Last Updated on April 16, 2024
Finding out how one can use a menstrual cup is intimidating for a lot of people, but it surely certainly doesn’t must be! They seem to be a great, zero waste completely different to widespread tampons and pads with many women thrilled regarding the effectively being benefits they may have.
Menstrual cups have become increasingly additional frequent and widespread, notably inside the zero waste neighborhood. Whereas they aren’t wonderful, they’re cheaper than using disposable pads and tampons. Nevertheless many people draw again on account of they’re intimidated by not intuitively determining how one can use a interval cup. So this submit is sharing the best menstrual cups for newbies, menstrual cup benefits, and even the cons of using a menstrual cup!
This submit was sponsored by Intimina, all concepts and opinions are my very personal, for additional knowledge please see my disclosure protection.
how one can use interval cup
I first heard about menstrual cups, or interval cups, after I used to be doing outdoor theater one scorching and humid summer season season.
I was dwelling in actor housing constructed from cinder blocks and bunk beds constructed by the set division — glamorous.
Nevertheless, what it lacked in sophistication, it made up for in a number of of the best reminiscences of my life.
We’ve got been steps away from a stupendous forest full of lightning bugs, warmth nights, loads of laughter, and female friendships that embraced ladies’s effectively being, durations, and hormones.
Rising up, plenty of these subjects have been taboo. It felt so liberating to talk about them in a comfortable setting and with out judgment.
Shortly after leaving that gig to pursue one different, I decided to aim using a menstrual cup — and it’s a number of the life-changing zero waste swaps I made! Nevertheless there was a finding out curve, on account of they work so differently from tampons or pads. I suggest, really, how one can use a interval cup?!
additional about menstrual cups
Menstrual cups have been a cornerstone swap for me. I consider cornerstone swaps to be those who merely revolutionize all of the items — these the place all of the items merely falls into place.
These are the swaps the place you couldn’t pay me to return to using disposable merchandise. You perceive what I’m talking about?
It’s the swaps that merely make SO quite a bit sense. People who stop money are simple, environment friendly, and far superior to one thing you’ve ever tried.
Menstrual cups checked all of those bins for me. They labored moderately quite a bit increased than any tampon I’d ever used and have been additional cozy.
Plus, it fostered a better relationship with my physique, turning one factor that I believed was gross (newsflash — it’s not!) proper right into a deeper understanding and acceptance of who I am.
Must you’ve been following my weblog for a while, then you definately perceive I LOVE my Thinx interval panties, which work fantastically together with Intimina’s range of menstrual cups.
A lot of my buddies use every cups and reusable interval panties collectively.
They even make heavy motion menstrual cups! For those who’re a heavy motion girl, consider pairing an Intimina cup with a pair of reusable interval panties!
Nevertheless, sooner than I’m going any further, I want to break down a number of of the F.A.Q.s.
what are menstrual cups?
The first interval cup was invented in 1867 — which bought right here a decade sooner than pads and better than half a century sooner than tampons!
However, I hadn’t heard about them until 2013, so don’t concern must you haven’t each.
Clean menstrual cups, like Intimina’s, are constructed from 100% medical-grade silicone and are inserted into the vagina very like a tampon.
Nevertheless, as a substitute of absorbing blood like a tampon, they catch it!
how one can use a menstrual cup
There are a variety of utterly completely different folding methods, nonetheless one in every of many points I really like about Intimina’s Lily Cup is that it folds so small that it’s the similar dimension as a tampon.
You insert the folded cup into your vagina, then twist it barely to allow it to unfold naturally.
On the bottom of the cup, there’s a stem which you’ll be able to tug on barely to make it doable to your cup is positioned successfully.
I’ve found it’s finest to try this whereas squatting over the lavatory reasonably than merely sitting down.
The first time I used a interval cup, notably not having been a tampon wearer beforehand, I had quite a lot of difficulties getting it into place, and it made me assume that finding out how one can use a menstrual cups was simply too exhausting.
Using a personal lubricant made it quite a bit easier! So, if it’s your first time using menstrual cups, I extraordinarily counsel it. It will be quite a bit easier so that you could insert it and understand what it seems like for the cup to be within the appropriate place.
