I have my mooncup but have urgent stalk question before I set forth with the loo and my scissors!!!!

[Thankyouandgoodnight]

First of all - I thought I'd get my stalk sorted out before my period started as i'm feeling a bit squeamish about the whole thing .

How far up do I put the mooncup and how do I know that it's in the right place?

How do I know how much stalk to cut off?

Aaaargh!!!!

you know when it is in the right position as you can?t feel it when you move around the house. You can?t push it too far IMO and if it is too low down you can instantly tell - just like a tampon.
As for the stalk, try trimming a little and then seeing how it feels. I ended up trimming it right down to the base as it was uncomfortable with any stalk left at all. Go bit by bit and test it out, bit of a personal positioning thing I reckon!

most people just lop it off. you don't really need it.

ah now that sounds like a solution - am i likely to have problems getting it out if i just remove it straight away? I can't imagine that i will be a long stalk person but you never know i guess.

word of warning, I lopped mine right down in a very gung ho way before using after reading advice on here and then couldn't get the thing out....had to enlist dh who confessed to feeling traumatised afterwards. Haven't used it again since.

Need to buy a new one and start again.

i just gently squeeze and twist to release suction and then pull it out. the stalk seemed a bit sink plungerish to me.

I cut the stalk away completely (carving into the mooncup, be careful not to cut a hole in it lol) after trying it with a wee bit left, really not sure how anyone could wear it with the stalk still on, you will know when you have it in the right position, but you will need a wee bit of practice, learning to relax whilst folding a mooncup and getting it into position can take time!

I would try it out on your lightest days, run it under water to help with putting it in.

I lopped all of mine off - you don't really need it. You need to squeeze the cup bit to get it out easily so the stalk is a bit unneccessary IMO.

You shouldn't have a problem putting it in then removing it straight away - it does take a bit of practice.

I trimmed mine half way, try it for size first, if you can feel the stalk when its in then trim a bit off and try again, keep trimming till if feels right

I didnt trim mine all the way off as like to have something to grab onto when pulling it out

Oh my god - I have surfaced - the thing shot up there like a soap on a rope - that doesn't bode well does it . I have trimmed all but one of the rings at the top of the stalk and I have put it back firmly in to its bag until it's time to use it in anger. Everything is just so damn squelchy up there isn't it

LOL
I don?t think you need to worry about removing it though - just squat and (sorry TMI) push down a bit with your pelvic muscles. Hold on to it though as you don?t want it whooshing across the floor either.. If you reach up and feel it, just squeeze it a bit and the suction will break and will release easy. Obviously, don?t panic if you can?t push it down with your muscles and can?t instantly get hold of it. The more you tense up and panic, the harder it will be. It is a knack and not hard to master after a couple of goes

I gave birth to mine once when i was having a number 2

rofl Vinegartitties

y I have done that too

I bear down gently to push out the tip of the stalk and pull it out slowly using the stub of stalk. I find it neater than having to squelch around. I will try next time but I don't think I can actually push out the whole mooncup out however hard I try. But I never delivered vaginally.

And I find it easier to insert on a heavy than light day. Menstrual fluid is a much better lubricant than water.

Does it come out if you cough??

no not at all Thankyouandgoodnight - you need to be actively err pushing IYKWIM!! I have worn mine camping, cycling, climbing, sailing and even horse riding - never a problem at all. I am sure I must have coughed plenty of times since owning and using one - never had a problem
Less leakage than I ever had with tampons if that reassures you.

to get it out should it get stuck you may need to 'push' (if you gave had a vb you know what I mean!) short little pushes work better,

and perservre

I had a few sweat inducing first attempts but love mine now.

Expect it to take a few months to get used to.

I had to cut the stalk off as even a little one irritated me.

Riven it depends on your pelvic floor.

Riven, honestly it is not that hard You do not need to be some vaginal contortionist either I find it a little pelvic floor muscle push down and then it is within easy grasp IYSWIM. I have a bad back and manage fine!!

squatting is the key
i lopped off the stalk
be careful not to put it too high, you may get leaks

ok - I have a new crisis. My period started this morning, so in it shot. Brilliant. No leaks so far (very pleased about that as DC2 caused much tampon failure). BUT I'm too squeamish to take it out again!!!

What on earth do I do now. You're going to have to talk me in to it.

this might be helpful:

Frequently asked questions

These are all genuine emails with genuine answers. If you have a question about the Mooncup you may well find the answer right here!
Alternatively contact our nurse advisor by clicking here or by telephoning 0044(0)1273 673845

Public toilets
Light flow
Dispatch / Packaging
Just started menstruating
Hymen
Leakage
Which size?
Lubricants
TSS
Promotional info
Sex
Removal Problems
Post-birth
Urinary tract infections
Thrush
IUD
Silicone Implants
Endometriosis
Heavy periods
Backflow / inverted postures
Insertion problems
Sports
Menopause
Painful periods
Is it messy?
Night use

Public toilets

Dear Cathy,
How do you use the Mooncup in public toilets?

