Category : Health

16 posts

I’m surprised (yet totally not surprised…) to say I’ve never written a blog post about fitness!

I hated fitness and any type of physical exertion my entire life. Physical Education class was my LEAST favorite and boy was I elated during my junior and senior year when it was no longer mandatory! It wasn’t until the last few years that I tried to be more active so I could have a healthier lifestyle.

I still haven’t picked up any sports that I enjoy but I do love hiking and going on walks, so I try to do that any chance I get. Especially with coronavirus and having to quarantine, going on my daily walks around the neighborhood for a few miles really positively elevates my mood and mind. The fresh air and sunshine just make me feel a lot better.

I’ve also dabbled in pilates workouts for the last few years. However, I didn’t get serious about it until the last few months due to COVID-19. Now I try to workout every single day and do about 40-60 min. I’ve always been a huge fan of Blogilates; Cassey is really encouraging and her calendar gives me enough structure.

I also discovered Chloe Ting’s workouts and did her 28 day flat tummy challenge. I honestly think that was just what I needed to dive deeper into my fitness journey because prior to that, I couldn’t commit as seriously to the Blogilates monthly calendars. My body just wasn’t strong enough for me to power through all of her harder workouts, so I didn’t feel as motivated to do all of them. But, after completing the Chloe Ting challenge, I actually do feel a lot stronger and can power through so many more pilates moves than before.

I think Chloe’s workouts are really intense yet still “easier.” You get stronger and actually feel your progress pretty quickly, which motivates you to continue through to the end. I thank Blogilates for learning good form because unfortunately Chloe doesn’t have great form, but if you can learn the fundamentals of good form elsewhere that shouldn’t be a problem. And regardless of form, Chloe’s workouts are perfect for someone who isn’t used to working out or pushing their body.

I feel so much stronger nowadays and I feel happier in general. I’ve always had a mild bit of body dysmorphia and felt “fat” even if my BMI was on the lower end of normal, so once I actually did gain a bit of extra weight (happy relationship weight they call it), I felt even worse. Always looked down at my stomach and felt unhappy. Being more fit in general lessened my displeasure in appearance but it also just makes me feel so much more confident and healthier.

Here are a few general goals of mine:

  1. Drinking more water (at least 8 cups or 64 oz a day)
  2. Sleeping more (at least 7-8 hours a day)
  3. Stretching more
  4. Eat more fruits and veggies
  5. Walking for a few miles every day & doing home workouts

I’ve been making a green smoothie to drink almost every day as an easy and delicious way to get more greens in my body. It’s so yummy!!! I’ll have to post a recipe sometime later.

It’s funny to say because I never thought I’d get there but I’m finally “old” and my metabolism is really slow nowadays. You always hear people talking about how their bodies aren’t like they used to be and in your youth you laugh and think about how great it is you can eat some deep fried twinkies with no consequences! Haha. Now I know I can’t eat anything and everything I want anymore. It’s all about moderation. I still love food so I like to indulge sparingly or eat good stuff in moderation. I just want to live a healthier life so I can look better, feel better, and live better.

I’ve switched over to using menstrual cups instead of pads and tampons. Here are the things I love about it, and why you might love it too!

