Menstrual Cups
These are reusable and inserted in a similar way to a tampon. They hold quite a lot of blood and you can keep them in for longer – 10-12 hours – which makes them a great option for overnight.
They might take a bit of practice to learn how to insert properly because you need to make sure that the cup forms a seal around your vagina so that none of your blood leaks. Your cup will come with instructions or there are lots of Youtube videos you can watch, one of which we will link below.
When using a cup for the first time, you will need to disinfect it – you can do this by boiling it in water for 5 minutes on the hob of your cooker. Make sure to put in enough water so that the cup is floating. You should do this at the end of your period, too. While you are on your period, you do not need to disinfect your menstrual cup each time you empty it, clean it with warm water and soap. It can be handy to use an accessible toilet at this time so you have privacy around the sink. Make sure you clean out the tiny holes just below the rim of the menstrual cup as these create the suction while the cup is inside of you, ensuring that blood doesn’t out of the cup.
How to use a menstrual cup:
There are different ways to insert a cup. You need to fold it to make it smaller so that you can easily insert it into your vagina.
C-fold (aka Half fold, U-fold): Fold the top rim of your menstrual cup in half, so that it creates a tight C or U shape.
Push down fold (aka Tip fold, tulip fold): Push one side of the rim down into the cup, creating a narrow point.
You might find it easiest to insert standing or sitting over the toilet. As you insert the menstrual cup, try to maintain the folded position of the menstrual cup. When you can no longer hold the cup in a folded position let it “pop” open inside your vagina, and continue to push the menstrual cup from the base of the cup. You should gently push the menstrual cup deep enough so that the stem is no longer
protruding out of your vaginal opening.
Do not push the menstrual cup so deep that you are unable to grab the stem of the cup. The stem is not for pulling, it is to help you locate the base of the cup. When you locate the base of the cup, gently squeeze it to cause the cups suction mechanism to come away and carefully bring it out. You can pour the blood down the toilet.