Cheers,
Helen

Dear Helen
You can still use your Mooncup in Public toilets. Simply take a small bottle
of water into the toilet with you and rinse it with this. Alternatively you
can wipe with toilet paper and give your Mooncup a thorough clean at a more convenient time.

Best Wishes
Cathy

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Light flow

Dear Cathy,

My flow is very light and I find tampons extremely painful to remove. Is it ok to use a Mooncup with a light flow?

Kath

Dear Kath

Yes it is fine to use the Mooncup when your flow is light. The Mooncup is not absorbent and will not cause dryness so you will find removal much more comfortable than with tampons.

Best wishes

Cathy

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Dispatch / Packaging

Dear Cathy,

How big is the mooncup package - will it fit through my letterbox? If
not, is it discreet, i.e. can I get it delivered to my boyfriend's work
without worrying about causing any offence or much laughter ;-)

Yvonne

Dear Yvonne

The Mooncup comes in an A5 brown manilla envelope with an address label on the front and our company name and address written in small letters at the bottom of the label. There is no indication of what is inside the package. It may be helpful to you to know that the package is small enough to fit through a standard letterbox and doesn't need to be signed for so you don't need to be at home to receive it.
Hope this helps!

Best wishes

Cathy

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Just started menstruating

Hi.
I've just heard about your moon cup and it sounds pretty good. I'm wondering if it is recommended for use by a girl who has just started menstruating. Any caveats I should know about? My 11 year old daughter is not quite there yet but will be sometime soon and if this is as great as it sounds I would like to recommend it.
Thanks for your response.

Joanne

Dear Joanne
Yes young girls are physically able to use the Mooncup. It is possible to use the Mooncup from the very first period as our bodies are designed to give birth to full size babies at this time. The more confident that your daughter is about her body the easier it will be for her. As with tampons, it will require practice at first. She may like to use a water based lubricant to make insertion easier to begin with. I hope that this helps.

Best Wishes
Cathy

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Hymen

Dear Cathy,
I saw the Mooncup at a festival and was rather dubious about it but I have been thinking about it quite a lot as I want to become more active and learn how to swim. As far as I am aware my hymen is still intact, so I was worried about using it and wasn't quite bold enough to ask the lady at the stand.
Yours sincerely
Sharon

Dear Sharon
Thanks for getting in touch. If your hymen is still fully intact the use of the Mooncup is likely to cause it to tear or break. The hymen is a thin membrane, with a space or spaces for periods to flow through, which partially blocks the opening of the vaginal entrance. Hymens come in various shapes and designs. Your hymen may be shaped like a septum (a thin line of skin which divides the centre of the vaginal opening, as does the septum of our nose), or you may have a hymen shaped like a crescent moon around the bottom or side of the vaginal opening. Interestingly, not all women are born with hymens, and hymens can break without women knowing it. Strenuous activities, such as bicycle riding, horseback riding, stretching, or dancing, can also cause the hymen to break. Also a woman's hymen could have been broken or stretched by sexual activity, even if she has not yet had sexual intercourse. Once torn or stretched, the hymen becomes an irregular ring of tissue around the vaginal opening. If you would like further advice I recommend that you pay a visit to your local well woman or sexual health clinic.

Best Wishes
Cathy

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Leakage

Hi,
Just writing for some advice. I bought a Mooncup at Glastonbury festival after wanting one for so long. I have been using it month after month and still I leak. I have to use pads as well, and my main reason for wanting Mooncup was for eco reasons. Please help me because I don?t want to go back to the old ways.

Yours Catherine

Dear Catherine,

I am sorry that you are having problems but I am sure we can find a solution. The most common reason for leakage is not placing the Mooncup low enough in your vagina. The Mooncup needs to be placed just inside the entrance to your vagina, not up near the cervix where tampons are placed.

Also, you need to check that the whole of the stem is fully inside you. Most women need to trim the stem. If you think you need to trim the stem, remove your Mooncup and cut the end with scissors. Trim a little off at a time and reinsert your Mooncup to check how it sits. Repeat this process until it is fully inside you and is comfortable.

Another reason for leakage is due to poor seal formation with your vaginal wall. You can try twisting and rotating the Mooncup once inserted. You can also try pulling the mooncup down slightly and then gently pushing it inward. Clamping your pelvic floor muscles around the Mooncup will also help to create a good seal.

Occasionally leakage can occur because the small holes below the rim of the Mooncup have become blocked. Use a clean pin and remove any debris blocking the holes. Wash your Mooncup and re-insert.

Finally, leakage may be due to the size you are using not being a good fit. In this case please contact the advice service.

Best Wishes

Cathy

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Which size

DearCathy
How can I tell whether my Mooncup is the before or after childbirth size and what is the difference in size?
Hazel

Dear Hazel,
If you hold your Mooncup up to the light you will see an A or a B stamped in the bottom of the cup. A is after childbirth and for women aged 30 and over, and B is before childbirth and women aged below 30. The length of the cup is 50mm for both sizes, and the diameter across the top is 43mm for the size B and 46mm for the A. The stem is 21mm long. I hope that this helps.