  1. Less environmental waste! The menstrual cup is a reusable medical grade item. It’s insane to think about how much waste in tampons and pads I’ve had within my lifetime so far.
  2. I don’t have to spend money on any more menstrual products!!! I no longer have to purchase any pads or tampons (I still have a lot of extras from before my menstrual cup).
  3. No more “wet diaper” sensations with wearing a pad.
  4. I’m no longer wondering in a panic if it’s too late or too soon to change my pad/tampon. The cup gives me more leeway (anywhere from 5 to 12 hours depending on how heavy my flow is), which completely beats having to worry about a pad/tampon every hour or two.
  5. I don’t have to worry about TSS as much as I would with a tampon (tampons recommend 8 hours of wear max). That means I don’t have to jump out of bed and rush to the bathroom if I want to stay in bed longer.
  6. No more pulling out a scratchy and dry tampon if I end up removing it too soon before it’s saturated with blood. That can actually cause micro-abrasions in your vagina.
  7. It doesn’t dry me out like a tampon does, since the menstrual cup collects blood from the cervix rather than absorbing it (tampons also absorb your vaginal secretions as well!). I didn’t realize we have vaginal secretions along the walls too…I used to think everything came from up the cervix!
  8. I don’t have to worry about frequent leaking. I only leak when my cup is full.
  9. I don’t have to waddle in the shower trying to avoid blood dripping before I dry off and put on underwear (I don’t like wearing tampons when I shower).
  10. On that same note, I don’t have to deal with finishing my shower, turning off the water, and then having to turn the water on again to rinse off the blood on my legs because I coincidentally started bleeding again before I could step out of the shower. So annoying!
  11. I no longer have to wear a giant overnight pad with a backup towel underneath.
  12. No more packing a purse full of pads & tampons and tucking a few extra in my coat for good measure.
  13. If I have to travel, I no longer have to bring a huge stash of pads/tampons “just in case” in my luggage.
  14. I no longer have a stinky trashcan full of used menstrual products.
  15. Less toilet paper usage in the bathroom during my period. It’s extremely clean (aka no blood when I wipe) unless I have to empty my cup (which in that case, I can just rinse everything off with water. No excess TP needed).
  16. No more “period smell” (even after showering) due to my private bits sitting in blood for hours.
  17. Less toxic for my body. I don’t have to worry about pads or tampons, which are normally treated with bleach, chemicals, etc.
  18. I’m more comfortable during my period since I don’t feel like I’m wearing a diaper with a pad or have to tuck away a tampon string.
  19. I can gather extremely specific details about my period if needed…my cup has measurement lines to see how many ounces or milliliters I’m bleeding. I can also see the consistency (liquid vs clotting) of my blood.
  20. The sense of camaraderie and empowerment within the menstrual cup community is amazing. Everyone is just so supportive. Everyone wants you to be successful (so many people are willing to help you troubleshoot and get it right) and encourages you to be confident with your body & period! Once you get into the cup life, it’s super exciting and you just want to tell everyone about it!

Other posts in my menstrual cup series: My First Dive Into Menstrual CupsMenstrual Cup Guide and Tips, Menstrual Cup Reviews: Ultucup Is My Winner!

A menstrual cup is a reusable product that is typically made of medical-grade silicone and catches menstrual blood inside instead of absorbing it like a tampon or pad.

Ultucup

It was a long journey of initial failure but I have finally found my holy grail, my goldilocks cup! I purchased the Ultucup, which can also be found under other companies such as: Casco, Green Cup of Maine, Hesta, Mahina, V-Cup, EverCup, etc. Apparently Casco Bay Molding is the main manufacturer and sells the cups to different private companies.

Thank the heavens I finally found this cup!!!

I purchased 4 other menstrual cups that just didn’t work for me. My first cup was the Saalt soft cup. I tried the Peachlife soft cup due to its ringed stem. I tried both sizes of the Lily cup (both sizes). I purchased all of these cups with my own money in my quest for the perfect one that would work for me. Here are my thoughts on each cup:

Saalt is just way too short for my super high cervix. It led to some slightly traumatic times in the bathroom with me trying desperately to remove it. I had no idea my cervix was so high up; this is key finding in determining what cup would work best. I also had a lot of trouble getting the Saalt soft cup to open up upon insertion. I will say the quality of the cup itself was very good and their customer support & Facebook support group is extremely wonderful. You do feel like you have a support team with you every step of the way.

