Using a Menstrual Cup Five Years Down The Line
I’ve been using a menstrual cup for over five years now, and I absolutely love them. Recently, I’ve been seeing a lot of coverage about them, so thought I would join in and throw my hat in the ring! I’m sure I’ve mentioned menstrual cups on here somewhere before, but here are some fresh thoughts.
Firstly, I now use a combination of plastic free period products, but I used to just use a cup all the time which worked fine for me – I’ve never had any leaks! It really is a matter of preference, and now I have some days when I’m on my period and simply don’t fancy using a cup so stick some period pants, or a reusable sanitary pad instead!
Changing attitudes towards the menstrual cup
Way back when I started using cups, I bought a random brand off the internet, worked out what worked for me, and went on my way. I don’t remember there being any help of advice readily available on the net, but am really glad to see it now. Last year I came across an infographic of all the different folds you can do to insert your cup – I had no idea there were so many and it was a bit of an eye opener. I feel like the ever-increasing coverage of menstrual cups means that the general taboo surrounding periods is starting to fade. I know people that used to be horrified when I openly talked about my cups, who now use them themselves and are happy to chat about them! I hope to see more information, help, advice, and different menstrual cups become available in the coming months and years!
My thoughts and advice
Personally, I like having two cups. This just means that if I want to use them non-stop throughout my period, I can wear one while the other is being sterilised, and keep swapping them over as needed. I’ve travelled a couple of times while using cups too, and while it’s a bit trickier to deal with than at home, it’s totally possible. I’ve learnt from my past mistakes that it always pays to take a pack of sterilising tablets if travelling with cups though – top tip! If toilets are a tight squeeze in hotel bathrooms then I’ve found that it’s sometimes much easier to empty them in the bath or shower, and then just wash away the blood.
When it comes to brands, I still have the original two that I bought from an unknown brand all those years ago, but I also have a Lamazuna cup which I’m a big fan of. I have a few different products from Lamazuna, but particularly love their menstrual cups as they come in cute pouches that make them perfect for on the go and travel!
In all, I’m really happy that I discovered menstrual cups, and think I will continue to use them pretty much forever. I’m saving a huge amount of plastic from going to landfill by using plastic-free options, and I find cups super comfy once they’re in place! No leaks is obviously a giant bonus too – hooray for cups!