*******Psssst*******, ^Mooncup^ users over here please....TMI warning

[DragonFaerie]

Ok, I have some questions for all who pledge allegiance to the Mooncup ,

I'd be very grateful if you could answer them for me as every month I consider buying one,have even got as far as picking them up in Boots or as far as checkout online...and then I chicken out,if you can help I may actually go ahead and buy one!

1. How do you deal with Mooncups in public/ work/ friends loos etc? It's one thing to rinse it out and reinsert it in your own bathroom but surely a totally different kettle of fish when you have to go into a public loo to remove it , come out to rinse it and then return to the cubicle to reinsert it . This is my biggest worry tbh. Do you all revert back to tampons in these situations?

2. If you have heavy periods is it a problem? Leakage etc. (in my case TMI warning, changing Super plus tampons every 2 hours on heavy days and still wearing an ST just in case as it has been worse on occasion)

3. The suction thing , is it actually physically harmful do you think?

Sorry these q's all seem very negative, I really do want to start using one but I'm a bit of a wuss, (despite 2 out of 4 protracted labours, therein lies the problem perhaps!!)

I'm sure I had more questions but I can't think of them now, I think it's the embarrassment

Being somewhere that doesn't have a sink in the toilet ( I always feel guilty about using disabled toilets so tend not to)
Not being able to rinse it properly. I wouldn't like to come out of a topilet with blood stained fingers - I imagine that this would be worse than using a tampon. I have a heavy flow and need super tampons and towels and just imagine that it would be worse. Wouldn't want to have to empty it hourly.

I think my hesitancy is caused - in part- by the fact I have what seems to be a very light flow (judging by comments here) - so I don't really suffer splattering or tampon leakage...

OTOH I do end up using towels more than I wqould like cos of the dry grating of removing a dry tampon. Plus my fanjo has expanded a bit much these days to use the smallest tampons as they have a tendancy to slip out

I don't know why it has such a profound effect on our attitudes to it, Pruni

someone mentioned on another thread the fact that it doesn't reduce menstruation to a distasteful piece of rubbish which needs to be disposed of, and I think that is large part of it

plus the fact that you can see exactly what you have produced - it's so much less revolting when it isn't spread all over a piece of cotton on a string

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and the fact that I usually have a 2 year old who follows me everywhere which would be interesting! and the thought of knocking it and spilling it and the hassle of it all.

A bit like using reuseable nappies....I know I should try, but is it going to be a hassle!

I'm considering this when my periods come back (I'm b/f at the moment). Will it honestly cope with a very heavy flow? And does it make any difference to the painful periods? I find that using towels is much less painful than tampons but have a bit of paranoi about sanitary towels being smelly.

Mears I am kind of repeating what I said earlier, but you don't need to put your fingers inside it, so they would not be bloodstained.

You don't need to rinse it every time you use it, only 4 times in every 24 hours. It's fine to just wipe and reinsert.

It holds more than the largest size of tampon so you should be emptying less frequently, not more.

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Glassslipper it holds more blood than the largest size of tampon.

Some people do say it makes their period lighter and more comfortable, yes. I haven't noticed a difference myself.

Dotcom I guess that depends how you feel about your child seeing you use sanitary products.

I haven't spilt mine yet, it really kind of concentrates the mind when you are holding a small cup full of menstrual blood in your hand

You probably wouldn't have to empty it hourly, Mears. In comparasion, (sorry, tmi alert!) I would be going to the loo more often when I was aware of leakage from the super-plus-extra onto the nighttime sized pad, and would end up changing both. I found that harder to deal with, tbh. And the other considerations, like only wearing dark clothing, watching where I sat, etc etc. It affects your life so much when it is like that.

Always wondered when in houses of people I didn't know very well and I was taking my handbag to the loo with me each time, did they wonder that I didn't trust them enough to leave it in the room? LOL

I know this sounds slightly bizarre but I actually enjoy using it.

Hmm - maybe should try it. I thought there would be more blood around because you need to insert the mooncup over your cervix therefore fingers need to be inside. I use tampons with applicator so don't have that.

Remember I am a midiwfe so am not put off by feeling for my cervix . I also have a great respect for menstrual cycle - I think it is amazing. Am saddened that I will never have a baby again and period every month confirms that

SMS I have a fairly light flow too

although when I can see what is there in the Mooncup I now believe it is quite adequate

I used to get a lot of the dry squeaky tampon thing and apart from anything else it is such a total waste of money and resources to have to keep inserting another tampon, when all you are doing is lightly bleeding on one small area of it

I meant fingers inside vagina not mooncup BTW

Thanks franny.

OK guys, you've convinced me

Er, where can I get one cheaply? I'll get one and have it ready for when af returns.

Mears it doesn't need to go over your cervix. Mine sits low down right near the entrance of my vagina. I only insert it far enough in so that it doesn't protrude, really.

Link coming up with diagram...

I don't think it goes as high as your cervix mears....

See, I must be doing something wrong then as I don't enjoy using mine. It always leaks, just a tiny bit, but enough to annoy me and even though I'm persevering with it I do get a sense of dread when I come on.

What am I doing wrong?

Oh I see. Link awaited eagerly

I think you'd be pleasantly surpised, mears, I really do. It just seems to make the whole menstruation thing so much less hassle.

And your fingers do go inside a bit but you're not actually feeling for your cervix. It's the same principle as inserting a non-applicator tampon, really. Only easier!

see pic 4

Glassslipper from time to time I sell them at cost price. Search for my name and mooncup in a couple of weeks, or a month or so, and you'll find the next thread with instructions of how to get one.

Others have commented that their periods are less painful when using the Mooncup too, and I have found that to be the case for me. No idea why. Now have the Mirena coil, still have menstrual loss of no predicable pattern, but it is far, far less in volume and I don't care if there is a light loss more days in the month than not now!

By the way, despite my enthusiasm, I don't sell Mooncups, nor am I on commission

Just love it

Thanks Franny.

predictable I meant!