Best cup for high, forward-tilted cervix?
Hi,
I’m trying cups for the first time and having some problems. I went for a Saalt cup as I have a medium/high cervix and do a lot of exercise. I have positioned it as instructed (low but all internal, just passed my pubic bone) and it has opened and has good suction (scarily good!). However, when I sit down for some time it leaks. It\’s also giving me constant dull period pain, which I never normally get. Tried the larger size and that took quite some effort to open, but again it is giving me period pain and although it has opened and has good suction, it is still leaking sometimes. Oddly it seems to leak through the suction holes???
My vagina is kind of a funnel shape, and I wonder if this bell shape isn\’t working for me as the seal is on the body of the cup not the rim (this is a guess!). Also my vaginal canal points backward to my tail bone quite markedly and my cervix is tilted forwards. When I sit down I wonder if the canal becomes quite bent and so squashes the cup? I am 46 and no kids, if that helps.
Please don\’t suggest the different techniques to fold, angle and open the cup – I have experimented quite a lot and don\’t think this is the issue. TBH it is so firmly wedged, there is nooooo way I can squeeze and twist that sucker and have to use the technique of finger alongside to allow space to unfold it (or to break the suction to remove). Checked it with a tug and it seems well stuck in place.
I will perserve a few more days, but I wonder if this shape of cup just isn\’t right for me. I\’m not sure what cup to try next. If I go firmer, it might be more uncomfortable, but is softer even more likely to leak? I could go for a longer cup, as my cervix is quite high, however as it is also tilted, if I go too high I could end up positioning the cup past my cervix. I also wondered about more of a V shaped cup, or even the fun cup or lily which seem more anatomical, but then again those have no rim so not sure how good a seal you can get?
So many options – please help! ?
Hello!
After reading through your post, I’m wondering if you’re having any issues removing the cup. Is it very high when you reach for it?
The Saalt Cup is an awesome cup, and so is the company, but the cup is on the shorter side of “average” in both sizes. If you have a high cervix, the cup may be migrating up, sitting higher in the vaginal fornix and allowing your cervix to dip down and compromise the capacity.
You mentioned that when you sit, it starts to leak. Our cervix moves around with our movements – coughing, sneezing, laughing, bearing down in any way and sitting may again, make your cervix dip lower into the cup causing the leaking.
If you are able to try a “V” shaped cup/longer cup, it may help keep your cervix from dipping too deeply and avoid leaking.
When inserting the cup, make sure to aim towards your tailbone. If you’re squatting on the floor, you’ll be aiming more down and back than straight up. It’s common that new users insert their cup straight up (like with tampons), which will likely push the cervix to the side and not collect as intended. However, I don’t think this is your issue since you didn’t mention any leaking prior to sitting down.
For someone who is very active and has a high cervix, I like to suggest the large Yuuki “soft” version. This is more of a medium firm cup although they labeled it as their “soft”. It has a good “poppy” rim as opposed to the Saalt Cups softer rim/firmer body design.
I won’t say that the Fun Cup or Lily Cup won’t work for you, but here are my thoughts on them:
Both cup brands are designed to be ergonomic. Because of that, they need to be inserted and positioned in a certain way. If you are having trouble maneuvering your current cup into position, then these cups might be even harder.
The Fun Cup was a bit difficult to remove for me (with a high cervix) as there is no stem and the base lacks sufficient grip rings/dots.
The Lily Cup doesn’t have any air holes. For some, including myself, it created a very tight suction which was hard to break without pulling the rim down with a finger.
Sadly, there is no cup that was designed specifically for those who have been diagnosed by a doctor to have a tipped/tilted/retro-flexed/retroverted uterus/cervix. However, those who have been, find that sometimes a cup with a wider diameter like the Super Jennie or Tampax Cup to be easier to position and more comfortable to use.
I hope that I shed some light on the cups that you mentioned. Check out the Yuuki Cup and let me know if you have any additional questions about it or any other cup that may have caught your eye. You might also be interested in a Menstrual Disc.
Until then, Good Luck!
