I got my period….again

Alright ladies and vaginas, get excited, because we are going to talk about the best thing that’s happened to periods since….well ever!

Do you remember the times before you had your period? I know, seems like a lifetime ago. But as each of my friends got theirs, it made me want mine that much more. How cool was it to whip out your pad and say you had to go to the bathroom because of your period?! Just me?

Well a few short years later, the embarrassment of having a period crept in and then in even less time, the dread came as well. Periods quickly became the worst thing to happen to me. But as a woman, it is something that you just learn to deal with. But what if I told you that it didn’t have to be that bad? I am so excited about the way that I deal with my vaginal bleeding these days that I am literally telling EVERYONE about it. Every single woman out there that hates their monthly visitor has got to try a menstrual cup! I swear to you, it has changed my periods from a tragedy to a complete non-event.

There are so so many other reason to use a cup, and not just because it has become the Kale of period products. Yes, it saves 12,000 of tampon waste per person in a lifetime, but that is just a happy byproduct.

Let’s just dive into the reasons why cups are so amazing.

You will never have to scramble to find a tampon/pad again! Who has been there? All of us, that’s who! You feel that little creeping feeling and you know it’s time to change your tampon, you reach into your purse only to come up empty handed, panicked, you dig deeper, check your car, your gym bag, your desk at work. And now it’s too late, thank goodness for period panties! You go around the desks at work whispering to see if you can find a spare to get you through the day, or you wad some TP to hold you over. I know I’ve done both. Menstrual cups are re-usable for around 10 years. So if you even need to empty it mid-day, you can do so, clean it up and re-use it. You will never have to ask around again!

And since I mentioned, period panties, you can throw them after you start using your new cup.  I’ve been using it for 6 months now and have yet to have ANY leakage! WOW! I will let that soak in…not in your panties though.

Now, if all that didn’t get your motor running, I still have a few more things up my sleeve. This one is going to be for all flow types! Starting with the heavy. I consider my flow heavy for the first few days & I was sometimes having to change my tampon every hour. So I thought, great, I am going to have to empty this damn cup every hour too. Think again! The packaging recommends you change it every 10-12 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is virtually twice a day! I in no way thought I would be able to make 10-12 hours on my heaviest day, and checked it WAY too many times in my first months use. But by my second period, I knew that on heavy days, 8-10 hours was my threshold. You know what else that means? Never waking up to a blood stained sheet ever again!

So now, for my ladies blessed with a light monthly load. I also know the struggle of having to change your tampon but being so light that you feel like you are pulling your insides out by that damn string. The tampon has literally sucked you dry of any moisture and yet you still cannot painlessly pull it out. The cup does not absorb any fluid, so it leaves you with your natural fluids and because it is silicone, there is no rough housing in your vag. You simply leave the cup for 10-12 hours, dump and re-insert, saving your vagal walls the scraping.

So really what I’m saying ladies, is I put my cup in while in the shower, change it in the shower too unless it needs to be changed sooner, and then I forget about it. You will still have your normal period side effects (cramps, cravings, bloating, mood swings, YAY!) but you don’t have to worry about leaking, changing or bringing spare tampons. I have worked a full day with my cup in, then gone to my crossfit gym and did a million burpees and it’s still gets my seal of approval. But I did ask my instagram audience if they had any specific questions, so I’ll take a moment to answer some of those now.

Q: How often do you change the cup in a day?

A: I really only need to change it twice a day or every 10-12 hours. But in the beginning I definitely checked it more than I needed to.

Q: When you are in a public place or a friend’s house, how do you clean it when needed?

A: If it’s a multi-stall bathroom, you can dump it in the toilet and clean it up with toilet paper. At a friend’s house, I’d clean it the same way I’d clean it at home (in the sink) but just make sure you clean up after yourself.

Q: How long does it take to change it?

A: The first month definitely took longer, but now I’d say I can get it all done in less than 5 minutes.

Q: Does it hurt? is it messy when taking it out? Was it hard to get used to?

A: No, so painless, even less than tampons. Although, if you don’t place it high enough, it does have that same uncomfortable feeling you get when you have a tampon that is too low.

So far, I have not had any messes when taking it out. I could see how you might have a mishap here or there, but at least it’ll happen in the toilet or the shower, so easy clean up. But honestly, all of the fluids stay right in the cup.

It was so much easier to get used to than I expected. My first month was an adjustment period (pun intended). By the end of my period I was hoping it’d last longer so I could really master my cup. But no fear, month two, I made that cup my bitch.

Q: Does it overflow?

A: I know it can overflow, but I have yet to have that happen. Even with my heavy flow!

Q: Is it difficult to take out?

A: I did a lot of research before taking it out for the first time, so I was overly prepared. But I’d say it was pretty easy. For me, the trick is a keagle. While holding a keagle, I’ll pinch the bottom of the cup which kind of breaks the seal and allows it slide out.

All in all, it is honestly so incredible! Just make sure that if you decide to give it a try, give it at least two months. And if you are having any problems, just drop me a line. I have no issues getting into the nitty gritty with ya if you need it.