Anyone use a Mooncup when it is your period? Is it any good?

[Snowbeetle]

I like the idea of mooncups - less waste and body friendly etc etc - but just want to know if anyone actually thinks they're any good. They are pricey, which is fine if it saves you and arm and a leg on tampons/pads etc but not so fine if you don't get on with it. What are your experiences please? (I have been on product review page and it isn't there)

Thanks ladies. Feel free to be as tmi as you like!

Love mine, but only got to use it twice before I was pregnant again! Takes a bit of practice and getting used to,

You'll find lots of evangelists for mooncups on MN.

Fantastic.
I will never go back to tampons or pads again.
They take a little bit of getting used to (couple of cycles maybe more) but I have been using mine for 5 years and can't sing its praises more.

Yep using mine for about 7 years, never use tampons again. It's like not having a period, shorter and less pain for some reason.

I am an evangelist . They just feel so much cleaner than horrible pads and tampons, and after the first day or two (when you'll probably need to empty it three or four times a day) you can just empty it before you go to bed each night and forget it's your period altogether the rest of the time.

LOVE IT.

Try not to suck out your innards on first removal though.

Do it when you have peace and a lot of time.

Couldn't get on with it: it filled up really fast then leaked and I could only change it in the bathroom at home because of the blood going all over my fingers when I took it out.

Some people love them, though. Maybe buy one and see how you get on.

How is it if you have a super heavy flow? Just had a coil put in and it's hard trying to keep up sometimes, so interested in any alternatives..

Loved mine until had DC3.
They don't do an XXXX size therefore unable to use it anymore

OOooo brilliant - thanks for the quick response ladies, half expected the question to languish into oblivion!

So I'm a bit behind the mn wave on this front then Yank - well if that doesn't inspire confidence I don't know what will!

Chasingsquirrels you're not my dog are you?

Ambi saw some people on the website said that about being shorter etc - wasn't sure it wasn't just marketing fluff - would love to know how that works then! Not that I want to look a gift horse in the mouth mind you

I'm currently preggers so not going to need it for a while - however asking the question makes me wonder if it could even be used after birth to help the maternity pads you need cope with bleeding - imagine it would be less nasty/sticky feeling, or whether that is crackers ideas as it would fall out as a little cup in there after a baby has been through would be laughable! Haha - think I may have just answered my own question.... maybe there is a product innovation/development idea for mooncup there... enormous mooncups for post-birth. Or not! guffaw!

Ooooo interesting. Auntieestablishment - wonder whether having a little pack of travel wipes with you in handbag could solve that problem when you're not at home - that is a good point and would be very tricky in public loo otherwise.

Has anyone who loves it had any leaks with it? (but love it anyway?)

Thanks for the great advice ladies.

p.s Nagoo I nearly snorted my tea at that one!

Thetokengirl me and you are going to dragonsden with our product idea: Wizards sleeve cup XXXX size mooncup copycat product!!!

No leaks for me. I have managed to empty it in public a few times, loos with sinks in are obv easier, but a tissue wipe and then hand wash is fine. But as you don't need to empty it so often it's much more convenient , I've been away overnight and just emptied it at home before I left and when I got back. What's not to like!!

I don't think you are supposed to put anything up there once you've had the baby because of risk of infection, pads all the way for 6 weeks. I'm dreading that bit.. But still counting down the days til the baby :)

I think I am sold

of - off

Me!! I love mine but it leaks! I find it leaks on my heaviest days and I have to change it every 2 hours but was with Tampons anyway so no difference there. I use a large always pantyliner which is fine for leaks.

On the changing front I have my youngest with me so often use disabled toilets so I can take him in with me in the pushchair anyway and they have sinks in them. I also carry a bottle of water to rinse it into the toilet then wipe with toilet roll if that's not possible.

I find it helps with pain but not sure length is any different. I had a coil fitted last december and found the first few months really heavy but it has settled down and the mooncup mostly copes with it. I love that you don't get as dry with it and I'm just generally more comfortable. For the rest of my period (not the 2 heaviest days) I really can forget I have a period and change maybe twice a day.

