Let's Talk About: The Menstrual Cup đˇ || Lady Talks
An unboxing & first experience with the Cup story...
Hello ladies! Ok this post may be TMI for some so you have been warned also I will be talking freely and without any taboo about all so, donât @ me!
The period.
So, I donât think there is a woman on earth who likes to have her period, like either because it hurts or simply cause its annoying, and no, donât try to come at me you with your feminazi self you hate it too be honest, I know there are women out there who have been blessed by the period gods and only have it for like 3 days and barely spot on those days but even them hate it, in my case I wasnât blessed by the blood gods so my period last from 5 to 8 days đ and since I had my baby the flow of the first few days can make me seem like I'm Carrie or there was some sort of murder in my insides.
I'm a 33 (next week 34 OMG MAKE IT STOP!) year old woman and I had had my period since I was 12 and since I started, I have used pads, I tried a couple of times with the tampons but it wasnât my thing like I donât know if I just didnât know how to actually use them well or what but I felt uncomfortable wearing them. So, for me the pads were the thing to use.
The pads
I hate them they are not better than the tampons for me, 1. They are gross, 2. they smell, 3. They give me a rash for wearing them for so many days every freaking month, 4. They donât protect me well enough unless they are huge and uncomfortable. I know this made me hate my period even more. So, of course I was on the lookout for anything that could make my life a little better and easier maybe, I had my baby almost 3 years ago and I asked to be sterilized, I got my tubs cut and burnđĽ! But hey this doesn't prevent you from having your period every month, and the other option was to have a total hysterectomy but this was not medically recommended cause you know the whole hormones that make you a normal woman are manage by the uterus so not having one would mean having to take pills to compensate and that wouldnât be fun or cheap so nope.
Finding the Cup
You know how are the social networks these days you cannot think something when the ads start showing up, and that is how I found out about the cup, at first, I thought well that is crazy but then I got intrigue when I saw all the women that were talking about it all they could say was how marvelous and just perfect this thing was.
Obviously, I wanted in on this exclusive cup wearing club of women who donât hate having their period and so I started doing my research, that to be honest was just reading comments about it on one post I saw about it on instagram I should have done more but hey I work on impulse.
Buying the cup
So, I have been wanting to buy it for several months now, but in the city where I live I donât know where to buy it, especially for an affordable amount, I found a seller on my home town thought instagram the store is call topcopas.vzla they do free shipping to all the states of Venezuela but I just didnât wanted to buy it without seeing it in person first like you know feel it and have it on my own hands first. Also is not like is too expensive it costs 8$ + the Fold sterilizer cup it totals 10USD, but I just kept putting it off until my next period got here and then I though well if I buy it now, it will get here when is already over so I can just buy it for next month.
Anyways I ended up going on a road trip to my home town a few weeks ago and while there I took the opportunity and said is now or never and went and bough it and here I present to you my cup
It looks huge! But is not since is size L the measurement of it, are the following 48mm * 49mm and 19mm wide it completely fits in the palm of my hand. And yes! is black I could have chosen the pink or purple one but... Black is my thing.
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I bought it with the folding boiling cup cause well I don't think this should be boil in a regular pot that we use to cook food, even tho when you boil it is already supposed to be clean, I still don't feel like that is good. it also comes with a cute little bag to keep it stored and carry it with you when on a travel.
My experience with it
Ok so, like I said I didnât do a proper research on it before actually trying it the first time, I did a quick âHow do I get this thing on meâ read on the instagram page that I bough it from and on the back of the box that my cup came in basic instructions that give you not real knowledge and make it seem all so easy. So, while I was on the bathroom I made the decision I should just try it out on the shower cause I felt more comfortable doing the whole gymnastics to be able to put it in. here is how it went on...
My first tryâŚ
- I bought a sterilizing folding cup to boil it on the microwave for 3 minutes as instructions tell you, you need to do before using it at the start of every period.
- The instructions also say you should fold it before putting it in but they only give you a one way to fold it that is the âCâ way and I did it, this is to make it small enough to make the entry easier.
- Nope I will not add pictures cause well duh! No nudes on my profile, but I got down squatting on the shower floor I feel like this gives me the best access. While squatting I got the folded cup and try to put it in me.
- Realize this was not as easy and quicky as I though, here is the thing once I put it in me I didnât know if I was deep enough or too deep for it to work (yes there if you put it too deep it wonât work either) I didnât know the thing had to open but not only open had to create a void and not be able to move around, I didnât know how to fix it either.
