I Decided to Try A Menstrual Cup, Part 2: It Finally Arrived!
This is the continuing saga of my menstrual cup journey. It finally arrived in the mail! I decided to go with the unbranded one from www.Rebelkate.com and was very pleasantly surprised when I went to order and discovered that they sell them in packages of two - a large size and a small size so I didn't have to guess and spend the money on the wrong size! I also found out that they have a deal that when I bought one set I could get a second set for $10 extra so I got 4 cups altogether for about $30 which is about what ONE cup would cost elsewhere. Score!!
It took about two weeks to arrive, which is ok considering it's not Amazon Prime promising 1-2 day shipping. Their website does say that they have United States and also international suppliers so it should take around 2 weeks including a few days to process the order. I also want to note that they offer a few cool products geared at empowering women such as reusable fabric pads, cute bags, jewelry, and even shoes and pillows with teeny tiny uteruses on them. They also offer various branded menstrual cups and supplies for them (bags, cases, cleaners) in addition to the unbranded ones that I got.
Ok, so down to business. First impression: it's pink, my favorite! I got two little drawstring bags with two cups each, a large and a small - as I mentioned before, there are a few sizes to choose from but the main ones are small or large. According to the charts I looked at I should have gotten a size large because I'm over 30 and have had a vaginal delivery. They also note for size selection about having a high or low cervix but I don't know how anyone would know that. I did find this handy guide to find out if one is interested in knowing: https://www.menstrualcupsaustraliaonline.com.au/how-to-check-the-position-of-your-cervix/. I was a bit nervous about choosing a large one though, based on reviews I read. A few people said that the large was VERY large despite meeting the criteria. The small was smaller than I expected and looked fairly reasonable. The large actually looked really large.
Time to try this thing out. I decided to try the small one and hope for the best. I'm kind of nervous about possibly feeling it inside, the stem poking me, or it just falling out - although I don't see how it could actually fall out because it's still pretty big to just fall out. Despite having read about them and how to insert them I checked out some more YouTube videos just to be safe - nothing graphic, just some ladies demonstrating on a clear plastic model how it should go, and how to fold it and remove it. #1 thing to do is to wash the cup! don't use antibacterial soap though. They actually did say to sterilize it with boiling water but I chose not to go that far. If one has the time and means to do so, I would do it.
I found some simple instructions for use here: https://www.organicup.com/how-to-use-a-menstrual-cup/
They said that the best way to fold it was the "punch down" which means pushing in one side then fold the whole thing in half - kind of like a rosebud. Some sites say to use lube but I don't think most people do that. I didn't do that. You just kind of hold it folded and stick it up there.... they say it's supposed to "pop" open once it is in place (that concept makes me nauseated). It's also supposed to form a "vacuum" if it's in the right spot (again, barf).
It went surprisingly well. I put it in, tried to feel if it was still folded because there was no "pop" (thank god!). They say you can feel the base of it and tell if it is folded still and it didn't seem to be. They also say to gently tug on the stem and if you get a bit of resistance then the vacuum is created and you're all set. It seemed unfolded and vacuumed so I guess ok? The stem seemed to be kind of long which during selection I thought was a good thing but now, with the small size cup in place, the stem seemed to be right there and it isn't exactly a thin flexible tampon string! I could definitely feel that. I read that some people will trim the stem but you should wait until you're totally comfortable with removing it before doing that.
The rest of it seemed fine. I got up and took a shower with it in just to see how it was. If I relaxed my whole pelvic floor on purpose I could definitely feel it in there but if I just stood and moved like normal I could not feel it. I don't know if it needed to go in further or if I have major pelvic floor dysfunction (I do!) and it wasn't allowing it to stay in place correctly. I definitely could feel the stem in there as I moved around so I anticipate trimming that some.
Now the scariest part (for me): removal. I don't know if everyone has seen some of the articles on social media about this but I've read some horror stories! People who put them in and then couldn't retrieve them, some who had to go to the ER to get them out, and some who just found the whole thing to be violently uncomfortable. I mean, I get it, once inside can you imagine how slippery they would have to be? Plus if it's forming a "vacuum" inside then how the hell does it come out??
You're supposed to stick a finger in and kind of dent the cup at the base - much like when you're trying to end a breastfeeding session by breaking the seal of the baby's mouth. Once the seal is broken you can kind of grip the base and pull it out, easy peasy. I'll be honest, I was freaked out that it would be stuck up there and I'd have to ask my poor husband for help, knowing that he would rather personally give birth 17 times before trying to fish a piece of slippery silicone out of my vagina! he likes me and all and would do it but that's asking a lot.
Good news! It was exactly as simple as described in all the things I read and watched. Came right out. Thank the tiny little 8-month-old baby Jesus for that because I also hadn't informed the husband that I was doing this or what is involved so he would have been more than a bit peeved.
So. At the end of the day, I'll say that it went well. I'm waiting for actual menstruation to try it out next but I'm confident that it will go well now that I have an idea of what to expect. I will, of course, update everyone on my next usage after I see how that goes!
TL;DR
Pros: only have to change twice - morning and evening. It's reusable and lasts for a year so saves money in the long run. It's more comfortable and cleaner than using pads or tampons. Saves the environment by avoiding disposable parts. It can be used for TTC (trying to conceive) by inserting after doing the deed to keep the little swimmers up there.
