How To Use Pads
Pads come in different sizes they can be thin for when youre not bleeding much , regular, or thick for heavier bleeding . You can use whichever kind feels most comfortable to you.
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Stick the pad in your underwear using the sticky strip on the back. Some reusable pads are held in place with snaps or the elastic in your underwear.
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Change your pad every few hours, or when it’s soaked with blood.
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Wrap used pads in the wrapper or toilet paper and throw them in the trash. Flushing used pads or wrappers down the toilet will clog it up.
Do The Benefits Outweigh The Risks
The general medical consensus is that menstrual cups are safe to use.
As long as you use the cup as directed, your overall risk for adverse side effects is minimal. Some people like them because theyre reusable and dont have to be changed as often as other products.
Whether theyre right for you ultimately comes down to your individual comfort level.
If youve experienced recurrent vaginal infections and are concerned about increasing your risk, talk with a doctor or other healthcare professional before use.
They can answer any questions you have and may be able to recommend a specific cup or other menstrual product.
Although there arent any official guidelines around this most manufacturers recommend cups for all ages and sizes cups may not be an option for everyone.
You may find it helpful to talk with a healthcare professional before use if you have:
- vaginismus, which can make vaginal insertion or penetration painful
- uterine fibroids, which can cause heavy periods and pelvic pain
- endometriosis, which can result in painful menstruation and penetration
- variations in uterine position, which can affect cup placement
Having one or more of these conditions doesnt automatically mean that you cant use a menstrual cup. It just means that you may experience more discomfort during use.
Your provider can discuss your individual benefits and risks and may be able to guide you on product selection.
How To Remove Menstrual Cup For The First Time
Not squatting over a new pair of jeans at least the first few times! One of the big concerns women have about removing their cup is that it will spill its crimsony contents all over the place. But this wont happen providing you remove your cup correctly! Find a quiet place and allocate some time to learn the process. Use your vaginal muscles to push your cup downwards and with clean hands, squeeze the base of the cup to break its seal and pull out gently. Ta da! Easy peasy.
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Why Would I Want To Switch To A Menstrual Cup
Well, to switch less often. While regular tampons typically hold five milliliters of fluid, a reusable menstrual cup may hold anywhere from 30 to 60 milliliters of fluid, which means you donât have to empty your cup as often as youâd have to change a tampon.
Many cup users find they only need to empty their cup once or twice a day, depending on where they are in their menstrual cycle. And unlike traditional feminine care products, reusable period cups collect your flow instead of absorbing it like tampons and pads, so you avoid irritation and dryness during menstruation.
Removing A Menstrual Cup
Again, start out by washing your hands with warm water and a mild soap.
Find a comfortable position that works for you: lie down, squat, sit on the toilet or stand up. Being relaxed is essential, as removing your menstrual cup will be more difficult if you tense up.
When removing your menstrual cup, pull slightly on the stem until you can reach the base. Give the base of the cup a gentle pinch to release the suction seal and ease it out.
Avoid removing your menstrual cup by pulling the stem as this might cause discomfort.
Once you have removed your menstrual cup, empty the collected flow into the toilet or sink and rinse the cup with water and re-insert.
If youre in a bathroom without access to clean water, you can use a sanitising wipe or toilet paper to clean your cup and rinse it with water at a later time.
When your menstrual cup is clean, re-insert it as outlined in Step 1.
However, if your period has ended, boil the cup for 3-5 minutes in a pot with water or simply use a sanitising wipe to disinfect it and store it in the AllMatters cotton bag.
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Are Menstrual Cups Better For You
While tampons are very commonly used, they do hold some possible risks that menstrual cups just don’t have. “Most tampons are treated with chemicals to bleach the cotton and even contain plastic,” says Stephanie. “Tampons strip your vaginal walls of its lining and soak up the healthy discharge you need to keep your body’s natural flora at the optimum levels. A menstrual cup takes the blood and leaves everything else. “Using a body-friendly cup can also reduce your risk of bacterial infections and contracting Toxic Shock Syndrome ,” the expert adds.
Where Should My Menstrual Cup Sit
Your cup should also sit a little lower than a tampon would. It should be a couple of inches from the cervix, and the end of the stem should be within a half inch or 1.5 cm from your vaginal opening. If you have a lower cervix, you might have to trim the stem down if it is sticking out, or causing annoyance or irritation. Youll know your menstrual cup is in the right place if you dont feel it inside you or experience any leaks.
