Advice required re Me Luna cup

[velmadinkly]

Background detail: I had a thread in chat over the summer re using a menstrual cup and I've decided that I want to give it a go. I want to use one because on this summers holiday abroad I was on my period and they can last up to 9 days with 1.5-2 heavy days in the middle. During my period I wasn't going in the pool to cool off because of the pool water wicking up the tampon string so that i didn't have to change every 30 minutes or so (it would have cost a fortune) All in all, a miserable 9 days of my 14 days holiday was had because of the 37 degree heat (heat wave in spain). My periods are irregular, anything from 35 to a 60 day cycle and I can't take hormones to control them etc.

Anyway, cut to this month and after lots of research I bit the bullet and purchased a Me Luna classic with ring. It seems to be working great during the day, but at night I am getting leaks, there is still a great amount of blood actually in the cup, but also leaking around the side. I am 40 having had one vaginal birth (back to back, 3rd degree tear with a near on 9lb baby) with a pelvic floor weakness on the RHS compared to left, the difference is more pronounced just before my period (hormone related).

Today is a heavier day, so when I was in the shower this morning I removed the cup and had a good feel about to see where my cervix is (the sensation makes my insides go all funny, hense my hesitation of using one initially). As I poke my index finger in my vagina my cervix is on the front wall just past my pubic bone about 2cm up with the cavity of my vagina behind it, if that makes sense. When I am wearing the cup the loop sits within my vagina opening, if I part my lips to look I can see it with a mirror. I have been using the punch fold to insert the cup with the pointy bit going towards the small of my back. I then twist the cup around and then feel around the bottom to check for any indenting suggesting it hasn't popped open etc.

So my question is, do you think I have got the right cup? Do you think I need a shorty Me luna? I don't necessarily want to use a cup full time I'm quite happy with towels on a day to day basis, but I want to get something sorted so that I can go and swim without me worrying of holiday pool water first of all soaking into a tampon, thus rendering it useless for absorbing blood and the idea of pool water sitting in my vagina makes me feel a bit ill.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to provide as much detail, as possible to get the best advice. TIA

I have found today, being my first heavy day that my cup is slipping down and as well as the ring being visible I can also see the bottom of the cup.

I know this whole post is a little tmi, but for the two times I've removed it my bladder has started to involuntarily empty, these two times are when the cup has also slipped out a bit.

Has anybody got any advice?

I have similar issues - from the sounds if it, maybe for the same reasons as you?

I find have slight prolapse of everything, and my cervix can sit very low. When I wear my cup my cervix actually sits inside the cup which reduces the volume of the cup significantly. On heavy days/nights I need to either empty cup every couple of hours, or double up with sanitary towels.

My cup also sits very low in my vagina, although has never fallen out. For this reason I have the cup with no ring or ball as that was uncomfortable. Due to the prolapses I have been working extra hard on pelvic floor exercises (not just kegels) and the cup does seem to sit better.

With your bladder emptying as you pull cup out, it sounds maybe like your fuller bladder is pushing out cup more? I'd guess that exercising your pelvic floor would help with this.

I haven't been swimming for a long time, but when I did I only swam on light days, and eptied the cup first. At the end of a swim I would have to empty the swimming pool water out of my cup

It may be worth experimenting with different hardnesses and diameters. (I havent so can't advise)

I can see it's going to be a costly experiment to find a cup suitable. I've done a bit of research and a suggestion is to turn the cup inside out to reduce the length, but I darent do it for fear of not being able to grab hold of it to remove it. I have visions of me shouting DH to surgically extract it with the bacon tongs!

I'm going to see how I get on over the next few days with it and then order myself a shorty meluna to see if that is better. I don't know whether to get a classic medium shorty or a soft medium shorty. I think it is popping out fully all round, but I can't get my finger up around near the top of the cup once it is in to check because it's a snug fit for the cup and my finger!

I wish you could go to see a practice nurse for them to measure your vagina etc and fit you for a menstrual cup, like they used to do for diaphragms. I'll be gutted if I get what I think is a good fit then go swimming and find I have a cup full of diluted blood

I tried turning my mooncup inside out, and it tended to try and turn itself back the right way round.

Try practicing removing your current cup without the ring - its a useful skill to have.

Did you find this site in your travels? menstrualcups.wordpress.com