17 Months on a Cup: Why I Am Never Going Back

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Warning: TMI. Proceed reading, but you have been warned. :D Gentlemen, you are welcome to read, though I do not know who this will be beneficial to you. LOL

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The Epiphany

When a girl finally gets her period, she is taught to use sanitary pads. At least, that's what I know. Having had my period for around three decades, I have used pads from the beginning. I do not know what made me finally change my mind, but one day late in 2018, I suddenly started looking for alternatives.

I remember getting fed up with all the stains and discomfort every month!

During heavy days, one slight movement can mean that you may stain your clothing and bed cover. So I thought, there must be something that can be done.

A few clicks on google led me to cups!

Huh?! What cups? Apparently, there is something that is called a "menstrual cup"!

A menstrual cup, mostly made of silicone, is a small "cup" that is inserted into the vagina to catch menstrual fluid during a woman's period, unlike pads and tampons which collects it.

Whoah, insert a "cup" in my vagina and keep it there? Whew! I don't think I can't do it.

But it is interesting, that I found myself watching videos after videos of reviews and information about this cup which apparently changed many women's lives already.

To make a decision, I made a list in my mind (yeah, my mind, because I was already almost sold to the cup). Here's how the list would have looked like:

Pros
Cons
* It is reusable, hence, eco-friendly.* It is pricey at $30.
* It is comfortable, you can almost forget about it.* Learning how to use it can be a huge learning curve for some.
* Since it collects the flow, and not absorbs it, it does not smell.* It may be hard to clean in public toilets.
* Your activities can no longer be dictated by your period. You can swim, exercise, run, and do your activities as usual.
* Leak free. You can keep it in up to 12 hours.

Buying the cup.

There are a few points to consider when buying a menstrual cup. The sizing is different, based on a woman's age, and whether she has already given birth (vaginally or via c-section).

Generally, it would be - Size 1 for women under the age of 30 and has never given birth (vaginally or via c-section), and Size 2 for women over 30 years and/or has given birth (vaginally or via c-section).

So you already know my size. LOL.

Different brands can also vary in size, hence it may be useful to refer to this chart when considering what to buy.

My first time with a cup.

So, I finally bought it early in January 2019, hoping that I can use it when my period comes and start the year "right". Unfortunately, the delivery took longer than expected, and I started using it from February.

Important: Make sure to boil your cup before using it for the very first time, and each month before the start of your period.

I was so excited to finally try it! When I knew my period was already due, I tried it on, so that I can at least get the hang of it. From all the videos and reviews I watched and read, I knew that inserting the menstrual cup could be difficult for new users.

There are different suggestions on how to properly insert the cup, here are a two of the most widely used methods:

The Punch-down fold.
The C fold.

Of the two, I prefer to use the first one. It makes the tip of the cup a lot smaller!

First impressions.

  1. I could barely feel it! The very first time I tried inserting the cup, it was a breeze (but the next tries were tough). I honestly thought that given it's size, it will be uncomfortable, but it's not!
  2. It did not get lost inside. Whoah. Great. Apparently, there is nowhere for it to go past the cervix. 😅 After a few tries, I decided to cut the tip (which serves as a guide when you need to remove it, same as a string on a tampon).
  3. No leaks! There really weren't any leaks. The future looks bright, indeed.

17 months later.

Oh well, it's been a year and a half, and I am happy to have made a switch. I would say that the first few tries were not easy. There were times when I had to struggle to fit it in properly. Accidents also did happen, but it was mainly because the cup was not put in properly.

Here are some of the reasons I would never go back to using a pad, and why I think you, girl, should consider it too:

  1. It is a one-time spend of $30 (there may be some cheaper options), and it is reusable for up to 10 years! Imagine the money you would save on buying sanitary pads, and the amount of waste materials you saved Mother Earth from.
  2. I realized, how ickcy it had been, sitting on your own flow on a sanitary pad. The menstrual cup, since it collects the blood and stays inside the vagina, does not smell at all.
  3. No more leaks, no more worries. I could sleep throughout the night without worrying that I might soil the beddings. Whew! What a relief!
  4. You can keep your usual activities even on your period - exercise, run, swim, whatever.
  5. It can keep up to 30 ml of menstrual fluid, at least 3x more than a pad can absorb. You can stay worry free for up to 12 hours in a day.

