Content

• To step
• Tips
• Warnings

We are becoming increasingly aware of the effect of our lifestyle on the environment. Today, menstrual cups are a good alternative to sanitary pads and tampons. However, many people do not yet know that there are other advantages of using a cup; it is better for your health, more hygienic, easier to use, more comfortable and reliable.

A menstrual cup collects your menstrual blood instead of absorbing it like a tampon. You can use the cup for about ten years. Research shows that women who wear a cup leak less and it is very comfortable. In addition, there are far fewer health risks when using a cup than when using tampons. There is no risk of TSS or other vaginal infections and they do not contain chemicals or other toxins such as dioxin. These reusable cups have been around since the 1930s and are made from soft, medical-grade silicone, rubber or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). Below you can read more about the use of a menstrual cup.

To step

1. First read the instructions included in the package. Read the instructions carefully until you feel that you can continue. Also check out wikiHow for articles on keeping your menstrual cup clean. If you are not yet sure that you want to use a cup, there are articles that may help you make a choice. If you have not yet purchased a cup, you can read on wikiHow about how to choose the right cup for you.
2. Try inserting the cup for the first time in your own bathroom. Most people have to try it a few times to get it right, so it's better to try it at home rather than in a public restroom. Even if you are inclined to try it out first if you are not having your period, we do not recommend that. During your period, your vagina is generally more moist and your uterus may be in a different position. So make sure you try the menstrual cup for the first time when you have your period.
3. Practice the different ways of folding your cup. The most common way is the c-fold. If you use this folding method, most of the cup will be at the top. Another way of folding is the triangle fold. You make the triangle fold by placing your finger on the edge of the cup and pushing it down. Watch videos online for more examples of how to fold a menstrual cup.
4. Wash your hands with soap and rinse the cup with water to wash off dust and dirt. Before the first use you have to boil the cup. In any case, never wash the menstrual cup with soap, you can get fungal infections.
5. Stay relaxed and try not to over tighten your pelvic floor muscles. Tense pelvic floor muscles make insertion of the cup difficult or painful. Your pelvic floor muscles are the muscles that hold or release your urine. Practice contracting and relaxing these muscles by doing kegel exercises. This way you can relax well when you insert the cup. Be patient; the first time is the hardest, don't give up if you don't succeed right away, but take a short break if you get too frustrated.
6. Adopt an easy stance. For example, you can sit on the toilet, squat in the bathroom, or stand with one leg on the edge of the toilet or bath, you can also squat with your back against the wall or lie on the floor with your knees up and your legs apart as you insert the cup.
7. Find your cervix. Feel with a finger in your vagina if you can find the edge of your uterus, it feels a bit like the tip of your nose. It is a small, flexible nodule with a dimple in the center. It helps to point the cup in this direction during insertion. In any case, you do not push the cup against the rim or fill a part of the cup with your cervix. If you don't feel anything, it probably means that your uterus is a bit higher and it won't bother you when using the cup.
   • Would you rather not do this; then aim the cup towards your lower back.
8. Inserting the cup. Fold the cup in half and hold it with one hand (the stem points down). Gently spread your labia and look for the opening of your vagina with the hand holding the cup. You push the cup at a 45-degree angle towards your pubic bone, not straight up. The cup should unfold into your vagina. Push the cup in a little further until it feels comfortable. It depends on your build whether the cup is high or slightly lower in your vagina, but the bottom of the cup [probably not the stem] is not sticking out.
9. Make sure the cup is open. You may have felt or heard a pop. It should feel round, or at least oval. (Depending on your physique, the cup may never be fully open at all). If the cup is still folded in half, you can open it manually. You can also do a few kegel exercises, squat and get up a few times, jump up and down a few times, or rotate the cup 180 degrees. You can also go in with your finger along your vaginal wall and push it out a little so that air gets into the cup. Perhaps it is much more pleasant for you to insert the cup much closer to your cervix than stated on the instruction plate. Once the menstrual cup is in place, you can pull it gently to make sure it is properly vacuumed (that's what those little holes along the rim are for). This keeps the menstrual cup in place.
10. Wait up to twelve hours. If you are losing a lot of blood, you have to empty the cup more often; twelve hours is the maximum. If you are using a cup for the first time, you have to experiment a bit with how long you can leave the cup in. (A good tip is to wear a panty liner; reusable panty liners are also available.)
11. Removing the cup. Press down with your pelvic floor muscles until you can grab the bottom of the cup with your fingers. Move the cup back and forth and down a bit. Make sure you get a better grip on the bottom of the cup and pull the cup out. Squeezing the bottom will help break the vacuum and make it easier to remove the cup. Keep the menstrual cup upright to minimize spillage. You can squeeze the edge of the cup a bit if removing the cup fully open does not feel comfortable. If you sit on the toilet, you can let the blood drain in the toilet. Make sure your hand is out of the way.
12. Dispose of the contents in the toilet or sink. Rinse with water. To also clean the small holes in the cup, bend the edges exactly where the holes in the rim are. You can also fill the cup completely with water, close with your hand while squeezing and squirt the water out through the holes. Be careful not to get wet! Dry the cup if it has become too wet (although the water and slipperiness can help you) and reinsert the cup.
13. Learn how to clean the cup. There are several ways to keep the cup clean: boiling, using sterilizing tablets, disinfecting with alcohol or check the internet and other wikiHow articles for more options. Choose one that works best for you.
14. Keep in mind that it may take a while to get used to using the menstrual cup. Take your time. Most people need at least three or four periods to know if they enjoy using a cup. If you don't ultimately choose it, you can also try reusable pads or a sea sponge as a reusable tampon.

