I’ve been trying for SEVEN years..
I’ve literally been trying to use a cup for 7 years. I have gotten a good almost completely leak proof seal a hand full of times. And granted it hasn’t been quite 7 years because I’ve had two children since then so I obviously wasn’t using it while pregnant. But during times I was actively having a period over the last 7 years I’ve been trying. I’ve tried several different folds, I’ve tried two different cups, and I’ve looked up countless videos and blog posts about them. And I can not consistently get a good seal. Even the times I get a someone decent seal and it actually collects blood I leak plenty. But more often then not it catches little to no blood and it’s a leaky nasty mess! I hate sitting in pads full of blood and tampons since using a cup are like a swear word and I don’t swear! But seriously… who has to try this long? Something has got to be wrong! How do I fix this and have this blissful experience I was supposed to be having????
So I wanted to update about this cycle. This is day three and yesterday am when I woke up and got a shower and went to remove my cup it was full. This tells me I can make it work and this has happened to me a hand full of times but the majority of times when I leak the cup has very little or nothing in it. But even these times that it works and I’m filling the cup I find I leak the entire time. I had been leaking from the moment I inserted it all through the night despite also filling the cup so the frustrating part is that even when it’s “working” it’s not “working”🤦🏻♀️😂🤷♀️ So any way I will make this work or I’ll die trying. I did look at the Lumma disc you recommended and it looks like a lot of reviews say it’s not for those with heavy flow which I believe may be an issue for me? Or may just be an issue for some? Also the small salt soft I bought was to try at times my cervix is low but I do think a small may just be too small for me 🤷♀️ Another thing I’m wondering is that when I feel up there sometimes I think oh hey that’s my cervix 🤔 other times I’m like oh hey maybe that’s it 🤔 like I was so sure I had it figured out and knew exactly what my cervix was but then looking at pictures of female anatomy for the millionth time trying to find any reason why I must be the only person alive capable of not finding success after so many years (likely due to ignorance 🤦🏻♀️😂🤷♀️) I’m like wait maybe this thing I’m feeling is part of it and I can’t feel the other part 🤔. Recently due to a miscarriage I became much more aware of female anatomy then I really had been before and my doctor did tell me I have a tilted uterus. Which I think may also be part of my problem with cups but I’ve been researching tips to use a cup with a tiled uterus and of course tons of stuff pops up…. but what pops up seems to be primarily confirmation and encouraging that a cup can work rather then actual tips to try differently in this case. And I know I have a good seal because when I pull I can feel that I do so I’m like “howwwwwwww can this possible be happening?” Anyway I’d consider a disc but I’d prefer a cup. I’ve considered some of those funky odd shaped cups at times but I’m also weird and have a hard time getting past what my idea of a cup is in my head (like anything other then a traditional looking up) but if it works I’d be willing to try it! Anyway hopefully I’ve said something else that’s triggered more if your infinite wisdom! Thank you so much for your help and dedication to helping people find success! I really appreciate it!! ❤️
PS…Happy Mother’s Day! <3
Well I tried a salt small too! I am sure I need a size 2 or regular due to my age and having birthed 4 children but I wanted to try a small just in case on the off chance I have smaller insides or something and the cup can’t fully open and thus leaks. I do feel all the way to the top of the rim and make sure it’s all open but after this long of trying to use one it blows my mind that I just can’t get this to work! 🙄🤦🏻♀️ So frustrating! Like I have not tried for so many years to just give up but I’m at a loss too 🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️👎
Hello There!
Again, I’m proud of you for trying over and over. I can tell that you really want something to work.
I apologize that I didn’t see your comment back in January. It was a reply to my comment, but this isn’t my website so don’t always see when someone responses to me.
Anyhow, your cervix moving higher and lower is common. Our cervix is always on the move during our cycle. It’s at its highest position during the peak of ovulation where it can get so high that it is out of reach. It moves lower at the beginning of our periods in preparation for menstruation.
Mine moves enough that sometimes my favorite large cups aren’t as comfortable and I end up switching to a smaller/shorter cup. Having two cups of different sizes can be very beneficial for this reason.
If you would like to continue using reusable menstrual products, you might want to see if a menstrual disc would be a better option for you. They fold, insert, and situation differently than menstrual cups.
The Lumma Disc comes in three different sizes and they normally offer two (of any two sizes) for about $42. If you decide to try these, I would suggest the medium and large. Out of all of the discs on the market (six), the Lumma seems to be the easiest to insert and open.
I wish I could be of more help, but I’ll always be here to cheer you on!
