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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To get a bit personal and ask about your mooncup experiences?

71 replies

QueenofmyPrinces · 05/03/2019 09:08

I will be honest and say that previously I have always considered the thought of using these to be a bit icky.

I remember having heavy periods in my 20’s but over the course of the last ten years (between pregnancies) I have had Mirena coils which made my periods incredibly light and short.

When TTC baby number two it took about 10 months and each period was really heavy but manageable with regular sanitary protection changes.

After the birth of baby number 2 my periods came back when my son was 14 months and I’m now on period number 4 since their return.

My periods are now horrendous!!! They are so heavy and I can literally feel the blood dripping out of me as I’m getting on with my day. I’m paranoid all the time about leaking and it has happened on more than one occasion because sanitary towels and tampons just aren’t containing the flow.

Anyway - after 4 months of this crap I have started to consider whether actually a mooncup wouldn’t be icky but actually my saviour!

I saw an advert for one yesterday where it has a valve on the spout so you don’t even have to take the mooncup out to empty it, you just squeeze the valve and the contents just pour out into the toilet as you’re sitting on it. It sounded pretty amazing.

I still have some reservations....like how uncomfortable it must be to put in, but I can’t carry on with having to deal with heavy periods in the way I’m currently having to.

Have they worked for others? I’ve seen them talked about on here but I’ve never read any posts in detail because I never thought it would something I would ever consider.

Are they as good as people say they are?

OP posts:

DaisyDreaming · 05/03/2019 20:16

Love my Meluna cups, would never go back. Mooncups scare me with their firm ring and stem

ShinyMe · 05/03/2019 20:23

Love mine. I've been using a mooncup for maybe 12 years now, possibly more. I dread to think how many tampons would have gone into landfill in that time if I hadn't got one...

I did have to buy a second one maybe 3 years ago. One day my cup just started to SMELL so badly it was vile. Like curdled milk, no matter how many times I boiled and sterilised and bleached and scrubbed it. God, it was awful. It seemed to happen overnight.

I especially love mine now as I'm getting older and my periods are getting unpredictable - I was due to start the other week while I was away on holiday, but I ended up starting over a week late. It wasn't an issue though, because I could still just stick the cup in every day just in case.

Original poster

QueenofmyPrinces · 05/03/2019 20:31

Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences!

I’m just going to bite the bullet and order one.

Do they come in different sizes dependent on how heavy a period is?

OP posts:

PinguDance · 05/03/2019 20:32

The valve sounds weird and gross cos the first thing I discovered about period blood using a mooncup is that it is kind of claggy. I used mine for a couple of months and it was fine, very practical I agree tampons are much ickeier. However I now find the mooncup gives me quite sharp pains in my bum, very weird. I’d experiment with different kinds of cup but I started using reusable pads which I’m happy with.

MitziK · 05/03/2019 20:34

Tried it, found it was easy (and it seems to be far less uncomfortable than using tampons), the ick factor completely disappeared within a couple of days and I don't have to worry about getting caught out at work ever again, as it lasts for much longer whilst still being perfectly safe. I've leaked twice, both overnight when having a particularly heavy period - had I been using tampons, the end result would have been no different, except it would probably have been messier from much earlier on in the night.

If anybody has difficulty removing them, it's because the cervix is quite high - change position and bear down slightly whilst gently gripping the bell sides to break the seal and it'll come out without any trouble - you don't have to put them as high up as a tampon.

They're worth trying - if you don't like them, fair enough, but with heavy periods, it's quite useful to know exactly how much you're passing and the general consistency, as you'll know immediately if something has changed.

ShinyMe · 05/03/2019 20:35

@QueenofmyPrinces no, the size is related to the size and strength of your body. Usually to do with age and whether you've had children or not.

Original poster

QueenofmyPrinces · 05/03/2019 20:39

I’ve had children but both were c-section so would I just need a standard size?

OP posts:

PencereTencere · 05/03/2019 20:41

I switched a couple of months ago to using a Vida Cup and absolutely love it. I don't have a particularly heavy flow and from day 1-3 of my period can get away with emptying twice or three times every 24 hours. There's no drawbacks for me. I won't be going back to tampons now.

