The “cup” or menstrual cup is a subject that appears more and more on the web and sometimes unleashes the passions.
It’s been a while since I wanted to talk about this little feminine accessory. However, talking about periods is still a bit tricky in our society when it shouldn’t be. We still see how the woman body and her sex remain borrowed from mystery, a veil that is not desirable to lift. And what about menstruations! Hormones, blood, pain…This body which encumbers and which we don’t want and of which we don’t speak about.
Yet woman is a cyclic being and her menstrual cycle is part of her nature. Nature that we should more listen and understand in order to live with harmony and softness with her. The body takes on something sacred and magical and taking care of it also passes by accepting what can be perceived as a “down side”.
It would be lying to say that I did not have this feeling of “embarrasing body”, to live painfully my periods. I always hated to have to walk with hygienic protections in my bag. We have all experienced some annoying moments from the psychedelic color of periods protection packaging that everyone will see, to ask the girlfriend to help us out, to be afraid of a leak, odors,…I’ll pass on these Imperishable memories!
And then, five years ago, I discovered the “cup”. Did not ask me how I got to know it, I don’t remember. Maybe I read or heard about it. In any case, this new hygienic protection was still at its premises and was not available in stores or pharmacies like today. The idea immediately seduced me and I wanted to try it out! This experience has definitely changed my life as a woman and how I apprehend my body and its cycles.
The menstrual cup, what is it?
The menstrual cut is a hygienic protection that will be used in place of the traditional periodical protections (tampons, pads) during menstruation. It looks like a small funnel generally endowed with a stem to catch and remove it more easily. The menstrual cup is manufactured mostly in silicone and has been validated by the medical profession. It measures between 40 and 60 millimeters (depending on the brand and the size you choose).
Menstrual cups have a lifetime of several years. The average is between 5 and 10 years. The main concern to have is if the silicone gets altered. If the material does not move and you maintain it properly, your cup will follow you for a long time.
NB: If the menstrual cup changes color, everything is normal. By dint of being in contact with the menstrual flow and this despite the washes, the silicone is dyed (reddish color, brown). Certainly, this is not very pretty but does not alter in any way the effectiveness of the cup.
How to use the menstrual cup?
The menstrual cup is positioned in the vagina and collects the menstrual flow. It should be emptied every 12 hours maximum and cleaned with care (rinse with cold water in the best case if you do not have access to it, wipe it with toilet paper or tissue exceptionally) before being reinserted.
It is necessary to sterilize it in order to ensure good hygiene of the menstrual cup. At the end of the cycle, thoroughly rinse the cup and boil the cup for 3 to 5 minutes (usually no more than 7 minutes) in a small saucepan (dedicated or not to the sterilization of the menstrual cup). Once the time has elapsed, remove the cup from the pan and let it dry in the open air. It is then best to store it away from light in a small cloth pocket between two uses.
How to choose your menstrual cup?
Five years ago, there were not all the brands that are available today. My choice was Fleurcup because its manufacture was French and the brand existed at the time.
Besides the forms that can lightly be different up to even be foldable like the LilyCup (tested during holiday and this format is even more practical!). The choice of the size is the most important. Novice and having the impression of having a large flow, I had ordered a pack with a small and a large cup. Upon arrival, I never tried the big one because I found it too large!
The choice of size therefore depends on your flow. Size may also depend on whether one has already given birth.
Depending on brands, you have color options. Your choice can also be made according to where the product is made (France, Europe, etc.).
My experience and my opinion on the cup
The beginnings are a bit hesitant – like the first times with a tampon. You have to have some training to find the best way to insert and remove it. Now I know in a flash if it is well positioned. This is specific to each woman and sometimes requires few tests.
Using the cup asks to go beyond “it’s dirty”, “yerk”, “I do not want to touch my body.” Personally, as the uses have progressed, I have learned to know more about my body and its cycle (which remains “artificial” since I am on the pill). I noticed as I said earlier that my flow was not as important as I thought. It happened once to fill the cup and I felt a very subtle difference in the weight of the cup. In general, I forget it completely (which can sometimes cause me a quarter of a second of quite hilarious panic when I’m already far from home to ask me if I have my cup!).
I find that the cup is ultra reliable (no leak) – even at night and above all, as the blood is protected from the air, it naturally avoids “unpleasant” odors.
It’s a comfortable protection – as I said, I forget it completely. I continue to live in the same way with and in particular to exercise. I was able to test it on fitness classes, zumba, etc. She resists and keeps her promises!
I swear by it. Thanks to this hygienic protection, I feel even more free than before. I’m living in a much better way this period of the month and at no time, I regret to have taken the plunge.
The bonus of the cup
- More comfort: unlike tampons, the cup absorbs the menstrual flow without drying the vaginal flora. This really changes the life and balance of the vaginal balance.
- More economical: a woman uses nearly 12,000 tampons or pads in her life (about 2,400 €!) Whereas it would take about 3/4 menstrual cups instead (maximum 100 €).
- More ecological: in addition of all that savings, the menstrual cup is a plus for the planet. This reduces our waste in addition to the environmental impact of the materials used in the manufacture of periodic protections.