In case your cup is positioned successfully, you obtained’t be succesful to actually really feel it when transferring spherical. You moreover want to be sure that the overall cup is unfurled to stay away from any leaking!
Cups maintain in place by using suction, which is completely painless.
eradicating a menstrual cup
Now that you just’ve realized how one can use a menstraul cup, it’s wise that you need to understand how one can take away it too! When it’s time to remove your menstrual cup, I want to kegel my cup down a bit and pinch the underside. For those who pinch the underside of your cup, you’re able to interrupt the suction and slide the cup out merely.
are menstrual cups messy? what happens when your cup is full?
I each take my cup out whereas on the lavatory or inside the bathe. If I’m on the lavatory, I scoot once more and squat barely. I kegel the cup down after which pinch the underside to launch the suction.
Then, I can shortly flip the cup out and dump the blood into the lavatory bowl.
If I’m at residence, I benefit from my bidet to rinse my physique and use my sink to rinse my cup sooner than reinserting it.
If I’m someplace like a public restroom with out entry to a private sink, I would wipe the cup with lavatory paper after which re-insert. I would rinse the following time it was useful.
will my menstrual cup leak?
Everybody is totally completely different. Some people experience a little bit of little little bit of leaking, like with a tampon, and others obtained’t.
Nevertheless, must you study to make use of a interval cup so it’s positioned precisely, you shouldn’t have any vital leaks.
Must you’re experiencing quite a lot of leaking, you might have the flawed kind, trend, or dimension of cup in your physique. That is the rationale doing slightly evaluation and discovering the best menstrual cup for newbies — and your private needs — is so needed.
I wore my first cup for a little bit of over a 12 months and under no circumstances had an issue with leaking.
how normally should a menstrual cup get changed?
If we’re talking per menstrual cycle, then attempt to be eradicating your cup every twelve hours and giving it a rinse sooner than re-inserting.
Nevertheless, in reality, chances are you’ll change it additional constantly for those who ought to.
If we’re talking complete lifespan, high-quality cups like Intimina’s are manufactured from 100% medical-grade silicone and might remaining, on widespread, 10 years — as long as you’re caring for them accurately.
how should I clear my menstrual cup?
As quickly as your interval is over, it’s time to sterilize your cup and gives it an excellent scrub-a-dub-dub. Don’t concern; you don’t need one thing fancy. The only methodology to try this is with boiling water!
- Rinse your cup and guarantee it’s clear.
- Fill a small saucepan with 3 cups of water and convey it to a boil in your vary.
- Place your delicate menstrual cup inside the pot and try and stay away from having it contact the underside or sides of the pot. A method to try this is to put your cup inside a whisk to hold it away from the sides.
- Boil your cup for 5 – 8 minutes. Flip off the heat, take away your cup, and let it air dry.
biggest menstrual cup for newbies:
It might be really troublesome to know which cup goes to be wonderful for you. I’ve tried to make that different easier by breaking down the utterly completely different components of each cup so yow will uncover the best menstrual cups for newbies via Intima, which affords a ton of varied designs to go looking out your wonderful match.
ziggy:
The Ziggy Cup is a bit utterly completely different than commonplace menstrual cups on account of it’s flat in design. Sooner than I devoted to buying a reusable menstrual cup, I tried a disposable menstrual cup that’s shaped very equally.
I found this trend to be terribly cozy and wished they made a reusable mannequin of it, and I am so glad that Intimina affords this trend!
Nevertheless, the best issue about this trend is that it might be worn all through intercourse. Positive. Mess-free interval intercourse that gives you the freedom to actually really feel your self with out having to run to the restroom to remove one factor sooner than getting it on.
lily one:
The Lily One Cup is a starter cup, wonderful must you’re attempting a cup for the first time! This cup is made with Intimina’s signature delicate and versatile 100% medical-grade silicone.
It’s utterly completely different from their completely different selections in that it’s comparatively petite. It’s a number of the petite selections accessible in the marketplace and is designed notably for children or first-time interval cup wearers.
