You guys (or ladies rather), this... is revolutionary!
So I've lagged on this review because life is busy, but I am finally getting around to it because you guys have got to hear about this!
My period before last, my sister had introduced me to the soft cup. I'll write another post explaining my experience with that product. I had been curious about non-traditional (tampon & pads) menstruation solutions, because let's face it, tampons SUCK. I loved the soft cups so much, that I wanted to try the reusable menstrual cups more than ever. The only thing holding me back was the price tag. I didn't want to spend even $20 on something I may not like. Excuses, excuses I know.
Well, my sister solved that problem for me, and I'm surprised I didn't think of it sooner. I ended up buying a menstrual cup for $2 to try out. People say not to buy the cheap ones because you don't know if they are legit or not, but f*** it. Like I said, I didn't want to pay a decent chunk for something I may not even like. So I jumped on it, I bought that $2 cup.
When it arrived, I was shocked by how small it was. I don't know what I was expecting, but it seemed so tiny. And I ordered a large! The material was squishy and stretchy, like one of those teething baby bottle nipples (thicker than average). (Menstrual cups are made of medical grade silicone.) Upon closer inspection, it had of course the stem (for pulling it out), and ridges on the stem. It also had tiny holes at the top.
From reading about and hearing personal advice, and after doing a test run, I decided to cut the stem off entirely and smooth the area by "shaving" the extra off.
The first day of my period finally came, and TMI ALERT - I bleed really heavily the first few days. I boiled my cup for 5 minutes, let it cool, rinsed it off, and went for it.
My advice to you is to learn a few folds before trying this! Haha.
The first day, I couldn't get it right. I tried sitting on the toilet, squatting (worst), and laying down in the shower. I, personally, found lying in the shower to be the easiest position to insert. I wasn't smart enough to check where my cervix was at first, which turned out to be a huge part of my problem. Apparently my cervix is a wily little beast. Anyway, I had some leakage, but it was super minor (only noticed when I wiped) and it didn't feel quite right. I also had a hell of a time getting it to pop open. I felt like my vagina muscles were squashing it. That night I just popped a soft cup in so I would feel safe sleeping.
The next day I had better luck. It was easier to fold properly, but still difficult to get it to open up in there. Super proud of my pelvic muscles though LOL! I was given advice to pop a few more holes in the top, so I took my awl to it and made a few more. This was still a messy, time consuming process, but it did get easier the second day. That night I wore my menstrual cup to bed and just hoped I had it in right.
The 3rd day was even easier, though still a challenge. See, I would get it to go in right and pop open, but I didn't know what the problem was or what I did right when I did succeed.
As the days went on, I started to realize I was having trouble because my cervix was getting in the way. Apparently it likes to move on me, and happens to be very low. I felt kind of stupid when I realized this and realized I should have felt for and gotten to know my cervix ahead of time. Hindsight is 20/20.
During the first few days, other than my stumbling and trying to figure it out, I really only "had" to change once every 4-6 hours. I put quotations around had because the cup wasn't even close to full when I did empty it. Beginners paranoia I guess. Once my flow evened out, I found I only had to empty my cup in the morning when I woke, and at night before bed.
I noticed a significant change in the amount of time between needing to "change" (tampon vs M.Cup) and a huge difference in cramping (much less). Despite my fiddling around trying to learn how to use this product, overall I found it to be more convinient and comfortable. And speaking of feeling - I have sensory issues so I am usually hyper aware of anything on or inside of my body. I've always felt tampons in there the entire time. But this cup?? Once I started getting it in there correctly, I literally felt NOTHING after a few minutes. That blew my mind!
One day I actually freaked out because I thought I had forgotten to put it back in (I gave my vagina a little break from all the fidling a couple times). I was spazzing out trying to figure out where I put it when I finally thought to stick a finger up there... low and behold it was in my damn vagina. It's like searching for your phone like a madwoman while it's in your freaking hand! I won't lie, I laughed like a lunatic over that bit of nonsense! I was just SO AMAZED that it was so unnoticeable in there, that I thought I'd lost it! For someone with sensory issues, that is just so mind blowingly awesome!
Over the course of my 7 day period, I feel like I got a decent handle on this thing. I went to the beach with my kids. I did my back squats at the gym. I lived every day life with this thing in, and I am amazed by it. This is truly revolutionary! I absolutely recommend this 💯!
My advice when trying this out -
1) Buy a few cheap ones to try out.
2) Buy large and small (forget the prebaby & after baby advice, it's all about that cervix & flow!)
3) Spend some time getting to know your cervix.
4) Learn a few different folds (I like the punch down fold).
5) Prepare to deal with the mess for the first few days while you get the hang of it. It's not as bad as you might think, but it's still something you should prepare for.
& 6) Don't get discouraged if you don't get it right away. It may take a minute, but it'll be so worth it in the end.
The menstrual cup is beneficial because it saves you TONS of money, it eliminates all those nasty chemicals from tampons and pads, and it's better for the environment! This is even better than sliced bread! Make sure to sterilize it before and after use (before period and after period).
How to use it - You just insert it, and when it's time you gently pull it out, dump it in the toilet or sink, rinse it out, and reinsert. Easy peasy once you get the hang of things! If you are in public and need to empty your cup (not likely to happen often) you can just dump it in the toilet, wipe it with toilet paper or a wet wipe, and reinsert. Or you can rinse it out in the sink if you aren't shy!
I'm gonna do you ladies a favor and link you to the menstrual cup I bought! Btw, this app is just amazing all around! Just make sure to read the reviews before buying things.
(http://mama.wish.com/c/5667a6e074c8b6772eea4061)
Happy revolutionizing your monthly "curse" and I hope you have a wonderful day ladies!
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