Having Sex On Your Period May Relieve Cramps
Cramps are one of the worst PMS symptoms that we ladies have to deal with. Luckily, period sex can help with that. Its scientifically proven that vaginal stimulation affects the neurons in the brain to elevate a womans pain threshold, according to research put forth inThe Atlantic.
This extends to period cramps: Penetrative or oral stimulation can reduce menstrual pain, much more fun than popping a few Midol. And yes, this also means that intercourse can help you get rid of that headache.
What Exactly Is A Menstrual Cup
A period cup is a small, flexible, bell-shaped container you insert into the vagina similar to how youâd insert a tampon .
Like a tampon, the cup is a menstrual product designed to expand once in place unlike a tampon, itâs not designed to soak up menstrual fluid â it collects the fluid instead. The cup is designed to be so soft, small, and flexible that you shouldnât feel it once itâs correctly inserted to collect menstrual blood. Cups can hold more blood than other methods, leading many people with periods to use them as an eco-friendly alternative.
Women Are Using Menstrual Cups To Get Pregnant Faster And It Might Work
A tampon alternative like DivaCup or SoftCup isn’t necessarily just for avoiding waste during that time of the month. Moms around the globe have been using menstrual cups as they TTCand swear the strategy may have helped them get pregnant faster.
When you’ve decided it’s time to pull the goalie, get down to business, and make a baby, you and your partner will likely be open to trying a variety of strategies, whether they’re from medical literature or old wives’ tales. Sure, you’ve heard about putting your legs up in the air or maybe even eating good fats when you’re trying to get pregnant, but one of the trendiest TTC tricks right now may very well be using a menstrual cup, or more specifically, SoftCup.
The device is best known as an eco-friendly, reusable alternative to tampons, but through word of mouth and the internet, innovative women began buzzing about using the cups to conceive.
Sherry Ross, M.D., an ob-gyn, women’s health expert, and author of She-ology: The Definitive Guide to Womens Intimate Health. Period., attests to the fact that many couples who are trying to get pregnant faster or want to avoid laying out cash for expensive fertility treatments are using menstrual cups as part of their TTC plan.
Can a menstrual cup really help you get pregnant?
Moms say menstrual cups helped them get pregnant faster
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Changes In Your Periods
Your periods can change for example, they may last longer or get lighter. This does not necessarily mean there’s a problem, but it does need to be investigated.
You can see your GP, or visit your nearest women’s clinic or contraceptive clinic.
Bleeding between periods, bleeding after having sex, or bleeding after the menopause needs to be checked by a doctor.
It might be caused by an infection, abnormalities in the neck of the womb or, in rare cases, it could be cancer.
You could be pregnant if you miss a period and you’ve had sex. See your GP if you’ve taken a pregnancy test and the result is negative and you’ve missed 3 consecutive periods.
They will investigate the cause and recommend any necessary treatment.
Read more about stopped or missed periods.
Advantages Of Using A Menstrual Cup
Here are a few pros for using a menstrual cup.
Lower costs and less landfill waste
Some cups are designed for long-term use even years providing significant cost savings over tampons and pads. Since you can reuse them, theres less waste to clog up our landfills and fewer trees sacrificed to make the paper-based alternatives. Keep in mind that some cups are designed to be disposable. Make sure you read the label carefully before buying if you want a reusable one.
No embarrassing odor
With menstrual cups, you wont have to worry about embarrassing odor wafting out at the most inopportune times since the fluid doesnt get exposed to air as it does with pads and tampons.
Vaginal pH and beneficial bacteria also stay in place. Tampons absorb your vaginal fluid along with the blood, which may disturb the vaginas delicate pH and bacterial balance.
Fewer visits to the drugstore.
Even if you replace your cup once a year, youll still make 11 fewer trips to the store than you would if you used disposable, paper-based methods.
More time between changes
You need to change tampons every four to eight hours, depending on flow. You can go up to 12 hours with a menstrual cup before having to empty it.
Easy to use
Also Check: Why Is My Period So Light
How Can Tampons Lead To Vaginal Dryness
Well, tampons are designed to absorb. In fact, I recently read that 35% of the fluid absorbed by tampons is actually your bodys own natural moisture not menstrual blood. Thirty-five percent. What!? The vagina has a system in place to take care of itself and keep everything in balance. Tampons actively fuck up that whole system, drying you out and altering the pH. The effects of tampons can take time for you body to correct which is why I, like many, experienced dryness that extended beyond my period and tampon wear.
Additionally, most tampons are made with synthetic fibers that have not so vag friendly chemicals in them that can add to the already irritating nature of these moisture suckers. They can also cause micro-abrasions and leave fibers behind. All of this adds up to some serious hurdles for the delicate tissue in your vagina to deal with and heal from before being subjected to it all over again in less than a month.
Can I Use A Menstrual Cup If Im A Virgin
Yes. Your vagina does not undergo some huge change when you have sexâitâs still the same amazing organ. If you havenât yet had sex, used tampons, or masturbated with a sex toy or finger, it may take you a bit longer to get the hang of a menstrual cup.
Get to know your body. Use your fingers to find the opening of your vagina. Using a mirrorâeither handheld or place one on the floor and stand over itâcan be helpful here if youâve never looked at your own vulva.
Explore your vagina and which direction it runs. With clean hands, try inserting a finger into your vagina to learn how long your vagina is and see if you can find your cervix. The cervix is located at the end of the vagina and should feel firm and round, like the tip of your nose. Youâll notice that the walls of your vagina are soft, moist, and can easily move when pressed against to create space.
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I Tried Using A Menstrual Discand Had Mess
I was almost exclusively a pad user from the time I began my period at age 12. I tried tampons on a few occasions but was never able to get the hang of them people say you don’t feel them, but I did. Pads werent always practicallike when I was playing sports, wearing tight pants, or, say, didnt want a puddle of blood in my underwearbut I accepted the status quo.
