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One of the (few) down sides of being female is dealing with menstruation. While I am one of the lucky ones who doesn't get hit hard with pain or really unpleasant mood swings, I still have to deal with the clean up issues associated with leaking blood my body realized it didn't actually need (again this month) for the purpose it had been hoarding it (I don't think it got the memo when my tubes were tied and it became certain that it would never actually need that hoarded blood).
Back in the early 1990's, while waiting for my appointment for my annual pap smear and renewal of birth control pills at the student health center at the University, I read a brochure advertizing washable menstrual pads made of cotton flannel. Being on a student budget I thought this was a wonderful idea--why spend cash every month on disposable pads when I could buy some cheap cloth once and make my own.
I have been using these ever since--the ones I made in the early 1990's finally wore out enough to replace them in the last year or so, but it didn't cost me any new cash, as I still had some of that original meter of fabric I had purchased way back then. I thought I had the best option out there for dealing with this regularly reoccurring issue, since it had an initially low cash outlay, and then needed only the slight effort of putting them soaking in cold water for an hour or so before hand washing them.
It turns out that there is an even better option out there, and it has existed since the 1930's, but I hadn't heard of it. Over the New Year's holiday my friend C told several of us about the menstrual cup, which she has been using for years. At first I was a bit skeptical--shoving a cup inside my vagina to catch blood sounded kind of uncomfortable to me. She explained that since they are made of food-grade silicon they are fold-able and easy to insert, and once in one doesn't really feel it, if it is positioned properly.
She went on to sing its praises--because one isn't leaking blood while menstruating one is free to go swimming or hot tubing, or even just run around naked if one wants to, without worrying about a mess. She explained that they come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, and there are even organizations that help one decide which one is most appropriate for a given individual (depending on how heavily they typically bleed, if they have ever given birth vaginally, etc.).
The more I thought about it the more curious I became. Therefore, when my cycle started yesterday afternoon I decided to give it a try. She showed me how to fold the cup and explained the way to twist it once inserted so that it unfolds itself and settles into place. She made it sound easy. It was incredibly awkward. I have never needed to insert anything into my vagina before (ok, so lovers have put their penises there during sex, but that didn't require my poking my fingers in to make adjustments to position), and I found it difficult, both in the physical sense of trying to reach at odd angles, and I was a bit squeamish about it too. However, with a bit of fussing I got it to sit where I thought it should be, based on the photos on line of how they should sit. Just to be certain I also put on one of my washable pads, since I was warned that it is possible for them to leak if they aren't inserted correctly, which is very possible for a first-time user.
However, I must have done something right, since it didn't leak. I took a shower before bed, and being curious I decided to try pulling it out during the shower. C had told me that one feels when it is full and ready to be emptied, as it shifts position a bit lower, and I hadn't felt anything like that yet, but wondered how things were going, so I had a look. I never bleed much the first day, so I wasn't surprised to see that there was only a small amount collected in the tip of the cup, so I washed it, and re-inserted it. This was only slightly less awkward than it had been on the first try.
I slept in later than I should have this morning, so didn't make time to try taking it out this morning, but just went to work as normal. All day long has been a normal, non-menstruation sort of day--I needed to use only small amounts of toilet paper every time I peed, rather than the extra amounts necessary for wiping away blood. Eventually, early this evening, I decided to take another shower, and check the status of the cup. This time it was nearly full, so I washed it out and re-inserted it again. I can report that it goes a little faster and easier on the third try than it did with the first two, but that process is not, in any way pleasant or comfortable, even though the discomfort disappears right away once it is in place and sitting where it should be.
Since I haven't used disposable pads in many years I hadn't expected to save any money by switching to a menstrual cup, but, now that I have tried it I realize that, actually, we will be spending a lot less on toilet paper now that I don't have to deal with the mess of blood clean up many times a day during this part of my cycle. I am told that the insertion part becomes easier and faster with practice, and I can already see that it will be worth the effort.
Back in the early 1990's, while waiting for my appointment for my annual pap smear and renewal of birth control pills at the student health center at the University, I read a brochure advertizing washable menstrual pads made of cotton flannel. Being on a student budget I thought this was a wonderful idea--why spend cash every month on disposable pads when I could buy some cheap cloth once and make my own.
I have been using these ever since--the ones I made in the early 1990's finally wore out enough to replace them in the last year or so, but it didn't cost me any new cash, as I still had some of that original meter of fabric I had purchased way back then. I thought I had the best option out there for dealing with this regularly reoccurring issue, since it had an initially low cash outlay, and then needed only the slight effort of putting them soaking in cold water for an hour or so before hand washing them.
It turns out that there is an even better option out there, and it has existed since the 1930's, but I hadn't heard of it. Over the New Year's holiday my friend C told several of us about the menstrual cup, which she has been using for years. At first I was a bit skeptical--shoving a cup inside my vagina to catch blood sounded kind of uncomfortable to me. She explained that since they are made of food-grade silicon they are fold-able and easy to insert, and once in one doesn't really feel it, if it is positioned properly.
She went on to sing its praises--because one isn't leaking blood while menstruating one is free to go swimming or hot tubing, or even just run around naked if one wants to, without worrying about a mess. She explained that they come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, and there are even organizations that help one decide which one is most appropriate for a given individual (depending on how heavily they typically bleed, if they have ever given birth vaginally, etc.).
The more I thought about it the more curious I became. Therefore, when my cycle started yesterday afternoon I decided to give it a try. She showed me how to fold the cup and explained the way to twist it once inserted so that it unfolds itself and settles into place. She made it sound easy. It was incredibly awkward. I have never needed to insert anything into my vagina before (ok, so lovers have put their penises there during sex, but that didn't require my poking my fingers in to make adjustments to position), and I found it difficult, both in the physical sense of trying to reach at odd angles, and I was a bit squeamish about it too. However, with a bit of fussing I got it to sit where I thought it should be, based on the photos on line of how they should sit. Just to be certain I also put on one of my washable pads, since I was warned that it is possible for them to leak if they aren't inserted correctly, which is very possible for a first-time user.
However, I must have done something right, since it didn't leak. I took a shower before bed, and being curious I decided to try pulling it out during the shower. C had told me that one feels when it is full and ready to be emptied, as it shifts position a bit lower, and I hadn't felt anything like that yet, but wondered how things were going, so I had a look. I never bleed much the first day, so I wasn't surprised to see that there was only a small amount collected in the tip of the cup, so I washed it, and re-inserted it. This was only slightly less awkward than it had been on the first try.
I slept in later than I should have this morning, so didn't make time to try taking it out this morning, but just went to work as normal. All day long has been a normal, non-menstruation sort of day--I needed to use only small amounts of toilet paper every time I peed, rather than the extra amounts necessary for wiping away blood. Eventually, early this evening, I decided to take another shower, and check the status of the cup. This time it was nearly full, so I washed it out and re-inserted it again. I can report that it goes a little faster and easier on the third try than it did with the first two, but that process is not, in any way pleasant or comfortable, even though the discomfort disappears right away once it is in place and sitting where it should be.
Since I haven't used disposable pads in many years I hadn't expected to save any money by switching to a menstrual cup, but, now that I have tried it I realize that, actually, we will be spending a lot less on toilet paper now that I don't have to deal with the mess of blood clean up many times a day during this part of my cycle. I am told that the insertion part becomes easier and faster with practice, and I can already see that it will be worth the effort.