Peachlife has an awesome ring as the stem which made removal leagues easier. It gives you something to easily grab at. However, due to the firmness and shape of the cup (I chose their softest cup), my urine flow was completely obstructed when I tested out the cup. That really scared me so I didn’t attempt it again. The thought of having to remove and insert with every single pee break seemed a huge hassle. This cup was questionable in my opinion since it is not registered with the FDA. It’s cheaper than other cups. I originally decided to give it a try since there was even a 40% discount on top of the reasonable price due to COVID-19. It was basically $12 including shipping so at least I didn’t feel like I lost much. Regular pricing is about $20.

Lily cup is honestly the best designed and quality cup out of all the cups I’ve tried. The quality of the silicone feels extremely premium – velvety and smooth to touch. Very soft in terms of firmness so it’s extremely comfortable to insert. Unfortunately, because it is so soft, I think that caused issues for me in terms of the cup failing to open up properly after insertion and leaking. The long length was extremely helpful for my anatomy and the hefty stem makes it more sturdy for gripping & removal. I just couldn’t get the cup to work (likely issues w/ the cup fully opening up). I purchased both size A and size B, but unfortunately I still had to wear pads to catch half of my flow, which defeated the purpose of using a cup.

Enter the Ultucup! Not quite as long as the Lily but long enough so that when I bear down with my pelvic muscles, the cup is within reach. The silicone feels like high quality. The cup is not as soft as the Lily but still softer than the other cups in my opinion. Its firmness is perfect to keep it comfortable but still open up easily after insertion. The shape fits my anatomy well since it is narrow and long.

The stem does not aid too much in removal and acts more as a guide, since it is a very small, smooth nub. However, that also makes the cup more comfortable for me, especially if the cup tilts inside of me and causes the stem to poke at an angle. I guess I’m tilted down there because the stem often points to my right side! With the smooth nub, it’s not a problem at all. The things you learn about yourself, haha.

The 4 air holes are a great size: not too big and not too small (smaller is harder to clean).

The rim helps create a good seal but it (personally) doesn’t create any discomfort or impede on urine flow.

There are no seams in the silicone that would cause any discomfort or irritation.

Last time I checked, the Ultucup company has a 3 cycle guarantee where if it doesn’t work for you, you’ll be able to get a refund! That was initially what sealed the deal for me since it felt like I wasn’t going to sink more money into failed cups.

I highly recommend the Ultucup to those who have a high cervix and have had issues with other cups. The Ultucup is the perfect middle ground between a cup that’s too short or too long, and a cup that’s too stiff or too soft.

Other related posts in my menstrual cup series: My Menstrual Cup Experience & Tips

Here is a VERY long and extensive dive into my experience with menstrual cups, including all the tips and tricks I wish I could have gotten all in one place. I hope that this will help somebody! :)

Choosing a Cup | Cleaning Before Using | Insertion | Dealing With Residual Blood | When to Empty Cup | Peeing or Pooping with a Cup | Removing Your Cup | Cleaning Your Cup and Removing Stains

Choosing a Cup

When you are choosing a cup, it’s super helpful to take some quizzes to get an idea of which cup may work best for you. There’s one from Menstrual Cup Reviews and one from Put a Cup In It. You will want to measure how high your cervix is. This is something I didn’t put too much emphasis into when I first started and I wish I did because it would have saved me time and frustration (and trauma lol). My cervix is too high for me to reach, so I have a very high cervix. I originally thought I just didn’t know what I was doing or how to find it, so I just went with the assumption that I had an “average” height. If you have a low or a high cervix, this will cause a LOT of problems if your cup is not the right size for you. You will end up having to experiment with different cups to find something that will work for you.

The two websites I mentioned previously are totally golden resources to help you in your quest to find the right cup. I spent lots of time on there, comparing and researching about different cups and what would work better for me. Make sure you search around for any promo codes and discounts before purchasing a cup to save some money.

If at any point you are having trouble, there are Facebook groups (for example, the Put a Cup In It group) with lots of people who are happy to answer questions and offer advice! I would definitely recommend joining those groups.

