That title is awful I know it. But it made me laugh so I had to leave it. It was my “working title” and now it’s the real thing. I had to add some humor to a situation that is MOSTLY THE WORST: Periods! Menstruation! Aunt Flo! There are many names for this situation – but they all mean the same thing. It’s the time of the month when vagina-owners shed their uterine lining and blood comes out of our hoohaa for 5-7 days. It comes with: nausea, vomiting, cramping, headaches, acne, lightheadedness and sore boobs. It’s AWESOME. 10/10. Men – count your lucky stars, ok? Lately, I’ve been reading up on the damage that tampons and pads can do to our body, and I wanted something more natural and better for my body and the environment. Enter: the period cup. Let’s talk about it.
PERIOD CUPS: The good, the bad, the bloody.
So..why period cups?
Let’s get to the facts here: the skin in your vagina is extremely sensitive and highly permeable to toxins. That is why it’s so important to think about what you are putting down there. And do you want to know what’s crazy? Feminine hygiene companies aren’t legally required to put exactly what chemicals are used in the production of hygiene products, so we don’t even know exactly what we are putting in and around that delicate area. That really started to stress me out – because when I looked deeper into this: conventional pads and tampons can contain the equivalent of 2-4 plastic bags. If we don’t want plastic bags hanging around our environment – we certainly don’t want to be shoving them up our vagina. Plastic contains chemicals such as BPA and BPS, which are known to disrupt embryonic development, as well as linked to heart disease and cancer.
Besides that, the phthalates that are used to give the tampon applicators a smooth finish have actually been found to disrupt gene expressions and cause organ damage. The cotton and synthetic material can trap dampness and restrict air flow – which can promote yeast growth. And if your pad or tampon contains fragrances, that can be irritating and damaging to your soft tissue as well.
WHEW. That’s a lot right? Who still wants to use pads and tampons? Anybody? I didn’t think so.
So that’s why period cups. Period cups are made of medical grade silicone. They’re MADE to be inside your body. There is no risk of toxic shock syndrome, less risk of yeast infections, and are designed to last YEARS. They provide less waste and many companies also have zero waste facilities to produce them!
How to use one:
So. When I first tried the Saalt cup – I thought I was a pro. I was able to use the C-fold to get it up inside my body and I heard it pop into place. I checked the seal by running my finger around the base of the cup. I felt very confident. Like a pro. However. When I went to take it out, I realized a couple things: 1. it was stuck and 2. it was never coming out of my body ever again.
Ok, that was dramatic. But I couldn’t get it out and I actually started to panic. Was I going to have to go to the ER over this? Would this cup be suctioned to my cervix for the rest of my life? Probably. I actually called Adam and told him he may have to come pry this thing out of me. It was going to be traumatizing for both of us – but he saw a baby come out of me a few months ago and this can’t be worse than that, right?
Then I took a deep breath, and looked at the FAQ online and learned a tip that will save your life: bear down with your pelvic floor, firmly grasp the base of the cup, press to pop the seal, and pull down gently. And with that – I was FREE. I felt totally ridiculous because I had spent a good 35 minutes trying unsuccessfully to get that thing out of me, and it really was that easy. The key is to BREAK THE SUCTION. It will slide right out when the suction is broken. I was trying to pull it out while it was still sucked to my cervix.
SO. IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: break. the. seal. before you pull your cup out. You can do serious damage to your pelvic floor and cervix by pulling straight down on the suction. Break the seal and THEN pull.
I have no issues with “splashing” like I anticipated I would, and I have a pretty heavy flow + have given birth. I purchased the “cup wash” to go with my cup, so I could clean it before insertion each time. I think regular soap and water would probably do the same thing, but I wanted to go big or go home.
Another note: not all folds are made equal. Some folds work better than others. I prefer the “c-fold” but my sister prefers the “punchdown” fold. Practice a few different folds to see what works best for you.
*update: a few of you have asked about different folds so I’m inserting this picture to explain a little better:
BONUS: I don’t know how many studies have been done on this, but I am not the only one to experience complete reduction of cramps while using the cup. I had minimal cramps the first cycle I used this, and NO cramps the second cycle. I want to express that I have HORRIFIC cramping. I have my entire life. I have adenomyosis, which is uterine tissue that grows into my muscles. It’s very painful and my cramps have caused nausea, migraines, vomiting and extreme pain my whole life. I have NEVER had a cycle without cramping. So many other women talk about this happening to them, too. I will continue to update this the longer I use my cup. But the fact that I didn’t need ANY pain medication at all this cycle is insane.
Recommended Brands:
*key: blue = I personally use this, orange = my sister uses this, pink = crowdsourced favorites from my followers
Saalt – My PERSONAL favorite!
Price: $29
Sizes: Small and Large
Firmness: 4/5 for regular, 2/5 for soft cup.
Flow: Heavy for large, light/medium for small
Cervix height: high cervix for regular, low cervix for small
Medical grade silicone.
Wears up to 12 hours. Lasts 5 years.
Bonus: Saalt provides period care to girls in need with each purchase.
Personal review: I use this cup myself. I go back and forth between the soft cup and the regular cup depending on how heavy my flow is. I like the soft cup for lighter days. For me, this is so comfortable, I actually can’t even feel it once it’s in at all. It’s easy to take in and out and the customer service is fabulous. They actually gave me a code to give you guys for 15% off after I’d purchased mine and shared how much I loved it! You can use cod TAYLOR online and in store.
Price: $39
Sizes: Size 1 and Size 2
Firmness: 3/5
Flow: Heavy for size 1, light/medium for size 2
Cervix height: ideal for low cervix
Medical grade silicone.
Wears up to 12 hours. Lasts 10 years.