Then, about three years ago, when I was 38, I decided there had to be a better option. I started searching around online, and I learned about reusable menstrual cups like the Diva Cup. I was intrigued, but I wasn’t so keen on the reusable aspect. Then I came across Softcup, which was disposable and more like a disc than a cup: Softcup is circular and has no stemwhich means you can actually have sex while it’s in. In the past, my husband and I did have sex during my period, but it was a messy affair involving towels and washcloths. I realized that Softcup had the potential to change my periods as well as my sex life.
Here are seven reasons your period is late other than pregnancy:
The first time I used Softcup during sex I was a little uneasy, but I didn’t even tell my husbandand he had no idea that it was in. Since then he’s mentioned that, with deeper sex, he can sometimes feel it a little, but it’s generally an out of sight, out of mind situation. And as long as I insert a new one just prior to sex, there’s no mess at all.
The Disadvantages Of Using A Menstrual Cup
And here are some drawbacks to this form of feminine protection.
More mess
The main disadvantage that patients mention is how messy emptying the cup is. With practice, most women will work out a suitable technique and quickly get over the ick factor. Also, cleaning it in a public bathroom might present a challenge for some.
They can be difficult to insert
Younger girls and those whove never had intercourse may find it difficult to insert the cups. And, if you have an IUD in place, using a menstrual cup could pull the IUD strings and dislodge it. If you have concerns about insertion, talk to your healthcare provider.
Possible fit problems
Individual anatomy can make proper use of the cup difficult. For instance, if you have a dropped uterus or uterine prolapse, Dr. Higgins says that a menstrual cup may not fit in place properly. But to ensure that you feel more comfortable when it comes to insertion, she recommends talking to your provider and asking them to walk you through the process during an office visit.
They can be hard to remove
Taking menstrual cups out requires a bit of a learning curve. You shouldnt pull on the stem when you remove it. Instead, pinch the base and pull and allow the collected fluid to empty into the toilet. You can then rinse it with tap water and reinsert.
Regular sterilization is required
After each cycle, sterilize the cup using boiling water or a sterilizing solution used for baby bottles.
Read Also: Can A Plan B Delay Your Period
Can You Have Sex During Your Period
During your reproductive years, youll get a menstrual period about once a month. Unless youre especially squeamish, theres no need to avoid sexual activity during your period. Though period sex can be a bit messy, it is safe. And, having sex when youre menstruating can actually offer a few advantages, including relief from menstrual cramps.
Read on to learn more about sex during your period.
Having sex during your period has a few upsides:
Will The Menstrual Disc Leak
Its possible, but this is usually more likely if the cup is full. As with all menstrual cups, it usually takes a few cycles of practice to master insertion and proper placement of the menstrual disc. Once you are comfortable inserting the Ziggy or nixit, leaks should be a thing of the past!
Will the cup get pushed too far up?
You cannot lose a cup inside of you. It can only travel so far up your vaginal canal before it reaches the base of your cervix. It then has nowhere left to go. It may make removal a little trickier, especially if you have a high cervix and therefore long vaginal canal.
Also Check: How To Make Your Period End Faster
If I Dont Have Access To Clean Water Are Menstrual Cups Still An Option For Me
Menstrual cups should be washed with clean water and soap every time they are removed, and boiled at the end of each period . For this reason, if you donât have access to clean water, then menstrual cups are not a safe option for you.
While menstrual cups can be wiped with toilet paper or menstrual wipes when in a pinchâthis is not a safe substitute for regular daily washing with soap and water, and boiling once per cycle.
Period Sex: What Are The Best Things To Try
“Some positions can feel better than others. During periods, the cervix is lower and more sensitive so deep-reaching positions like doggy style may be off the menu. Missionary or spooning might be a better fit,” Sarah says.
“People may assume that period sex means penetration but theres lots of other ways to enjoy physical intimacy. Anal play can be a fun option – the anus has a lot of nerve endings – and sitting opposite each other while you masturbate yourselves can be a very sexy and intimate experience.
“Regarding oral sex, the blood is fine to be ingested – in fact its a great source of iron! But if this isn’t your bag, there are ways to avoid the flow. You could focus on the clitoris and can avoid blood or use a tampon, cup or sponge. Make sure you take tampons out before penetration, though, as if the tampon gets pushed too high you will need to get a health practitioner to remove it.
“A dental dam is another option while some people like to wear a soft menstrual cup or sponge during sex. This can feel a bit crowded, and make sure theyre removed soon after the deed is done,” Sarah says.
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Can I Wear A Menstrual Cup While Having Sex
24.78K viewsPosted September 10, 2016
If you are looking for a menstrual cup that is specifically designed to be used while having penetrative sex, you can check out one of the below:
SoftCup
FlexFits
Ziggy Cup
However.
I have actually contacted several menstrual cup companies to ask for their exact reason why we cant have penetrative sex while using a menstrual cup.
I was very surprised that a few of them asked me HOW it was possible or tell me that its IMPOSSIBLE???
A couple 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.
***Please remember that a menstrual cup will NOT prevent pregnancy or protect you from STDS***
The vagina can expand by 200 percent when sexually aroused. Remember that the vagina was made to give birth to a small human. Even if your lovers member is the size of a babys arm its still doesnt equal the WHOLE baby.
If you and your partner are comfortable with having penetrative sex while using a cup, then there should be no reason that you shouldnt at least try it. If you or your partner should experience any pain or discomfort while having sex with the cup inserted, you need to communicate that. Maybe its not the right cup for it or maybe not the right position. Like anything else, COMMUNICATION is the key.
I have found that no matter how soft or firm the cup is, my husband and I are able to enjoy this time.