A Menstrual Cup Can Change Your Life!
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Yup! That's right! We are talking about periods today. If you are a dude and NOT interested in learning why a menstrual cup can change your life, you might want to go read about Wort Brined Pickles or Beer Brined Chicken or Essential Oils for Men! You are welcome to stay of course. Your lady will appreciate your extensive knowledge on the subject I am sure!
This isn't the first time I have mentioned how something involved with your nether-regions can change your life! Have you tried the personal lubricant? You should. By the way, is two posts about periods in about a month too much? I hope not because you deserve to know about this!
I learned about the menstrual cup about two years ago. I read several articles about the down side of tampons and they got me thinking. Do I really need to add to my toxic load every month? No. I do not. Especially since I am trying to minimize my and my family's exposure to toxins! Besides, the thought of not having to buy tampons for the rest of my life was more than compelling! I mean, I was already inserting something to manage my flow anyway. It might as well be non-toxic and cheap!! And since you are interested in the non-toxic lifestyle, check out this awesome PDF that we created for YOU that will help you detoxify your personal care products!
Why Tampons Are Bad News
They are toxic.
Unless you are buying 100% organic tampons, you are getting exposed to pesticides every time you use a tampon. The Genetically Modified cotton that your tampon is made of is sprayed with pesticides and then combined with a bleached rayon. All of these chemicals are then absorbed by your vaginal mucosa. Go ahead and read up about dioxin – a toxin produced by rayon processing. Yikes. And remember Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)? Tampons are the culprit there.
They are irritating.
Besides the annoyance of having to change them every few hours so that you don't get TSS, tampons absorb EVERYTHING. Even the natural vaginal fluids present to make everything hunky dory. A dry and irritated vagina does not sound very fun. Tampons can also interfere with the natural pH of the vagina which then leads to other problems.
The Menstrual Cup Alternative
What is a menstrual cup anyway? Put simply, it is a small, flexible, reusable cup that is inserted just like a tampon. Besides being non-toxic (they are made of a medical grade silicon), there are many other benefits that menstrual cups provide.
They are inexpensive
Instead of buying tampons every month, you can spend money on a menstrual cup every few years. Using it is simple, too. Remove it, dump it out, rinse it out, put it back in. Then, in between periods boil it in water for 5 minutes and store it in its little bag for next time.
They are convenient
With no Toxic Shock Syndrome risk, a menstrual cup can be left in to collect for up to 12 hours! When inserted correctly it creates a seal and prevents leaks. Since the cup collects fluid and tissue on its way out, the uterus doesn't have to work as hard to get it out – so, less cramps. In the same vein, a menstrual cup doesn't create a back-up of fluid and tissue – so, shorter period. Has a period ever been more convenient??
My Personal Experience
I know what you are thinking, emptying and rinsing a cup does NOT sound convenient. I hear you. I had the same concern. Having never used a menstrual cup before, I had visions of having to head to the bathroom every 3 hours to empty and rinse. And what do I do in a public restroom??? Turns out, if I try to empty it after 3 hours it isn't full enough to empty. And I haven't ever had to change one in a public restroom because I can go longer between emptying, which means I can wait until I get home. I have heard of a lot of women emptying and rinsing in the shower, which makes it super convenient!
So how did it work out for me? I have to admit, I was a little grossed out by how all of this works. But if I have to pull on a string to get a tampon out, I can pull on a tab to get a menstrual cup out.
I will admit, it took a few tries to get it right. The menstrual cup comes with instructions for insertion, but it is trial and error that is the best teacher. I will say that doing a kegel squeeze when inserting really helps get it into position. And don't worry. It won't get lost inside of you. The little tab isn't far from reach and if it is, bear down a little and it will be easy to find.
Even knowing all of these great benefits, I was still a bit guarded to how they would benefit me personally. I simply couldn't believe that my period was over in three days the first time I used the menstrual cup. I dropped 2 whole days off of my period. I was sold. It was easier to use than I thought it would be, and my period was over faster. I am a menstrual cup user for LIFE!!
Personally, I use the Lunette menstrual cup. I also tried the Diva Cup but it didn't work for me. I feel like the Lunette is sturdier and I like that it snaps in to place once inserted. The Diva Cup leaked a lot for me. And the Lunette has a tab that is easier for me to grab, plus it can be trimmed!
So, are you thinking about making the switch? You should at least try it. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how awesome they are! You guys, menstrual cups are changing lives in East Africa!! And they can change your life, too!
Do you already use a menstrual cup? How have they changed your life?