You're getting some very one-sided views here! I may be tipping that balance, but don't mean to put you off, as I think they are great!

I like mine, have used one before and after having children for over 10 years.
But it's not clean! I have heavy flow now, and often have to empty it every 2 hours or so (but that's fine as I'd struggle to get tampons/towels to contain this), and I always use a panty-liner or towel as well. But often I can wear the same towel all day, so it is a saving that way. It doesn't leak as such, but you get a lot of blood on your vagina wall that is still going to dribble down, iyswim. Twisting it when you get it in seals it, and the only leaks I've had have been when I've failed to do this, or it's overfilled.

You have to be very body-confident, imv, to "cope" as you have to shove it a fair way up to get it comfortable so that you don't feel it, and then it is great. As you take it out, if it's full or near-full, you may well find it easily tips/spills, and you start dripping while you're managing this.... and you end up with a hand covered in blood. Not easy to manage if there's not a washbasin next to the toilet, or you're at a friend's house who has carpetted floor.

And when you empty it down the loo, the blood usually pools at the bottom of the loo, meaning you need to flush twice... can be embarrassing if there's a queue or whatever.

Coping in public loos - if you flush the toilet, there's clean water flushing in, can give a quick rinse under that if you're really stuck (like when I dropped the whole thing in the bloody - literally - loo).

It doesn't shorten your period (mine last about 8 days all in), but certainly when your flow is not really heavy (I have 3 days like that), it's great because you leave it in all day pretty much.

By the way, there are 2 sizes, before and after birth, and I did feel my before birth one leaked, so I gave it away and got the larger. I wouldn't use one straight after birth as you may be a little grazed in there and wouldn't even realise it. You'll not be big and flappy though - feedback I received 2 weeks after birth of 2nd suggested I was jolly tight!

Go for it, I don't think you'll regret it, but it's still a messy business. Emptying usually involves 2 handwashes for me.

ahhhh - thanks for the details Snapsafu

I am happy so long as I am making an informed choice. :)

Body confident - fine on that, and not a heavy period person (which is one reason why I am interested as tampons make me so dry for that reason) so that shouldn't be a prob with me, tho handy info for Lukewarm

I had wondered about the spillage when taking it out so thanks for clearing that up. :)

Tight after 2 weeks eh? suspects stealth boast and consults Snapsafu 's pilates teacher for personal training availability lucky Mr Snap.

I second SnapSnafu's comment about flushing twice, my dh is constantly complaining about the puddle of blood left in the bottom of the toilet if I only flush once. It is messy but it's worth the mess imo!

Also should add I fine mine comes some of the way out if I poo with it in (you said you didn't mind tmi )

I agree with everything snapsafu just posted.

The pool of blood thing is difficult to explain to an inquisitive set of young boys like I've got!

At home, I tend to take it out, then tip it down the sink with the tap running, but I always spill some on the way, so am training myself to tip down the toilet.

I find I leak at night on the first 2 nights, And have bought extra Humongous tampons for these nights, as there's nothing worse than waking up in a puddle at 4 AM!

I also find that it can sometines be hard to get hold of. You get to know your own anatomy pretty well! Some mornings, I feel like I'm having to pretty much give birth to the thing, as it's so far up there I can't get a hold of it at all!

Having said all this, It's great and I wouldn't be without it!

Snow - yeah, I admit stealth boast! But I think of it like an elastic band - you stretch it but it goes straight back - the baby passes through pretty quickly.

Cinnamon - I typed and deleted just that about pooing (can help with amistillsexy's early morning problem).

I've had a daughter worried that she was bleeding when it was just residual from emptying.

Also, when you empty it in loo, there can be a lot of splashback so you need to give a quick wipe round the under-edge of the seat/rim....

Think I might be due another namechange....

Put tissue down the loo and tip in onto that seems to work ok.

Snowbeetle re travel wipes: I suppose that would be an option but I wasn't so enamoured of the thing that I would want to bother with them.