***Warning, this post is not graphic in any way, but it is a description of a woman's real-life menstrual experience
Women have many options to be environmentally friendly when it comes to hygiene products such as organic tampons, reusable cotton pads, period panties, and reusable menstrual cups. Reusable products can be cost effective but at what cost are we putting our bodies and mental state in.
I heard a lot of buzz about reusable menstrual cups. Curious, I looked into it. What are they? How do they work? Is it safe? Is it better? Is it worse? Ultimately I ended up trying it, and this is what I found out.
What is a Reusable Menstrual Cup?
A reusable cup-shaped device made of latex or silicone, which is placed inside the vagina, held in place by suction and used to collect menstrual flow instead of absorbent pads. Source: The Medical Dictionary
What's the deal with reusable menstrual cups?
Supposedly, reusable menstrual cups can last up to 15 hours while inserted, while regular tampons can last anywhere between 4-8 hours. You can go almost a full day without worrying about changing anything or leakage. Once you're done, you wash it out, and you can insert that baby back inside.
I went ahead and purchased the Blossom Cup. It was $13.99 on Amazon. Obviously more expensive than any box of tampons or pads but the concept is you can reuse it. They have different colors and sizes (because you know how us girls love our options) and depending on your age and if you have children or not would determine what size you got. Considering I'm a young, kidless female, I got the small, in blue (if you care).
Blossom Cup is said to be, hands down, the most comfortable, economical menstrual cup in the industry, so I felt pretty confident in this experience.
Two days after ordering (because Amazon Prime is LIFE) I had a tiny little box delivered to me. Inside contained the Blossom Cup, a clean storage bag, and instructions on how to use it.
How did the reusable menstrual cup work?
Before using the cup, I sanitized it. Hello?! You don't know where its been thus far. Washed it in hot soapy water, and left it to soak in boiling water for a few minutes. The instructions say to sit comfortably, fold the cup inward (its silicone so it moves), and insert. Once inserted, slowly release your fingers and allow the cup to suction seal.
Okay, the hard part was done. Next, I just waited to see what happened. You could definitely tell something was there. Like the feeling of a tampon being inserted and adjusting to its new home but for a longer period of time. The silicone did help, it made the cup flexible but I was conscious of something being there all day. Also, there was a constant fear of leakage because it felt like there were drips constantly. Maybe that disappears over time, but maybe it doesn't. I did wear a pantyliner, just in case of potential leakage and 12 hours later, my day was done so I checked on everything down there.
No leakage! WHAT A SUCCESS. I went a whole day, shopping and getting a pedicure and there was no sign of a period being there. I was thoroughly impressed with the overall performance of the cup during use.
Taking the cup out was a different story. I had a little tip from a coworker that this could get messy, so I took mine out in the shower. I reached in and pinched the base of the cup to break the suction. Well, the suction wasn't un-suctioning. Yikes. So there I was in the shower, alone with no idea how to get this thing out of my body. I shifted my stance from a standing position to a squat and even had one leg raised. Nothing was working. Panic ensued and I thought it was going to be stuck inside me forever. You know how those images flash across your mind. Like the absolute worst scenario ever is going to happen to you. I took a deep breath, pinched and wiggled that gizmo out of me. Hallelujah.
There was a little bit of mess as some splattered out but for the most part, the contents stayed inside the cup, even after all of that movement and panic. I dumped it out, washed it up and threw the cup into the sanitary bag and never touched it again.
In conclusion, I want to do my fair share in environmental protection, but I have a peace of mind cost that comes along with it. Don't expect me to be using my reusable menstrual cup again. Reusable menstrual cups are a little too hippie for me if I'm being honest. I'll stick to the simple tampons or organic cotton pads if it means I don't have anxiety during the removal procedure.
I'm not NOT RECOMMENDING the Blossom Cup to you, but I am enlightening you on my experience with the reusable menstrual cup. It was an experience I tried and don't see the need to try again. Why fix what is not broken?
Does anybody else have any feminine hygiene product winners or losers? Let's enlighten one another on our experience. After all, all women are in this together.
Does anybody else have any feminine hygiene product winners or losers? Let's enlighten one another on our experience. After all, all women are in this together.
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