These are just some of my reasons, and I am sure most ladies who have been into a cup can add a lot more to the list.

On other hand, there are some things you may also want to know before trying the menstrual cup. A few of them are:

  1. You will, definitely, have to touch yourself and get menstrual fluid on your hand. If you are squeamish, then you have to think several times.
  2. It may be difficult to clean up when in a public toilet, but odds are, you won't ever need to since you can keep it in you for 10 hours which means it can wait until you are back home.
  3. It may take time, maybe at least 4 cycles before you get the hang of using it.

I found this resource online, which you may find useful when finding more information about menstrual cups -- https://putacupinit.com/faq/

There you go! My menstrual cup journey so far. How about you, girl, have you tried using the cup, or heard about it? What are your thoughts?

I would like to hear from you.

❤️ Arlyn

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Disclaimer: The above is based on my own personal experience, and as every woman is different, I suggest you DOYR before purchasing and using a menstrual cup.

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30 comments
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Thanks for sharing your creative and inspirational post on HIVE!



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I have been contemplating on whether I should use one or not. My angle is the impact it has on the environment. No disposable pads, no trash.

I have been using reusable pads but during heavy days, I still need those commercial ones.

I am a bit skeptic because I might not know how to use it, or that it might get lost in there. Lol. But thanks to this, I'll go ahead and order one for me. 😊

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(Edited)

Hahaha. Yup, the "might-get-lost-in-there" thought. I had that too. But, no it won't. 😂 One more thing I learned, is the anatomy of our vagina. Iba Pala ang butas na labasan ng pee, sa labasan ng mens. 😂 Haha. When on a cup, you won't find stains of your mens on the pee.

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Ayy ok yan. Yan pala talaga ang nid ko. One time kasi, nasa mall kmi ng anak ko, xempre nung nag cr, kasama ko. She blurted out loud "Nanay, your pee is red!" Gusto ko nang maglaho. Hahaha. Altho, di rin naman makakapagmall sa ngayon, but still. Hahaha

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I'm planning to use that if I'll stop dmpa or injectable family Planning method. I'm not sure if you'll think that I'm lucky because I'm not experiencing monthly period or the other way around. But I have that in my shopee shopping cart. 😁

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Whenever, it will truly be worth the buy. 😉

I thought injectable are supposed to regularize your period and not get you pregnant, not stop it completely? I never used any pills or anything as such. 😅

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Before having my 3rd child. I'm using dmpa for 10 years kaya 10 years gap ng 2nd sa 3rd. 8 or 9 years po akong walang monthly period. Now po since 2019 Wala din po hanggang now.

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I've been considering for the longest time to try reusable pads and the cups but I was having second thoughts because of the hassle to clean that might come with it 😅
This helped me a lot to go ahead and try! Thank you for sharing this, Ms Arlyn!

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I only use a Himalaya gentle baby bath to wash it with, as it is soap and perfume-free. I guess it also helps that almost all toilets here have bidet so it's convenient. 😁 You can carry baby wipes with you perhaps, if ever you will have to dump and wash in a public toilet.

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Thank you for your interesting post for such a personal topic. I agree with you that this cup is a good thing and that more women should consider it.

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Thanks for dropping by! Yes, I tried to convert some friends, but they were skeptical about it. I hope they will try to consider it still.

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Ciao Arlyn! Great post - I love reading everything about women's cycles and alternative ways to work with them... Wanted to reply quickly, though this is an IMMENSE subject that I could literally talk for hours on! ;-)

I never was able to accept a 'mooncup' - my body just said no thanks - though I can certainly see the benefits in terms of less unnecessary 'waste' and in terms of being able to take our divine menstrual blood out of the water ways and return it to it's appropriate place in nourishing the land and bringing peace and equilibrium to all things (yes, long story!).

Some years ago, following years of deep work dearmouring and healing womb and cervix, I got a call like you, to stop using conventional 'sanitary' products... Do you know that most conventional product are laced with chemicals that make women and girls bleed excessively? ...even though I'd been using organic tampons for years, I had a clear call from my sacred core, to let my blood flow naturally: I now have time out completely during my bleeding time, and sit on a series of lovely red towels throughout the process.

I rinse the towels in cold water and then gift the beautiful red elixir back to the earth - it's incredible what it does for plants over the long-term - realigns them with the divine symbiosis of all things!

