Menstrual Cups and Cloth Menstrual Pads

So I thought I had mad a post about this but aparently I hadn't!
I had been using cloth menstrual oads for a few years and was hestitant to jump on the menstrual cup bandwagon but I'm glad I did! I love it, but I still use my pads.

So why use menstrual cups and/or cloth pads?

Well for one thing it is WAY cheaper in the long run. A set of pads will last you years if you care for them correctly and a menstrual cup is recommended to be changed every 10 years but it's hospital grade silicon so again, take care of it and it should last you a lifetime!

What brands do I use?

So I think like anything it's important for you to find something that works for you. My first menstrual pads were BubuBibi which are bamboo cloth pads. I really like these for days when I'm wearing my cup because they are thin and not too long. Around $15 for 4 pads. I soaked them in bleach too long one day and some of the fibers wore down so I bought a pack of Love My menstrual pads (around $17 for 6) which I love because they are long and thicker which is great for night time. You can wear your cup overnight but it's nice to have back up, and on lighter days I don't feel like wearing the cup to bed.
To clean simply rinse out and wash like you would cloth diapers. Fluff Love University is a great place to start if this is all new to you! Find "Cloth Pad Love" group on FB!

Menstrual cups are a great idea. In theory they will last you a lifetime for only $30. 

The first cup I bought was the Glad Rags XO Flo cup because I had read good things about it. Now I didn't find it to be the best fit for me personally. It kept shifting down and was uncomfortable. I felt a bit defeated because I was so excited about the idea of using a cup. So I bought a Lena (large). I loved the Lena (people rave about Lunette too). I had a very successful heavy period using it. Was able to wear it all night with no leakage (I wore a pad for insurance) but on the heavy first couple of days I did need a pad as well because of slight leakage. 

Everyone's uterus is shaped differently so you may not be happy with the first one you buy. I was pretty happy with the Lena one I bought, it fit way batter than the Glad Rags and it didn't come out. 

The size you buy really depends on age, sexual activity and flow. I'm a 39 year old woman who has been through child birth and has a heavy flow for the first few days, then light for the rest so for me the large was the obvious choice but if you're a virgin or have't had ahead through your vagina then a small might be a good one to start with. Honestly the "large" Lena cup was still a lot smaller than the "large" Glad Rags.

In terms of insertion it's valuable to watch the videos/instructions that are available on some of their websites. I think I was just inserting up like I would a tampon but with these cups it's important to find and aim for the entrance to your uterus as you want the cup to go around that. You just fold it into a C-shape and insert and it pops open inside sealing the flow inside the cup. To remove just press the side of the cup to release the pressure and pull the stem.

What's the process?

In terms of insertion it's valuable to watch the videos/instructions that are available on some of their websites. I think I was just inserting up like I would a tampon but with these cups it's important to find and aim for the entrance to your uterus as you want the cup to go around that. You just fold it into a C-shape and insert and it pops open inside sealing the flow inside the cup. To remove just press the side of the cup to release the pressure and pull the stem.

You can wear them for 12 hours and you just empty them straight into the toilet and wash with warm soapy water between uses and at the end of your period let the cup simmer in boiling water for 5 minutes so it's sanitized for the next time.