Disclaimer: Please do not read this if you cannot handle a detailed description of a woman in her natural state of her menstrual cycle.
Menstrual cups. You either love it or hate it. I must say this year has been pretty life changing for me with my attempts in trying to go back to vegetarianism after so many years, once again due to environmental reasons. I realised that my efforts cannot stop with just being litter free and advocating it, cutting down meat and reducing my carbon footprint all together. So when it comes to periods and the amount of pads and tampons wasted, I naturally was looking for a more environmentally friendly method.
While inquiring about menstrual cups, I was introduced to Cotton Mermaid Menstrual cups that came in a myriad of vibrant colours, each affordably priced at RM 100 each and came with the mermaid cup all-in-one wash. There were two sizes and I purchased the Lavender-solid in Size 2 for women over 30 because I thought, well I’m a year away anyway.
So all I had to do next was read up on everything, know what to expect and wait for aunt flow to arrive. How hard can it be right?
When educating myself, I learnt that before every use I had to sterilize the cup in boiling water for about 5 to 10 minutes, however with the wash, I need not have to, making it extremely easy for me to carry it around in my pouch and sterilizing the cup just before, in case aunt flow surprised me (she tends to love doing that).
When she did, I was a cup of emotions (no pun intended). I was excited yet nervous and doing it in the public bathroom stall did not help. But I was so excited to try it out, I had to at least attempt it. Tampons were there just in case I failed.
Attempt 1 did not go too well because despite learning all the folds a menstrual cup was capable of, I could not get it to go inside of me without it springing right back out all into my hands, splashing along my menstrual blood all over my hands. I tried for about 3 times before giving up and then settling with a tampon.
Attempt 2 was when I was already home, at least in the comforts of my own home. I sterilized the cup again and went at it. I had the heart, the mind and the cup all in spirit as I eased in to attempt 2. I used a c fold and tried to push it in, but it was more difficult than I thought. I tried sitting on the toilet, the one with my back on the wall, one leg up, half squatting, and leg up in the air before finally squatting. I found squatting a little more easier than the rest and in it went. While all the above was going on, I was battling a squad of mosquitoes that have been herding my apartment bathroom probably due to the rainy season. It was not a pretty sight with me figuring out the insertion and killing mosquitoes with the other. Let’s not forget the amount of time i had to wash my hands in the middle of all this.
The mermaid cup all in one wash cleans, deodorize and sterilize menstrual cups without degrading the medical grade silicone
I finally got her in (victory right?) until i realised that my nails were still not short enough for me to go in and twist it around. So I had to take a break, cut my nails, no care for aesthetics (my nails now look like a child bit into them), washing my hands for the millionth time again and then going back in. I twisted her around and then heard a ‘pop’. Which is good, because I think that was supposed to happen. In order to avoid any leakages, I ran my finger around the cup and figured (instinctively, because I don’t have the slightest reference what to expect), she must be in place. I waited 5 to 10 minutes to see if she would leak but she didn’t. So good news right?
I managed to keep her in for 12 hours and did not feel a thing throughout the wear. I did feel it was a little tight, like I could feel the rim but I do think it may have been in my head. I slept like a baby and did not feel a thing for the rest of the night. The only thing is that the stem was a little bit long and protruding. I tried to leave it on but decided to see how it goes.
Day 2: Removal of the cup. So because the stem was longer it was easy to pull the cup closer to the vaginal opening and then pinch the bottom to release the seal. Thankfully I was sitting on the toilet seat because what came out and filled my entire hands was a gush of blood, the colour of solid cranberry juice, watery. I thought the sight would make me gag but ironically it looked a lot better than what you would normally see on your tampon or pad. I also realised there wasn’t any smell; what I would typically describe as the smell of rust when I usually use tampons that did not linger around me when i used menstrual cups.
So I reinserted the cup back to go through my day at work, because I was determined on figuring this out. I was still unsure if I was doing this right, but I went with it anyway. Good news is there were no leakages throughout my entire cycle. The other thing I learnt is that the cup feels heavier when it’s fuller and you may not be able to keep it in for its maximum amount of hours which is 12. So I had to empty it out every 4 to 5 hours for the first few days. Insertion was somewhat more challenging than removal but I figured I had to get used to it. It’s also definitely tougher doing it anywhere else apart from home, but I guess once u get the hang of it, it will be fine. I also cut the stem shorter so it was a lot more comfortable but with the stem shorter it took a bit more effort with removal because it really depends on how high the cup was placed. I used the cup for about 2 to 3 days before going back to tampons when my cycle was a little bit lighter.
TLDR: Basically I think menstrual cups are amazing and with a couple of cycles, one will get used to it. I also realised that I was unable to get the cup to open completely when it’s inserted and it might have been because i could have been a size 1 instead of a 2. But also as I’ve read, as long as it doesn’t leak it is fine. The cup will follow the anatomy of your own vaginal walls. I think it is really important to note that while the diagrams are easy to follow and understand, application is a whole thing altogether. I realised that I did not have as much space as I thought I would to manoeuvre myself around. But all I can say is don’t give up and find what works for you. If you’d like to check out cotton mermaid cups, check out the website as hyperlinked above. I also joined the cotton mermaid group on facebook where women share their own experiences and help educate each other on what to expect. I might purchase Size 1 in black and see if that is a better fit for my next flow.
Thanks for reading guys! If you’d like to learn about menstrual cups, follow the community page.
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