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Dear @clareartista, thanks for the valuable comment. I agree, not all women will be able to "get along" with the cup. I admire you for your chosen way, and the effects is has all in all with balance in nature and your well being (and earth's!). Stay well! ☺️

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Beautiful. So sad the cup was rejected.. Mine has been going for 17 years. But when I'm at home I free bleed.. much to hubbys annoyance...THERES BLOOD ON THE KITCHEN FLOOR AGAIN lol.. it's better when I bleed into my garden.

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I love hearing your story - hehe - yeh to your blood flow on the kitchen floor! :-D But it's all positive - not sad at all - that my body didn't accept a mooncup - it felt right to not put silicon inside my vagina, absolutely... And to not interrupt the flow. I have had enormous health improvements on multiple levels since I began freebleeding and returning my blood to the earth - an immense psycho-spiritual-physical transformation and release of all kinds of codependence, bondage, fearfulness and doubts... It is beautiful that we can all find our unique individual paths with our bleeding and our health :-)

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I've never felt ashamed of it. And I've free bled since I was a teenager - some intuitive part of me knew it was the right thing to do. Of course, I don't do it at work or in public, lol. I'm nearly 50, so that's some years of being proud of my flow. Dare I say I'll miss it when it goes.

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I have never heard of mentrual cups before. This is really new to me. You have opened my eyes with this new possibility. Hmmmm, I really have to think about this through as I know in my heart that sanitary pads would affect, in one way or another, our health, because of the chemicals used to keep the blood together. 😢

Thank you for this lovely article. It was worded in a way that is very easy to understand. I especially like the table of pros and cons. Thank you so much for all the efforts you have done to make this up. 👏👏👏

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Thanks for passing by, @gingbabida. I am glad I was able to reach you through this article. There are lots of videos on YT about menstrual cups, if you want more information and reviews from lots of other women. Whether you make a switch to cups or not, I think you'll find them amusing/interesting. hehe

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I do, I really do find it interesting. But it makes sense. Well, there are many of you who are successful in using it, so I think that it is not that bad! 😊

I will also go over to YT for more information about this as this is some kind of a shocking news to me. Hahaha! 😂 Anyway, thank you once again. 😊

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Do try!!!! I've had the same one for 17 years. So easy and obviously so cheap..

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Really? Know, I would definitely consider it. Thank you so much! 😍

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Lovely to see another cup experience! I wrote about my switch a while back. There definitely is a learning curve, but it is so worthwhile to put in the effort to make the change! I'm so glad women are spreading the word about different options as I grew up only knowing about the disposable pads and tampons, so I had no clue there were other ways to deal with our monthly cycle.

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Thanks for passing by, I went back your post and had a great time reading it and the comments under! I never really knew someone who was for freely bleeding until @clareartista 's comment here, and upon reading your post.

Menstruation and everything that goes with it, though very natural, is not really that widely discussed. I am thankful to have come across the cup, it is life changer for me, and I hope more women get to know about it and at least try to consider it too.

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It really is crazy what a taboo topic it still is these days. Makes me so happy to have this platform to share my story and connect with others to learn from theirs! By us being open about it more women will learn and have so many more options that are not only more natural to our own bodies, but to help create less waste for the planet.

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i am actually really, really considering getting one, but it's iskeriii!!!!!

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(Edited)

Eskerii at first, but once you're past that, it is beautiful. 😊 Watch videos! It definitely helped me. Haha

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Great post! I use the same cup too. And, have been for more years thank i can remember! Lol. Though, for me i couldn't stand the tip thingy eventhough i did trim it. My sister came up with the idea to flip the cup inside out and it's waaaaaaaay better for me. Happy Monthly Moontime ❤🎶✌🏼

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Whoa! The tip! I'm using a Diva cup, and I think it is longer than most cups. The first time I used it, the tip was so bothersome, I cut it off. I also tried the inside-out, to make it shorter. Nowadays, I use it as it is.

Thanks for passing by!

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Reblogging as cups are the best. 17 years nd counting ON SAME CUP. Serious. And men DO need to read it.. so they can talk their loved other into it!!! An important post. I fail to see why tampons are even an option.

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Woaaah I am more curious about it. I will try to ask my circles if anyone are using it.

We really put it inside? No part can be touched outside? Or just the tip?

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