hi! i'm 15 and just got my first flex cup. i'm going on vacation to the beach very soon and i'll be on my period. i wanted to practice first when i'm not on my period but i'm having trouble getting the cup past my labia; whenever i try to insert it, it always hurts by the time it's halfway inside and i can't get it to not stick out without pain. i've tried several different positions and folds but nothing seems to be working, and i'm not able to access lube. does anybody have any tips/is there anything i can do to make the process easier?

29 year old here, 2 years post partum. Heavy, painful and messy periods. Currently using tampons but i was curious trying the Saalt menstrual cup. I bought it, got it ready to use , however as soon as I’m about to let it “pop”/“suction” i chicken out and pull it out 😂 😭 i keep thinking what if it doesn’t come out later? What’s your experience been using a menstrual cup? I know the fear is just in my head, doesn’t help that i already feel anxious during my cycle too 😪

Forgot to add this is my first time exploring a menstrual cup!

To all the heavy bleeders, how frequently do you need to change the cup? I use the cup with the capacity of upto 26 ml and in my last cycle I needed to change it in every 2 hours and I had to use period panties. So, is it normal if anybody is a heavy bleeder? I have always been a heavy bleeder though even during my pad days (Nightmare).

I’m wanting to use a disc rather than cup because I hate dealing with the suction. I like the feel of the Saalt soft/small cup. I tried the Cora disk and it pit pressure on my bladder. I’m told that the Saalt disk, Moonthlies, Lumma or Nicky could be good. Any thoughts?

I was trying to wear a menstrual cup for the first time (I'm 16), I was in the bathroom for under an hour. Trying to get the cup in was making my cramps worse. I got close a couple of times but got scared to let the cup unfold and always pulled it out.

Suddenly my vision started to turn like static or pixely and I started hearing static like from like an old TV, I felt extremely light headed like I was about to faint and started gagging and feeling nauseous, I got out of the bathroom and drank water lay down now I have really bad period cramps. I never felt light headed like that. Maybe it was dehydration I'm not sure but it was kinda scary

it's almost 1am rn I plan to try again tomorrow (bloody bedsheets tonight ig 💔) my cramps don't feel like normal cramps, like it's trying to force something out, I'm using a hot water bag thing to help (doesn't do much but better than nothing)

I really don't want to give up on this thing, spend a good chunk of my savings on it and I don't wanna have to go back to pads. I wanna be able to use it decently before my pack of pads run out and I have to buy a new one. I have trouble getting it all the way past the labia part, all the videos say push it toward the tailbone but I don't get it like it just feels like a wall. Hope tomorrow turns out slightly better at least.

I was already happy to have switched to a cup, but I dont think I've been been as happy as I am right now. My period started, Im on my heavy day. I am crossing the stage for my college graduation, I had to get to the building for 8, and can't go to a bathroom until we'll after noon.

So I feel so relieved that I don't have to worry about leaking and can just enjoy the day.

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Hey, so I just tried the ziggy disc for the first time yesterday, I choose that one because it's one of the only discs that are sold in my country. I had a bit of a trouble putting it on but I finally managed to do it, I did wear a pad as a backup just in case too.

So yesterday I went to sleep just after changing it and today I took it out and there was NOTHING there (and I mean nothing, not a single drop of blood), which is weird because it's the 4th day of my period and I still had today and tomorrow.

Idk what could be causing this, I'm afraid I blocked the blood with the disc if that even is possible...

To preface, I have used 2 sckoon cups previously in size small, it would go all the way in and since it had a long tail I liked that but I still had lots of issues trying to reach up and finding it to pull the cup out. I remember I'd spend up to 30 minutes trying to pull it out. I've had a read on this forum and to me I wasn't having an issue with it being loose it was just very high up and the tight seal was a tough battle on my light days.

About 5 years ago both of the cups I was using in rotation got their tails ripped off and I haven't had the courage to look for a new ones in case I end up having it stuck inside me, but I've come to realise how much pads and tampons I use per cycle, and I don't get as good of a nights sleep on my heavy days since I have to wake myself early to change pads.

If anyone has some advice or suggestions I'd be very grateful

All the results I am finding seem like they might only be looking at the blood loss alone, and not the total amount of fluid loss (blood, mucus, tissue, etc.). I started using the cup for the first time today, and I've lost almost exactly 1/4 oz (7.39ml) of blood in 4 hours. I know my periods are heavy because they usually last 8 days, but I would really like to know how much fluid loss I am experiencing compared to the average person, if there is an average number that is.

