About six months ago, I decided to purchase a menstrual cup. A lot of people I follow on YouTube use menstrual cups and speak so highly of them, so I just went for it!
For those who do not know, a menstrual cup is an alternative for using pads and tampons to collect menstrual blood. When you get your period, you just stick it up there, and after a maximum of 12 hours, you take it out, empty the blood, wash it up, and reinsert it.
Before I actually purchased my menstrual cup, I did loads of research. I ended up buying the Diva Cup for $30 on Amazon. The Diva Cup is FDA approved and has many positive reviews. I learned that it is less likely to develop Toxic Shock Syndrome when using and cleaning a menstrual cup than using tampons. A menstrual cup is environmentally friendly due to the fact that you produce less waste. It can safely stay inserted in the vagina for up to 12 hours. The best part for a broke college student: you will spend less money on feminine hygiene products!
So how did it actually go when I finally gave the menstrual cup a try? It was awful the first time using it. Inserting the cup was super easy and I had no leaks all day. When it came to taking it out, I could not remove it. I was in the bathroom for a half an hour trying to dig this thing out of my vagina. I was literally in a stall trying to birth this cup out of me. I went back to my room and did some research. Luckily, I was not alone. Many women have a hard time getting the hang of a menstrual cup. Some of the websites said to take a hot shower to try and loosen everything up, so that’s what I did. After about 15 minutes in the shower trying to get my cup out, I found success.
Now, most people would say they are done and will not try again, but I was not one of those people. I cleaned it up and stuck it right back up my vagina. I experienced the same trauma of not being able to get the cup out every day of that period. It was absolutely miserable.
I have been using the cup for a while now, and I can confidently say that I am a menstrual cup professional. I easily insert and remove the cup every day of my period with no problem. I have saved money and worry less about my period bleeding through my pants.
I would highly recommend using a menstrual cup. It sounds scary and can be difficult to get the hang of, but it is well worth it. It has made me more comfortable with my body, and made me less afraid of the blood that I bleed every month. If you are even the slightest bit interested in switching to a menstrual cup, do some research and buy one! You will not regret it. Your vagina will love you!