Menstrual cups are being touted as a sustainable alternative to tampons and pads. These small re-useable silicone vessels are set to help alleviate some of the 200,000 tonnes of menstrual waste that reaches landfill sites each year in the UK.
In a decade, the average woman uses 2640 tampons and pads, and yet if you use OrganiCup, the menstrual cup I tried, you’ll probably only need a few during your whole lifetime. Not only is that a massive help to the environment, but that’s a lot of money saved. It’s estimated that women spend around £5000 on period products in a lifetime. That’s a Chanel bag or a couple of very epic memory-making holidays. The OrganiCup is just £21.
How to Use a Menstrual Cup
From my experience, menstrual cups are not hard to use or painful. They are a little fiddly to put up there the first time and the stem can be a little uncomfortable. Remember back to when you first used a tampon, well it’s sort of like that. A bit odd but ultimately fine. The soft, flexible cup is made from 100% medical grade silicone and contains no BPA. A lot of sanitary products are treated with bleach so they look nice and white (insert eye roll here), so the menstrual cup has the upper hand when it comes to its composition. There are three sizes to choose from - size A for women who have not given birth vaginally, size B for those who have and the Mini for teens.
The first time you use your cup you should sterilise it in a pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes and then leave it to cool (that’s obvious, but I’m putting it out there so no woo-woos get burned). You should also wash your hands before inserting the cup, but we’re all firmly on the hand washing train right now (#coronavirus).
To get the cup from hand to cervix, there are two folding techniques you can try, the C-Fold and the Punch-Down. Despite the Punch-Fold looking fiddlier, I actually found it the easiest of the two to do and get up there (TMI, but then this is a Menstrual Cup review, so…).
GIF: OrganiCup
GIF: OrganiCup
It goes without saying you should be relaxed, no tensing, this is not the time to multi-task pelvic floor exercises. Your body position may help, you might find squatting, lying down or popping one foot up on the side could give you the upper hand. Just remember, while you may be inserting this for the first time at home, when you get more used to it you may well be inserting this in a public toilet stall where you don’t want to be sticking legs in the air, let alone lying down. Lubricant is also an option, but again, there may come a time when you’ll need to carry said lubricant on your person. You may be the sort of person that’s like “hey girl, yeah that’s my lubricant in my makeup bag next to my lipgloss, and your point is?” I am not that person.
Once the cup is folded, you insert it as you would a tampon. You may then sort of feel or hear a pop and that means the cup has unfolded and created a vacuum, so no liquid can escape. If you feel the base of the cup there shouldn’t be any dents or folds, it should feel smooth. Then, gently pull the stem and if you feel resistance then you know it’s inserted properly.
When it comes to removing the cup, with clean hands you pull the stem until you can pinch the base and gently pull it out. I’d suggest sterilising your Menstrual Cup at the beginning and end of each period, just to ensure it’s clean and hygienic.
How Does a Menstrual Cup Work?
The cup, once suctioned into place, collects the blood. It can be left in for 12 hours and is equal to 3 super tampons. I get very heavy periods, like horror movie heavy, and the menstrual cup did not leak. However, I have had friends who have had leakages, this could be down to a heavy flow or incorrect placement. The thing is, menstrual cups do take a bit of practice, so starting out by wearing them at home and/or wearing a panty liner until you're used to the process is not a bad idea.
The OrganiCup team also note that you should know where your cervix is, saying that “we all have differently positioned cervixes and the cup should be placed below the cervix, if not, it will most likely leak. Try to locate your cervix with your finger, you should feel for a slightly firmer area of tissue and position your cup under it.” Quick biology lesson, the cervix is a cylinder-shaped neck of tissue that connects the vagina and uterus. (I had to Google that. I also only learned recently that the vagina is the canal that links the uterus to the outside world, and not the name for the whole kit and caboodle.)
How Can You Change a Menstrual Cup in Public?
If you’re in a toilet with a sink in the cubicle/room, then you can remove the cup, pour the blood down the toilet and give it a wash in the sink before reinserting. If you’re in a cubicle with no sink, then remove it and pour the blood away before using some bottled water and tissue to rinse the cup. OrganiCup also sells antibacterial wipes, so if you have one of those at hand you can give it wipe and re-insert.
Menstrual Cup: The Verdict
Getting it in and out was surprisingly easy. I’ve been wearing tampons for years and it’s not all that different. Changing the cup and cleaning it between uses was fine as I have been at home. Out and about it may be trickier, but then you can leave it in for 12 hours so you can try and be strategic about your toilet choices!
The cup was pretty comfortable once it was inserted, the most uncomfortable part was the stem but once I trimmed that down slightly it felt fine.
I’m not going to lie, it’s a faff having to sterilise the cup after each period. I had some tampons left and found myself reaching for those during my last period. Saying that, it does only take a couple of minutes to sterilise it and top tip, if you place it inside a metal whisk, you can easily and safely place it in and pull it out of the boiling water. The OrganiCup comes with its own little fabric bag so you can easily store it in your bathroom.
Have you tried a menstrual cup? If so, let me know how you got on in the comments section below.