Menstrual cups can change your world!

The world of reusable sanitary items might make some people queasy, but fear not! This environmentally friendly, super healthy choice is simpler, safer, and more comfortable than you imagine.

When I first discovered menstrual cups I had lots of questions too. What is a cup, how do they work, how long have they been around, why hadn’t I ever heard of them before, are they safe to use, what’s the benefits, where do I buy them, how many varieties are there, how to choose the right cup and one of my most important questions….how the heck do you insert them, and does it hurt?

I was on a quest, and super excited about it because I hated using tampons and pads. I had finally discovered a whole world of alternative options that I wish I’d known about when I started my periods.

I’ve now been using a cup for around 18 months and will never go back! But it took me a while to make that decision to go ahead and buy my first one. You also may need to try a few before finding your “goldilocks” cup. That’s one that has a perfect fitting, feeling, and sealing cup that’s not too firm, too soft, too long or short, it’s just right!

It is possible to find that perfect cup, so don’t give up if you’re first one isn’t the perfect one.  Every woman’s body is different so what might work for one won’t necessarily work for another.

So back to those pressing questions:

Simply put it’s an alternative option to a tampon, that’s safer and healthier as most are made from medical grade silicone making it waste free, environmentally friendly and great on saving money. Win Win!

They sit below the cervix and collect the blood instead of absorbing it. They hold more fluid then a tampon and can stay inserted for up to 12 hours which means you can sleep at night while using them. WOOHOO!! They are designed to prevent leaking and if inserted correctly you shouldn’t feel them at all and can go about your day as normal. To use them just fold and insert!

There are a few ways to “fold” a cup and each cup comes with instructions with how to best do that for that particular cup.

The idea has been around since the 1860’s but it wasn’t until 1937 that the modern menstrual cup design was born thanks to an American actress Leona Chalmers. Thank you Leona!

You may have heard of them, but I was one of the unlucky ones who only discovered them at the age of 30. I saw an ad on my Facebook newsfeed and was like…(eyes bulging out of my head) “what the heck is that!!”  

Good old Facebook has introduced me to many great things, but sadly menstrual cups don’t get the advertising they deserve through normal avenues. I had never heard about them from family, friends, doctors, midwives, nurses….nothing!

I found when I started sharing how amazing these things are and asking my friends about them I was greeted with many a grossed out girl! The idea of touching your own blood and menstrual cup, changing and inserting it can feel quite daunting.

I used to be squeamish about getting my own blood on my hands so I understand, however, I’ve learnt that it’s not gross!  It’s just a normal bodily fluid that easily washes away with soap and water.

The more I’ve used my cup, the more comfortable I have become. I think when women talk about things that they have concerns about, are able to get their questions answered without any judgment,and with understanding and support we can move forward with trying new things.

100% YES! There are plenty to choose from, just make sure you do your research to ensure you find and buy a medical grade silicone cup, from a trusted source, those are the safe ones. The’ Put A Cup In It’ website and their Facebook group provide information on plenty of great options.

These cups come in different sizes and shapes. They don’t affect your bodies natural moisture. You can wear them for longer. Because they don’t have toxic chemicals your body will be happier and healthier.  You can use them overnight while you sleep, avoiding that uncomfortableness of pads. You can use them in the pool. There is a cup for everyone. No more tampon string worries. Affordable and environmentally friendly!

There are loads of places, like the website of the brand your wanting, or a credible online store. Health shops always have them, and some Chemist and Pharmacies do too.

There are HEAPS! Which is great because not everyone has the same shape or size vagina. It can be overwhelming with how many cups there are so I really recommend doing the quiz on the Put A Cup In It website to narrow down your options.

My favourite go to place for great info and help was the “Put A Cup In It” website. They also have a Facebook page, group and YouTube channel. They have a Quiz with 9 questions that will help you narrow down your options to finding your goldilocks cup. Highly recommend doing the quiz before you think of buying a cup. Also another great resource I found was YouTube. I watched a few reviews from different women and after doing the quiz I searched for that particular cup review on YouTube. This HELPED so much in giving me the confidence to order my goldilocks cup.

This is the most common question I come across whenever I bring up menstrual cups. So it’s not that hard to insert and it doesn’t hurt normally. There are water based lubricants you can use if you’re dry.

Practice is always the best thing for gaining confidence. I practiced before I got my period so I knew how to insert and remove, and when I started my period I used the bath for the first two menstrual cycles as I wanted to avoid splatter and I wanted to wash myself and feel clean afterwards.

So, inserting is just like a tampon, but way better when you’re use to it. I always got super dry with a tampon and it hurt using them too. With a cup, once you fold it it’s not that different in size to a tampon and it’s amazing what can fit up there. There are plenty of videos on the ‘Put A Cup In It’ website and on YouTube about inserting and removing.

Having your period doesn’t have to be horrible, yucky, daunting, painful, uncomfortable and inconvenient. Being a mum of a pre-teen girl I”m so glad we have all these wonderful options available and since getting comfortable with my own body and bodily fluids I feel way more capable, comfortable, and confident to help her on her journey into womanhood.

To check out the website or add yourself to the Facebook group click the links below.  I’m sure you have more questions, I sure did, Happy researching!

Website – https://putacupinit.com/

Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/paciichat/