Let’s face it – menstruation isn’t fun. Even if you don’t deal with overwhelming symptoms, having a period interrupts the flow (pun intended, haha) of your life. I’d been wanting to try a cup for awhile but it was too cheap to shell out $40 for the Diva Cup. During my research I discovered that there are many menstrual cups on the market and they offer different things. Regardless of the brand you use (Lena for me), you can probably relate to a few of these things.
You realize that it’s not a walk in the park. When I bought my menstrual cup I was SOLD on the positives (money saved, no more ruined underwear, no smell). So much that I was ignorant of the learning curve that was coming.
Your hands will get dirty. I didn’t realize that I had to put my hand so far up there to get the cup in a comfortable position. Sometimes you have to twist the cup to get it to pop open. At times you’ll get blood on your hand and have to try not to spread it all over the friggin toilet paper roll or anything else before you can get to the sink.
You’ll feel like you’re giving birth. Not that I know what this feels like. Your menstrual cup can and probably will drop further down your vagina when you’re on the toilet – specifically when you’re having a bowel movement. So now you’re worried about pushing the cup into the toilet. Ugh. FYI – this hasn’t happened to me. The suction on mine is strong enough to keep it from coming out, but the sensation takes some getting used to.
You’ll smile inside when you hear someone rip a pad from their panties. I actually smiled on the outside the first time I heard this sound and had my menstrual cup in. Petty? Sue me! It’s a great feeling to not have to worry about changing pads or tampons throughout the day. Menstrual cups can be worn for up to 12 hours at a time.
You might have to try more than one. I didn’t know how many options there were for menstrual cups! It makes sense though because there are variations in anatomy. Here’s a recent post I found where a few cups were compared and it’s very detailed. I was lucky enough to get a menstrual cup that worked well with my body on the first try.
You might have some urine leakage. Keep in mind that your menstrual cup is pressing against the walls of your vagina and it’s not supposed to go up very far. It’s likely that your cup will rest right behind your bladder, creating pressure that causes leakage. You can try a pantyliner and see if your body adjusts. Otherwise, you can look into menstrual cups for women with sensitive anatomies. These options are usually made with a softer silicone which should stop the leaks. Lena has one and I haven’t tried it but the reviews on it look good!
You’ll chase that first high (fit). It’s going to take a bit of practice to figure out the best folding method and placement for your cup. The first time you get it comfortably in your vagina you’ll be feeling victorious! And then when you take it out and reinsert it, you’ll be grounded again. Again it’ll probably take a few more tries before getting it back in that same spot. Again, adjusting to a menstrual park isn’t exactly a walk in the park on a sunny 60 degree day. It’s more like a hike up a hill while it’s cloudy and drizzling. Hang in there.
You’ll save money. The amount is going to depend on the feminine products that you were previously using. Based on my calculations with the pads I used, I was spending about $60 a year. At the time of this post, Lena cups are on sale for $24.90 – that’s over $35 in savings in one year for me. How long does a menstrual cup last? Well that depends on who you ask, but let’s assume that we keep them for 3 years before replacing them. That’s another $120 in savings!
I’ve used my Lena Cup for 2 cycles and feel that I’m over the awkward adjustment phase. The verdict – I don’t ever want to pull down my underwear and see a blood stained pad again. Haha!
Alex is a professional writer and digital marketing expert.