As a woman, you will be facing various biological occurrences that cannot be avoided, like menstruation and menopause. On average, menstruation takes up to 40 years of a woman’s life, which is why it is necessary that you should be able to choose correctly what menstruation hygiene device should you use every month.
With this said, if you are someone that has considered or is currently considering menstrual cups as your sanitary utility, then it is best to be prepared as to how one is used, right? Thus, here are some tips that would surely help you out in using your new menstrual cup.
Facts to Know Beforehand
First off, here are the things that you should and should not feel after inserting a new menstrual cup. This is said beforehand so that you will know what to anticipate before and after inserting your menstrual cup. With this said, here are the things that you should feel:
- You shouldn’t be able to feel it inside your vagina
- You shouldn’t experience any blood discharge leaks
- No stem or any part of the cup should be protruding from your vaginal canal
You can decide whether you had inserted the menstrual cup properly when you checked off of the list all the things that were mentioned above.
Tips for Inserting a New Menstrual Cup
Now, let us proceed on the tips on inserting a new menstrual cup so that you would adjust easily in using a menstrual cup.
Reading the Manual
Reading the manual comes in first as one of the tips in making your first menstrual cup insertion easy. This is not likely to be a tip but as a reminder that you should read the instructions carefully since it is there to provide you the information that you need in using the menstrual cup.
With this said, your menstrual cup should be recommending information on different folding techniques that you should know about so that you can try each method and find what is best for you.
Relax
No, here is the real tip after reading the manuals. You may get excited, anxious, or worried, but know that when you are relaxed, you menstrual cup insertion would be much more comfortable.
Here’s a suggestion, try your menstrual cup for the first time when you are not currently having your period so that you can get the gist of it. Why? Because you will not be having any difficulty in inserting or removing it because you won’t be dealing with raging hormones nor blood which would add stress at the same time.
Just like your newly bought shoes, try it, walk around with it, see if it fits you well or you are not uncomfortable with it inside your vagina, then remove it.
Use a Lubricant
Wet the cup if you must if you doubt that you can insert it at ease since it is easier to insert the menstrual cup if it is wet. With this said, dampen the entrance of your vagina with a water-based lubricant or just water, then do it as well at the rim of your cup.
Here’s a piece of additional information: many women find it advantageous to insert their cup while in the shower.
The Correct Angle
Inserting a menstrual cup in a straight up position or angle will not benefit you, so before you do that, we are already recommending you that you shouldn’t insert it in such a way. For a correct angle insertion, you should put it into your vagina at a horizontal 45-degree angle.
You should aim towards the base of your spine by squatting down with knees spread open. This menstrual cup-inserting position helps well with menstrual cup first timer users. With this said, you should stop pushing your cup further as soon as the end of the cup’s stem can no longer be seen.
Keep Your Cup Low
Many mistakes of women that use menstrual cup are placing too high in their vagina. Many have the idea of putting it too high since it would “properly” catch and collect the blood. However, it should sit low in the vagina (lower than the tampon), and ideally not over the opening of the cervix.
Additionally, the end of the stem should be sitting no more than 1cm from your vaginal opening. Nothing should be sticking out from your vaginal opening, but it should not also be farther away from the opening.
Takeaway
Menstrual cups sure can be intimidating the first time you use it, but with proper guidance and information, it would surely be a breeze for a first timer. Additionally, you should know that your menstrual cup should fit you well and that you should have the right size of the menstrual cup since it is one of the issues some women have regarding with leaking and discomfort.
