Just a recap from part 1, I looked into RUMPs because I no longer wanted to use products that contained chemicals and fragrances. Prior to using menstrual cups, I’ve only ever used pads so it was a huge leap of faith for me to even want to try them.
What is a menstrual cup?
A menstrual cup is a flexible cup that is inserted internally to sit under your cervix to collect the blood. Unlike a tampon, it does not absorb any of the blood, it literally is a cup that holds the blood.
OMG it looks huge! How does it even go in?
Don’t freak out at their size! Because they are made from flexible materials, most common being silicon, they can be folded to be smaller for insertion. Once inside, the cup will pop open to its original shape and start collecting the menstrual fluid. When it’s time to change, you slide it out, empty the contents into the toilet, rinse under water and reinsert again.
Why I decided to give it a go
While cloth pads are comfortable, I wanted to give cups a go because I heard such wonderful things about them. The biggest selling point is that they can be left inside for up to 12 hours without changing. Imagine waking up, change your cup and then not have to worry about it again until bedtime! I thought it would be incredible if that was true - with my period which averages about 6 days, I would only need to deal with it 12 times! There were also talks about cups reducing the duration of bleeding - a shorter cycle? Yes please!
So Pros list
- Only need to change twice a day
- Shorter period - may not apply to you :(
- Comes in different lengths (short to long), sizes (small to extra large), shapes (round, bell, anatomic), materials (rubber, silicon, TPE), firmness (super soft to firm) and colours
- Comfortable ie can’t feel it when placed correctly
- When it works (ie no leaks or discomfort), you forget you’re on your period
- Discreet as it’s internal so great for swimming, gymnastics, ballet and other activities where pads are not ideal
- No extra laundry unlike cloth pads
- Health benefits - chemical and fragrance free
- Reusable – use the same cup every cycle, no landfill waste
- Good for your wallet – not having to spend $20 per month on products that you have to throw away
Six years ago, I did a lot of research on which cup to get (there weren’t as many brands as there are now, which shows just how popular they have become) and watched this girl (at the time) on YouTube called Bryony. She was so knowledgeable about the ins and outs of cups which made me more certain in wanting to try one. I thought ‘If a teenage girl can do it, so can I’. And so I bought my very first cup, a Lunette.
My cup experience
The Lunette is a bell shaped cup with average firmness, a great beginner’s cup I was told. After I received it, I did a couple of test runs (which I highly recommend, WITH lube) to get used to insertion and removal.
Then came the moment when I actually needed it for its intended purpose and boy was I chicken! It took me many tries to insert properly because my body was really tense and didn’t want to accept the cup. So the most important thing about insertion is to RELAX by breathing deeply and KEEPING the cup folded because it can slap you where the sun don’t shine and it hurts, like REALLY hurts!!
Once it was in, I couldn’t feel the cup. It was really awesome and I completely forgot I was on my period until about 3 hours in and felt a gush. Uhoh, the dreaded leak happened. Luckily I was home (I suggest you choose a day where you would be home to try your first cup) and ran to the toilet and sure enough, I was leaking. Great, now I have to remove the thing and reinsert! Removal was difficult too, because I have a high cervix, the base of the Lunette was out of reach for me to pinch to release the suction. So there I was, fishing for the stem, tugging on it, cup not budging, not moving down. I started getting finger cramps from trying to pull the stem lower, sweating, swearing, freaking out and dreading the scenario of having to get it removed by my GP. It definitely was not fun and I took a break from trying because it got to a stage where I was just in sheer panic. After half an hour, I tried it again, and because I was leaking still, I was able to pull the stem low enough to squeeze the cup's base and take it out. It was a huge mess, there was blood everywhere, on my fingers, in the cup, outside the cup, in the toilet…needless to say, I didn’t touch it for the rest of that cycle.
Like with every period, when you’re going through it, it’s wicked, it’s horrible, the world is ending, but after it passes, you think to yourself 'it wasn’t that bad', until the next time you bleed and are reminded yes, it really was that bad. Well, it seemed like I had forgotten the trauma of cup removal because I dared to try it again the next month. Insertion got easier, but I still leaked around the 3 hour mark which was frustrating. But this time, I was able to remove it without a breakdown. It still took a while, but knowing that I was able to remove it the first time gave me the confidence to get it out. I did enjoy feeling like I was not on my period so I reinserted the cup but again, was leaking within 3 hours. So I started researching on why that was. My cup was only half full, it didn’t leak for the first 2 hours which meant that it had fully opened, otherwise I would be leaking constantly. I came to the conclusion that maybe my cervix was taking up space in my cup, therefore reducing the capacity so I ordered a larger cup, this time a Yuuki soft to try.
