Menstrual cup, anyone?!
You've likely seen them floating around before and might have either thought eww no thanks or were intrigued by the thought of a flexible cup inside of you that collects menstrual fluids. Does it actually work? Does it leak? What if I need to change it in public? Isn't it messy? Can you feel it? Will it get stuck in me?!
I'm here to recommend cups to anyone. I initially got into it for the sustainability and financial aspect of it, but now I'm thankful I made the switch after learning about all the toxins in traditional period products (another post to come on that). I'm answering all the questions! If you have any others that I haven't discussed, feel free to leave a comment below or DM me. I'm an open book and no question is too personal :)
Does it actually work?: Yes! It collects fluids rather than absorb it like tampons, which can also dry you out.
Does it leak? Nope! If you ensure a proper seal to your vagina walls, it won't leak at all :)
What if I need to change it in public? It's unlikely that you'll need to since most cups are safe to wear for up to 12 hours and you can easily change it at home. If you need to empty it in public, you can always empty it in the toilet first and bring a water bottle in with you to lightly rinse it off. Or do you and rinse in the sink! I've done it and been perfectly fine :)
Isn't it messy? Nah. I find that pads and tampons are actually messier. There's no smell because everything's inside of you and not exposed to oxygen. Sometimes I have to grab a piece of TP to break apart the excess stringiness that goes from inside of me to the cup, but that's easy to do. Then either dump in the toilet or sink, rinse, and re-insert!
Can you feel it? Nope! Sometimes if you place it too high, it'll suction to your cervix which might be uncomfortable. But otherwise it's more comfy than a tampon for me.
Will it get stuck in me?! No! There's nowhere for it to go except suctioned to your vagina walls and up top is the opening to your cervix which is tiny compared to the cup. You're good to go :)
How do I know which cup to buy? There's so many! I went with the Lena cup because it was voted #1 best cup for beginners and I didn't want a super big cup because I'm a petite person. So I went with a small Lena cup. They have large sizes if your flow is super heavy or you have a bigger anatomy. I've never tried any other brands, but there are tons! Check out https://putacupinit.com/ for a quiz on the best cup for you :)But, like, how do you insert and remove it? It's a firm, but flexible silicone, so you fold it, insert it similar to a tampon, and then it opens up inside of you. To remove, you gently pull on the stem until you get to the base of it, grasp the base, break the suction, and remove :) It takes a bit of practice, but it gets easier over time!
Can you poop with it in? Haha yes! I was worried the first time that I would poop my cup out, but I didn't. It might shift down a bit when you bear down, but it shouldn't come completely out.
Want more discussion on how to naturally balance your hormones after birth control? Need some more birth control facts and education? How about a support group of those just like you wanting to get off birth control but are worried about the transition? Join the Happy Healthy Hormones Community! Hope to see you in there :)
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