I thought I'd do something a little different for this post. If you have been reading my blog for a few months, you'll remember that I created a post about different types of menstrual products available, other than regular towels and tampons. (Click here to read)
Let me start off my saying if periods or period products freak you out, you might just want to go ahead and click that back button. I'm going to get right into the nitty gritty of this stuff!
After becoming more aware of the products available in the "RUMP" market, I decided hey, what the hell, lets give them a go. I purchased my first ever cloth pad and menstrual cup from Feminine Wear (link) and couldn't wait to receive my package. It arrived around 3 days after ordering, which is extremely fast service and the lady who sent my package was an absolute delight to speak to.
I ordered a small MeLuna and also a pantyliner pad as I never really tend to have heavy periods (if anything they're always like spotting!) and low and behold, my period started literally the day after receiving the products - talk about timing! I was so excited (I don't know if that's the right word..) to try these products out, so firstly, I had a good read through all of the information I'd received with my menstrual cup. (I'll do a separate post on the pad, as I also plan on getting more!)
Im not sure if you can read the information on the leaflet, but these are actually really helpful to have at hand if needs be. The first foldout leaflet is basically giving you information on why cups are beneficial, how to insert and remove your cup, different types of folds and also how to clean and maintain after using. Also, the bright yellow sticker is Feminine Wear's contact details, but the website is already bookmarked for future purchases!
The second little card that I received is a period calendar, something I've never really thought about doing before if I'm being honest! The front side of the card has a couple of illustrations on different folds, the back being the calendar.
So, what does this cup look like, you may be asking?
Yes, this is my actual menstrual cup. That's been inside me (...oh.) with menstrual blood inside it. As you can see...it hasn't stained at all, which is something I was really worried about (hence getting purple, darker colour means less staining right?!).
The first thing I want to say is the first time you try these out, don't be discouraged if it doesn't open fully the first time or it doesn't feel right, it took me a couple of attempts to get the rim to open fully and to sit right. However when I did, it felt like nothing was there at all. Luckily, I'd managed to get it to fit right without any leakages for my first period, which is something I was really happy about.
Now let's compare how I feel using this, with how I felt using tampons. I've used tampons on and off since I was about 17 and have always found them to be so uncomfortable in a number of ways. They always leave me feeling a little "dry" down there once I've taken them out, something I've never really gotten used to over time. Also, I'm constantly aware that I have a tampon in, the string dangling down and also the feeling of the tampon inside of me. Now before you even say "well it probably wasn't in right then"...they have been, I've been using them for years so I think I know how to put a tampon in! However, my first period using my menstrual cup was the most comfortable I've ever had, purely for the fact I knew I didn't have to worry about changing/emptying this as often as I would do with a tampon.
The one thing that did worry me is the capacity - I've never really been able to judge just how much menstrual fluid I lose. I know it's not something you really think about, but I've always been curious to see. This little thing didn't feel like it'd be enough (even for spotting!) but my god - was I wrong. I'd say the first and second days are the heaviest of my "period" - I use that term lightly as I said previously, they only tend to be like heavy spotting not actual period flow - but when I came to change this after a full day at work, I had barely even filled the cup. You could argue that it wasn't a heavy day, you could argue that I could have started then stopped my period but when I have bad cramping, I know it'll be a heavy period (which I had at the start of this!).
I'm not going to pretend like this doesn't come without it's flaws - it's very weird to get used to at first and yes, it does take a bit of practice inserting, and removing for that matter. Loosening the suction in order to remove the cup is one of the strangest sensations I've ever experienced, as was removing the cup and disposing of my "fluid". Actually no, disposing wasn't that bad as you literally tip it down the toilet, there's no trying to fit it back in packaging or wrapping it up in toilet paper like there is with a tampon! However, I do feel like if you were out and about, doing this in public toilets could be a little more difficult, unless you either use a disabled toilet (if you have access) with a sink in it, or you have a bottle of water to rinse the cup out with before reinserting. I have read that you can wipe it over with toilet paper but I'm really not keen on that in case it leaves fibres on the cup!
My honest opinion? I actually really like this. I never thought I'd say it. It's definitely something I'm going to continue to use, as this is the most comfortable period I've ever had. I'm not even saying that either, my cramps seem to had settled a lot quicker and my period (for what I can see) seemed a little lighter, but that could be down to the fact I didn't have to change or empty my cup that often as you can leave them in for longer unlike tampons.
If you're thinking of giving them a go, there's plenty of range out there to suit all budgets. I'm going to have a look into getting a slightly larger cup as I feel like this is only suitable for me if I'm having a light day, I wouldn't be able to use it if I had a full blown period. Don't be put off if things go wrong the first time, it's all about learning to get it in right and putting your mind at ease. Although these are quite different and definitely have created a divided opinion, they surely are something to keep in mind if you want to explore different options whilst on your period.
♥
