A year ago I never would have written this post. A year ago I would have ignored/declined the invitation to try a menstrual cup, firmly placing the very notion in the ‘too hard/too hippy’ basket.
So why now? The only answer I can come up with is simply; why not now?
My monthly period annoys the heck out of me. It’s never been painful nor irregular, just heavy and inconvenient (a bit like me in the morning before I’ve had a coffee lol). I’ve been using tampons my whole life, and while better than pads, they still totally suck. They’re uncomfortable if not quite in the right position, they leak, they aren’t absorbent enough, a heavy flow day means frequent changes, they are expensive and require disposal, plus, they are just something else waking me at night and wanting attention – I’ve already got a husband and a 4-year-old taking up night-time hours #kthanksbyetampons.
So earlier this week, with Christmas in New Zealand done and dusted and tent-life beckoning (always a PIA when you’ve got your period) I decided to trial a Lunette Menstrual Cup for the first time. I’d been gifted one just before the holidays and had been planning to give it a whirl before our trip to Japan in January.
What did I think? Short version; amazing, liberating, life-changing. Long version; read on.
Lunette Menstrual Cup Review
First tip: Get ready in advance. I was all raring to go as soon as my period began but hadn’t opened the box or read the short set of instructions that accompany the Lunette. In fact, I hadn’t even touched it! There are two sizes available, I picked size 2 which is recommended for women who experience a heavier flow or who have given birth vaginally. The silicone is super smooth and soft, but also much firmer than I anticipated. After sterilizing my cup for 20 minutes in a pot of boiling water I was ready to go.
The thing that puzzled me most about menstrual cups prior to using one, was placement. A tampon sits so much higher than a cup and feels awful when it’s inserted wrong/low and feels like it’s going to fall out! Yet, the Lunette cup sits low and you CAN’T FEEL IT! It’s amazing, and I’m sure the imperceptibility is due to the flexible silicone moving with your body when you move.
Insertion/application, whatever, was easy, fold it in half and up she goes. A bit of a jiggle and you can feel the cup unfold – that’s it! I was completely floored by how easy the process is and how completely ‘leak-free’ I feel when wearing the Lunette. I realise that describing a state of being as ‘leak-free’ is a bit bizarre and a probably a complete misnomer, however, if you’ve experienced that tampon-angsty feeling when you know you could leak at any given time, you’ll totally understand what I mean!
The stem was the only thing I found uncomfortable and as recommended in the instructions I simply trimmed it until I found the optimal length. I don’t actually use it for removal at all so cut it really short.
Am I converted?
Heck yes I am, I just wished I had been brave and tried a menstrual cup sooner. The Lunette just makes so much sense;
- I feel completely leak free, even at night
- I can go longer, up to 12 hours, without having to worry about reaching max capacity
- I don’t feel like I’m going to get ‘caught out’ without another tampon on me when I need one
- I haven’t yet, but know I’d be able to workout and run wearing a Lunette Menstrual Cup, something that was out of the question for me on heavy flow days with a tampon.
- Cleaning/sanitizing is easy, there’s heaps of info here
In fact it’s all easy. The only hard part about using a Lunette is in your head, once you’re over the mental hurdle you will never go back to tampons. I never will, of this I’m convinced.
I can see how learning how to use a menstrual cup may be slightly more challenging for young girls, but to be honest, no more challenging than learning how to use a tampon. The benefit of potentially NOT having to change a tampon/pad for the entire school day is incredible and totally worth the very little persistence that’s required to get super comfortable with using a Lunette Menstrual Cup.
There’s heaps of information on the Lunette New Zealand website, so check it out if you have any questions or are keen to make the switch – you won’t regret it!
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