EVERYONE knows that a womans period can be an extremely stressful time during the month.
Cramps, headaches, crazy moods and cravings not to mention the overall fuss with pads, and tampons. Today I'm going to write about something I've begun using over the past couple of months which has definitely made periods a little less stressful for me.
Menstrual Cups.
I'm not sure what the level of popularity is like on menstrual cups , but the menstrual cup comes in various brands including the Diva cup, the Lena Cup and here in the Caribbean we have the Twistie On-The-Go. These cups are all of the same basic concept. It's a product that is inserted into the vagina during menstruation usually made from a type of medical grade silicone, usually shaped like a bell with a stem. This bell shaped design cup, caters directly to the original purpose of the cup which was to allow for leak free period experiences.
Upon insertion, the cup seals against the vaginal wall just below the cervix. Menstrual cups can be worn up to 12 hours, without the worry of toxic shock syndrome unlike tampons. The TSS risk is significantly lower because of the absence of chemicals etc present in tampons, and because the cup collects the blood rather than seeking to absorb it. Every 4–12 hours (depending on the amount of flow), the cup is removed, emptied, rinsed, and reinserted and after each period, should then be boiled/sterilized for 5-15 minutes and stored in a cotton bag for use the next month.
Now, I personally LOVE menstrual cups. But some women are skeptical about using the cup. I get things like...
"Oh a cup in there, that looks huge?? That must be uncomfortable."
- A menstrual cup is not uncomfortable what-so-ever, you cannot even feel it after it's been inserted correctly.
"I'm not putting a cup in my vagina to make me lose my virginity"
- Putting a menstrual cup in your vagina does not mean you are no longer a virgin...
"What if it gets stuck?"
- Babygirl, I can guarantee, unless you go and push something else behind your mentrual cup, there is absolutely no reason why it should not be able to remove. Just like a tampon.
For me the pros on having a menstrual cup definitely make it worth it for the following reasons.
1) I no longer have to purchase sanitary napkins or tampons every month. So I'm saving money to buy other things that I want. (Makeup and FOOD!!)
2) It's eco friendly!! I cannot stress enough, we need to be more concerned about our environment. Since using the cup, the amount of garbage accumulated while being on my period is significantly less.
3) I don't have to be making constant trips to the bathroom to change. I have more time to be productive or I just don't have to get out of that comfortable position I finally found to stop the cramps. Rather than being concerned about whether I'm going to have a leak I can go about my day confidently. Also at nights, I have less anxiety about sleeping and having a spill, or needing to remember to make a change due to heavy flow, in the middle of the night.
4) Significantly less odor dealing with my period due to the fact that the menstrual blood does not oxidize. The menstrual cup has an air tight seal once inserted.
5) I have a better understanding of my flow and menstrual health, it's comforting to know that it's easier for me to determine if something is out of the ordinary.
6) No More Wet Diaper Feeling! Personally, I didn't care how fresh the pad was. It feels like a diaper. Plus I like to wear leggings, I would feel self conscious like "Can they see my pad?"
Always asking a girlfriend "You could see my pad?"
7) I am not tossing out underwears and buying new ones or constantly scrubbing to remove blood stains.
Like all things, using a menstrual cup is a learning curve. You will have to determine things like which cup size and which insertion technique is best for you. For me after beginning to use the cup my 1st period I was leak free, by my 2nd period I was an insertion master and by my 3rd period, I was an expert on knowing what times to empty and rinse. Now I definitely know works best for me.
For my menstrual cup I've used the Twistie On-The-Go and I've recently got the Diva cup just to try to see if there's any real difference between the two. They are both made from medical grade silicone and generally retail around the same price. If you guys like the menstrual cup talk I can update on that and disposable menstrual cups in another blog!
Here ends my blog today!!!
My quote of the blog is menstruation themed of course from the movie Clueless. “Mr.Hall, I was surfing the crimson wave. I had to haul ass to the ladies!"
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Thanks and catch up in the next blog!
Ciao!
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