Am I the only woman on earth who can't get her Mooncup out??

[MrsThierryHenry]

Well, I can. Eventually. Like, after about 5 mins of relaxing, bearing down, huffing and puffing, more relaxing, more bearing down, etc etc. What am I doing wrong? It's going to get a wee bit TMI but then that's kind of the way it goes with Mooncup threads, right?

The problem seems to be that when I need to remove it it's all rather slippery - obviously, since I'm having a period. So I just can't grip the stem. It's my first day using the MC and I need to remove it to trim the stem as it's making me sore, but it's so bloody (no pun intended) hard to remove! Any tips, please???

It just takes a bit of practice. Try putting it in & out a few times and you'll soon get the hang of it. FWIW when I first got mine I cut the stem right off and couldn't get it out and dh had to ahem rescue it . But I haven't had a problem since

Oh, what a wonderful and loving DH you must have!

I've just realised that I forgot to sterilise mine before using it - should probably go and do that just in case, though it might be a bit late now!

It gets easier. I actually find it easier to remove since I cut the stem off completely. Not that I had the courage to do that in month 1 though. You need to get your fingers right around it. Good luck.

Okay, I'm going in with the scissors. I'm gonna conquer this thing - can't exactly go back to the shop for a refund, can I?!

Try going past the stem, if your fingers are long enough(!) and pressing on the side of the mooncup to release the seal first, then try and grab the stem

oh, and i also find it helps alot if you stick your tongue out - im not joking!

Actually I think you can get a refund - it's in the leaflet.
But, I used to have this embarrassing problem also - all heaving and grunting and eye popping in the cubicle! AND at home that's when the stem was long and I used to have to insert it up a lot in order that the stem wasn't uncomfortable.

But once I trimmed the stem right off and then didn't need to insert the MC as much as I had been doing, it was brilliant.
When I'm taking it out it's so easy just to squeeze the base of it between finger and thumb, give it a second to break the suction, squeeze it and twist it slightly to take out upright if you can, and over the loo so that it doesn't tip everywhere.

I love my MC now but in the beginning I only loved it between periods. HTH

Hurrah! I did it in about 20 seconds flat - pretty much as you described, zazen!]

It's now boiling happily on the hob.

Thanks all for your support - I'll try the tongue thing, Shitemum, if I have problems! (DH was looking over my shoulder as I typed that and exclaimed "Tongue thing??" in horror! No more snogs for me, then )

Ooh thats helpful zazen, gave up with mine as it was uncomftable, but that was probably the problem.
I found it tricky to get in too though tbh, all that folding and shoving!!!

i dont have any stem on mine and just grip the actuay cup bit.... no problem

(except the one time when inserting it, it was slightly wrong and i tried to adjust it bu pushing it up with my finger (rather than removing and trying again) and turned it inside out inside me .... was not quite so easy to get out then )

Hey you're welcome girls!
I had terrible trouble with mine at first cos I was pushing it too far up (tampon thinking) but now it's lower and really is brill.

Yes the folding and pushing can be a bit uncomfortable, but I found that if the rim is wet it's easier, and twist it to put it in also.

Yikes nannyL.

it takes a little while to get used to it. was about a year before i really worked out how to use it, it needs to go higher and lower at different times of flow i find.

Has anyone else accidentally inserted it upside down before? It makes it really easy to get in.

Hello, first time user here... I can get it out ok but I do find it a bit uncomfortable as the rim comes out as it seems to be trying to spring back to fully open (not sure if it makes a difference but I tore a little with DD 0.5 and had episiotomy with DS 2.1). Should I try to keep it folded over at the top as I take it out?? Seems a bit, well, slippery to attempt that...

I think you may need to break the seal a bit better when you're taking it out. Use a finger to kind of compress it on one side so that a small bit of the rim at the top comes away from your vaginal walls, and that will release the sort of airlock that you get and make it easier to get out.

Thanks - will give it a go, perhaps next month as this being my first post-birth period it seems to have stopped. Either that or it's just lying in wait to come back heavier!
Much appreciated