Menstrual Cup Update

If there is one soapbox that I have been standing on over the past year, it’s how a menstrual cup has made my life so. much. easier. You may remember last summer I switched from tampons to a menstrual cup. It was still fairly new to me, but since I’ve been using it for a year I have only become a bigger fan. In fact, I pretty much tell everyone. I think the thought of it really grosses people out and they’re too weirded out to try. One of my friends said, “Why fix what isn’t broken?” I get that sentiment, but in my experience switching from tampons to a menstrual cup was like switching from a perfectly good bike to a Tesla. Both get you from point A to point B… but… one’s a little bit of a smoother, quicker ride.

(If you’re thinking, what on earth is she talking about definitely give my original post a read first.)

I get emails weekly about whether or not I’m still liking it and the short answer is YES. My only regret is not trying one sooner! Having a year of using a cup under my belt and using (literally) zero tampons since converting, here are my biggest takeaways. In case you need extra convincing. 😉

LESS PLASTIC

Honestly, this was the biggest reason why I started using one. I’ve since found a handful of other benefits that keep me in the menstrual cup camp for life, but the green element is so important. US women use over seven billion plastic applicators every year. Realizing how much plastic I was tossing into the bin during my period started to really bother me.

MORE COMFORTABLE

Tampons rarely bothered me. Though occasionally I would have mild discomfort, especially if I was on the tail end of my period and still wanted to use a tampon. I love that I can use a menstrual cup any day of my period with the exact same level of comfort (i.e. I don’t feel it at all) no matter what that day’s flow is. It only took a few cycles to get the hang of proper insertion and removal and now I don’t feel a thing. Literally. In fact, since I track my period with an app, I can use the cup a day before my period starts and I’ll use it until it’s completely over, which previously would have been too uncomfortable to attempt with tampons.

I ended up switching from the Diva Cup to the Tampax cup just to try it and realized that I didn’t have the best fit possible with the Diva Cup. It was a slight difference but I had a tiny bit of leaking with the Diva Cup and the Tampax one definitely fits better so now I have zero leaks. Which is also more comfortable obviously. Every body is different so if you didn’t find one particular cup comfortable, try another.

FREEDOM

While the green element was why I started using the menstrual cup (and remains a no-brainer reason to continue), the freedom it provides is now my FAVORITE part. I can go all day long through my normal life without being held back or hindered by my period whatsoever. I don’t have to run to the bathroom to change a tampon after swimming or load my purse up with extra tampons in case I’m away from home longer than I planned. Even going to the bathroom is easier because you don’t have to worry about that damn string. The best part is simply not having to think about it besides twice a day, once in the morning and again before bed. I don’t think I realized how much I did think about my period until I made the switch.

A la Seventeen magazine’s embarrassing story section. I had to share two hilarious stories regarding my cup. (But don’t let these freak you out. I’ve had my fair share of embarrassing tampon stories too…)

– To sanitize the cup, you’re supposed to boil it for five minutes before and after every cycle. It sounds complicated but honestly, it’s pretty simple and takes, literally ten minutes a month. One night though, I FORGOT I HAD PUT IT IN THE POT. Like completely forgot until I smelled this awful burning smell. Mike came home and was like, “Why does the apartment smell like burnt plastic???” Uhhhhhh….. 🤦🏻‍♀️

– And then I had an x-ray done. While. On. My. Period. On the x-ray you can obviously see everything. The zipper on my jeans, my bones, my teeth… and my menstrual cup. I wasn’t so much embarrassed as I was dumbfounded. I hadn’t even thought about it until it showed up right there in black and white. Too funny. 😂