Menstral cups

[Smilingwhenrunning]

Hi, I hope this is the right place for this, I'm looking for some advice.

I bought a menstral cup a few months ago and am struggling to get it in the right position so as not to have any leaking. This month has been the worst and I cannot work out what else I can do. I've watched so many YouTube videos about techniques it's affecting my Facebook ads!! 😂

Can I ask for tips on insertion please and knowing it's opened. I thought I'd be able to put it in a forget it for 8hrs. It is collecting some though.

Sorry this is all quite TMI I get that.

Thank you in advance.

It depends on the cup. I had a mooncup at first and could not make the damn thing work. Then I did the putacupinit quiz and bought an femmecycle and it was a game changer. Insertion and removal in the shower worked best for me in the first few cycles. But I have heard of someone who inserts hers while lying down with her knees up by her chest. Don't know how she removes it though.

Thank you, it's a tulip type which came up as the one most suitable in the quiz.

It's frustrating as I can't feel if it's all open and in the right position.

I've been told I've got a tilted pelvis and wondering uterus, I wondered if this would affect it.

Having smears is a nightmare as they can never get the cervix in the right position.

I don't get these things and can't see how it could possibly be comfortable ! Is it literally like a little bowl to collect the blood? Had using tampons but I just can't imagine being able to use one of these.

Sorry, that was no help whatsoever

You can't forget about it for 8 hours at first. I find I change mine every 3-4 hours for the first 2 days and then after that I can leave it for longer. Depends on everyone's flow of course.

It's actually so much more comfy than tampons. Also the environmental stuff 🤷‍♀️

I was just going to suggest the quiz above! If yours is leaking even though you think it's fully open then maybe it's not quite the right one for you? When i put mine in i push one side in so i can fold it in half then push it as close to my cervix as i can get it, then squeeze it at the bottom so it unfolds. It doesn't always work though and then it takes some adjusting.

Only had mine for one cycle but I find it easier to insert if I'm sat on the loo with my feet up a bit on my kids step I struggled more at work and would need a few attempts sometimes
Heaven now iv got the hang of it as I have horrendous periods

Ah thatsnotreal really? I thought I could. That makes me feel a bit better, so many thing this is usual?

I have a tulip cup and find that twisting as I put it helps it pop open iyswim. Also you can run your finger around the outside of it once it is in to feel if it is fully open.

I'm still getting to grips with it but am finding more comfortable then tampons.

thisisnot sorry got your name wrong.

hope thank you. I sort of do the same but perhaps I need to re-adjust a little more.

Mrs thank you. I'll try to twist it a bit. I'm not sure if I'm putting it up too high as I can't get to the rim #shortfingers?!

I have been using a Mooncup for years. I have a retroverted and retroflexed uterus. I couldn't possibly leave it 8 hours at the start of my period but that's because I have a heavy flow and the poor thing couldn't possibly cope. I empty every 3ish hours on days 2 &3. I can leave it 8 hours toward the end of a period. It does better than a tampon, I would bleed through in an hour.

It shouldn't be high up. The edge should be snug with the entrance of your vagina, just about.

I've totally got it wrong havent I?! OK so back to YouTube for better videos, any advice on good ones? I thought I had to get it past the pelvic bone?

Good to know about the changing after a few hours bit. I'd been led to believe otherwise!

I think it should fit high up. So the rim completely circles the cervix. To check it's in place, are you running you finger around the rim? You may need to "push down" so you can reach. I agree that rotating it helps it open.

I fold mine as suggested and then insert, then twist so it's fully open and then run finger round to make sure it's covering the cervix (tmi and don't know if this is usual but my cervix protrudes a bit so I can feel that it's covered). On heavy days I change it every 3-4 hours. On lighter days I only change morning and night. It's a life changer.

It's up to you (and maybe the cup?) whether you sit it high or low. If it's firm enough you can pop it open a bit lower where you can feel the rim and then push it up further if that's more comfortable.
I find it leaks after about half full at night, so it might be your tiltedness, or you might be being optimistic about how long you can leave it.

I’m new with them and cannot believe the difference- no thrush, which I now realise were caused by tampons
Less changes
Less environmental impact
Comfort is better and it manages those delightful gushes better
Wish I’d tried years ago

Thank you all. I've watched some more and will perservere. It's nice to have some experience of others as opposed to the info online.

Have a play with different heights, try lower/higher/different angle etc. Otherwise maybe try a different cup?

It doesn't have to go anything like as high as a tampon in my experience. To feel that it's opened, I just run a finger around the very bottom of it and I can tell. One way of getting it in is to fold it and push it in a bit and then hold it in place and bear down. If it's not fully open squeeze the bottom.

I've used them for about 4 years and it took me about 3 cycles to get the hang of it and I still occasionally get it wrong but if never go back to tampons. I do need a pad at night just in case for the first night or two.

Re: the hight thing, mine moves depending on if I need a poo or not, if my rectum's full it gets pushed up.... there's no such thing as TMI with menstrual cups!

There's a YouTuber called itsjustkelli who I really like for cup reviews

I think someone on here contacted the Mooncup manufacturer and they admitted that it might not work properly for someone with a tilted uterus. Mine is tilted and I have very heavy periods and whilst it sort of works during the day when I'm upright (and presumably gravity helps), at night it shifts around and leaks like crazy. Maybe other brands work better for people with weird uteruses (I hate my reproductive system these days!)?

I have prolapses (and used to have a tilted cervix tho that may have changed). I need to make sure my cup actually covers the cervix and sometimes I need to push the prolapse/s back in palace to allow the cup to open up. I usually do it in the shower . I can't use. Tampon though and it's so much better than the thrush I get with pads.