Cleaning Your Cup Before Using

How to clean the cup before using it? Per instructions of most cups, boiling (a rolling boil for 5 min) is probably the best way to sanitize the cup. You may also choose to clean with mild soap (no scent, no anti-bacterial – to avoid yeast infections, etc) and water. There are also intimate washes that are supposed to be pH balanced that you can purchase. As an alternative, there are menstrual cup steamers available online as well.

I personally like to keep it simple with just boiling and soap. Make sure you wash your hands with a mild, non-scented soap as well.

Inserting the Cup

Next, the most important tip for cup insertion is to relax. Tensing up prevents anything from entering. You want to try it when you have all the time in the world and no pressure. Ease the cup in nice and slowly, while pushing your muscles slightly (as if you were going to pass gas haha) to allow the cup in. I highly recommend lube to help guide it in easily and painlessly. Water is better than nothing, but not as smooth as lube. If you do use lube, I recommend folding the cup first, then putting a little bit at the tip and maybe along any large bulges. If you lube up the entire cup, it may be too slippery and difficult to handle.

People commonly advise you to “angle it upwards back towards your tailbone.” Depending on the cup and your positioning, it may or may not work. Someone gave me the advice of inserting the cup horizontally to the floor, straight back to your butt, and that was what did the trick for me.

I prefer sitting on the toilet with legs wide open. Some people prefer standing with one foot propped up, squatting on the floor, sitting on the toilet with one foot propped up, or maybe even lying down. You’ll have to try different positions to see what works best for you.

Make sure you have a tight grip on the cup at all times (two hands may be necessary) because it is frustrating and uncomfortable to have the cup spring open too early. We call it the urethra or vagina slap. -_-

Try different folds to see what works for you. The most popular folds that tend to work are: the C-fold, punch-down fold, 7 or triangle fold, and double diamond fold. Whichever portion of the fold is supposed to open up, I would recommend pointing that down to the floor when inserting. Pointing it upwards runs the risk of the cup opening up prematurely and hitting you in the urethra (ouch). Also, the backside of your vagina is easier for the cup to open up because the frontside has your pubic bone in the way.

Speaking of the pubic bone, you want to make sure the cup is able to open past the pubic bone. So this may involve you pushing the cup further up to give it some room, and pulling it back down into place. Doing this with a twisting motion of the cup is also helpful in getting it to open. If you poke around at the base of the cup, you may feel the cup open up. You can try placing a finger inside and running it around the cup to see if there are any folds. Once you think it’s open and in place, do some kegels to make sure the cup is open. This video was extremely helpful for me!!!

I personally could not feel the cup opening up with a softer cup. With a medium firmness cup, I actually could feel it either suctioning or a slight uncomfortable pop inside of me. Sometimes it can open up during your maneuvering of the cup, and sometimes it could be a few minutes after when you’re already continuing on with your day. It’s not painful for me personally, but it is uncomfortable…the bright side is I know the cup is open for sure. :D

If you cannot get your cup to open despite a ton of troubleshooting, you may need to get a firmer cup. The firmer the cup, the easier it is for it to pop open into place.

Dealing with Residual Blood

If you already have pads at home, I would recommend continuing to use it in conjunction with your cup while you’re first getting used to it. You want to catch any leaks and see how much (if any) you’re leaking so that you can figure out adjusting your cup properly. Remember that the cup will catch any new blood flow, but not blood that is already in your canal. So if you’ve already started bleeding and you inserted the cup afterwards, you may have residual blood that leaks later on, which is normal. Or, if removal was messy while you were emptying your cup, there may be residual blood left in the canal when you re-insert the cup back in. One tip is to use a finger to swipe any residual blood in the vagina, rinse it under tap water, and repeat until clean. You could also just try wiping with a wet napkin, etc.

Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, you can choose to go free with bare, regular underwear, or you can choose to wear period underwear as a backup. I chose period underwear because you just never know if you’ll overflow or have a random leaking accident. It’s nice to have that peace of mind. I totally recommend Bambody period underwear. They have a leakproof pair that’s great for lighter days, and a more absorbent one for heavier days. I have both and love not having to ruin underwear or wear backup liners anymore! I highly recommend sizing up by 1 size if you want to be comfortable as they are pretty tight around the leg holes. If you prefer a snug fit for more security against leakage, you may want to stick with your usual size.

When to Empty the Cup

The cup is supposed to be safe to use for up to 12 hours, but when you need to empty is dependent on the individual. I have an extremely heavy flow, so I had to use a higher capacity cup and even then still empty it in about 5 hours during my heaviest time. Interestingly, I started feeling a strange “bubbling” feeling down there before I started leaking a bit and I knew I had to empty my cup. Later into my cycle, I would get lighter and only need to empty every 10-12 hours.

Most cup manufacturers recommend removing at least every 12 hours regardless of your flow so that you can clean the cup and reduce the risk for infection. The risk for toxic shock syndrome is lower with a cup than a tampon but that doesn’t mean the risk has been eliminated; it’s still there. So don’t let your cup brew in there for too long!

Peeing or Pooping With Your Cup

Can you pee or poop with a menstrual cup inside of you? The short answer is yes! However, some people may have trouble with it. The good news is you can troubleshoot to solve this problem.

If it feels like you have to urinate all the time despite not actually having to go, that means the cup may be pushing along the bladder or urethra. Others may find their urine flow is weaker/slower or they can’t push urine out at all when wearing the cup. Try repositioning the cup higher or lower and see if that helps. If that does not help, the cup may be too firm. You’ll want to consult with a menstrual cup chart and choose a new cup that is less firm.

Likewise with bowel movements, if you feel like you cannot easily poop with the cup in, you’ll want to take it out and put it back in after. Some people find that pooping actually pushes their cup out (it’s the same muscle movement that helps us remove the cup after all) and they will also need to remove their cup during bowel movements.

Removing Your Cup

All right, home stretch! Now for removal tips! Squatting on the floor with your heels pressed down, frogger style seems to be the best way to naturally position your cup closer towards your vaginal opening. I think that’s the best way to start out learning how to remove the cup.

After I got the hang of it, I started getting used to removing with my legs spread wide on the toilet because 1) no mess to clean up if there’s spillage over the toilet and 2) being able to remove on the toilet means I’ll be able to do removal in public bathrooms. Our American bathroom stalls are terrible since the doors are not flush against the walls, leaving large cracks people can see through, and the walls/doors do not come down all the way to the floor…meaning if you were to squat in a public bathroom to remove your cup, everyone else would see all your goods as well lol.

I learned that the best way to remove a cup is to bear down (which is using the same muscles to push as if you were pooping or passing silent but deadly farts ;)), while keeping your mouth and throat open (like when you’re blowing hot air out of your mouth onto a window to fog it up). Supposedly that relieves the pressure so that it protects your pelvic floor when removing a cup that has a tight seal. I personally need to wiggle the bottom of the cup (with the grip rings) side to side and down until I can reach a little farther up the cup. Then I pinch the cup between my thumb and index finger firmly (Don’t be scared; I was too gentle at first until I realized I needed more force), continue wiggling side to side, until the suction is released (I can hear air entering the cup and squishing noises if the cup is particularly full; it’s a funny sound), and I can gently & slowly pull the cup out.

Do not pull that sucker straight out without breaking the seal of the cup. It will feel painful and uncomfortable.

I like to press my thumb into the cup as I’m removing to create a dent and fold the cup into itself right before I pull it out, so that I protect my urethra and so that the cup is more comfortable to remove. It won’t feel great pulling out your cup in its fully opened form, especially if it’s a larger or firmer cup.

I find that if I’m having trouble reaching my fingers farther inside for a better grip (it feels like my fingers are too short), it’s really helpful to lean my torso down and forward as if I’m going to hug my knees.

