If you recently gave birth, then the size of the menstrual cup that you used before giving birth may not be suitable for you. After childbirth, we recommend that you purchase a larger menstrual cup. The same applies to women after 35 years, the tone of their muscles decreases, regardless of whether there were childbirth.
The menstrual cup is placed inside and is easily removable. Menstrual flow is only collected, but not absorbed.
The menstrual cup cannot be seen or felt. It can be worn safely for 10 hours. After emptying the bowl, you can rinse and use again. So that the vessel can be conveniently removed, the design of most bowls provides for gripping rings.
What are menstrual cups made of? What are their benefits?
Most products are made of silicone or rubber. The latter are not recommended for women with allergies to rubber or latex.
Benefits of the menstrual cup:
- Reusability – menstruation will not take you by surprise, the menstrual cup can be used for 5 years with proper care.
- Convenience – not felt inside the body.
- Easy care – just wash the vessel with mild soap.
- The menstrual cup does not affect the natural microflora of the vagina.
- The product is convenient to use at night, the bowl will provide you 10 hours of restful sleep.
- During menstruation, using this means of hygiene, you can work, walk, travel.
- The menstrual cup can be used for copious discharge.
- This feminine hygiene product is great for women who are allergic to tampons and pads.
- You will no longer be bothered by an unpleasant odor.
- The cost of a menstrual cup is about $ 30, but you no longer have to buy tampons and pads for 5-7 years.
What are the disadvantages of menstrual cups?
You need to learn how to use it. But over time, you get the hang of it and realize that this hygiene product is very convenient. You can even go swimming with it, especially if you have a pool at your place. During menstruation, visit trusted places that give proper attention to hygiene and cleaning.
Pay attention to size, color and rigidity. You may need to try several brands of menstrual cups to find yours. Using a soft bowl is more likely to leak. If you are actively involved in sports during your period, choose a more menstrual cup.
Menstrual cup: size selection
If you feel uncomfortable, it is better to choose a softer bowl. Size S is usually offered to women under 30 years of age without experience of vaginal delivery. Capa size L is recommended for the age group 30+ and / or with experience of vaginal birth. Many girls under the age of 30 use a size M cap. Like many women in the 30+ category, size S is used. The main criterion is the particularities of your cervix.
Pay attention to the tail of the menstrual cup. There are different types of ponytails. Some bowls have gripping rings, others do not. The tail can take the form of a ball, ring, chain, there are bowls without a tail at all.
Menstrual cups for virgins and teenage girls
Teenage girls, virgins can use the menstrual cup with grease. If you are worried about losing your hymen, it’s best to use other hygiene products. However, as a rule, the use of the bowl is possible for girls who previously used tampons.
If menstruation began recently, then, probably, the discharge will be sparse, smearing. For such cases, you need a bowl of the smallest size, short and narrow.
Difficulties with the introduction of the menstrual cup may be experienced by women suffering from vaginismus. Usually, a psychological problem is at the heart of an involuntary contraction of the muscles of the vagina. Therefore, psychotherapy and the use of a sufficient amount of lubricant are effective in this case. Water based lubricants are widespread. Silicone grease is not the best choice as the menstrual cup will become sticky. Do not use glycerin. Vaseline is not suitable for latex bowls.
Proper use of the menstrual cup
To enter the bowl is most convenient on the toilet or squatting. When you need to remove the cup, it’s enough to use the strength of the muscles of the pelvic floor to exit it.
After inserting the bowl, gently pull on the tail.
- If the bowl slides down easily, there is a chance that it is loose.
- If you feel some resistance, this is a signal that a protective seal is formed.
This hygiene product is very convenient. On critical days, you can run a menstrual cup, ride a bicycle, twist a hoop, or walk a dog. In public places, you just need to pour the contents of the bowl and wipe it with toilet paper. But at the first opportunity you need to wash the menstrual cup with soap. You can use wet wipes.
For some women, the menstrual cup does not interfere with going to the restroom (as usual). Others may experience some difficulty or slow urine flow. In this case, try a softer bowl, choose a different size.
After menstruation, the cup should be boiled. The same must be done when using the new menstrual cup for the first time. 2 minutes of boiling is enough. To clean the bowl, you can use tablets for dentures, medical alcohol, citric acid.
If there is pain when removing the menstrual cup, or it slides
Usually, the cause of the pain is a hard bowl that does not suit you. It is enough to choose a menstrual cup from a soft material, and the problem with extraction should be solved.
Another problem is the sliding of the bowl. Pull the bowl down slightly and check for resistance. If yes, then a protective seal is formed. The resilient bowl is more likely to move. A soft bowl holds better in place. The cause of the sliding of the bowl may be weak muscles of the pelvic floor.
Kegel exercises come to the rescue.
Can the bowl “get lost” inside
No, this cannot happen: the vagina is not bottomless. Use the pelvic floor muscles to remove the bowl. The only obstacle to using menstrual cups is your own fears and fears. If the bowl is improperly looked after, there is a risk of infection. Therefore, it is so important to wash and boil it after the end of menstruation.
It is better to store the menstrual cup in a special bag. Do not forget to empty the bowl on time. Do not keep it inside for longer than 10-11 hours, even if your periods are not too heavy. When used correctly, the bowl does not harm the female body. Some women notice that menstruation becomes less profuse after using menstrual cups.
Do I need a gynecologist’s consultation?
Be sure to consult your gynecologist before using your menstrual cup. Especially if you have pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis. It is also not recommended to use this hygiene product immediately after an abortion or a difficult birth. At this time, the tissues are very vulnerable and extremely susceptible to infection.
The comfort of using a menstrual cup mainly depends on whether you have chosen the right size and stiffness. The market for menstrual cups is full enough to choose a hygiene product for your body and structural features. The bowl is simple enough to insert, remove and clean. You can feel it inside the body only for the first time. Even if you have a low cervical position, this is not an obstacle to using the bowl.
It is up to you to decide whether this option is suitable for use during menstruation. Judge for yourself: you will spend $ 20-30 on the purchase of the bowl, which is enough for more than 5 years. You will give the same amount per year for the purchase of pads and tampons, especially with heavy or prolonged periods. Gaskets tend to leak, especially at night. It is impossible to lead a habitual active lifestyle with them. Gaskets and tampons end at the most inopportune moment.
To fix the gasket, you need to wear not very attractive underwear. You won’t swim with the gasket. And tampons need to be changed often. Otherwise, you can get toxic shock syndrome. This condition is caused by the accumulation of bacteria on the swab, as it absorbs blood. The menstrual cup is considered much safer in this regard. Toxic shock syndrome is very rare, and those cases that have been reported using the menstrual cup are not related. However, when you remove it, do not be lazy to rinse it with running water. We repeat: if there is no water nearby, we recommend using wet wipes.
Studies show that using the menstrual cup does not increase the risk of infectious complications if this simple rule is followed. This is mentioned in his blog by an obstetrician-gynecologist, candidate of medical sciences Tatyana Rumyantseva.
This hygiene product does not contain polycarbonates, polystyrene. Unlike pads, the menstrual cup does not need to be constantly changed, which means that its use does not harm the environment. The material from which the gaskets are made does not decompose and pollutes the environment.
Also, with the help of the menstrual cup, it is very easy to control the volume of menstrual blood. An increase in blood loss is characteristic of some gynecological diseases. You can purchase a menstrual cup with divisions to control blood loss during menstruation. The size of the cup is compact, but inside it can fit up to 43 ml of menstrual blood. Menstruation is considered abundant, in which a woman loses more than 90 ml of blood.