Bonus: has a finger dent that makes it easy to find where to pinch your cup upon removal and is dye-free.
Sister’s review: She LOVES it. Carolyn personally has a low cervix, and didn’t have a great experience with the Saalt cup. The Cora cup is made from soft silicone which really helped Carolyn be able to maneuver it in and out of position without any pain, with the Saalt cup it was a very uncomfortable and painful process. The finger dent on the side of the cup is a huge help with insertion and removal. Overall, for Carolyn the soft silicone is the preferred silicone. She has plans to try out the small Saalt soft cup as well but until then – the Cora cup is her number one for menstrual cups.
Price: $29
Sizes: Slim fit or Full fit
Firmness: 3/5
Flow: Heavy for slim fit, light/medium for full fit.
Cervix height: ideal for high cervix
Medical grade silicone.
Wears up to 12 hours. Lasts for 10 years.
Bonus: Adjustable pull tab breaks the seal for you so you don’t have to worry about getting your finger in the right spot.
Reader review: Ok – before finding the flex cup, I literally bought THREE different brand of cups (Diva, Blossom, Cora). They were all uncomfortable because I had to cut the stem and I could never cut it the right way. It made it difficult to remove which was annoying. Plus – it’s a black cup so no stains.
Price: $39
Sizes: Model 1 or Model 2
Firmness: 4/5
Flow: Heavy for model 1, light/medium for model 2
Cervix height: low cervix model 1, high Cervix model 2
Medical grade silicone.
Wears up to 12 hours.
Bonus: Completely VEGAN.
Reader review: Both cups work great and are comfortable for me in my opinion. I got the hang of them super fast and will never go back to anything else. The larger cup is good for a heavy flow and the smaller cup is good towards the end of my cycle.
Price: $17
Sizes: Large or Small
Firmness: 3/5
Flow: Heavy for large, light/medium for small
Cervix height: low Cervix small, high cervix large
Medical grade silicone.
Wears up to 12 hours.
Bonus: 100% hypoallergenic.
Reader review: Not gonna lie – I had a hard time the first few days with the Blossom Cup but as soon as I found the fold that worked for me, it was so easy. TMI – it also cut down on any menstrual “odor”. It isn’t irritating like tampons always have been for me and I don’t worry about TSS. I can use it the day before I think I’ll start all the way to my spotting days at the end!
Price: $36
Sizes: medium or small
Firmness: 4/5
Flow: Heavy for medium, light/medium for small
Cervix height: medium for high cervix, small for low cervix
Medical grade silicone.
Wears up to 12 hours. Lasts for 10 years.
Bonus: They participate in a buy one, give one campaign and donate menstrual products to women and girls in need. 120 day money back guarantee.
Reader review: I hardly even remember I’m on my period when I have the Ruby cup in. No negative things to say. It’s easy, comfortable, saves me money, saves on environmental waste. And this isn’t very scientific, but I hardly have cramps anymore, either. I’ve used it for 4+ years now!
Price: $25
Sizes: Short or Tall
Firmness: 3/5
Flow: Heavy for tall, light/medium for short
Cervix height: short for low cervix, tall for high cervix
Medical grade silicone.
Wears up to 12 hours. Lasts for 5 years.
Bonus: They have a donation program to help women and girls receive free period care.
Reader review: I put off trying a cup for so long but then I got on the customer service chat with the Bloom cup girls and now I’ll never go back. I use it during every cycle and have never leaked. I have no cramping at all. I can swim and work out!
The Saalt Cup, Cora Cup and the Flex Cup were the TOP recommended brands when I surveyed my audience and read reviews online. DivaCup is one of the top as well, but I actually heard more negative reviews than positive when I was talking to you guys, so I decided not to include it here. Saalt was by far the most recommended – and I personally LOVE IT.
PIN THIS FOR LATER:
I love that the stigma behind period cups is starting to go away. People are more accepting than they were when they first came out and I love that. I LOVE that women’s reproductive health is starting to be talked about more on a wider forum. It’s super excited to me to see that happen.
We deserve to have products that aren’t going to harm our bodies. We need menstrual health products, so the least they can do is not be toxic, you know?
I am giving away FIVE Saalt co period cups on my Instagram today – click here to find out how to enter!!
Have you tried period cups? What are your thoughts?
Okay, I have been waiting for what feels like forever for this post! I am so excited you released it! Okay, I do not understand, how do you BREAK the seal? can you explain? Thank you for everything girl!!!!
HAHA! I am SO glad I finally got it up – I’m sorry it took so long but I wanted to do as much research as possible first!! So – you are going to HEAR the seal break. It’ll do a little “pop” and you’ll hear air release. When you grip the base of the cup, push in the sides until you hear that pop. It’ll take a few tries to get it perfect. So: bear down on your pelvic floor. Grip the base of the cup. PINCH the sides. Hear the pop. Pull out! Let me know if that helps.
I’ve been considering using one for YEARS. I’m so glad you wrote about it! I’m going to buy one now for sure. Question tho: does the position of your cervix really matter that much? How have I had three kids vaginally and still don’t know where mine is??!?
As always, I loved reading this and I love you!! You always make me giggle! ❤️❤️
Alright – the position of your cervix doesn’t matter THAT much, but it may make a difference of feeling the cup slightly vs not feeling it at all. My cervix is REALLY high but I didn’t realize it until I thought my cup was gone forever inside my vagina. LOL. Carolyn has a really low cervix – when her cup is all the way in, she could still feel the base of the cup I used. She had to use a cup specifically for low cervixes. I still can’t feel my cervix if I try, and I think it’s because it’s so high. I would try a few different cups to see how they feel. Target has an AMAZING return policy – you can return and exchange for a new cup even if you’ve used it! So pick one and see and don’t worry about not being able to return!