5 Reasons You Should Try a [Menstrual] Cup

Okay, so we’re about to get super personal here. Like on another level personal. If you’re a dude, you might want to quit here. Unless you have a keen interest in menstrual cycles or you – for whatever strange reason – want to pitch a menstrual cup to a lady in your life, I’d suggest you skip this blog post altogether. You’ve been warned.

If you made it past the disclaimer, yay! Let’s talk menstrual cups! 

First of all, what is it? 

A menstrual cup is an alternative to a tampon. It’s reusable, worn inside the vagina, and it collects flow rather than absorbing it. They come in tons of shapes and sizes to fit every wearer, and they are made from silicone. They are safe, and I have found a menstrual cup to be a much more comfortable way to manage my flow. You can watch here for more information.

I started using a cup in 2016. (I checked my Amazon orders to confirm this date, btw) I remember being really apprehensive, and thinking this would never work for me. After having Caleb, I had heavy, uncomfortable periods and was constantly having to change my pads or tampons. But I figured that a cup was worth a shot. After all, I was buying into the promise of not having to spend more money on pads and tampons on a monthly basis, and that a cup could hold as much as 2-4 tampons worth of menstrual flow. 

The first two cycles came with a definite learning curve. I wore pads as backup, I leaked a couple of times, and I almost gave up. But that third cycle? On a trip to the beach I realized I could spend all the time I wanted in the beach or the pool and not have to worry about running out to a bathroom to change a tampon immediately after getting out of the water. I had zero leaks my third cycle using it, and I was sold. I wear it to exercise, to swim, while traveling, etc. 
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Last summer, we spent a week at the beach, and of course, my period arrived earlier than expected. I had forgotten my cup at home (I usually throw it in my bag anytime we travel, regardless of whether my period is expected or not), and I had to buy tampons. First of all, organic tampons are super expensive. Also, having to change a tampon every couple of hours, or every time you come out of the water at the pool or beach sucks.

Anyway, I’m no expert, and I’m definitely not in the medical field, so I cannot give you medical advice or facts. But there are a few reasons why I have found a menstrual cup to be life-changing. 

Why I Love Using a Menstrual Cup

1. No disruption of your body’s natural pH balance. Even if you are using organic tampons, they are absorbing the naturally occurring moisture in your vagina, and that’s throwing your pH off. With the cup being medical grade silicone, you don’t have that problem. No chemicals, either.
2. Minimal risk of TSS. I find that I can go up to 12 hours without emptying my cup, even on a day with moderate flow. I could never do that with a tampon. Most period days, I will empty in the morning and then again when I shower before bed. 
3. It’s cheaper in the long run! Cups can range in price a little bit, but the one I bought was $25 and I have had it for four years now. (They last up to 10 years) That last box of organic tampons I had to buy while staying at the beach cost me $13 for 18 tampons! Multiply that by 6 or 7 boxes a year (depending on how many tampons you use in a given cycle and you’r looking at a savings of about $400 in 5 years. It’s not an insane amount, but it is something. 
4. No waste! Think of how many pads and tampons are clogging up sewage systems and landfills (ew). There is literally zero waste with this thing, until you have to get rid of it ten years down the line. If you’re an environmentalist, looking to be more eco-friendly, or reduce waste, this is an easy way to do it. 
5. No smells. There is a definite funky smell that comes with having your period. You know why? When blood is exposed to oxygen, it smells. Thats why pads ends up stinking and tampons, too. Since the blood is sealed inside and maintained in your cup, there is no stink. I was always so self-conscious of this and thought it was me, but it WASN’T, because I have never had the problem since I switched to a cup. 

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Okay, so now that you know entirely way too much about me, I hope that you’ll consider making the switch (or at least trying it out!). An amazing resource is putacupinit.com. You can take a quiz there to see which cup might be your best fit, as well as read up on FAQ, and additional resources regarding menstrual cups.

For reference, this is the one I use: https://amzn.to/2VKq5HK
I hope this all helps!

xoxo