We all know that period pain is rooted much deeper than just a physical sensation. There are far more excruciating pains that tag along when the throbbing belly, aching back, headache, stiff body and grumpy mood hits. These pains can include the [unnecessary but unfortunately VERY real] humiliation that you suffer when you leak blood on your clothes, the frustration you feel when the place you are visiting does not have bins in which you can dispose of your sanitary wear (home owners with a guest bathroom, throw us a bone please!), your desperation when your monthly flow unexpectedly shows up to the party and you have no sanitary wear on you, and finally, something that affects millions of girls and womxn around the world, when you simply cannot afford to buy the sanitary wear that you need. TRWLA management and facilitators are on a mission to break down the stigma associated with periods, a completely natural function that womxn experience for approximately the equivalent of 10 years of their lifetime! (Delphine Chui, 2017)
This blog is going to explore my experience of transitioning from using tampons to using a menstrual cup because I believe that the menstrual cup may be a sustainable solution to many of the abovementioned period pains and hope that after reading this you might try it out for yourself. Remember that many people are not fortunate enough to be able to afford to buy any kind of sanitary wear, so if you are able to, please donate to the TRWLA sanitary wear drive!
My decision to try out the menstrual cup was inspired when we started our pad drive last year. It is clear to see that tampons and pads are not the most sustainable solution, but I realised that I couldn't encourage other womxn to use or donate menstrual cups if I had not tried it for myself. After months of searching in stores for the right cup to no avail, the TRWLA team was fortunate enough to have Shamila Ramjawan, the CEO of Famram Solutions & Famram Foundation and founder of PrincessD Menstrual Cup come and speak to us at one of our board meetings. She brought with her a menstrual cup which we could all look at, touch and feel, and gave us a thorough explanation of exactly what the menstrual cup is, why you should try it and how to use it. It was there that I decided to buy my very first cup! This is what happened thereafter...
These are the things I learned:
1. It takes time to learn how to use it! Yes, it is different from using a tampon. You need to figure out exactly which angle to insert it, how deep it should go, how to remove it without spilling blood everywhere and so on. Do not let this concern you, once you’ve got into the swing of things it's very straightforward. I would say it’ll take you a whole period before you know ‘what’s up with the cup’.
2. You’ll need to learn your ‘favourite position’ No, I’m not talking about that! I found it way easier to squat down low to insert and remove it, but you might find it easier to sit or squat only a little bit.
3. You don’t actually bleed that much One of the nice things about the cup is that you can actually monitor how much you are bleeding, meaning that you’ll get to know when your cycle is heaviest and you’ll be able to monitor abnormal amounts of bleeding. You generally should not overflow from the cup over a 12-hour span, so if you do - that may be an indication to go to the doctor.
These are suggestions I would make for first time users:
1. Don’t try the menstrual cup for the first time on a special occasion. I made this mistake and had not learned how to insert it correctly yet – meaning that I had a slight leakage at my graduation :o Shout out to my friends' mom who thankfully had her emergency lady kit with her and was able to hook me up with a tampon!
2. Always keep a tampon or pad close by - just in case Once you have learned how to use the cup correctly, you should not experience any leakage, but for the first few days be sure to keep a backup tampon or pad with you in case you experience the same thing I did!
3. Don’t give up, the first time you use it won’t be perfect I won’t lie, the first time you use the cup it isn’t comfortable. You do feel it. But do not fret, it all comes back to learning about your body, after trying it out a few times, learning how to insert it properly, learning which angle it should sit at and which direction the stem should face, it becomes A LOT more comfortable. I don’t even feel like I am wearing it anymore.
The things I like about the cup:
Some FAQ’s, answered:
1. Isn’t it too big?
No, the cup has been designed to fit you comfortably. When you insert it, it isn’t much larger than a tampon and once it’s in it pops open to securely fit your vagina. Once you’ve gotten used to the feeling of wearing the cup you might even forget it’s there.
2. Can it get lost or stuck?
No, the cup cannot go past your cervix so it cannot get lost, and it has a stem to help you remove it easily. When you remove the cup, you must not only use the stem though, you need to release the suction by pinching the base of the cup with 2 fingers, and you can use your other hand to gently pull the stem.
3. How much does it cost?
The cup I bought is a PrincessD Menstrual Cup, which costs R350. Although this is much more expensive than a box of tampons or pads, it will ultimately work out to be A LOT cheaper. R350 over 10 years works out to be approximately R3 per month, which is nothing in comparison to what I used to spend per month on tampons.
4. How do you insert it?
As I said, you’ll need to find the position you feel most comfortable to insert it in. You can either sit on the toilet or squat down, then fold the cup into the u-shape (you will find instructions about this in the pamphlet that comes with the cup), then gently push the folded cup into your vagina while still pinching the base to hold the shape. Push until the base is inside your vagina and only the stem is protruding slightly, then release the cup. The cup will pop open and create a suction to prevent any leakage. You may need to pinch the base of the cup and twist it around a bit to get it into a comfortable position or to allow it to pop open correctly – this takes some practice.
5. How do you clean it?
Every time you remove the cup you will need to pour the blood in the toilet and flush, then rinse the cup with cold water until it is clean. When you’re finished with your period you sterilize the cup by soaking it in boiled water for 15 minutes and then allowing it to dry.
In conclusion, my experience of using the menstrual cup for the first time was not perfect, but with patience and practice, I have come to believe that it was absolutely the right choice for me to take the plunge. I would now advise anyone who has enjoyed this article and is interested in going the same route as me to give it a go, I am sure you won't regret it! Feel free to comment if you have any questions that I haven't answered on this blog and I will try my best to answer.
