What you should know before switching to a menstrual cup

All the Quentin Tarantino movies in the world cannot prepare you for what happens when you first extract a menstrual cup from its intended position. It’s absolute carnage, and you — hovering like a space ship over the toilet bowl — are likely to panic. The only thing worse than seeing this bloodbath for first-timers is trying to remove the damn menstrual cup and discovering that you can’t. It’s moved beyond the grasp of your fingertips and you’re 90% sure it’s travelling upwards into your uterus to live there forever.

The standard train of thought when experimenting with the cup goes something like: “urgghh, come on, gross, f#%k” But once you’ve got the insertion and removal technique down — and made your peace with a few hiccups along the way — you’ll wonder why you didn’t switch to it sooner.

We asked our Instagram tribe for their best advice on trying the menstrual cup. Here’s what you should keep in mind.

• “Hard cups are difficult to insert but pop up easily as soon as inserted. Soft cups are very easy to manoeuvre but takes a hell of a lot of effort to pop it open. Buy both cups and try them on, before you decide which is THE ONE.” – Kalyani Kilaparthi
• “Fold it into a C shape before inserting, and make sure you push it up all the way. Once in, bear down the way you would if you were trying to poop. You should feel a slight pressure which is a sign that the cup is in the right position.” – Sara Menon
• “Sitting in the squat position makes removing the cup easier. Don’t try to pull the cup out with the stick but press on the sides to release the suction.” – Palak Padhy

• “It will take about 1-2 weeks to adapt to using it. There are chances it will spill on heavy flow days, but never remove it while you’re in bed.” – Paarmita Shukla
• “Don’t use it if you travel a lot or commute for work and don’t have access to clean bathrooms.” – Protima Rodrigues
•  “Be calm before attempting it. Use a small mirror if you need help seeing where you’re going.” – Nishtha Khandelwal
•  “Wear an organic pad on the first day as there’s a strong likelihood you might stain your panty if you have a heavy flow. Make sure you clean it thoroughly, boiling it in sterile water before using it. If you experience pain or excessive cramping, especially if you have PCOS, avoid wearing it on the first two days.” – Ria Pinto

Buy yours from Boondh, Peesafe, Shecup or Sirona.

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