MENSTRUAL CUPS – OVERCOMING THE BEGINNER’S HASSLES

Menstrual Cups have taken the internet by storm. With multiple companies rolling out different types of menstrual cups and celebrities endorsing them, I am sure you have come across the basics of menstrual cups. I have been using them for a year now and though initially I faced quite a few problems, now I am extremely relieved that I have them.

Assuming that you have a basic idea about Menstrual Cups, in this post I’ll write about the problems I faced while I switched to Cups and how I tackled them. This is aimed at the beginners and the ones a hairline away from taking the big leap into using the cups.

WHY YOU SHOULD SWITCH TO THE CUP

1. No Leakage – Once you really know how to use it (You will know eventually), there is no chance it’ll leak! And that is the dream! No washing stained clothes, panties or bed sheets!
2. No Rashes – Moist pads do a lot of harm to the skin. At least I had a hard time with them!
3. No hassles of disposing Napkins or Tampons – You simply empty the cup, rinse it and insert.
4. Once inserted, you wouldn’t feel a thing there. You could go about doing any activity (subject to cramps) including swimming!

Menstrual Cups really do make life easier. Before cups, my visit to the washroom and the sight of blood in the toilet bowl were all painful reminders of the cycle and the cramps. But now it is mess free mentally and physically.

THE HASSLES I FACED WHILE SWITCHING TO MENSTRUAL CUPS

Will You Face Beginners Hassles? YES! Let me walk you through how hard it was for me in the beginning and how I overcame them. These happen in very rare cases as most people I know have adapted wuickly to cups.

My Fear: The Cup Would Get Lost Inside – Blame it on my lack of knowledge of anatomy, I feared that I’ll never be able to get the cup out and that I’ll need an operation. So I inserted with so much fear and checked every 5 minutes if I could get the cup out! Trust me! That’s painful and pointless. The cup will not get lost inside your vagina. More importantly, any fear will only make it worse for you.

Pain During Insertion – There are articles on various ways in which you could fold the cup to insert it. You need to try them to understand which suits you the best. But for me, inserting was painful every single time partly because of my fears and partly because I was shoving the cup up my vagina! Whenever you insert it, ensure that you are relaxed, take slow, deep breaths and carefully insert the cup. Take your time, contract and expand your muscles gradually so that the cup can maneuver its way through. If inserted slowly, it will not be painful.

It Never Opened – The next worst and the biggest problem I faced was that the menstrual cup almost never popped open causing leakages. It depends upon your body, the cup and the placement of the cervix. But it also depends on the way you fold the cup. When you fold it, don’t make it compact thinking it will enter easily. Instead, fold it loosely trapping some air within. If you’ve enough air inside the cup, once it fully enters the vagina, it will definitely open.

In those rare cases that it doesn’t, you can try the following:

• Insert the cup and turn it around to see if it opens easily in a better angle.
• Instead of inserting straight up, insert diagonally (just a slight tilt) towards the back of your body.
• Give the bottom of the cup a pinch.
• Insert your finger and move around the sides to help open.

Sterilizing the Cup – I was in a Hostel/PG when I started using the cup. Even if I were at home, I really couldn’t parade the cup into the Kitchen for hygiene reasons and sterilize it in boiling water. Hence I would boil the water separately and pour it in a vessel dedicated for sterilizing the cup and immerse the cup in it for 10-15 minutes.

GO ORDER THAT MENSTRUAL CUP NOW!

Most people get the hang of it in a jiffy and cannot live without the menstrual cup once they do. But you wouldn’t know unless you start using it right? So stop thinking and take the leap. Place the order. Let it come! Try it! The hassles you would face could be sorted out one by one. Besides, you can always switch back to a tampon or a napkin if you don’t like it. It’s that simple!
This is the best thing you can give yourself as a woman. This is the best thing you can do for the women in your life! Make the switch.

PS – I am not writing this as a part of promotion for any brand, but because I am a writer who wants to add value to my readers. If you have any more question about the Menstrual cup, please drop them in the comments. If you want me to write anymore posts on any related topic, again please let me know through the comments.