesn’t quite work properly for me. I have to insert at a different angle and slightly to the left but I am well versed with my anatomy due to my past experiences.

Disclaimer : I’m not trying to push menstrual cups on anyone in anyway. I am very much an advocate for using what ever protection you feel most comfortable with, after all we are very lucky to live in a place where we have options available. I’m happy to answer questions being a recent convert from tampons but if they don’t work for you or your not comfortable using them then stick with what you like

I love mine but don’t use Mooncups, they scare me with their stem and firm rim which can hurt some people when it pops open. I love my meluna although I only got on with it after watching YouTube videos

I tried a moon cup but just couldn't get along with it so I went onto the sponge, which I love. So much easier to use, more comfortable, wish
I'd discovered it years ago.

Betty wow, never heard of the sponge before. Off to do some googling! How does it work for you? (If you don’t mind me asking)

I love mine and have been using it for about 10 years now. It took me a few months to get the hang of it but now I have no problems.

I love that, now I'm in perimenopause, and my periods are all over the place, I can leave it in without having to worry.

I used a mooncup for a couple of years and loved it but then my periods started getting so heavy I was emptying it once an hour for the first couple of days and still having to use a towel to catch leaks... I’m guessing that’s not normal! I mentioned it to my GP and she just laughed it off, saying that lots of 40 year olds get heavy periods.

I would recommend them though! It was brilliant whilst it worked.

Thanks for the recommendations ladies

• I've also been told I have an "unusual" cervix @StinkyMcgrinky ! so you are not the only one!

Maybe trying a few different brands might help for me. Mooncup has felt VERY uncomfortable and I couldn't seem to get it to sit at the correct angle for my body to form a seal around it that wasn't broken every time I moved!

I work. I've had mine about 10 years. It doesn't cause any dryness or irritation. I don't know I have it in. I can last all day without having to change it so don't need to change it at work. Can be tricky to get the hang of but then revolutionary. Not spent a penny since on san pro.

I tried the mooncup after reading about it on here. Thought it was a brilliant idea and I had no trouble getting it in or out, but it just would not stay up! It kept sinking down gradually until the curved bottom was just outside of me. I had to abandon it after a day. I don't have the best pelvic floor, but I don't have any major problems with it either, although my cervix does always seem low.

Any ideas whether a different brand might work better? I think someone mentioned the Meluna up the thread as being good for weaker pelvic floors?

Stinky, it's great. You just wet it, put it in, and it holds more than a tampon does and it does seem to ease my cramps. Take it out, give it a quick rinse and squeeze and up it goes again. I love it (well as much as I can love anything related to periods) as I suffer from endometreosis and it does seem to ease my cramps a little, just a lot easier than the mooncup, easy to place, no awful suction noise when you pull it out, all in all best sanitary product I've found.

My love for the mooncup is demonstrated by my username :D

But seriously, it's transformed my life.

• No leaking,
• no slipping,
• no matted smelly mess in my pants,
• less frequent need to empty (I NEVER remember to change sanitary products as often as you're meant to),
• economical,
• environmentally friendly,
• very discreet to carry around and travel with (I also never remember to bring wads of pads with me everywhere and am always caught off guard),
• no need to dispose discreetly and safely (I work in a lot of developing countries where you don't just find sanitary bins next to toilets and menstrual products - especially used ones - are taboo)
• minimal risk of TSS

I rarely empty at work. It's unlikely to fill to the very brim in the span of 9-10 hrs, but if it does i usually just empty and reinsert without washing, no biggie.

As for the ick factor - it's just blood, you'll get over it fast.

londonrach I use one and have two friends who do too, very likely I know many more people who do, it just doesn't come up in conversation much.

People are so weird about periods. You'd rather sit on a bloody nappy all day or put a piece of cotton wool inside you which can cause serious illness if forgotten, thrush as a matter of course than wash a small piece of silicon every 12 hours during your period?

Like everything insertion and removal take a bit of practice but once you get used to it and do it right they do not leak, hurt, cause TSS or thrush, stop you weeing, or need changing frequently.

chaos how is emptying a cup getting closer to your bodily fluids than touching a soiled tampon or pad? And those who don't like the idea of putting things inside you, have you never masturbated? Used a vibrator? Had sex? Has a smear test or internal ultrasound? Er, had a baby? Get a grip, it's just your body, it's not disgusting and I feel sorry for you if you think it is.

Love my mooncup

• the environment
• my pocket
• can use it when not menstruating either when I'm due to come on or when I'm doing sport as it supports my pelvic floor
• far less drying than tampons

I bought mine from Organicup Christmas time. They had a BOGOF offer, I could justify the spend when I was getting 2 & thankfully I had 2 as I accidentally flushed one!
I didn't expect much from it but so glad I got one,
So easy to empty & clean!
Saves me Money & came with a handy little Bag to keep it in when not in use
Took me 2 or 3 attempts to find the right fold to get it in, but now I don't even think about it!

The good thing is if I'm going away for the weekend say to a festival for example and I'm not sure when I'm going to come on my period I just pop it in and then if I do come on there's just no issue it's already in there and if I don't come on it really doesn't matter anyway.

Can't use it. Tried it for several months and nope, not for me.

It may have something to do with my period, very heavy for 1 1/2 days, so much I would have to empty it at work and that would be a disaster in a cubicle with no water, and then 4 days of such a low flow that one/tow pads per day and it got horrible uncomfortable as I get very dry.

I love my moon cup. I'm a nurse and do 12 hour shifts, on my feet all day etc and it needs emptying maybe once or twice during that time.

I love mine. Wouldn’t EVER go back. So easy and saved so much money. Nothing worse than smelly dirty towels or pulling a dry tampon out on the last day. I change mine before bed at 9.30pm and again when I get back from the school run at 9.30am (so ever 12 hours). I have a medium to heavy flow and I never have to change it during the day. I’ve even been camping with it. Worse case, just take some hand wipes and wipe it then give it a good wash the next time. I have filled mine right too the top before (sorry for the over share) and still not leaked. I spent ages trying to get the hang of it and get it in to start with (prob first 3 periods), but now I can have it out, washed and back in in 3 mins flat. I also have a tilted uterus and it doesn’t effect it. Some say you have to keep sterilising it but I just wash it in hot water and soap, my reasoning is that I don’t sterilise my husband . On another note it’s surprising how much foreplay you can get away with with one in (more over sharing lol). I’d always recommend them, easy, clean, safe and less expensive. What more could you ask for. x