Now I Can Laugh, Walk, Cough, Sneeze Without Feeling The Flow : Menstrual Cup Story

Hi There,

Ok so today happened to be May 28, 2021 i.e. marking World Menstrual Hygiene Day in the international Calendar. Menstruation is the natural process releasing blood as well as cells that lines the uterus for the babies to nourish, grow if the ovum gets fertilized and if doesn't gets released every month in the form of menses. Therefore, Menstrual Hygiene is associated with the menstrual process.

It is the natural fact of life. Without this, further life isn't possible. Menstrual Health and Hygiene is really important. For the betterment of Menstrual hygiene, we girls must be using a clean menstrual management material according to our preferences and ability to absorb or collect menstrual blood, that can be changed in privacy as often as necessary for the duration of a menstrual period, using soap and water for washing the body as required, and having access to facilities to dispose of used menstrual management materials. One of the menstrual management material is Menstrual Cup which is small, flexible silicon designed to be folded up and inserted into a woman's vagina to collect the blood during menstruation. So when I got to know about this date and it's association with Menstrual Hygiene, I wanted to write about it because indeed Menstrual Cup for me personally is one of the best invention and options out of many menstrual management material and I am completely in love with it after the first use only. That's why here I would like to talk about my experience in using it and every other thing related to it.

When did I get to know about this ?

You guys won't believe or will I don't know but I got to know about Menstrual Cup long before I got my period. Yes I guess I might be in class 6 and I got my period when I was in class 7. So yeah, I got my hands on a magazine named "Naari Teen" and there I read about Menstrual Hygiene and Products which were used for it. Fortunately, I got to read that before having my period which made me prepared hygienically and I was the first one in my family to use Sanitary Pads. Although, I read about Menstrual Cups, it wasn't available during that time and also those days I wasn't much excited about using them anyway. Hence pads were the defaults yet I wasn't that fond of them as they were so uncomfortable but had no other choice. I still have this very good memory that once my mom told me to walk nicely as she found out I was walking weirdly with them inside my under garments. Long story short, I wasn't that fond of pads and also all my period life until last year, I had not that much of period records because of my PCOS. However, From few years back the internet was all talking about Menstrual Cups, there benefits, comforts and I wanted to try but had no courage to use it because still it is taboo.

Then How did I become Courageous ?

My period were very irregular and when I used to buy pads it used to last for 3 4 months due to the same reasons. Also my period used to be heavy and thanks to the "Naari Teen" that from where I learnt one shouldn't be using a pad for more than 4 5 hours and if you use it more than that germs will start to develop making your health degraded. So I used to change pads every  4 5 hours and if too long 6 7 hours but never longer than that. Leaving aside the Discomfort part which I know every girls can relate, other things were fine. But when I tried to manage my PCOS and when I started to have Period every month from last year, my period flow decreased. It become so light that even if I use cheapest and smallest pads, it used to be not filled properly. I know there's many like me who used to buy different kinds of pads during their cycle and I am not just the only one doing it. I used to buy different kinds of pads depending my flows and depending where I am going. If its Day 1 and Day 2 I need little expensive and qualitative one also that goes same if I am going out. For Day 3, 4, 5 and while I am staying at home little cheaper one. For nights, little longer and broader one so that I don't leak while sleeping. So calculating all this, it will cost around 300 400 per month. Earlier that investment used to last for 4 5 months because of my PCOS. But this time it was every month and top of that due to very less flows it felt like it was going waste as I had to change them every 4 5 hours without seeing good amount of blood on it. Also I couldn't keep them for whole day by saying I am not bleeding that much. It doesn't work that way. So I was frustrated with that along with all the discomforts, irritations, rashes, wetness that comes with usage of Pads. Hence, I decided to change and I finally did on January 2021.

Switching To Menstrual Cups Experience

As I already told, I wanted to use cups 3 years back and had also watched so many videos about how to use them but there was this fear of how to do that at the beginning. I am sure every girl have that fear. But I wanted to try because although it seems scary I knew it wasn't. It just a fear and listening to other girl's experience it just a few steps away that you can reach if you surpass your fear. So 3 years later, I finally developed courage and planned to buy it. I saw them in this E-commerce site "SmartDoko" and they were having discount. Originally, it was priced 799 and I bought it with the price 719 of the Indian Brand "PeeSafe" and size small. I don't have to tell it is sustainable and long lasting that can last upto 5 years cause you probably know this already. One can wear them upto 12 hours in a day and with full comfort and I was looking exactly for that. So I got it delivered but I didn't try them before cause I read one article accidently where it told you shouldn't be using Cups while you're not menstruating for getting used to them. The article told that our vagina gets naturally expanded a little bit during menstruation but it won't during other time of the month. So I waited for my period to occur naturally and then only use them. Then I finally got my period on time and it was the time to try the cup for the first time. Of course, I was nervous and scared but I was mentally prepared and have watched hundreds of videos. In short, the first time inserting it and removing it was a bloody mess. I guess it was good one and half hour in the bathroom haha.