When I tried the Yuuki, same thing happened even though it was larger which then ruled out that it was a capacity issue. I did like that the Yuuki was softer than the Lunette so I ordered a Si-bell cup. When it arrived, I was in love. The Si-bell cup is wonderfully soft and squishy. Cup firmness comes down to personal preference. A softer cup is considered more comfortable and easier to remove but they are harder to insert and pop open. Firmer cups are recommended for those that have strong pelvic floor muscles such as athletes as their muscles might crush a softer cup, causing leaks. Some users have found that firmer cups hindered their ability to urinate or empty their bowels.
Even though I still leaked with the Si-bell, it is one of my favourite cups. It's really soft so it’s comfortable to wear and I’ve had no problems getting it to open which is one of the downsides of having a soft cup. I also found removal to be easier as well. But due to leaking every 3 hours, I gave up on cups and went back to wearing cloth pads full time. I figured that since I had to wear a pad as a back up to my cup, I might as well just forgo the cup and save myself the extra step of emptying and re-inserting every 3 hours.
Fast forward a few years and I had to crawl back to using menstrual cups. After having my daughter, the first two days of my period is super heavy. I can’t get by with using a heavy pad for night time anymore because I leak badly. I got some Modibodis to try but they didn’t cut it either. This was the push to try cups again after a 3 year break and I’m glad it happened because I have made the switch back to cups and this time my back up is period underwear which I found way more comfortable than a thick cloth pad.
Yes, I still leak when using my cup for the first 2 days and I think it’s because my flow is really heavy and the gushes momentarily block the holes of the cup, causing it to lose suction and then leak. What’s different now is that I have my period underwear to catch the leaks without feeling like I’m wearing a big bulky pad. From day 3, leaking from my cup greatly decreases and most of the time, I don't leak at all and that’s when I LOVE LOVE LOVE menstrual cups because I totally forget I'm on my period.
Cup removal
My technique of cup removal has also improved. Lots of videos advise to bear down like you’re giving birth or making a bowel movement to push the cup down enough to pinch the base to release the suction. I have tried that and my cup only moves a tiny bit and as soon as I stop pushing, it goes back up again which I find really stressful. So for me, I hold the stem with my thumb and index finger and then I insert my other index finger to push the cup away from the vaginal wall to break the suction. So as I push with one finger, I pull with the other hand and the cup slides down very easily.
Cup maintenance
During use, all that is needed is a thorough rinse with water and then it’s safe to reinsert. Once your period has ended, rinse with water and then sanitise it. I like to put mine in a big bowl of water and then heat it on high in the microwave for 8-10 minutes.
Before you buy a cup
Through this journey, I have tried the following cups: Lunette, Yuuki Soft, Fleur, Si-Bell, Diva, Saalt and Saalt Soft. Yes, that’s quite a lot of cups and it’s one of the biggest cons of using cups, finding your ‘Goldilocks’ cup. There is no one-cup-fits-all, as we are all built differently but one of the key factors to finding the right cup for you is to know the location of your cervix.
Is it high or low because that will determine the types of cups you can use. If you have a low cervix and you got a Diva cup, it will poke out and be very uncomfortable. Here’s a quiz you can do to find out what cups may be suitable.
Other things to consider are the size of cup and the firmness. The smallest change can make a huge difference. For example, I have both the Saalt and the Saalt soft. They are exactly the same, one is just softer than the other and I will always leak in the Saalt soft, even on my light days which doesn’t happen with any of my other cups.
All of the cons
- Finding your ‘Goldilocks’ cup can be tricky. There are lots of cups out there but which one will fit you perfectly?
- Buying cup after cup to find your Goldilocks can be expensive, most branded cups retail for $40 or more
- You have to really know your body and be comfortable with inserting and removing your cup as well as the odd internal adjustments
- May get very messy when it’s time to remove so not for the faint of heart
- There’s a learning curve so you won’t master it first go
- You could do everything right and cups may just not work for you
As you can tell from my cup journey, there was a lot of back and forth but I ultimately found a combination that worked for me (cup + period undies = win).
I know that using internal menstrual products can be very intimidating but we bleed for a good 10 years of our life so why not make it as ‘enjoyable’ and fuss free as we can? I’m glad there are so many more eco options available to us now. If an amazing product can make you forget the most dreaded time, wouldn’t you want to try it?
Lily
*Update: I’ve recently started using a menstrual disc to see if it would solve my leaking issues. Stay tuned for part 3 once I’ve tried it out a bit more.
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