Tips

• A recent study found that menstrual cups leak much less often than regular tampons, so don't let fear of leaking stop you from trying it out.

If your cup is leaking, below are tips to help you:

• • The cup overflows This is probably the easiest problem to solve. If the cup is leaking and you see when you empty it that it is full to the brim, you will have to empty the cup more often. Or maybe you should buy a slightly larger cup if you feel you need to change too often. For tips on buying the right cup, visit wikiHow or the Internet.
  • The cup is not fully open. If this is the case, the cup will leak a lot of blood. You can check this well by feeling inside with your finger on the cup if it feels round or oval. (Depending on your build, the cup may never open completely.) You can also do a few Kegel exercises, squat and stand up a few times, or rotate the cup 180 degrees. You can also go in with your finger along your vaginal wall and push it out a little so that air gets into the cup. It is also important to try out the different ways of folding and inserting the cup.
  • Your cervix is ​​partially in the cup. If you notice that the cup is leaking and you see that it is only half full when changing, your cervix is ​​partially in the cup and the cup does not fill completely. To solve this problem, place the cup as low as possible. If this doesn't solve the problem, you may have to look for a shorter cup. A shorter and wider format will work better for you.
  • Leakage from residual blood. If you leak only a little, you may find that there is blood on the wall of the vagina when changing. You can try wiping yourself one more time, but this won't help that much. A pantyliner is probably the best solution.
  • You place the cup past your cervix. If you feel a twinge on insertion and then leak a lot of blood, you are probably inserting the cup too far. Your uterus is very sensitive and if the cup presses against your cervix, it hurts. To solve this problem, you need to push the cup in less. Before doing this you can also feel with your finger where exactly your cervix is. The rim of your uterus moves at different stages of your cycle, so it's important to check this several times.
  • You point the cup away from your uterus. For this problem, you also need to know the location of your uterus. You will likely point the cup towards your vaginal wall instead of your uterus. When inserting the cup, make sure that you move it in the right direction and angle.
• Menstrual cups hold the blood but don't absorb it like a tampon. You therefore empty a cup less often than you have to change a tampon. You can also insert a cup before your period starts and if you have a lot of vaginal discharge.
• If you're still a virgin, the opening of your vagina and hymen may not be stretched enough to wear a cup. You can stretch it little by little by making the space a little bit bigger with your fingers for a week. Start with one finger, then try two or three if your body allows. Looking at schematic drawings of a woman's vagina and feeling your own vagina will help you use a menstrual cup. Also experiment with the different ways of folding; the push-down method, the triangle fold, or the origami fold will reduce the width of the top of the cup and make insertion easier. Do it gently and little by little. If it is painful, don't forget to breathe and relax. You can always try again later. You also need to relax and have patience when taking it out. Be careful not to tear your hymen when removing the cup.
• Menstrual cups are comfortable and you can exercise, swim and do yoga with them. Make sure the cup is well vacuumed and it is useful to change the cup before you exercise. If you go swimming with the cup, a little water can get into the cup, this is not dangerous.