Some people cannot reach very far in with their thumb and index finger; you may find success with inserting your index and middle finger along each side of the cup (like chopsticks in a V shape) and then pinching the cup that way.

It can be scary at first because most of us are not used to reaching inside the vagina to grab anything. You do need to learn how to be comfortable with getting extremely familiar with your anatomy. Although it can be scary, it’s your own body and you can do it if you have the willpower!

Do not panic if removal is not going well. There is a learning curve. Do something else to relax, and come back later to try again. The cup can have a pretty tight seal (which is great against leaks!) and this may make you extremely frustrated at first, but just know that once you find the right technique, the removal process will be a lot faster and easier.

Also take note that overnight the cup may ride up higher and be hard to remove first thing in the morning. You may want to do your morning routine first or walk around before going in to remove.

Since I know that (beyond reading about it) hearing it and seeing it is super helpful as well, here is a great video on removal. This one is another good video, as well as this video and this video. :)

When emptying the cup, I place 2 pieces of toilet paper into the toilet and dump the contents out on top of that. That was another great tip I learned because blood is denser than water and if you dump it straight into the toilet, it will quickly sink down and possibly leave blood streaks/reside after you flush.

It’s actually pretty neat to see if you aren’t completely squeamish. Strangely enough I think it looks less gross than removing a soaked pad or tampon. I guess because I can just cleanly rinse it off completely with water rather than wrapping it up in a ton of toilet paper and hiding a huge wad in the trashcan.

Cleaning Your Cup (Again) and Removing Stains

Remember to rinse your cup with COLD water first! Hot water sets in any blood stains so you want to use cold water instead. I use my fingers to rub the cup and clean under cold water and re-insert. If your cup has little holes for suction, the easiest way to clean it out is to fill the cup up with water, quickly turn it upside down into the palm of your hand, and squeeze out the water (gently). It will force water out of those holes. I say gently because if you do it too hard you may shoot yourself in the face with bloody water. :D

If you are in a public bathroom with no private sink, you’ll want to just reinsert without rinsing the cup and clean the cup later when convenient. Otherwise, you could bring a small cup of water or water bottle into the bathroom with you to rinse the cup. I bought a cute little collapsible silicone cup to help rinse in public settings (also a great container to do a peroxide or vinegar soak too).

If you no longer need to re-insert and are done with using your cup for this cycle, I would recommend washing it with mild soap and water, and then do a rolling boil for 5 min to sanitize. Let it air dry and store (the cup usually comes with a little pouch for storage).

If you notice a bit of staining on the cup that you’d like to remove, you could try doing a hydrogen peroxide soak or a vinegar soak with half solution and half water overnight.

Do not store the cup in something airtight because that will encourage bacterial growth. I would simply boil again right before using it during the next cycle.

You’ve Got This!

Good luck! It took me several cycles to finally figure it all out. It may be an overwhelming (scary and exciting!) process at first but it is totally worth it when you can successfully reap the benefits! :)

And for some cup-related fun, here are some hilarious comics by Miss C!

Other related posts in my menstrual cup series: Menstrual Cup Reviews (Saalt, Peachlife, Lily Cup, Ultucup)My First Dive Into Menstrual Cups, 20 Reasons I Love My Menstrual Cup

Because of people hoarding supplies due to COVID-19, I actually started doing my research about menstrual cups to replace tampons and pads.

Empty shelves

The photo I included into this post was at the very beginning, when hoarding was starting to take place. Feminine products were looking extremely scarce. Ironically, it wasn’t much longer after I took this photo before these same shelves were completely empty. Luckily for myself and those close to me, we all were pretty well-stocked with pads and tampons. I’m grateful that I always liked to keep stocked up and never liked to run low on feminine products. I did feel very bad for anyone out there who was caught off guard and not as fortunate to have a stocked up cabinet.

This entire ordeal just made me rethink my periods. No matter the situation, periods will keep on going on!