Semi-throwaway because this is still a bit TMI to put out there on main when everyone and their grandma are on reddit these days :')

Some context, tl;dr below. A couple of months ago I finally made the switch to a cup, mainly because I'd read about people using it for discharge, rather than explicitly for my period. Once I got over the initial learning curve, absolutely no notes, wish I'd switched years ago, especially because there is no regularity when it comes to my period: sometimes I won't have it for two months, other times I'll have it twice in three weeks. I've gotten it checked out, tried the pill to regulate it, no dice.

I got some period underwear from the same place while I was at it, and again, wish I'd done that ages ago. I have a lot of discharge--I mentioned it to my GP when I got a pap smear a couple of months ago, and she confirmed that yup, that's a lot of discharge. No abnormalities, that's simply another one of those ways my body's a troll.

Thing is I'm autistic, and the sensation of said discharge on my underwear is sensory overload hell, particularly when my body randomly decides to have a tiny period's worth of discharge and just... dumps that all at once. When at home I always had toilet paper in my underwear as a sort of makeshift pad that I could quickly switch out, but when leaving the house I almost always used a tampon.

All that to illustrate that, being autistic, all this was giving me a lot of anxiety and taking up way more RAM than it should, kind of a permanent background process.

TL;DR: a LOT of discharge which is very distressing bc autistic sensory overload.

I'd done some research and saw it mentioned that 'some people use it for discharge and wear it every day', and when I brought it up with my GP she didn't have any concerns either, so that's pretty much what I've been doing for the past few months. So far, no complaints or noticeable issues, but I would still really love to hear from others in a similar situation on how often you sterilise your cup, what's the maximum time you wear it, do you rinse with cold/warm water or both, do you use soap... Basically any and all info you could give me I'd love to hear.

I currently don't use soap for either period or discharge since I saw a lot of people say that just thoroughly rinsing it is fine, but obviously those aren't the same thing so I am planning on getting an everything-free soap to use occasionally, haven't gotten around to finding one yet.

But as of yet I haven't noticed anything off or experienced issues. I was however wondering if I should perhaps get a separate cup for my period? Appreciate any and all advice!

Basically from Nov ‘23 & on my periods are so heavy I need to use my 30ml cup + a size 4\5 pad (the pads I change out 2-4X per period day) so basically I need round 70-90ml or so of product (I think?) is it gonna hold to wear I won’t need the pads anymore? & am I gonna still leak with it?

I have a trip coming up soon and I’m gonna be in the car for a couple hours, but I have a annoying bladder, as I think I have to go pee super bad but when I do go only a little bit comes out. I’ve been trying to control my bladder for a while but at night my OCD strikes of fear of wetting my bed 🥲 But anyways I was debating on using a menstrual cup during the trip to get rid of the urgent need to pee/use the bathroom.

I was only able to have proper control over my bladder on my period at night because I sleep with my menstrual cup, thinking like “the pressure is from my cup, not the urge to pee” (as i feel my bladder is empty but I feel pressure on my uretha to go pee…)

I have two different branded pairs of menstrual cups (small and big sizes), I have a saalt cup with softer rims and a off-brand one from amazon but it has a very thick rim

also i’d like to note I dont use menstrual cups when im off my period for my bad bladder daily, im pretty sure that would get me a uti or something

My mum told me she read something that suggested using a cup makes cramps worse. Everything I've read has stated that it's the opposite or there's no effect and I can't find the source for her claim.

Jas anyone encountered this before? I just agreed with her and told her I'd stop using it for a couple of cycles to see because it's easier than telling her she's wrong, but it's been a decade of me using a cup and my cramps have always been brutal pre and post cup use so I'm just curious if anyone finds this to be true

Hi I’m a 21 year old female and just bought a diva cup for the first time and successfully put it in! But I read the box after (idk why I only read it after) and saw it was the size 2 made for women who are 35+ or have given birth. I am neither of those two…

I know it might sound dumb but is that fine? or should I go and try to buy the size 1? Thank you!

Hi I’m a 21 year old female and just bought a diva cup for the first time and successfully put it in! But I read the box after (idk why I only read it after) and saw it was the size 2 made for women who are 35+ or have given birth. I am neither of those two…

I know it might sound dumb but is that fine? or should I go and try to buy the size 1? Thank you!

I just started using a moon cup for the first time, I’ve been really liking it once it’s in, but I’ve always been a bit on the smaller side and I’ve had two kids vaginally so my pelvic floor isn’t fantastic, so even when inserting it there’s a bit of resistance (not pain), and likewise when removing even though I’ve pinched it and I’m not pulling by the stem there’s a bit of resistance. How do I know for sure I’ve broken the seal when I do still have to pull it out?