It collapses proper right into a small touring case and has a loop on the tip which is designed for simple eradicating.
lily:
The Lily Cup could be rolled as skinny as a tampon, and it’s wonderful for people who’ve a greater cervix or are trying to find heavy motion menstrual cups.
It’s extraordinarily clear and versatile, nonetheless what really items it apart is its angled kind that enhances your anatomy.
As well as they supply this cup in a compact sort that collapses proper right into a small carrying case, and every can be found two utterly completely different sizes — each A or B.
Go for A, must you haven’t given begin in any other case you gave begin by cesarean, and you have a medium motion.
Go for B, must you’ve given begin, have a weaker pelvic floor, or have a heavy motion.
can I benefit from a cup if I don’t like tampons?
I really disliked using tampons. One factor about them didn’t sit successfully with my physique chemistry, and I found them exceedingly uncomfortable.
I didn’t have any of those discomforts with using a cup. My question for you would be, why do you dislike sporting tampons?
If it’s because you’re really uncomfortable with the idea of touching your self and inserting one factor? Then a cup will not be finest for you.
If it’s because you uncover them to be really uncomfortable, unreliable, and susceptible to leakage (like I did), then a cup may go successfully for you!
menstrual cup benefits:
increased in your physique: Tampons take in 35% of your pure moisture, which could set off a pH imbalance. Tampons moreover embody plastic and should produce different toxic chemical substances in them like aluminum, alcohol, fragrance elements, and hydrocarbons.
Worst of all, tampon bleaching processes depart behind dioxin, publicity of which is expounded to endometriosis. Yuck. So in my e ebook, essential menstrual cups revenue is the effectively being facet.
increased for the setting: One Intimina cup can remaining 10 years. Which implies you’re diverting a minimal of two,880 tampons and disposable pads from the landfill. Merely think about all the belongings you’re saving!
increased in your pockets: A one time $20-$30 purchase that lasts 10 years. Compared with the $5-$10 spent on disposable merchandise for every interval, that’s over $1,000 in monetary financial savings.
one different issue I like: In no way having to run to the store at midnight on account of my interval unexpectedly started.
what are the cons of using a menstrual cup?
Correctly, it would’t administration my chocolate cravings…. fortuitously, I can purchase loads of chocolate from the bulk bins or make my favorite black bean brownies with a great deal of iron and magnesium to help my physique’s needs all through my interval.
Moreover there’s a finding out curve, which could be discouraging at first! Getting the cling of how one can use a menstrual cup can take a few cycles, nonetheless stick with it! While you get the strategy down, you’ll be in and out of the bathroom in a flash.
As well as they need to be washed/rinsed after every use, which some might uncover to be cumbersome or off putting.
faqs about how one can use a menstrual cup
what are points that make a menstrual cup supreme to utilize?
Every tampons and pads are presupposed to be modified every 4-6 hours, and a cup could be safely worn for as a lot as 12. This makes prolonged durations of journey, sitting, or working supreme for a cup! You can even’t use many various interval merchandise like interval panties and pads inside the water or all through certain sports activities actions, whereas a cup will maintain you protected all through swimming, tumbling, dancing, you determine it! This makes them the right interval product for quite a few circumstances.
what happens must you depart a cup in for longer than 12 hours?
You run the possibility of staining the cup, funky odors, and overflow factors must you maintain a cup in for too prolonged with out rinsing it out. It moreover will improve your chances of an an infection, which is not any good! Whereas it’s superior which you’ll be able to depart a interval cup in for for for much longer than a tampon, it’s biggest to not maintain one thing inside your physique for too prolonged.
can I benefit from vinegar to neutralize odors on my cup?
You might, nonetheless you need to positively rinse it SUPER completely after soaking in a 50/50 reply of water and vinegar. You don’t want any of the vinegar reply remaining for those who use it as soon as extra or it would set off irritation and throw off your pH.
I need to give an unlimited shout out and because of Intimina for sponsoring this submit!
I would like to hearken to what you think about completely different interval merchandise? Do you could have any suggestions on how one can use a menstrual cup?