- Went out of the bathroom feeling like I knew it was there, I wasnât sure I actually felt it but I felt it you know what I mean? I just know I felt uncomfortable and weird, I read that the first few times you need to check on it every 2 hours so you get to know how your fluid works and learn how often you need to change it especially when your flow is more abundant during the first day, I went to check on it after 2 hours had pass and well I had blood on my panties, I thought the thing was over flowing and when I pull it out the cup was not even half full.
About pulling it out
I knew the thing couldnât get lost in me since I know a little about women physiology and I know the cervix is not never ending and it wont allow anything other than sperm go through it. So, that was not a fear of mine but, I didnât know I had to break the void to pull it out and when I went to reach it by the steam and did the whole pull out of me thing I felt like I was trying to pull my insides out, it was painful and I did had a little bit of panicking moment then I took a deep breath and remember the lady who sold it to me told me to push it like I was having a baby and squish it from the base I did this and the cup came out without any issues.
I thought I was going to go full Carrie dropping blood all over the shower floor when I pulled it out, but since the cup was not even half full and I had it gabbed by the base the thing did not spill one drop of blood until I actually throw out the contents on the toilet.
My second tryâŚ
Ok so I rinse out with shower water and I know people say not to use soap on it but I just donât feel clean enough without using some soap so I just used some of my face ph neutral soap to clean it, after it was clean I squatted myself back down and try to inserted again, I have short fingers and I felt like I was probably not putting it deep enough so this time around I tried my hardest to put it even deeper, the whole thing took me several tries I donât know I just didnât feel like I was doing it right so I put it in and put it out a few times until I gave up and said well letâs see if this worked, I think the whole in and out of it all left me a little bit sore cause even tho the cup doesn't hurt while putting in or out, the handling with your fingers can probably make it sore for you.
This time I didnât felt it as much but since I was sore from handling it inside me, I didnât feel comfortable either, you know what I did felt? My flow coming down from me! An accident! This was just a few minutes after I had putted in. so back to the shower it was.
I have to say since I was trying this in the shower every time, I was starting to feel really annoyed that I had to do the whole taking a shower process to get this thing in and out of me, like it was so time consuming and even tho it was not like I had some place to be it was still annoying.
The third, 4th and 5th tryâŚ
Yeah, I tried a few more times with the same results, and yes every freaking time I had to take a shower, this was not making me happy and I was actually feeling very frustrated and disappointed, I started to feel like I maybe spend money buying this thing to ending not using it.
After the 5th try was a failure, I gave up and told myself I refused to sleep with this thing on, also at this point I really felt sore from all the handling it so I just needed a break.
I felt like the first day was from hell I had a belly ache too cause well I was on my period. So, yeah I was not happy, I had to go back to my hated but at the end of the day trusted pads and sleep with them, next morning I didnât felt like going through the whole thing again, so I just told myself Victoria, if you have the pads, use the pads! but, I didnât had enough pads, like I said I'm of a big flow so I have to constantly change the pads to avoid accidents, the next morning I ended up using my very last pad, and was face with a dilemma of Should I buy more pads and give up completely on trying the cup again or should I give it one more try? since I didnât wanted to be defeated by this thing and since I wanted to be like every other women that had tried it and talked like this was the best invention on earth since chocolate, well I told myself I needed to do proper research before try it again.
The research
You know there is nothing you cannot find a tutorial for on Youtube, I just putted menstrual cup on the search bar and voilĂ
Yes, in Spanish cause well is my language and, in this case, I felt more comfortable listing instructions from another Latina. But I found out some really good videos on English too.
I watched a bunch of other vids but, this 2 in each language I think have important info that help you out understand what you need to do and what not to do and how to try it for the first time.
After watching these videos, I felt like I understood what I had been doing wrong the whole time! I also felt more at ease knowing I wasnât the only one who had had a bad first-time experience with and that I only had to keep trying until I would figure it out.
The 6th time is the charmed one!
I went in to take my daily shower and used this opportunity to try it out again, this time I used the flower folding method I learned on my research ( will let all this info down below) and figure this was for me the method that worked the best I feel is so much easy for me get it in without difficulty and even tho I do feel it takes more of me to move it around for it to fully open the more I used it the easier it gets for me to know how to easily getting it open, also I learned I donât need to put it too deep or it will cause leaks and how to make sure even tho is open that the void has been created to not have any accidents, I felt so much more comfortable this time around and didnât felt sore at all.
I used all the tips I got from all the youtubers and used the cup for over 6 hours straight without any leaks or uncomfortable feelings, to be honest I almost forgot I got it in me or that I had my period at all and this, ladies, IS THE BEST THING EVER!
Conclusions and findings of this experience
I have to say, is not easy to learn how to use it, it can be annoying and disappointing when you read so many wonderful things about it but you try it and doesn't turns out like that the first time for you. Maybe is like having sex for the first time, is messy, painful and confusing the first time but as long as you keep trying and learning about your body the easier and the better it gets LMAO.
To be honest I wont say I completely love it, I still haven't actually manage to get the thing in or out of me on the toilet I have to do it in the shower to feel more comfortable so this is a down side for me, I have notice the more I use it the quicker I'm able to actually put it in right so maybe for my next period I will be able to move from the shower to the toilet and have a better experience.
But one thing is for sure I'm not going to be changing this thing in a public restroom anytime soon, I need a clean space with a sink near enough and private enough to clean it and myself. But since you can actually let this cup inside of you for up to 12 hours (if you donât have too much flow to fill it) I donât think this is a major issue, like I usually not more than 12 hours away from home unless I'm on a road trip, in that case I will have to figure it out.
If I continue to improve my technic when putting it in, I think I will feel like all the other women who think this is the best invention ever. We will see next month.
Tips and Recommendations,
I learned a lot while watching the youtube vids o I will leave you here the things that stand out the most for me to learn how to have an easier and better experience with the menstrual cup.
Before buying it
- Make sure you are buying a 100% BODY-SAFE Hospital-grade silicone cup, FDA approve, this is important to avoid rashes and irritations in your privates.
- Make sure to pick the right size for you, all the brands have standard sizes S and L some have a medium but the more common are S and L.
The S is for under 30 and without vaginal deliveries women, the L is for the over 30 or with who had had vaginal deliveries, but make sure you know your body well, before picking up a size. - Do proper research, donât just read the instructions on the box of your cup, they make it seem easier than it really is for a first timer so watch all the tutorials first.
Before using it
- Be clean remember this can bring infections in the more delicate part of yourself and that is not fun at all, boil it before use and wash your hands.
- Try on different ways to fold it and see what may work better for you, this will make the insertion easier.
- Know your body and how it works, you need to catch the blood coming out of your cervix so, is important to put it right below it, if you put it in too deep you could have leaks and you need to put it deep enough so you donât feel it at all, the trick that worked for me on figuring out how deep is using the little steam that has the cup, I know I need to be able to feel it right on my opening but not outside so it doesn't bother me. Give it a couple of tries so you know where is the right place for you.
- After you put it in use a finger to go around it to make sure it did open if you donât want to do this you could pull a little at the cup if it open and has created a the void you will feel it how is hard to pull, but if instead is easy to move know there void has not been made and you need to push it back up a little and make sure this time opens up correctly.
- Do all this in your bathroom when you have time and are able to take your time, if you are in a hurry or are not comfortable is better not to try it since it would probably not turn out well the first time. Patience is the key and not giving up on the first try.
- Donât be afraid to get a little dirty the more you use it the less dirty you will get but hello is your blood is the more natural thing ever and when you stop using absorbing products like pads or tampons, youâll notice how not gross this blood actually is since it doesn't smell at all (this is something cause for the chemicals in the pads and tampons).
How To
I will leave now some images on how to fold it and how to put it in that I found on my cup web site and I think are helpful to learn how to use it.
I hope to read your comments, if you are using a cup, think of using a cup or if you have any questions leave them in the comments down below i will try and answer as much as I can with the little knowledge this whole thing have giving me!
Picture Credit: Source of the dividers, All images are of my property unless said otherwise, the emojis are made with Bitmoji.com & Icons with icons8
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I think I would have gone for pink if I were to get one, black reminds me of my toilet pump which I do not want inside me!!!
Hopefully it will get easier next month and you'll feel more confident using it.
I was thinking on stains on the cup to be honest when i picked the color i figure the darker the color the better to prevent that, maybe a little bit overdramatic since is medical silicone i dont think it can get stains on it but just to be sure lol.
Oh! They should have included a link to the YouTube video with the instructions! And saved a lot on all that frustrating trial and error.
Thanks for sharing @victoria.bsb
To be honest i do think you need the trial and error to actually learn how to use it right but it would have been useful for sure.
Congratulations on the switch! I'd say that is really life-changing. I've been using the cup for 2.5 years and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I'm never going back to pads. The learning curve is steep but once you get the hang of it, it will be really worth it.