Hugss!
<3
Red Herring
@redherringtv
RedHerringTV on YouTube
So I wanted to update about this cycle. This is day three and yesterday am when I woke up and got a shower and went to remove my cup it was full. This tells me I can make it work and this has happened to me a hand full of times but the majority of times when I leak the cup has very little or nothing in it. But even these times that it works and I’m filling the cup I find I leak the entire time. I had been leaking from the moment I inserted it all through the night despite also filling the cup so the frustrating part is that even when it’s “working” it’s not “working”🤦🏻♀️😂🤷♀️ So any way I will make this work or I’ll die trying. I did look at the Lumma disc you recommended and it looks like a lot of reviews say it’s not for those with heavy flow which I believe may be an issue for me? Or may just be an issue for some? Also the small salt soft I bought was to try at times my cervix is low but I do think a small may just be too small for me 🤷♀️ Another thing I’m wondering is that when I feel up there sometimes I think oh hey that’s my cervix 🤔 other times I’m like oh hey maybe that’s it 🤔 like I was so sure I had it figured out and knew exactly what my cervix was but then looking at pictures of female anatomy for the millionth time trying to find any reason why I must be the only person alive capable of not finding success after so many years (likely due to ignorance 🤦🏻♀️😂🤷♀️) I’m like wait maybe this thing I’m feeling is part of it and I can’t feel the other part 🤔. Recently due to a miscarriage I became much more aware of female anatomy then I really had been before and my doctor did tell me I have a tilted uterus. Which I think may also be part of my problem with cups but I’ve been researching tips to use a cup with a tiled uterus and of course tons of stuff pops up…. but what pops up seems to be primarily confirmation and encouraging that a cup can work rather then actual tips to try differently in this case. And I know I have a good seal because when I pull I can feel that I do so I’m like “howwwwwwww can this possible be happening?” Anyway I’d consider a disc but I’d prefer a cup. I’ve considered some of those funky odd shaped cups at times but I’m also weird and have a hard time getting past what my idea of a cup is in my head (like anything other then a traditional looking up) but if it works I’d be willing to try it! Anyway hopefully I’ve said something else that’s triggered more if your infinite wisdom! Thank you so much for your help and dedication to helping people find success! I really appreciate it!! ❤️
PS. Here’s video link that might help:
How to Insert & Remove a Menstrual Cup with Tips!
So I first started with the Lunette size 2 and last year sometime bought a salt regular size 2 also! The cup iv had the most success with was the lunette and actually the times I was most successful were early on. I don’t have my lunette anymore because I felt it was old and I didn’t have the success I wanted to have so I just got rid of it. Both have been equally comfy I believe. I’ve never had any pain with either. It does move at times and I have noticed as I’ve ready is normal that my cervix will be lower or higher at different times. The times it’s been higher I have had to dig quite a ways up there to grab it as well as use my muscles to push it out but it doesn’t usually go that far up. I have also noticed it often does move up higher then where I put it which I’ve read is a seal problem but I also don’t understand because no matter how much I leak around it or where it sits I do feel when I pull it out that I’m breaking a seal. It’s not like super strong like I struggle but you can hear the sound of a suction being released. I did go to another group once and they shared with me a bunch of tips and tricks too as one thing it mentioned that could be a problem is that it could feel open all the way from the bottom but if you actually reach all the way to the top it may not be one all the way at the very top. I have run my finger all the way around all the way to the too many times also to ensure that’s not a problem and it’s always open completely. I literally feel like I’ve tried everything there is to try but I really don’t want to give up. I have considered taking it to my OB even and asking them for help or is there is something that wouid prevent me from using it but I’d really rather not have to go through all that. 🤷♀️🤦🏻♀️
Hello There!
First, I’m proud of you for not giving up after all this time. I know it’s probably meaningless coming from a stranger, but some people give up after the first time they insert a cup.
It’s a little hard to pinpoint what might be the issue without knowing a little more.
What two cups and sizes do you have?
Do they feel comfortable and are easy to reach when you need to remove them?
Do you feel like you have to reach in more than necessary to retrieve them?
I’m going to go step by step as I would for any new user. Please don’t feel like I’m talking down to you, I just want to be sure that you have an easy, successful cup experience.
Inserting:
1. Squatting down will give you the best position to insert the cup. It will roll your pelvis, automatically make you bear down, and will bring your cervix closer to the vaginal opening. You can also bear down even further which will help with placement.