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I switched to menstrual cups about a year and a half ago. Though I was coming off being on The Pill for what had to be at least 15 years, of almost contrast use (hardly ever used the placebo pills), so I’m sure my story is not typical at all.
At first I think my story was like yours, short and sweet. And the cup made it oh so convenient! I still wore pantiliners though as there is always a little bit of blood that comes out, especially upon emptying and reinsertion. There of course has to be unless you wash yourself out!
Though more lately my periods have begun to resemble how they were in high school, horrible and long, with bad cramps. Heavy flow days have gone from 1-2 to 4-5 and with my smaller size lunette cup (bought since I’ve never given birth and previously had fairly light periods), it has overflowed if not emptied in 8 hours, not 12. So more than once during my last period did I wake up to bloody underwear as it filled to capacity during my sleep 🙁
I’ll never go back to tampons, have always hated them anyway, just hoping my body will figure itself out eventually as I know I did a number on it taking The Pill for so long!
Thank you for this!!! I have used one for about a year. I use the lunette size small, because I haven’t had children yet. So convenient! No leaks, just change it at night and in the morning before work. Also you get used to it being there, just like tampons. It’s sort of weird to bring it up to friends, but they need to know about this!
I have very, very few life regrets but one of them is not figuring out about menstrual cups way sooner than I did. Anyway, better late than never!
I totally agree! Menstrual cups really change the lives of women! Since I started using them, I’ve felt comfortable that I sometimes don’t realize anymore that I have my period. Why? Because there are no irritation and discomfort feelings! My worry about my safety with the chemicals is gone either!
OK – I’m 60 yrs old and don’t need them any more, but they had these when I was a teenager…advertised as ‘new’ then. So I tried it. When I purchased them, the girl at the checkout who was probably in her twenties asked me if I had other protection available at home, because she said that everyone she knew that tried it, said that they leak.
I don’t remember if there were sizes available for sure, but I would guess, yes. I do remember that they were soft and flexible, and had ridges on the outside, and a loop at the bottom to grasp.
And I remember that they were difficult to position so they fully opened and did not create a wrinkle or indent in the outside of the circular cup. Also, the salesgirl was right, mine leaked. In school, more like a small gush. But I think it was gym, and I had other options.
So, yes it still makes sense, but do have a back up plan.
(I don’t understand why it would shorten a period….every collection product is passive, so why would any of them make a difference?)
I started out a couple months ago with disposable cups. I just bought my diva cup yesterday. It didn’t fit, wrong size. Today I went back for a different size and perfect! It went into place super easy.
I am happy with it because I don’t have to buy tampons ever again. Tampons never really worked for me. They would get lost and I would never feel good with them. Pads gave me a nasty rash and my cramps were out of control.
I noticed with the disposable cups no leaks. None at all. Cramps also went away. I felt free and extremely comfortable. The downside was that I had to throw them away and we all know where those end up. I decided to try reusable options for our environment.
I love my diva cup. I am only hours into it but it’s just like the reusable cups except I don’t have to throw it out. I also find it more comfortable than the disposable cups. The major difference however is that the disposable cups are way easier to get in. They are thinner than a tampon. The reusable cup is bigger than a tampon but it still goes in fairly easy.
I am glad to finally be saving money, helping the environment and reducing my cramps. Gone are the days of rayon and other nasty and harmful toxins!
I came across this whole searching for something else, and thought I’d give the other side. I read everywhere about how the cup would change my life for the better & decided to try it. It took a little bit to getbused to inserting it, but I got there. I expected great things after all of the positive reviews.
I have a very heavy flow, and I had to empty it every hour or 2. Not easy or fun at work or in public. Not convenient at night, I ended up wearing huge pads anyway. I stuck with it for a while hoping to reap the benefits of lighter & shorter periods, but I finally, happily, threw mine in the garbage after deciding to give it another go after a few months break.
Its messy, it’s hard to use when you’re not at home, and I hated being hand deep inside my own bloody vagina multiple times a day.
Hey, I agree with you on some points like tampoons are really irritating. They hurt a lot.
Now as you say about the menstrual cup, I have a little different opinion in that. According to my personal experience, I felt that these cups are much better than tampons than not as good as leakproof underwear. These period panties are very comfortable
Hey, I agree with you on some points like tampoons are really irritating. They hurt a lot.
Now as you say about the menstrual cup, I have a little different opinion in that. According to my personal experience, I felt that these cups are much better than tampons than not as good as leakproof underwear. These period panties are very comfortable