• Some women like to use a little lubricant for insertion. Apply the lubricant to yourself and not to the cup, otherwise it will be too slippery. Only use a water-based lubricant.
• Usually there are two sizes of cups. The smaller ones for women under the age of 30 and the larger ones for women who are older than 30 or who have had children through a vaginal delivery. The different brands also have different sizes of cups. Choosing the right cup depends on your physique and the amount of blood you are losing. Check the internet or read the wikiHow article on choosing a cup for more information.
• A toilet cubicle with a sink in it is of course perfect for changing your cup. If you find one without a sink, bring a small bottle of water and some wet wipes to clean your cup after emptying. You can also empty the cup into the toilet and reinsert it immediately afterwards.
• If the stem feels unpleasant, you can cut it off completely or just a bit. File the stump, the edges can be sharp. You can now only use the bottom of the cup when removing the cup.
• Do you find the idea of ​​tampons and cups difficult, but do you want to use reusable menstrual products? Then choose reusable sanitary pads. You buy them online or you make them yourself.
• If you use a diaphragm as a contraceptive, you can also use it as a menstrual cup. It is very similar in shape to a soft cup. Only do this if your diaphragm is made of silicone, not rubber. The rubber variant will otherwise break more quickly.
• Keep your menstrual blood in a jar and give your plants an extra bit of nutrition. Female menstrual blood is rich in minerals and can be used for a variety of purposes. Including dilutes as plant food for plants in the home or garden.
• When using a cup for the first time, you may need to trim the stem so it doesn't stick out. This is quite normal.
• When you purchase many menstrual cups, you will receive a storage bag. If you have to choose or make one yourself, pay attention to air permeability and whether the fabric is washable. A cup for braces is also a good option because it is designed for the same use (a piece of plastic that gets wet in your mouth) so that it can breathe and people are less inclined to see what is inside. Most people know what a stirrup tray looks like and will not want to inspect your spit so quickly.
• If the idea of ​​a reusable menstrual cup makes you sick, you can also use a soft cup. A soft cup is a ring with a plastic bag attached that you insert like a diaphragm. Check the internet or wikiHow for an article on how to use this.

Warnings

• Keep the cup upright when you take it out to minimize spills.
• On the days when you lose more blood, you would do well to wear sanitary pads or pantyliners and empty the cup more often.
• Don't be discouraged if a friend thinks the idea of ​​a menstrual cup is very dirty. Some people are more open to it than others. A good way to find out how someone feels about it is to ask if they are familiar with a menstrual cup. This way you can better assess whether it makes sense to discuss this.
• Menstrual cups are not a contraceptive and must be removed before having sex. You can leave the disposable soft cups in place. Soft cups do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.
• Try not to rely too much on the picture, but if your cup isn't leaking and you don't feel it sitting, then it's okay. It depends on your physique how high in your vagina the cup can be inserted. Once you have inserted the cup, it will usually automatically sit in the right place. Both options are good.
• Do not forget that you are wearing a menstrual cup. Clean the cup at least every 12 hours. If you let the cup sit longer, pay attention to ignition signals. There are no known cases of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) after using a cup, but if you recognize TSS symptoms, call a doctor right away.