Best Wishes
Cathy

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Lubricants

Hello!
I am about to order a Mooncup (just waiting for my next paycheque), and I have a question. I know that oil-based lubricants and latex do not mix, but I also know that one of the unique things about the Mooncup is that it is silicone, not latex. Does this mean that I can use oil-based lubricants to help with insertion, without worrying about damaging the rubber? Thanks so much for your help!

Kate

Dear Kate
We recommend that you do not use oil-based substances with the Mooncup as they can weaken the material over time. Water based lubes are fine.

Best Wishes
Cathy

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TSS

Dear Cathy
I've been using my Mooncup for the first time these past few days and it seems to be working really well. Everything everyone says about it on your site is true. I particularly like the idea that I can forget about it and just need to empty it once on waking and once before sleep. However I'm still a little concerned about the risk of toxic shock syndrome from leaving it in for a long time.
My cup only gets about half full in half a day, so is it okay to leave it in for those 8 hours without changing it?

Thanks
Lucy

Dear Lucy
Thank you for your email. I am glad that you are getting along with your Mooncup! You are right to be concerned about toxic shock syndrome, and with the Mooncup it is important to regularly remove and clean it as by doing so you prevent any build-up of the bacteria that may cause this illness. We recommend that you remove and clean your Mooncup 4 times during a 24-hour day. TSS has been linked to high absorbency and prolonged use of tampons. The Mooncup differs from tampons in that the material that it is made of does not support the growth of bacteria in the way that the rayons and cottons used in tampons do. Menstrual cups have been around since the 1930s but have not been associated with toxic shock syndrome. TSS is most common in women aged between the ages of 15 and 19 and the risk of contracting it decreases with age. As a precaution, you should be aware that the symptoms of TSS could include sudden high fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness, fainting, or a rash rather like sunburn. Should you experience these symptoms during your period you should remove your Mooncup and contact your GP immediately. I hope that this information is useful for you.

Best Wishes
Cathy

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Promotional info

Dear Cathy
I bought a Mooncup at this years Glastonbury festival and would like to spread the word to some of my friends and family. Those who are Internet friendly I have directed to your website but I have been asked for written information such as the leaflets I was given with my Mooncup. I was also wondering if you had any stickers I could have to advertise the Mooncup around my University. I am a student and think that there would be many people interested in such an effective alternative to tampons.
Many Thanks.
Julia

Dear Julia
Many thanks for your email. I am glad you like your Mooncup! Please email your address and I will send out leaflets and stickers to you. Please let me know if you would like more. Many thanks for spreading the word!

Best Wishes
Cathy

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Sex

Hi
Can you advise if the Mooncup is safe to leave in during penetrative sex (not obviously as a method of contraception)?
Thanks
Mickie

Dear Mickie,
No, the Mooncup is not for use during sexual intercourse. It would be in the way as it sits low in the vagina, not high like the contraceptive cap.

Best Wishes
Cathy

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Removal Problems

Dear Mooncup
I have just tried my Mooncup for the first time. Am I alone in having problems removing it?
Please help!
Helen

Dear Helen,
No! It is a question of practice, and some women find removal a little difficult at first! You do not explain what the problem is exactly, but there are two usual difficulties:

1 Too much suction: Before inserting your mooncup, try inserting a pin into the small holes around under the lowest ridge on the rim of the Mooncup. These can become blocked, so wiggle a pin in each one to ensure that they are clear. You can always release the seal by inserting your finger alongside the Mooncup and squashing it sideways, if squeezing the base does not work.

2 Not being able to get hold of the Mooncup: this is a combination of position, and, often, panic! Try to sit on the loo or squat, and use your 'bearing down' or pushing muscles to move the Mooncup down before you try to get hold of it. You should be able to move it down to the entrance to your vagina where it is easier to get hold of! The best method for doing this is to use a sequence of small downward motions. It may feel as though th Mooncup rises again after releasing each motion but it will be gradually pushed down. Small motions avoid tension and panic!

Standing or lying down makes your Mooncup harder to reach.

And yes, staying calm is helpful too!
I hope this info is useful.

whoops! only meant to post teh last one of those q's!
sorry!

Thankyouandgoodnight -bear down. If you give a little push it should come down low enough for you to get hold of the bottom of it without having to fish around Then I just pinch the bottom of it and it comes out easily. I have only had 4 periods since having mine and the first one was quite scary but it is no longer daunting

Thank you everso much both of you - it's not the practicalities of getting it out that bother me but more the yukky squelchiness of it all! I managed to do it after 4 hours and was horrified to find a long bloody mucus string coming out of me after it . I am now wondering whether to go in again (it's been 5 hours), or wait another 2 which will get me to bed time. Obviously the thought of doing it once is far more appealing than twice