Tips For Using A Menstrual Cup (First Time Users)
Using a menstrual cup for the first time can be scary and intimidating. If you have never used amenstrual cup before, fear not! Here are 4 tips for using a menstrual cup for the first time! Read on to learn more.
Deep breath in…. Pause… Now release it.
Before anything else you MUST relax when using a menstrual cup. Often times the idea of anything foreign being inserted causes us to completely tense up. Tensing up can make inserting your menstrual cup difficult and even painful. Imagine being at your gyno’s office. Your doctor tells you to relax. You don’t and it is VERY uncomfortable when the doc begins their examination. Your body hurts and the doc’s tool won’t open properly because you’re tensing. Now the same can be said for your menstrual cup (which is SIGNIFICANTLY more comfortable than that dreaded tool…) when you tense up. It may cause you discomfort and the cup may be unable to fully pop open, which could potentially cause leaking issues and you becoming frustrated with your cup.
Stop thinking about the “What ifs…”
I did this one A LOT when first using a menstrual cup. I found myself thinking “what if….” it gets stuck? or it goes too far up and I can’t reach it? or I forget its in there? or I wind up in the ER for removal? STOP! You’re going to drive yourself crazy thinking about situations that *most likely* will not happen. There are a few horror stories circling the web of women having terrible experiences with menstrual cups. DON’T READ THEM! I did all of that and more, and talked myself out of using my brand new menstrual cup multiple times. Finally (on the last day of my cycle) I popped it in. And you know what happened? Fortunately, nothing I couldn’t handle.
Wash your hands and make sure your cup has been prepped.
Always wash your hands before handing your menstrual cup. In addition, if your menstrual cup has not been sanitized yet, make sure you do so. Even if your cup is fresh out of the packaging you still want to give it a good cleaning. The easiest method for sanitizing is boiling as it requires no chemicals – just a pot of boiling water.
TIP: Make sure your menstrual cup does not touch the bottom or sides of the hot pot. Instead, try using a spaghetti spoon to hold your cup up.
There is a learning curve, so don’t stress if you don’t get it the first time.
Many women pop their cup in, open it up, and have wonderful experiences the first time around. Other women (myself included) may have to make adjustments, try different folds, use a water based lube for insertion, or experience minor leaking the first time they use their cup. If you happen to fall into the first category – congratulations! If you fall into the latter category, have no fear – it gets easier! There is a learning curve when first using a menstrual cup (just like there was a learning curve figuring out the best place on your underwear to place a pad, or how to comfortably insert a tampon and when to remove said tampon). It takes some getting used to, but keep at it! Eventually you’ll find the magic spot. It took me three tries before I finally got my cup in the perfect location – but even to this day (years later) I still occasionally find my menstrual cup needs adjusting when inserting.
Did we miss a tip? What tips would you give someone using a menstrual cup for the first time? Let us know! Join the discussion in the comments below, or find us on Facebook!
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