Periods are no cakewalk, and we’re sure every woman reading this blog agrees with us. The cramps, mood swings, irritability, bloating, tender breasts, and other hundred symptoms of PMSing leave no stone unturned to make our weeks terrible.
As if that wasn’t enough, the period flow requires you to be attentive at all times. The constant leak checks, frequent need to change the sanitary pad, the constant feeling of dampness and irritation down there only add up to our suffering. Not to mention, sanitary pads are not environment-friendly and only add up to your inconvenience and bills (way too costly!).
If you have been looking for a better replacement, menstrual cups are your best bet. They are the most popular alternative to both pads and tampons and for all the right reasons. Also, they have been around for a long time — decades, in fact. They were patented long before tampons but have come to the forefront recently.
We have brought you a basic guide about menstrual cups. If you’ve been wishing to make the switch but are confused and scared, get all your doubts cleared in our blog.
A Beginner Guide for Using Menstrual Cups
What is a Menstrual Cup?
A menstrual cup is a silicon-based, funnel-shaped cup used as a menstrual hygiene product. It is designed to be inserted into the vagina specifically for period blood collection.
Does the concept of inserting a cup into your va-jay-jay get you all confused? Wait, let us dive in further into this.
Unlike sanitary pads and tampons, menstrual cups do not absorb your menstrual flow. Instead, when you insert the cup into your vagina, the cup collects the menstrual blood. Don’t panic — it is soft, flexible, and conforms to the vagina to create a foolproof seal. You are supposed to dump the blood out every few hours, rinse it and wear it again for another round of period cover. How brilliant, right?
- If you’re wondering if it leaks the blood — no, it doesn’t unless you have worn it incorrectly. ( we’ll teach you the right way! )
- Menstrual cups are beneficial for the following reasons –
- A nominal investment of one time, hence affordable. You can use it for years if taken care of the right way.
- Since you can reuse them, they are eco-friendly. Being non-disposable, they contribute less to landfill waste.
- Cups are safer. Unlike tampons, they do not put you at the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). Menstrual pads can also give rashes to some people.
- You can wear the cup even when you’re on IUD.
Cups do not need to be changed frequently. You need to clean it once every 12 hours if it doesn’t fill. Otherwise, change it according to your flow.
The best part, menstrual cups wins at the front of comfort — you won’t even feel you are using a period hygiene product.
Our editors like Sirona Reusable Menstrual Cup. It is FDA-approved, comes in medium size, and provides protection up to 8-10 hours! Buy Sirona Reusable Menstrual Cup from Amazon today.
Who Can Use a Menstrual Cup?
If you are menstruating, you can very well use a menstrual cup, regardless of your age. Unless you are, specifically, advised to not use it by a medical doctor, you can use it.
The only thing you need to be wary of is the cup size. Choosing the right cup size depends on your age, blood flow, and whether or not you have given birth yet.
Women who haven’t had sexual intercourse are often advised to not use the cup as their vaginal muscles tend to be more tense and stiff. Insertion can be difficult for them. However, with practice, it gets easier and you’d feel as comfortable as other women using cups.
How to Use a Menstrual Cup?
There is a first for everything — including using a menstrual cup. We won’t lie – inserting it, in the beginning, can be difficult. However, it’s nothing to be scared of. In a couple of periods, you’d be fine.
If you’re ready to do the deed, here’s how you should go about it.
Before You Put in the Menstrual Cup
When you purchase a new menstrual cup for the first time, it is essential to disinfect it first. Boil it in the water for a good 5 to 10 minutes. You need to do the same process of disinfection after the end of every period too. This way, it stays clean and fresh.
How to Put in the Menstrual Cup?
If you’re ready to use the menstrual cup, ensure your hands are clean and disinfected. Use a mild, unscented soap to wash your hands.
Fold the cup to make the circular wide opening of the cup narrower to be inserted into your vagina. You can either make a U-fold – fold the cup in half to create a U, or push-down fold – push one side of the rim down into the cup to create a triangle.
Seat comfortably on your toilet seat or stand keeping your one leg on the bathtub. You can also squat on the bathroom floor. Such positions that keep your legs wide open make the insertion easy.
Here comes the main part. Relax — stress can tighten your muscle making insertion difficult. You got this!
Use your other hand to part your labia and locate your vaginal opening. Keeping the folded position of the cup intact, insert the cup into the vagina slowly. When you can no longer hold the fold, remove your fingers and let the cup open up by itself. Push it gently deep enough that the stem of the cup is no longer in touch with the vaginal opening.
Once it’s inserted, insert your finger into the vagina and feel the rim of the cup. If it’s round or oval and has no folds, congratulations — your cup is open and placed correctly. To be on the safe side, twist the cup from your end. It will open the cup and seal it properly.
Now you can do anything – move, jump, sit, stand, swim. The cup or the blood won’t fall out.
How to Remove the Menstrual Cup?
Depending on the menstrual flow, you may have to empty it twice or thrice a day. Empty it more often in the beginning to know your flow.
To remove it, wash your hands, find a comfortable position that keeps your legs wide open, and relax. Using your finger, feel around the stem. Once you find it, pinch the base of the cup slightly. It will make the cup narrow enough to come out of your vagina. Angle it slightly sideways and pull out, moving it from side to side. Once it’s out, hold it upright to ensure the blood doesn’t spill out.
Flush the blood out of the cup and rinse it with water. Remember to clear the air hole around the edges. You’re good to reinsert it. However, make sure to use best-quality menstrual cup wash to keep the cup clean and irritant-free. We like the one from Sirona – you can easily buy Sirona Menstrual Cup Wash from Amazon.
That’s it – that’s the whole process. We agree it seems intimidating. But trust us, it gets better. Once you find your way around it, menstrual cups feel like a blessing in disguise!
We hope our words push you to try the menstrual cup. For more such helpful health guides, stay tuned to The Glam Lives.
Feature Image – Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels
