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[Warning, TMI inside!] Menstrual Cups!
9 years ago
⭐️ be rootin, be tootin, and by god be shootin ⭐️ Hello peeps! If you're a person who bleeds monthly, you probably have your own method of taking care of the red tide. For the longest time, I thought that there were only two options; pads and tampons. With pads you're consciously aware all the time that you have one on, and at least to me it felt embarrassing and uncomfortable... plus they almost always leaked. Same thing for tampons, with the added risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome lingering in the back of my mind. If you're someone with a heavy flow, you're sometimes doubling up with both of them just to get through the day!
Plus, if you're a FTM and still have to deal with bleeding, you can't easily change your products in the men's bathroom....
But I found out there's an alternative.
Menstrual cups are about what they sound like! They're a cup like device made of medical-grade silicone that rests inside the vagina and collects the blood to be manually emptied later. They're safe, reusable and therefore green, comfortable, and they pay for themselves in just a few cycles. A good cup will last you three years before you want to replace it, but even then it's still SAFE.
Depending on your cycle, you can get away with only emptying it twice a day (no less than that, though!) and they're fairly reliable once you get the art of inserting it down!
Here's where it gets a little bloody, though.
Cups are a little intimidating for some people because yes, you will get blood on your hands. I've found that it gets easier with time, but it's pretty much unavoidable. For some people, the convenience of pads is that you can wrap them up and never have to touch anything, buuuuut cups make you a little more hands on. Now, for me this isn't an issue at all. I'm unphased by menstrual blood and think it's perfectly natural and makes you 100% more metal than anyone who doesn't bleed. But hey, not everyone has that outlook!
One reason I really love the cup is that by making you handle your own business without being able to ignore it or pretend its not happening, it makes you all that more aware of what your body is doing and teaches you to respect it a little more for it.
Bleeding out the vagoo sucks, but it's an important part of our anatomy that is still doing a job. At least, that's how I see it!
So are you still here? Not weirded out? COOL. Let me tell you just a little bit more about the process and drop some linkage!
When you first get a cup, PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT COME WITH IT. I can't stress this enough. It might seem like you can just shove it right on in, but each cup is a little different. Mine, for instance, requires a complete rotation to create a seal inside me or it'll leak. The instructions will also give you info on how to remove it comfortably, and how your particular cup can be cleaned.
Speaking of cleaning, invest in a nonscented, gentle soap. I found that a small travel-size bottle of dr. bronner's unscented castille soap does the trick. Clean your cup before reinserting it. If you absolutely can't get away with doing that, such as out in a public restroom, just make sure you wash your hands before emptying your cup in a stall. Nobody wants possible infection.
Another protip: If you're like me and buy the cup and just want to find out what it feels like without waiting for bloodweek, PLEASE use a silicone-safe lube. Later on, you probably wont need it due to your cycle, but be gentle with the fact that you're putting a foreign object up your vag.
So, I'll drop a few links below to additional information and links to the cup I use and a few other highly recommended cups. The cup I have is good for beginners, and is a general medium-density silicone and a smaller size. If you've had a child or are over 30 you might need to get a different cup size, but there's definitely a product out there that will be comfortable and safe. c:
So there we go! I guess the reason this is so cool to me is that I spent so long without knowing there was an alternative. I hope someone out there sees this and realizes that too! Bleeding every month is shitty, but it doesn't have to be so costly or involve possible TSS. And guys, if you have any questions, feel free to comment below (or note me!) and I'll try to answer within my knowledge!
The cup I use: http://divacup.com/
They have lots of additional information about how the cup works, too!
An inside look at how cups work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgdPI7oqmRE
Because internal shots, right?
The soap I personally use: https://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/SENS.....RE/OLBA16.html
I found a travel-size at target, too c:
Some hilarious period panties I found: http://www.sourpussclothing.com/per.....hark-week.html
Because why the fuck not
Plus, if you're a FTM and still have to deal with bleeding, you can't easily change your products in the men's bathroom....
But I found out there's an alternative.
Menstrual cups are about what they sound like! They're a cup like device made of medical-grade silicone that rests inside the vagina and collects the blood to be manually emptied later. They're safe, reusable and therefore green, comfortable, and they pay for themselves in just a few cycles. A good cup will last you three years before you want to replace it, but even then it's still SAFE.
Depending on your cycle, you can get away with only emptying it twice a day (no less than that, though!) and they're fairly reliable once you get the art of inserting it down!
Here's where it gets a little bloody, though.
Cups are a little intimidating for some people because yes, you will get blood on your hands. I've found that it gets easier with time, but it's pretty much unavoidable. For some people, the convenience of pads is that you can wrap them up and never have to touch anything, buuuuut cups make you a little more hands on. Now, for me this isn't an issue at all. I'm unphased by menstrual blood and think it's perfectly natural and makes you 100% more metal than anyone who doesn't bleed. But hey, not everyone has that outlook!
One reason I really love the cup is that by making you handle your own business without being able to ignore it or pretend its not happening, it makes you all that more aware of what your body is doing and teaches you to respect it a little more for it.
Bleeding out the vagoo sucks, but it's an important part of our anatomy that is still doing a job. At least, that's how I see it!
So are you still here? Not weirded out? COOL. Let me tell you just a little bit more about the process and drop some linkage!
When you first get a cup, PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT COME WITH IT. I can't stress this enough. It might seem like you can just shove it right on in, but each cup is a little different. Mine, for instance, requires a complete rotation to create a seal inside me or it'll leak. The instructions will also give you info on how to remove it comfortably, and how your particular cup can be cleaned.
Speaking of cleaning, invest in a nonscented, gentle soap. I found that a small travel-size bottle of dr. bronner's unscented castille soap does the trick. Clean your cup before reinserting it. If you absolutely can't get away with doing that, such as out in a public restroom, just make sure you wash your hands before emptying your cup in a stall. Nobody wants possible infection.
Another protip: If you're like me and buy the cup and just want to find out what it feels like without waiting for bloodweek, PLEASE use a silicone-safe lube. Later on, you probably wont need it due to your cycle, but be gentle with the fact that you're putting a foreign object up your vag.
So, I'll drop a few links below to additional information and links to the cup I use and a few other highly recommended cups. The cup I have is good for beginners, and is a general medium-density silicone and a smaller size. If you've had a child or are over 30 you might need to get a different cup size, but there's definitely a product out there that will be comfortable and safe. c:
So there we go! I guess the reason this is so cool to me is that I spent so long without knowing there was an alternative. I hope someone out there sees this and realizes that too! Bleeding every month is shitty, but it doesn't have to be so costly or involve possible TSS. And guys, if you have any questions, feel free to comment below (or note me!) and I'll try to answer within my knowledge!
The cup I use: http://divacup.com/
They have lots of additional information about how the cup works, too!
An inside look at how cups work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgdPI7oqmRE
Because internal shots, right?
The soap I personally use: https://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/SENS.....RE/OLBA16.html
I found a travel-size at target, too c:
Some hilarious period panties I found: http://www.sourpussclothing.com/per.....hark-week.html
Because why the fuck not
Does i go far up in there?
How...
But sleeping....
wont it leak?
@.@
*whimpers*
And like Sal said, it's gonna vary from manufacturer to manufacturer how it forms seals to avoid leaks, so you've got to read the instructions.
You have to fold it to make it small enough to insert (there are a bunch of different fold techniques, so you can find one that works for you!) but once you insert it it will pop open. Then, if you've got one like me, you have to turn it slightly so that it forms a seal. No leakage, even while sleeping! :3
Here's all the folds you can do~ I do the punch-down fold. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRGqVH1cJ6k
Now all we need is a magic cure for horrendous cramps! that doesn't involve buying pain killers, as I found they don't really work for me x_x
The heat lingers a while and it's heavy enough to put a decent pressure on your abdomen. For me, they work wonders!