Cons: takes some practice to use correctly. It might be uncomfortable for some people. Costs around $30 give or take. Risk of losing it inside and needing help getting it out exists. If you wash with antibacterial soap you might get a yeast infection. If you don't wash it you might get a bacterial infection.
It took about two weeks to arrive, which is ok considering it's not Amazon Prime promising 1-2 day shipping. Their website does say that they have United States and also international suppliers so it should take around 2 weeks including a few days to process the order. I also want to note that they offer a few cool products geared at empowering women such as reusable fabric pads, cute bags, jewelry, and even shoes and pillows with teeny tiny uteruses on them. They also offer various branded menstrual cups and supplies for them (bags, cases, cleaners) in addition to the unbranded ones that I got.
Ok, so down to business. First impression: it's pink, my favorite! I got two little drawstring bags with two cups each, a large and a small - as I mentioned before, there are a few sizes to choose from but the main ones are small or large. According to the charts I looked at I should have gotten a size large because I'm over 30 and have had a vaginal delivery. They also note for size selection about having a high or low cervix but I don't know how anyone would know that. I did find this handy guide to find out if one is interested in knowing: https://www.menstrualcupsaustraliaonline.com.au/how-to-check-the-position-of-your-cervix/. I was a bit nervous about choosing a large one though, based on reviews I read. A few people said that the large was VERY large despite meeting the criteria. The small was smaller than I expected and looked fairly reasonable. The large actually looked really large.
Time to try this thing out. I decided to try the small one and hope for the best. I'm kind of nervous about possibly feeling it inside, the stem poking me, or it just falling out - although I don't see how it could actually fall out because it's still pretty big to just fall out. Despite having read about them and how to insert them I checked out some more YouTube videos just to be safe - nothing graphic, just some ladies demonstrating on a clear plastic model how it should go, and how to fold it and remove it. #1 thing to do is to wash the cup! don't use antibacterial soap though. They actually did say to sterilize it with boiling water but I chose not to go that far. If one has the time and means to do so, I would do it.
I found some simple instructions for use here: https://www.organicup.com/how-to-use-a-menstrual-cup/
They said that the best way to fold it was the "punch down" which means pushing in one side then fold the whole thing in half - kind of like a rosebud. Some sites say to use lube but I don't think most people do that. I didn't do that. You just kind of hold it folded and stick it up there.... they say it's supposed to "pop" open once it is in place (that concept makes me nauseated). It's also supposed to form a "vacuum" if it's in the right spot (again, barf).
It went surprisingly well. I put it in, tried to feel if it was still folded because there was no "pop" (thank god!). They say you can feel the base of it and tell if it is folded still and it didn't seem to be. They also say to gently tug on the stem and if you get a bit of resistance then the vacuum is created and you're all set. It seemed unfolded and vacuumed so I guess ok? The stem seemed to be kind of long which during selection I thought was a good thing but now, with the small size cup in place, the stem seemed to be right there and it isn't exactly a thin flexible tampon string! I could definitely feel that. I read that some people will trim the stem but you should wait until you're totally comfortable with removing it before doing that.
The rest of it seemed fine. I got up and took a shower with it in just to see how it was. If I relaxed my whole pelvic floor on purpose I could definitely feel it in there but if I just stood and moved like normal I could not feel it. I don't know if it needed to go in further or if I have major pelvic floor dysfunction (I do!) and it wasn't allowing it to stay in place correctly. I definitely could feel the stem in there as I moved around so I anticipate trimming that some.
Now the scariest part (for me): removal. I don't know if everyone has seen some of the articles on social media about this but I've read some horror stories! People who put them in and then couldn't retrieve them, some who had to go to the ER to get them out, and some who just found the whole thing to be violently uncomfortable. I mean, I get it, once inside can you imagine how slippery they would have to be? Plus if it's forming a "vacuum" inside then how the hell does it come out??
You're supposed to stick a finger in and kind of dent the cup at the base - much like when you're trying to end a breastfeeding session by breaking the seal of the baby's mouth. Once the seal is broken you can kind of grip the base and pull it out, easy peasy. I'll be honest, I was freaked out that it would be stuck up there and I'd have to ask my poor husband for help, knowing that he would rather personally give birth 17 times before trying to fish a piece of slippery silicone out of my vagina! he likes me and all and would do it but that's asking a lot.
Good news! It was exactly as simple as described in all the things I read and watched. Came right out. Thank the tiny little 8-month-old baby Jesus for that because I also hadn't informed the husband that I was doing this or what is involved so he would have been more than a bit peeved.
So. At the end of the day, I'll say that it went well. I'm waiting for actual menstruation to try it out next but I'm confident that it will go well now that I have an idea of what to expect. I will, of course, update everyone on my next usage after I see how that goes!
TL;DR
Pros: only have to change twice - morning and evening. It's reusable and lasts for a year so saves money in the long run. It's more comfortable and cleaner than using pads or tampons. Saves the environment by avoiding disposable parts. It can be used for TTC (trying to conceive) by inserting after doing the deed to keep the little swimmers up there.
Cons: takes some practice to use correctly. It might be uncomfortable for some people. Costs around $30 give or take. Risk of losing it inside and needing help getting it out exists. If you wash with antibacterial soap you might get a yeast infection. If you don't wash it you might get a bacterial infection.
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