I'm looking at my Mooncup in its box and thinking...

[Mung]

...it seems like a good idea, but can I do it? DH made me laugh when he commented on the fact that Mooncup users must be weird and that he loved the way they 'dressed it up in a bag with pink ribbon'. Looking at it in the flesh scares me a bit. Did you users out there practice before using it for real?

I've got one I don't use too, must get round to it.

i think they originally said ok to dishwasher, then changed it only cos of discoloration at the high temp.

I've had mine ages, much more practical and comfortable than any other method out there. Rinse it well at each emptying, clean it and put through dishwasher at end of cycle then oil it up for 10 minutes at start of next, to make sure it's clean before it comes anywhere near me. never had a prob.

I love my Mooncup and have had it now for well over a year. Unlike with tampons, no irritation, no gradually sliding out your fanjo when they get heavier and no clogging up the environment.

Bit fiddly to start with, took me about 3 cycles to get happy with it. I press the sides of mine together then fold it in half again then use thumb and two forefingers to insert it as high as possible. Give it a tweak to make sure it has unfolded properly, sometimes rotate it slightly and hey presto! Occasionally I reinsert it to get it just right but I love mine so much I mention them to everybody and how brill they are!

dd has been asking for one for aaaages, must get her one.

ernest ?? "oil it up" ?? [puzzled]

tribpot re heavy, i know what you mean but a few nimutes of free flow can extend fill up time.

As for cleaning @ work, i take a small bottle of water into loo when out.

I suspect 'boil' rather than 'oil'.

I was puzzled by that too - I was racking my brains thinking of what sort of oil I should get. Extra Virgin Olive Oil perhaps?

That would make sense JN.

was going for sunflower personally QE

Tribpot, I found that the first couple of cycles I used my MC I had terrible cramping but that has since gone. I wondered was it to do with the suction.

How long should you go without having to change? On my heavy day I have to change every one to two hours and wear pads.

I'm also one that thought 'yes I'll try that' and it's still in its little bag and box in the cupboard 3 months later. Have sterilised it meaning to use it, but then never got a chance as both ds and dd are going through clingy stage and I can't escape to the loo for 5 mins without fits of screaming taking place. Must try next time.

It looks as though I've got an infection, probably because I have a coil. It's an unfortunate coinidence that it has happened the first time I've used MC. Perhaps it's a bad combination. I'll have to ask my doc, and either throw out the coil or the MC.

ew, yes, lol, boil, not oil. Have mental image of 50's housewife polishing her mooncups till shiny

Hellobello, i used coil and mc together successfully for 2+ yrs, only coil-less now as TTC.

I've just started using my new mooncup and already I'm a huge fan.

I've only removed about half of the stem and don't think I'd want to take off any more or might worry about retrieval. That seems to put me in the minority, does it?

Interesting reading those who say that cramps have reduced. My cramps had virtually disappeared following my dd's birth but even the slight ghostly ache that I have had in recent months has not been evident this time.

Have only felt the odd "twang" as, presumably, the mooncup settles into position inside. A bit startling but otherwise fine.

You do have to be quite comfortable with delving quite far up, though. Best not to be abashed about that, and no mistake!