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Do Menstrual Cups Leak
Menstrual cups won’t leak when inserted correctly. A leaking cup is a cup that hasn’t opened and formed a seal. To prevent leaking, run your index finger around the base of the cup. If you feel any creases, your cup hasn’t opened. Just gently grip the base and rotate your cup until you feel it open.
Be Gentle With Your Tap
A gentle rinse in any temperature water you have available, is enough to get your cup ready for reinsertion. While soap isnt necessary, if you do decide to use it, be sure that its pH-balanced, to avoid any irritation or infections.
A word from the wise when cleaning your cup, turning the tap on full blast with your cup pointing upwards will fill the cup rapidly and send watery period blood in skyward trajectory towards your mirror and surrounding bathroom. Avoid. Keep the stream light at first and gently clean the cup. Again, dont forget to wash your hands before removal!
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How Do I Clean A Menstrual Cup
Hygiene is super important when using a menstrual cup. The easiest way to sanitize your cup is to place it in boiling water for 5 minutes between each cycle. The boiling water helps kill all the bacteria that might be present on the cup, so its squeaky clean when you put it in.
Remember that you dont have to boil your menstrual cup during your cycle. A simple rinse with water and wash with unscented soap will do the job during your cycle. You could also use a dedicated cup wash between uses and if youre on-the-go, our nixit cup wipes let you simply wipe your cup and reinsert – no water needed.
Benefits Vs Risks Of Menstrual Cups
There are benefits and risks to using a menstrual cup. This device isn’t for everyone but can be a safe option if used correctly. The benefits of using a menstrual cup include:
- Can be worn for up to 12 hours in some cases
- Collects blood instead of absorbing blood
- Safe to use if cleaned and stored properly
- Holds more blood than a pad or tampon
- Option for people who do not have access to pads or tampons
Challenges to using a menstrual cup include:
- You must be familiar with and comfortable touching your own body
- Finding the right fit may be difficult
- You may have an allergy to the product
- Certain vaginal or pelvic disorders may prevent the use of a menstrual cup
- Reports of vaginal wounds have been made
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How To Use Period Underwear
Wear your period underwear on days when youre bleeding. You can wash your period underwear in the washing machine, the same way you wash the rest of your underwear. Your period underwear will come with instructions that explain the best way to wash them.
If you have a heavy flow or youre wearing light-flow period underwear, you may need to change your period underwear more often than once a day, or get some extra help from a tampon, pad, or menstrual cup.
Penetrative Sex & Menstrual Cups
First of all, because we all walk different paths in life, this portion is only referring to penis/vaginal penetrative sex.
Youre probably wondering, Why?! Quite simply, some people dont like to wait.
You might say, Just put a towel down! And someone might respond, Im lazy, and I dont like to clean more than I need to, especially after a good time! Using a menstrual cup while having sex may allow for a mess-free experience.
Shower sex! Lucky you! I sadly dont have an en-suite and the only shower is between BOTH of my childrens bedrooms.
Its only 7 days! Cant you wait!? Not everyones periods ONLY last 7 days or less.
If you are looking for a menstrual cup that is specifically designed to be used while having penetrative sex, you can check out the SoftCup or Flex, which are actually menstrual discs.
I have actually contacted several menstrual cup companies to ask for their exact reason why we cant have penetrative sex while using their menstrual cup. I was very surprised that a few of them asked me HOW it was possible or told me that it was IMPOSSIBLE.
A couple companies asked me to elaborate, and a few more said that they dont have any problems with people having penetrative sex while their menstrual cup was inserted as long as we remember that:
***A menstrual cup will NOT prevent an unwanted pregnancy or protect you from STDs***
Like anything else, COMMUNICATION is the key.
Once you both are comfortable, you can gain some speed and momentum.
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Is A Menstrual Cup Eco
If you suffer from eco-anxiety, that’s another reason you might want to make the change and start using period cups. “Switching to a menstrual cup can save the environment from approximately 16,000 tampons, panty-liners and sanitary pads in your lifetime, which can take between 500-800 years to fully decompose,” says Stephanie.”Most sanitary pads are also 90 percent plastic and tampons are made from the worlds thirstiest crop cotton. In comparison, silicon is a much greener material which slowly goes back to its original state as it degrades.”
Preventing Menstrual Cup Leaks:
Your Best, Periodt. cup offers up to 12 hours of leak-free protection. Like with your first time ever using a pad or tampon though, menstrual cups too have a learning curve, and you may not get it right on the first try.
You likely have pantyliners or pads you’ve purchased lying around. Rather than wasting them, we recommend using them as “backup” when first starting out. This allows you to confidently master your menstrual cup.
Usually by the 2nd or 3rd cycle new cup users become pros and pledge to never go back to using pads or tampons again because they love cups so much.