2. Our cervix isn’t typically straight up. A cup will not be inserted at the same angle as a tampon. Instead, aim the folded cup down and back towards your tailbone (from a squat). It might sound strange, but aiming down will help position the cup slightly to the side of the cervix nearest to the rectum.
3. When you release the fold, the rim should expand and be right under or around your cervix. If you’re in a squat, this will be easier to do.
4. Give the cup a gentle tug to see if there is any resistance. Even very slight resistance means that the cup has created a seal. If the cup slides easily, give the base a small pinch to force out some air and create a seal.
*Not all cups will create a strong seal for each person.
5. If possible, use a single finger and gently press the side of the cup and swipe it to the right or left; whichever is easier. This will help work out the rim if it’s caved in. You can also note if the cervix is exposed. If it is, wiggle the cup down a bit to let the cervix adjust, and then use a finger to push the cup back into place.
*If you have a high cervix and are unable to insert a finger near the rim, you can let the cup open lower in the vaginal canal and then use a finger to push the cup into position. This can also be helpful if you find that the cervix keeps getting in the way of allowing the rim to completely expand.
6. After you have placed the cup, use a pH balance wet wipe or cloth to clean the grip rings and/or stem of any excess blood. This will help with residual blood spotting.
Common reasons a cup might be leaking:
1. Incorrect placement.
2. Cervix in the way of allowing the rim to expand completely or the cup has pushed the cervix to the side.
3. Using the wrong size or shape.
– A small or short cup, or a bell-shaped cup with a flared rim, can make the cup ride up and sit higher around the cervix. This will make the cervix sit deeper into the cup and compromise the capacity.
4. Cup is too soft.
– A cup that is too soft may not open completely or may get dislodged with vaginal contractions or movement. Some say that this is not possible, but too many users have said that they have experienced it.
Give these tips a try and see if they help. If you would rather try a different cup altogether, I’d be happy to give you some suggestions if you answer those questions at the beginning of my reply.
Until then, Good Luck & Happy New Year!
Red Herring
@redherringtv
RedHerringTV on YouTube
Hello There!
YAY! At least you know that it works, even if it’s not 100% of the time. If the cup has very little collected, it usually means that either the cup is on the side of the cervix or that the cervix is sitting deep into the cup and compromising the capacity.
If you’re leaking a little each time, it could be excess blood finding its way out. I’m not sure if I mention this before (I didn’t go back and reread). After you insert the cup, use a wet wipe or cloth to clean the base and stem as best as you can. Although this usually helps eliminate residual blood spots, there’s always going to be some that is left in the vaginal canal that is not scooped up by the cup on its way in.
If you are leaking a lot like you don’t have a cup in, then there’s something else going on.
Discs are okay for heavy bleeders, but in my experience, it needs to be emptied way more often. Some people can dump the contents without removing the cup. They say to bear down while you’re on the toilet for it to empty and then do a few Kegels to get it back into place. It’s not supposed to dislodge completely where it will fall out, but everyone will have a different experience. A company that just launched their brand new disc (I was emailed about it last month), used this in their marketing. Just know that this ‘bearing down’ motion is the same as when you cough, sneeze, laugh, carry something heavy, stand from a sitting or squatting position, etc. If the disc is full enough, it can spill over.
Don’t beat yourself up! There are a lot of people who know nothing of their anatomy. It’s not really something we learn in school. You don’t need this insight to use a pad or tampon, and we’re basically told, “penis goes here”, “babies come out of here”. Just like many other things, we don’t know something about our bodies until a doctor points it out.
Tilted Uterus – Knowing this can help. Some cup users diagnosed with a tilted uterus say that wider and shorter cups are easier and more comfortable. Wider diameters make it easier to place the cup since it has a larger opening. Shorter cups because it’s just more comfortable. However, some users find that a short cup will ride up and be harder to reach.
Again, a disc may be easier and more comfortable for users with a tilted uterus/cervix.
Funky odd shaped cup 😛 The Kind Cup is ergonomically shaped. Depending on how your uterus is tilted, the Kind Cup may be a great option. You can use it as intended or spin it around to target your cervix. Since you’re not too sure where that is exactly, I would say to try it as intended first. Anyhow, it looks like the Saalt Cup if it bent its stem over. Kind of like an elf hat, and has a very long stem. The upper rim is about the same thickness and the firmness feels about the same as the regular version Saalt (not the soft). This one is a little more costly than the average cup, but I don’t think you’ll have any problems “destashing” it on FB if it doesn’t work for you.
Check it out and let me know what you think.
Good Luck <3
Red Herring
@redherringtv
RedHerringTV on YouTube