It’s a scary time to be out shopping, plus hoarders weren’t making shopping any easier, and even without COVID-19 affecting all of our lives, periods are still such an annoyance for many of us every month. I think of the hundreds to thousands of dollars spent on pads alone (and I started at the young age of of 9), and all of the waste that entails.

The menstrual cup (once you find the right one) is practically a one time fee, with almost no zero waste.

I think as with all women, I never gave the menstrual cup a second thought in the past because of how scary it sounded. I wasn’t familiar with my genital anatomy to maneuver a cup in there and be able to take it out. I remember being so scared of just a tampon!

I have a heavy flow at the very beginning of my period and when I am at work, sometimes I have such a busy schedule that I won’t have time to change until 4-5+ hours later. That’s just a recipe for leakage…so my solution these days is to double up by wearing both a tampon and a pad. By lunch time, both will be soaked. I’m hoping if I can get the menstrual cup down successfully, I will only need to empty the cup out 2-3 times a day. The cup is supposed to be safe to keep inside your body for up to 12 hours!

Peachlife Cup

If I can succeed with the cup, I do plan to wear a period panty as a supplement to the cup, just in case.

Thanks to the stay-at-home orders, I had a ton of time to just test the waters at home with my first cup during my period. Boy was it a struggle! I was hoping I’d be one of the few lucky women who found it a breeze their first time. Definitely not me. I had such a hard time getting it in at first because it is nothing like inserting a tampon. You have to fold it properly and you have to insert it at the proper angle for your anatomy. With a tampon although it is helpful to insert at a proper angle (I learned you wanna aim horizontal instead of vertical), I feel like there is a lot of leeway even if your angle isn’t perfect.

The next struggle was getting the cup to pop open properly after successful insertion…otherwise you would just leak through the folded cup.

The NEXT struggle was the scariest one…removing it. Apparently I have a very high cervix and my cup just disappeared way up in there. I could touch the tip of the stem, but just barely. Forget about being able to pinch the actual cup out properly, which is the correct and safe way for removal, I could barely touch the tip of the stem! I ended up having to pull at the stem a ton until I could finally pinch the cup itself and take it out.

It was a heart pounding and extremely sweaty (you know, the sweat you get when you’re super nervous) experience! Lol! Gosh was it a scary experience at first. I almost had to ask my boyfriend to come over so he could help me take it out…luckily I was able to do it myself in the end.

Obviously I still have some practice to do before I can get it down correctly. I read that it does take a few cycles to get it, just because each cycle you’re really only using the cup a handful of times during your period. I suppose you could do a “dry run” where you practice even when you’re not on your period, but I personally was slightly too traumatized to try again so soon.

I’ve been super invested in making this work for me, so I joined two menstrual cup communities on FaceBook and gained some valuable tips that worked for me personally. One is the type of fold; you have to experiment with a few folds and see what works best. Most popular are the punch-down fold, the 7-fold, and the half diamond fold. Who knew this would involve a bunch of origami folds for your cup haha!

Secondly, bearing down like you’re pooping is essential in using your pelvic muscles to push the cup downwards (as I mentioned I have a very high cervix so the cup is reeeally up there) when you’re removing the cup.

Other tips include performing insertion/removal while sitting on the toilet with one foot up on the seat, wiggling your toes and keeping an open mouth/throat to help relax the muscles during removal, and curling your back like a cat when sitting on the toilet.

I currently own five menstrual cups…lol. I never thought I’d grow a collection, but I really want menstrual cups to work for me and it’s been a bit of a quest to search for the right fit.

This is an FDA list of registered companies for cups. Very handy since you’re investing in something that will be inside your body and hopefully it is a quality product that will last years to come.

I’ll have to make a separate post sometime and write about the different cups I’ve tried and how they fared for me.

Other related posts in my menstrual cup series: Menstrual Cup Reviews (Saalt, Peachlife, Lily Cup, Ultucup), 20 Reasons I Love My Menstrual Cup, Menstrual Cup Guide and Tips

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