The Experience : Insertion 

Washing hand before is important however you don't have to sterilize cup when it's brand new and I didn't do that either. I read and watched about various techniques of folding and inserting but I chose C fold one. You fold your circular cup into C shape and then insert it inside your vagina by being in a squat position. I did a good squat position but it took me countless attempts and good 40 to 45 minutes to finally feel like it got inserted properly. Finally, it got inserted after 45 minutes with a pop sound inside my vagina creating a vacuum seal to not let it leak anyhow. I am gonna be honest my hands were having pain with all the attempts for the first time and to insert it properly inside me. I had to use so many tissues and it was messy. But the surprising thing for me was that it wasn't painful at all. The insertion was not painful at all, was difficult and tiring but not painful. The silicon was easily foldable and rubbery that I didn't feel any pain. But for few hours it felt like there was something inside me, it felt weird somehow and after few hours it felt nothing. I could not feel any flow when I talk, walk, laugh, cough, sneeze whatever, it was all dry and no feeling of pads. I can pee or poop like I used to do in normal days. It felt like I wasn't even on my periods. It was like a normal day. I was amused. However, it was my first try and just to be on the safe side preventing any undesirable leakage I had used panty liners as well and that was also dry. So this was my first experience of insertion. A little difficult at beginning but I did it anyhow. Once it was in position, it was fantastic. Cannot feel anything and zero leakage for 8 hours. Then, the moment to remove it came.

The Experience : Removal 

I knew that Cup can be put inside for 12 hours but that day and that first time I wanted to check after 8 hours and also my flow during the first two days comparatively heavier than other days so just to make sure its okay down there, I tried to take it out after 8 long hours. So I went inside the bathroom, sat in squat position and inserted my two fingers inside my vagina as they told in videos. But sadly I couldn't found the tail part of that bloody cup. Now I got scared. I squatted even more but to my surprise I didn't feel it anywhere inside me. The anxiety started to circle me completely. I started to have cold chills thinking many unpleasant scenarios going to hospital and crying in front of gynecologist to take them out lol hahah. Guilt, fear and embarrassment surrounded me completely. I can't bend down and see them lol. I got panicked. It took me about nearly 40 45 minutes to insert my finger and not knowing where the hell that tail of cup is haha. But I didn't gave up. I forgot about all those scenarios, opened YouTube and watched videos. They told that you should be in a squat position and be in relaxed form, breathe in and breathe out calmly, shouldn't be panicking at all and then have to insert the finger and take it out. I then did that and to my surprise I finally found it and tried to take it out by pulling it with all my strength. But again, that vacuum seal was really strong that I couldn't even take it out by such a hard pulling haha. It was such a horror scene omg. I could feel all my organs and pulling that tail of cup was itself felt like pulling out all my organs. There was fear, guilt and everything. The trick is to squeeze the cup to break the vacuum. It was really difficult for me to even insert my fingers to find and hold the cup properly cause it was all slippery inside there. After good 10 minutes I guess, it felt like I finally broke the vacuum and pulled it out so hard and fast that I spilled all the blood from that cup all over the floor. Thankfully, I did this in my bathroom. It was such a horrible experience.

The Experience : Aftermath 

After that, I rinsed the cup nicely with my hands and clean water. I then again put in back inside. This time, it didn't take that long like it took earlier. I slept peacefully and comfortably that night feeling completely dry, turning every position comfortably and could even sleep by spreading my legs in any direction. I was so in love with it already that I even forgot the horrible experience during the daytime. I couldn't see how much the cup was filled the first time but the next day after keeping it inside whole night and for 12 hours straight, I found that my cup was 3/4th filled and I was satisfied with it. The second time of removal was easy as I watched another video where they mentioned that for easy removal of cup you have to sit in a squat position and you have to push like you do while you are pooping. It will be then easier for the cup to remove and it worked :D I felt like why didn't I watch this video earlier. So by this, I finally somehow got used to the insertion and removal of the cup. It also got better with every cycle. Now I have completed 3 cycles with the menstrual cup and I am so happy with my decision to switch it with pads. I guess I will never use pads. I have saved myself for changing it every 4 5 hours. I have saved myself from discomforts, rashes, wetness, sleepless nights, leakages and most importantly loss of money and I am so so so much happy. With management of PCOS, I always wait for my period and get excited to have hassel-free and hygienic period with this menstrual cup.

Important things to be Remembered : 

It is very important to wash your hands with soap or handwash before inserting and removing the cup and washing the cup with clean water after throwing the collected blood into the toilet sink. It is also important to sterilize your cup before using it in next cycle. You can either do it after finishing your current cycle or after the start of your next cycle. I do mine after the finishing of current cycle so that I can use them immediately after I get my next cycle. 

My Suggestions :

Well, the reason why I wrote this blog post in first place is not to brag about it that I use it or anything like that. With the first try, I was totally and completely in love with this thing and I want every girl to feel this comfort. I don't want to force anybody anything but trust me don't listen to the taboos and beliefs that people talk about. Just be little courageous and buy it, use it. I am sure you'll love it. All the ladies should try this and this is the only reason I thought of writing about this on the auspicious occasion of World Menstrual Hygiene Day. And also right now, we are having lockdown and you can order yours from many ecommerce site such as Daraaz, SmartDoko, Jeevee and many more. You can get used to it staying at home so that you'll master it when you actually have to go out in future. How nice is that. It is very economical and trust me you won't have any pain at all. Watch a lot of videos, read articles, be prepared mentally and I can assure you that leaving few initial attempts, you'll never regret about it afterwards.

Lastly, the beauty of the menstrual cup is that once you put it inside you don't feel that there is anything unusual, you don't feel any flows, you can sleep turning any sides, biodegradable, economical, no leakages, no rashes and it is one of the best invention of science for the menstruating women. 

HAPPY MENSTRUAL HYGIENE DAY 2021. HERE'S TO THE MENSTRUAL CUP AND HERE'S TO THE SUSTAINABLE ECO-FRIENDLY PERIOD EXPERIENCES. CHEERS!

With Love,

Sumuu