I Decided to Try a Menstrual Cup - The Selection Process

I have decided it's time for me to give the old menstrual cup a whirl! It sounds pretty gross to be honest - a little cup up in ya to collect all the lady business - but an alternative to buying tampons and pads sounds pretty cool, right? Why not?

I have had very few actual periods since 2006 since I started using the Mirena. I had it out for about 9 months in 2015 - 2016 when I was trying to get pregnant, then after I had the baby in 2016 I had the usual postpartum bleeding, then got a new Mirena which honestly sucked hard because the periods were completely unpredictable and PRESENT which never happened before with my previous IUD's. I have mostly been a tampon user for the majority of my menstruating life - just cleaner, easier to use, less hassle. I just got my Mirena out due to... reasons... so I decided to give the menstrual cup a try since I'm entering the world of periods again for possibly the next 10 years give or take. 

I have heard mixed reviews about these in my current research. Most say that they are awesome and convenient and they will never go back to anything else. Some say that they found it impossible to wear it comfortably and hated it. I also heard about those who found the removal stem to be infuriatingly uncomfortable and couldn't deal with it. many have complained about leakage - I think that is user error related to a positional or size problem though as opposed to product failure. My biggest fear though... actually removing it. I hear that they become pretty slippery little fuckers when they are up in there for a bit and become impossible to remove. All I'm saying is that I will live the rest of my life with that thing up there before I ask my dear husband to go in and get it. Thoughts and prayers to those who have gone before me and had this problem. 

To begin with, I have to select a product. Back in the day I only ever heard of the Diva Cup and that was only for weird-ass hippie types. Now if you look them up on Amazon there are TONS of options including the Diva. They seem to range in price from $8.99 to around $40. They come in varying colors, all made of medical-grade silicone. You can also buy them from Etsy, or in stores, or I was also directed to a site called  www.RebelKate.com that sells some branded ones and unbranded ones for better prices (among other womanly products). 

The cups come in different sizes but the general sizes are small and large - there were a few brands that had additional sizes like "petite". To select a size you can look at the charts that they provide listing the different recommendations such as high or low cervix (how would I know this information?? I have no idea.), had children or not, level of flow, and age. For me, according to the charts, I should pick a size large because I am over 30, have had children (one vaginally). I haven't had a "heavy flow" since I was like 17 so that isn't a concern for me but they recommend a large if you have a history of heavy flow. I will say though that after researching these and reading about what other people have said about them, I'm kind of skeptical to pick a size large for my first go. Maybe I can find a 2 pack with both sizes? We'll see. Update: the two-pack from www.rebelkate.com has BOTH SIZES!

A fellow mommy sent me this quiz to help figure out which cup will be the best fit for me (and you can find out too!) https://putacupinit.com/quiz/

Next, they have different brands with slightly different textures and levels of flexibility. This information is based on people's reviews for the most part but some are advertised as "super soft" and "silky smooth". The levels of flexibility also depend on reviews of them because it seems like some of the cheaper ones were harder or had a less flexible rim around to top, the rim around the top was different on a few also, some were an open ring and some were kind of folded in like a tiny bedpan. 

Lastly, there are choices in the types of removal stem they have. The majority have a longish stem with a little bit of grip on them. The instructions say that you are supposed to use that to "help" remove it but you are supposed to reach all the way in and grip the actual cup, not the stem. Some had a short stem, and some had a small ring on the bottom which seems to me like the best option - of course, the ring ones were the more expensive ones. 

Oh, I almost forgot, there are all sorts of fun accessories too like electric steam cleaners for them, different colored storage cups, fancy storage bags, and special soap for washing them (I heard from a friend to not wash it with antibacterial soap or you will give yourself a yeasty so the special soap sounds like a lucrative product!) I'll bet if you hop on Etsy you will find a vast array of fun items for them - no bedazzling though, that would just be weird... actually, I deserve a bedazzled vagina but I imagine that would be a tad scratchy. 

At the end of the day, I think I'm going to go with the unbranded one from Rebel Kate. It seems to be basically the same as the Diva https://amzn.to/2Y9IKvK or the Lena https://amzn.to/34Hndxa which have the highest reviews but the price is $19.99 for a two-pack so I'm down. I'll keep you guys posted with part 2 when they arrive!