My cramps are also pretty immune to pain meds, but I found Naproxen is the most likely to help. c:
An ill look into Naproxen too! Thank you for all the wonderful information
Plus, 30 bucks? That's like, three months of pads or tampons, so it pays itself off fast XD
Glad to see other people have good opinions on them. I hope I'll be one of these people. ^^"
I'm glad that you seem to be enjoying yours,
That being said, I've heard about menstrual cups a while ago, and I'm still unpleasantly surprised when I hear that even some medical people (doctors, nurses, etc) never heard of it and make the big googly eyes of dumb when you try to explain to them what it is.
On another note, I'd be so happy the day those ads for tampons and pads stop using that pretty clear blue liquid to symbolize blood and switch to a red one. I'm not even asking for realistic blood color, let's not be hasty, but switching from clear blue to clear red, for example, would be a step in the direction of honesty.
However, even following directions, I bleed like a stuck pig, so I still have to wear a pad along with the cup. However, I'd never go back to just pads just BECAUSE of the shear amount I bleed. Having to get up and run to the bathroom every hour was rather tedious. I literally had to pad all the way up the back and to the sides and would STILL ruin my panties :/
The cup is a fabulous thing and I love it. I can actually go to bed and not worry about waking up in a pool of death lol.
and the sheets
and somehow your pillow wtf
*sobs*
Living.
Nightmare.
Thank you for posting this.
Thank you for being unafraid to speak up about things too many girls have never learned.
luckily, I have really open parents, so I was prepped with the basics.
The more we talk about it, the less people get that 'ew, gross' knee-jerk reaction.
The less that reaction happens, the more we can talk about it!
Otherwise I'd totally would buy this.
Also make sure you dont get reactions from silicone
Here are a couple handy charts with a bunch of brands and sizes and everything! I hope it proves helpful to someone!
http://theecofriendlyfamily.com/201.....right-for-you/
http://putacupinit.com/chart/
Be patient with yourself and dont force it!
I thought it was because I bleed a waterfall. hmmmmmm
Now the only issue with FTM is that a lot of us actually don't like having anything up in there as it can really set our dysphoria off (it doesn't for me, I experience little to no dysphoria, thank god) but here's where's another thing that can be used!
Cotton pads. Yes it sounds gross since they're re-usable but they're definitely better than regular pads which are loud to open and provide more waste. There's also briefs made for FTM that are designed to take the blood and then just gotta go through the washing machine (or hand washed throughly! ) I'm working on getting a couple of those as I feel they'd work better with me instead of the disposable pads
Yay for many-paws! ^^
but this was very informative we should see more of this not just for the ladys sake but for a guy as well
I thought these sounded so gross. I still think they sound gross. >_> I'm actually totally comfortable with tampons luckily, so it's not too much trouble for me, but it was an interesting read since I'd only seen the commercials and... yeah. X3
Question, is it also waterproof for swimming too? Can you go into a pool without the cup emptying because that would be terrifying lmao
That's me right now. :I
The benefits of the cup far outweigh those small disadvantages though! Sometimes you forget it's in it's so discreet + comfortable inside! :D
love, cup-user-for-over-10-years
ps. worth mentioning that the cup lasts years and years when cared for correctly. And disinfecting by boiling might save even more money in the long run ;3
It'd be worth trying again. I really miss not having a bathroom bin full of period-related detritus every month, and it was so simple to keep the cup on me in case of surprise shark week. Also not having to change it very frequently. Also my period lasted less time for some reason, which literally makes no sense ?_?
Though I do have a question for those who've used it longer than I. What do you do when you have to empty and clean it at a public venue? When I'm at home I can literally reach the sink from where I'm sitting on the toilet. In a bathroom stall... Do you bring a water bottle along with the special soap to rinse it off over the toilet? The struggle was so real. I just used tampons on days where I knew I wouldn't be home for over 24 hours.
While I'm a guy, I'm not too phased by menstrual blood, doesn't even stop us from having sex.
Oh wait, TMI.
So i have to go to family to shower and do pretty much anything water related unless i canusethe jugs of water we have.