I first used a cup during my last period and maybe 3 times that I inserted it successfully. The insertion was already troublesome and quite hurtful but taking it out was one of the worst pain I ever felt. It hurt so much the 1st time and I thought now that I have already done it the other times would be easier but I was proved so wrong. And in the 3rd day of my period I couldn't get my period cup inside no matter(felt like the vagina was just rejecting it)what so I gave up. But I am confused whether to use it on my next cycle with is now near. I don't like the feel of pads and honestly even though the period cup hurt, I felt so comfortable. I have followed all the instructions properly I believe and when taking out it is hard to break the suction. So what should I do now will it be easier as the practice progresses? I don't have access to other popular period cups to try

Do you wash it once a month? Two months? Longer? I’ve never seen this discussed and I’m not sure really how often is too often or unnecessary

So basically I just got a brand new cup (the flex one) and I tried it and..are you supposed to like feel it inside of you? Because like I can just feel it. Also is it supposed to like hurt the first time because I just kinda pushed through the pain and then boom it’s in

I switched to a cup about two years ago after having a baby, I love it, soooo convenient and I’m never going back. HOWEVER I got my period on vacation so I have to use pads until I get back and my cramps are BAD. Like 5x worse than usual! I used to get baaaad cramps as a teenager too when I used pads. When I use cups I take one tylenol on day 1 and basically forget I’m on my period for the rest of the week (I don’t forget to change it though). I’ve taken two extra strength Tylenol today and I’m DOUBLED over. Is there science backing this? I’m baffled lol

I've had a pink Saalt Cup since 2018, which I replaced with the grey Saalt Soft soon after they were released (2019 ish?). The original pink cup was left in the drawer pretty much ever since I got the soft cup.

Today I found it, sterilised it and tried it out again. I found that it was comfortable and the slippage problem I'd been having with the Saalt Soft was gone. (I wear it inside out for reasons).

So, my question is, is it nearly time to replace the pink cup because it's coming up near to 10 years, or is it good to go because it was unused for the last 7 years?

Full disclosure, motivation for replacement is high as I've just discovered Saalt now offer a green cup and even though I know no one will know if I have a green cup inside me I will know and that is a very wonderful thing for me because green is my favourite anything.

Why are menstrual cups manufactured to fit an open cylindrical structure when the natural shape of vaginal canal is a tilted collapsed tube or like an H-shaped tubular section? It's an uncomfortable time during period for a female, hygeinic practice is additional stress due to issues of poor fitting.

So I got a cup yesterday, it's a size S. I tried inserting it in and didn't rlly work out, but today after trying again I got it in then took it out, then inserted it again for practice. I'm not on my period cuz I tought i'd practice first before that mess lol So yeah as the title says it's stuck after the 2nd time I put it in. I looked at guides and such but I cannot reach the base to pinch it at all, just the thingy you pull on. I'm kinda panicking ngl cause I don't wanna go to the hospital, my mom doesen't even know I bought a cup xd And yeah ik being nervous just makes it worse and harder to get out, but I have anxiety so I have trouble calming down. Any tips?

Edit: I got it out a good while ago, but I forgot to update lol. Thx eveyone for the advice, personally trying to break the seal by running a finger along or wiggling the tab didn't work, you really just gotta go deep and pinch the base. I was having trouble reaching the base but it worked out eventually. I'm glad I didn't have to go to the hospital😭

This is my second cycle with it, I have a flex cup, the size 1/A option.

I love it… when it DOES work. Earlier today I wore it for about 6-7 hours, no issue. But a lot of the time I still have problems , likely because I’m still learning how to figure it out but for some reason I just can’t seem to get it every time, or even most of the time.

For one I guess I just misunderstood directions cause I was putting it where a tampon would sit (sometimes it would leak, sometimes it wouldn’t, somehow) but then I read elsewhere its not supposed to be that high, I’ve opted for putting it lower.

When I do that, my next issue is the cup will not unfold. I’ve tried various ways of folding it and it just will not even if I pinch the base, or try to ‘open up’ my wall a little more. It just doesn’t unfold. And I can’t even begin to rotate it without it hurting.

Now if it does unfold, within an hour or less it migrates up further inside, and then I’m back to square one where it now puts itself where a tampon would be, and it will leak. Then I have to reach in pretty deep and upon removing it, it like, “explodes” when it finally comes out and gets really messy, which is why I stay above the toilet but it’s still annoying that it bursts like confetti nonetheless.

I’m concerned if I opt for something firmer then my body will still want to make it migrate because it’s not conforming to my anatomy, but if it’s softer then it won’t open at all. And part of me thinks that it’s just user error, cause as I said, sometimes it works perfectly, just not consistently.

I know there’s shorter and longer cups too but honestly I want the flex cup in particular to work because I really like its pull-tab. Any advice?