27 March 2018
Author: Cailín Smith, TRWLA Co-Director & Team Manager
This blog is going to explore my experience of transitioning from using tampons to using a menstrual cup because I believe that the menstrual cup may be a sustainable solution to many of the abovementioned period pains and hope that after reading this you might try it out for yourself. Remember that many people are not fortunate enough to be able to afford to buy any kind of sanitary wear, so if you are able to, please donate to the TRWLA sanitary wear drive!
My decision to try out the menstrual cup was inspired when we started our pad drive last year. It is clear to see that tampons and pads are not the most sustainable solution, but I realised that I couldn't encourage other womxn to use or donate menstrual cups if I had not tried it for myself. After months of searching in stores for the right cup to no avail, the TRWLA team was fortunate enough to have Shamila Ramjawan, the CEO of Famram Solutions & Famram Foundation and founder of PrincessD Menstrual Cup come and speak to us at one of our board meetings. She brought with her a menstrual cup which we could all look at, touch and feel, and gave us a thorough explanation of exactly what the menstrual cup is, why you should try it and how to use it. It was there that I decided to buy my very first cup! This is what happened thereafter...
These are the things I learned:
1. It takes time to learn how to use it! Yes, it is different from using a tampon. You need to figure out exactly which angle to insert it, how deep it should go, how to remove it without spilling blood everywhere and so on. Do not let this concern you, once you’ve got into the swing of things it's very straightforward. I would say it’ll take you a whole period before you know ‘what’s up with the cup’.
2. You’ll need to learn your ‘favourite position’ No, I’m not talking about that! I found it way easier to squat down low to insert and remove it, but you might find it easier to sit or squat only a little bit.
3. You don’t actually bleed that much One of the nice things about the cup is that you can actually monitor how much you are bleeding, meaning that you’ll get to know when your cycle is heaviest and you’ll be able to monitor abnormal amounts of bleeding. You generally should not overflow from the cup over a 12-hour span, so if you do - that may be an indication to go to the doctor.
These are suggestions I would make for first time users:
1. Don’t try the menstrual cup for the first time on a special occasion. I made this mistake and had not learned how to insert it correctly yet – meaning that I had a slight leakage at my graduation :o Shout out to my friends' mom who thankfully had her emergency lady kit with her and was able to hook me up with a tampon!
2. Always keep a tampon or pad close by - just in case Once you have learned how to use the cup correctly, you should not experience any leakage, but for the first few days be sure to keep a backup tampon or pad with you in case you experience the same thing I did!
3. Don’t give up, the first time you use it won’t be perfect I won’t lie, the first time you use the cup it isn’t comfortable. You do feel it. But do not fret, it all comes back to learning about your body, after trying it out a few times, learning how to insert it properly, learning which angle it should sit at and which direction the stem should face, it becomes A LOT more comfortable. I don’t even feel like I am wearing it anymore.
The things I like about the cup:
- Not having to change my tampon every few hours, the cup only requires you to clean it every 12 hours! This saved me from having to use those disgustingly dirty public sanitary bins whenever I was out for the day.
- Not needing to rush out to the store to buy new tampons, the cup can be reused for up to 10 years!
- No leaking.
- It’s comfortable.
- It’s going to save me SO much money in the long run.
- I stand less of a chance of getting infections or toxic shock syndrome and I can leave it in for up to 12 hours without any worries about that.
- It’s eco-friendly! Imagine the amount of waste we create by continuously throwing away our tampons and pads. By reusing the same cup for 10 years we’re certainly helping out the environment.
Some FAQ’s, answered:
1. Isn’t it too big?
No, the cup has been designed to fit you comfortably. When you insert it, it isn’t much larger than a tampon and once it’s in it pops open to securely fit your vagina. Once you’ve gotten used to the feeling of wearing the cup you might even forget it’s there.
2. Can it get lost or stuck?
No, the cup cannot go past your cervix so it cannot get lost, and it has a stem to help you remove it easily. When you remove the cup, you must not only use the stem though, you need to release the suction by pinching the base of the cup with 2 fingers, and you can use your other hand to gently pull the stem.
3. How much does it cost?
The cup I bought is a PrincessD Menstrual Cup, which costs R350. Although this is much more expensive than a box of tampons or pads, it will ultimately work out to be A LOT cheaper. R350 over 10 years works out to be approximately R3 per month, which is nothing in comparison to what I used to spend per month on tampons.
4. How do you insert it?
As I said, you’ll need to find the position you feel most comfortable to insert it in. You can either sit on the toilet or squat down, then fold the cup into the u-shape (you will find instructions about this in the pamphlet that comes with the cup), then gently push the folded cup into your vagina while still pinching the base to hold the shape. Push until the base is inside your vagina and only the stem is protruding slightly, then release the cup. The cup will pop open and create a suction to prevent any leakage. You may need to pinch the base of the cup and twist it around a bit to get it into a comfortable position or to allow it to pop open correctly – this takes some practice.
5. How do you clean it?
Every time you remove the cup you will need to pour the blood in the toilet and flush, then rinse the cup with cold water until it is clean. When you’re finished with your period you sterilize the cup by soaking it in boiled water for 15 minutes and then allowing it to dry.
In conclusion, my experience of using the menstrual cup for the first time was not perfect, but with patience and practice, I have come to believe that it was absolutely the right choice for me to take the plunge. I would now advise anyone who has enjoyed this article and is interested in going the same route as me to give it a go, I am sure you won't regret it! Feel free to comment if you have any questions that I haven't answered on this blog and I will try my best to answer.
27 March 2018
Author: Cailín Smith, TRWLA Co-Director & Team Manager
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