Let’s talk about periods. All of us ladies are familiar with them and undoubtably we an all agree they suck, but it is part of being a woman. Luck us! We have a wide variety of options when it comes to feminine hygiene products. We can choose from: pads, tampons, period panties, sponges, and menstrual cups.
I am not going to lie I have always been a tampon girl, but recently I learned about how bad they are for the environment, especially if you buy tampons with a plastic applicator. It can actually take some tampons over 500 years to decompose – yikes!
So in my quest to be more environmentally conscience whilst on my period I decided to try a reusable menstrual cup.
What’s a Menstrual Cup?
A menstrual cup is a reusable rubber flexible cup that you insert into your vagina much like you would a tampon. The cup is inserted by folding it into a C shape, making sure the stem of the cup is fully inside of you. Once inserted you simply turn the cup slightly and it forms a seal. The cup then catches the blood in the cup.
The cup can be worn for up to 12 hours at a time and can be reused over and over – up to 10 years! Talk about cost effective as the cups range anywhere from $20-$40, I consider that a great investment over time that is so much better for the environment than disposable products.
The cups also come in different sizes depending on your flow and if you have had children or not.
How to Remove the Cup
Okay, so I struggled a bit here when I first tried the cup and I was honestly worried it was going to get lost up there, but fret not, the cup cannot just mysteriously disappear into your cervix. It is likely that you might not be able to easily reach it like you would a tampon, which means you might have to squat and push it down a bit so you can reach the cup. Once you can reach the cup squeeze the tip to release the suction it creates and then you can simply pull it out like you would a tampon. After you remove the cup you can remove the blood, rinse the cup, and reinsert.
Trying Your First Menstrual Cup
Trying something new can be scary, but I would highly recommend investing in a menstrual cup. There is definitely a learning curve like anything in life, but once you get the hang of using the cup it’s a no brainer! Good luck ladies! May your cup NOT runneth over!