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So I never thought I’d be writing about my monthly cycle on this blog, but it appears I am today!
The first time I’d ever heard of a menstrual cup was when I was telling my friend Kristin about my nightmare bus from Hanoi to Luang Prabang. What I failed to mention in that blog post was that I was also on my period, which proved to be rather interesting when there were no real toilet stops! She then proceeded to tell me that she used a menstrual cup and it made her feel a lot more comfortable when travelling. It all sounded a bit gross to me at the time but fast forward to 2016 and they seem to have had a surge in popularity with people who are fed up of forking out on tampons.
I was intrigued. How would the Lily Cup Compact compare against regular tampons?
Using the Lily Cup Compact
The Lily Cup Compact is tiny and collapses to fit inside a little pink plastic case, so you can easily pop it in your handbag and carry it around with you. Perfect if you’re on the go and you want something discreet. Have you ever had an incident where you’ve been in a restaurant, reached into your bag to get your credit card, then found that a tampon has flown out of your bag with it?! I have. Slightly embarrassing. Say goodbye to that problem with the Lily Cup Compact.
The box comes with a very thick instruction booklet, which worried me for a second, but it’s actually just thick because it’s been translated into so many languages. The menstrual cup itself is made of medical grade silicone and is hypoallergenic which means there’ll be no irritation and it won’t affect the delicate balance of your lady parts.
After a quick skim read of the instructions, I submerged the Lily Cup in boiling water before first use. The first time I tried it it was a little bit fiddly but I felt like I got it in OK. I folded it in half, then crouched down over the toilet and inserted it into my vagina like a tampon. You can use lubricant like KY Jelly but I didn’t really feel like this was necessary.
The instructions say to check that it has opened up and a seal has formed, which you can do in a number of ways:
- Rotate the cup left and right
- Wiggle the cup up and down, back and forth
- Run your finger around the cup
- Lightly pull down on the cup. If it doesn’t move, a seal has formed.
Once it was in I couldn’t feel a thing and I left the house feeling really comfortable.
However the first time I went to the bathroom, there was more blood in my pantyliner than there was inside the cup. I thought I’d definitely inserted it correctly but I do get a heavy flow and I was worried that perhaps the cup just wasn’t big enough.
I emptied the cup then tried again a second time, but still there was leakage. I wasn’t feeling confident that it would contain the flow, so I resorted to using full pads as a backup.
Then after a few emails back and forth to the folks at Intimina, and 30 minutes or so watching this very engaging YouTuber explain how the hell it all works, I decided to get to the bottom of my problem.
I eventually discovered that the punch fold is the best kind of fold for inserting it. Basically the ‘punch fold’ involves pressing down on one edge of the cup so it folds inwards and it seems to work better than just folding it. I also placed the cup slightly higher inside my vagina and made extra special efforts to check that my vaginal muscles weren’t making the cup collapse inwards.
As a side note – in case you’re worried about using it with an IUD, it’s completely fine. I have the copper IUD and haven’t had any problems with it disturbing the strings.
The more I used it the better it got. I changed it quite regularly, maybe 3 or 4 times per day, and I also wore it in at night too. Eventually I got to the point where the cup was actually filling up properly.
So what are the main pros and cons?
Pros
It’s compact – As you can see it’s so small in size that you can easily fit it into a purse. The case is discreet so most people wouldn’t even know what it is. I can carry it around and take it anywhere when I’m travelling, knowing I’ll never have to pack a bulky box of tampons into my suitcase.
No more buying tampons – The main incentive for buying a menstrual cup is that you no longer have to buy tampons and sanitary pads every month. With just a one-off purchase of £24.94, your menstrual cup will last for years if handled with care.
More comfortable – Say goodbye to tampon strings and cotton fibres that dry out your vagina. You can’t even feel the Lily Cup Compact when it’s in and because the blood is collected rather than absorbed, you don’t get any bad odours that come from old blood.
Stays in for up to 10 hours – The Lily Cup Compact can be worn for up to 10 hours and usually needs changing 2-3 times per day.
Cons
Takes a while to get used to – It does take some time to figure out what technique you should use and what is the best positioning for your cervix and body.
A little bit messy – Sorry to be graphic ladies but you do get blood all over your hands, unlike you would if you inserted a tampon with an applicator. With a tampon you’d simply dispose of it but with the Lily Cup Compact you have to actually rinse it out when you empty it.
It’s not too bad when I’m at home but when I’m out and about and there’s no sink inside the toilet cubicle, then it becomes a bit more tricky. I’ve learnt to a) carry a bottle of water for rinsing b) carry wet wipes. I’ve also noticed that the blood is a lot more fresh and therefore bright red, meaning it seems to stain the toilet bowl a little bit if it settles to the bottom.
Not sure if I’ve always got it in correctly – I’m still not 100% confident that it will collect all of the blood so I’m still wearing pads with it but I imagine that after a few cycles I’ll get the hang of it and figure out the best times to change it.
So there you have it. I’m going to persist with the menstrual cup because I do believe that it’ll be easier than using tampons in the long run.
Considering trying one for yourself? You can purchase the Lily Cup for £24.95 by visiting the following website: https://www.intimina.com/en/lily_cups
The post Using a Menstrual Cup: Intimina Lily Cup Compact Review appeared first on Pommie Travels.
Source: pommietravels.com