Saturday, October 9, 2010

menstrual cups

I think the title is warning enough. There will be references to blood and vaginas. Read or don't read.

I recently started using a menstrual cup and while my experiences haven't been magical or anything, I'm going to keep using mine until...I stop having periods, I guess. And despite the various cons of menstrual cups, I don't understand why they aren't as easily available and well-known as pads or tampons. Well, I guess any time you have the combined topic of menstrual blood and foreign objects being inserted up a vagina, some idiot is going to go "ew." So it's hard to appeal to the masses or introduce something new. But how can you be a woman, have periods, and be squicked out by the idea of blood? And if you feel okay about inserting a tampon, why not a little silicone cup that leaves no lint behind in your vagina?

To be honest, the primary reason I decided to try out a cup is because I have heavy periods and loathe the feeling of pads. I'm the last person to preach about doing one's part to protect the Earth and reducing material waste: I gave up on cloth diapers after about one day of trying it out and was asked by the diaper service lady, "Aren't you ashamed?" I was. But I still returned everything.

I think I remember hearing somewhere that the total amount of blood actually lost during the duration of your period is like three tablespoons. I obviously am nowhere near average, and since using the cup, I FINALLY can sleep through the night without jerking awake to that horrible feeling of blood trickling up, up, up my back. Hopefully, I'm done with blood-stained sheets and panties. Because when I used pads, I *always* leaked, no matter what.

Okay, so that's the boring back story. Now, all about M cups:

Pros
  • Depending on how heavy your flow is, you may not need to empty your cup more than every 12 hours.
  • If it's in there correctly, you really can't feel it. I could always feel when I had a tampon inserted.
  • No hot, itchy, soggy pads against your skin. Thank god!
  • You're saving quite a bit of money, since if you take care of your cup, it can last for years.
  • Tiny voice: It's better for the environment.
Cons
  • If you have a heavy flow, like me, things can get a bit messy, which can be problematic especially in a public toilet. And on heavy days, I am emptying out the cup more like every four hours (rather than twelve). But I read that once you get the hang of it, there really should be very little mess. I don't know about that, but....
  • Although I haven't had this problem, supposedly some people have trouble with insertion and removal. But heck, I just read this news story (which actually made me, as a mother, break into a cold, sickened sweat) about a five-year-old Peruvian girl who gave birth to a baby. And if that is physiologically possible, then I think most women should be able to handle a tiny cup that could fit in the palm of your hand.
  • If you don't insert the cup correctly, it could leak.
  • You *will* have to face the sight of a cup of (your own) blood, when it comes time to empty the cup. But just like pooping, nobody's asking you to study it in close-up detail. Just do it, you big sissy.

For anyone thinking of trying out a cup, I think the best advice I can give is: choose one based on the size that best fits your inner girl (it's important to estimate how far back your cervix is during your period). There is a huge selection out there, and each cup has its own unique dimensions, capacity, softness, etc. This is a great resource of info.

I don't know about "Happy Periods" (who the HELL came up with that one, and god help her if it was a woman), but mine just got a lot more comfortable. Yay.

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for your review! I work at GladRags, which sells a variety of the cups (Moon Cup, Keeper, Diva, Lunette) along with reusable pads. I'm glad to hear you liked the menstrual cup.
    Also, loved your no nonsense approach especially, "Just do it, you big sissy." How I wish we could say that in some of our advertisements! Haha!
    One reason cups aren't more readily available to all women is because they are not in too many store, because stores don't know if reusable menstrual products will appeal to their customers. Letting stores know that you want to see reusables on their shelves is a good way to make it happen! You can fill out comment cards when you are at the store or write them an email or letter. Spreading the word through blogs and word of mouth is a great way to do it too! Thanks!

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  2. Hi Alexandria,

    What a coincidence: I bought my cup from GladRags! But I do think menstrual cups won't become widely accepted until they are sold in stores, and will definitely try writing to a few nearby shops (although I live in Japan and am not sure if such things are done here).

    Thanks for the comment!

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  3. Hello,I'm writing from Italy even if this post is old I'm bringing it out again just to say that also thing are changing in our country. You can find some cups in the supermarket, but only those tiny specialized in Bio products. Now in internet I've noted a boom...things have changed in a year and now you have to wonder which cup to buy on-line. I think anyway that is a product that need that somebody will help you with a bit assistance if you are not used to (some girls when see it thinks that are for breadst feeding!), not hey pick out and go!. I love my Si-Bell cup and got it at https://www.coppetta-mestruale.it/en/menstrual_cups.php

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