The average menstruator has around 450 periods in their lifetime. Surely you can use 2 of those to learn to use your menstrual cup, which in turn makes the rest so much better .
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Pros Of Menstrual Cups
Research shows that menstrual cups are a safe and effective option for period protection. Here are some other reasons to try them:
- good value a reusable cup can last for up to 10 years if its used correctly
- no supply issues youll have your period protection ready, with no need to buy more products every month
- exercise-friendly you can wear a cup during swimming and other exercise
- big capacity some cups hold 3 times more blood than an average tampon. So you may not need to empty a cup as frequently as you change a tampon, and there may be less chance of leaks
How Long Can I Keep It In
Menstrual cups can be worn up to 8 hours depending on your flow. You can stop worrying about whether you have enough tampons to last through the day. But, if you have a heavy period, you might want to empty it more often to prevent leakage. You can sleep with your cup safely. It is only a recommendation, you can wear it less or a bit more within reason without any issues.
My tip: I personally play it on the safe side emptying it more often regardless of my flow. For example lets say you wake up at 7am, empty it, rinse it and reinsert. around 2pm after lunch I do the same and then before I go to bed in my shower. I know that way its never full and it is completely safe. If you have a very heavy flow you may have to empty it more often.
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How Long Do Period Cups Last
A period cup can generally only be used for 3 years. So what is its environmental impact if it inevitably gets thrown away too?
The cup eliminates the day-to-day waste you get from tampons, which can definitely add up! But after 1,095 days, the Sustain period cup also makes its way into the municipal waste stream. And because of its interaction with bodily fluids, the biomedical grade silicone period cup cannot be recycled.
But, even though you do eventually have to dispose of your period cup after several years of use, there are additional environmental benefits to using the period cup instead of tampons, such as its material — silicone! Silicone is a nontoxic substance that is more ocean-friendly than plastic. When plastic makes its way into oceans and other bodies of water, it can break down into chemicals that are harmful to marine life and other vegetation. Silicone, on the other hand, is derived from silica, which is a type of sand, and has a much lower chance of releasing chemicals into the surrounding environment.
So at the end of your cupâs lifetime, youâre only putting one 74mm-long cup into the municipal waste stream — and compared to hundreds of tampons, this is a pretty big win!
Will Menstrual Cups Leak
Rest assured, no! A major scientific review published in the Lancet Public Health journal, which assessed 43 studies involving 3,300 women and girls, concluded that menstrual cups are just as reliable as tampons in the leakage-prevention stakes. Leakage rates were found to be similar between tampons and menstrual cups in three of the studies that were analysed, and were actually found to have significantly less leakage than tampons in one other study
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How To Use A Menstrual Cup
If youre interested in using a menstrual cup, talk with your gynecologist. Although you can buy any of the brands online or in most stores, youll first have to find out what size you need. Most menstrual cup brands sell small and large versions.
To figure out the right menstrual cup size for you, you and your doctor should consider:
- strength of your pelvic floor muscles
- if youve given birth vaginally
Smaller menstrual cups are usually recommended for women younger than 30 years old who havent delivered vaginally. Larger sizes are often recommended for women who are over 30 years old, have given birth vaginally, or have a heavier period.
Putting In A Menstrual Cup Is Easyyou Just Need A Little Practice
Anything worthwhile is going to take time and effort. When you’re learning how to use a period cup, go easy on yourself, and don’t expect to turn into a menstrual cup pro on the first try. If you do, great. But if you don’t, that’s fine. Most people practice for 2 or 3 menstrual cycles before they don’t have to think about how to insert their menstrual cup or where should a menstrual cup sit. Just look at what our customers are saying:
But you’re making a smart choice because you’re producing less waste and protecting the environment. You’re making a healthy and body-friendly decision and you’re embracing all the freedom that comes from using a menstrual cup. So even if you’re struggling right now, be proud of yourself for taking the first step toward a healthier lifestyle for you and the planet.
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What Are Menstrual Cups
Menstrual cups are small, flexible receptacles that are inserted into the vaginal canal to catch menstrual blood. They are an alternative to sanitary pads, period underwear, or tampons during menstruation.
Menstrual cups come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are made of different components. These include:
- thermoplastic elastomers
This allows the cups to be washed and reused. Some menstrual cups can last up to 10 years. However, manufacturers do sell disposable,
Youre more likely to experience minor irritation from wearing the wrong cup size than you are to develop a severe complication like toxic shock syndrome .
Understanding how and why these complications occur can help you reduce your overall risk of adverse effects.