ShinyMe · 06/03/2019 07:22

The sizes are explained on their website.

faw2009 · 06/03/2019 09:47

This is the quiz!

putacupinit.com/quiz/

I've had 2 c-sections too. I got standard size (not smaller).

Justamemory · 06/03/2019 10:32

There is a quiz online somewhere which helps you choose which cup to get. There are loads of different brands, not just mooncup.

I'm another in the minority, tried a mooncup and got the smaller size but I've never been in so much pain. It bruised my insides. Tried it several times over several months thinking I was putting it in wrong, but nope, it was just unbelievably painful. I'm sticking to tampons which dont hurt at all!

naturelover24 · 06/03/2019 10:36

Got used to mine within the first cycle whereas everyone else had reported it takes 2-3 cycles to get the hang of it, but it's amazing I go swimming and don't have to worry at all, the only slightly inconvenient thing is public bathrooms I know you can wipe it with toilet paper but I prefer to wash mine every time anyway I'd never go back, so eco friendly, so convenient and has absolutely revolutionised my period! Also thought they were a horrible idea before trying it out myself, mind completely changed!

Toodleoopuddle · 06/03/2019 10:56

Bloody brilliant (pun intended). Have to say I took about a year to get into it but now my periods don't bother me at all and before i used one i was always living in a state of panic and expecting to leak everywhere.
I thought they'd be icky too but actually they feel much cleaner, nothing is absorbed and you can just rinse it off. I find mine easy to get in and out.

MyBreadIsEggy · 06/03/2019 10:59

Total game changer for me.
I started using one when my periods returned after DC2 and I’ll never go back to disposable products again.
I only had a slight issue with being stabbed by the stem at first, but now I just cut the stem right off and everything is fine. Never had any issues inserting it or leaking.
I got caught short one day when we were out and didn’t have my cup in my bag. Had to buy tampons and it honestly felt like I’d shoved a wedge of sandpaper up there

bubblegumbottles · 06/03/2019 11:09

I am an absolute preachy fanatic about mine. Years and years of awful heavy periods and not feeling like I could ever leave the house on my period. Mooncup completely changed that for me but everyone is completely different.

MancaroniCheese · 06/03/2019 11:09

Like another PP it helps with my weak pelvic floor.

I have been using a cup for maybe 15 years - saved myself a fortune I reckon.

AnotherEmma · 06/03/2019 11:18

Menstrual cups are brilliant but I much prefer the Meluna to the Mooncup.

The Mooncup is very firm (which I found slightly uncomfortable) and has strong suction so it's difficult to remove. Not ideal for a first time cup user!

Meluna has a bigger range of cups (different sizes, soft/medium/firm, and different stems) and they are slightly cheaper too.

Helpful size calculator here
meluna-usa.com/size-calculator/

TheDarkPassenger · 06/03/2019 11:23

Mine said buy a large as I’ve birthed and I’m 30. It was far too big and I couldn’t pee with it in at all so it was a faff for me. Love the idea though but now my periods are medically managed I don’t need one. When they return I’ll provably get a littler one :)

myothernameismyrealone · 06/03/2019 14:51

Was the valve one you saw a Tulip Cup? I liked the look of those but read a couple of reviews saying the valve was utterly useless so still needed removing to empty.

I bought a mooncup last month so still a newbie. My periods have always been painful but after two DC are now horrific- very heavy and my whole pelvic area feels bruised and painful.

Mostly I thought it was great. But the first time I got it in I couldn't get it back out and panicked a bit. It took quite a while to remove and left me feeling like I'd been through a fairy invasive internal examination. But after a few goes it got easier. I'm not sure how easy I'd find it out and about. Much prefer to a fluffy, drying tampon though!

One thing I'm not keen on with the mooncup is how rigid it is, so I'm interested to know more about softer ones. I think once I've got the right cup I'll never go back to tampons.

AnotherEmma · 06/03/2019 14:59

Try a Meluna

agentdaisy · 06/03/2019 17:08

I couldn't get on with them. I tried a couple and they were either uncomfortable or leaked as I couldn't get it in the right position.

What transformed my hellishly heavy periods was tranexamic acid. Its prescription only but its absolutely fantastic at slowing the bleeding down and helping with the pain. I only have to change tampons every 3-4 hours for the first two days of my period instead of every hour. It does add an extra day or two to my periods but it's well worth it to have my life back.

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