Use to catch urin?
Hi there!
First of all, it’s so nice to hear that you’re keeping active! A 21-day backpacking trip sounds like a great adventure! I hope you have a lot of fun!
As for using a cup to catch leaking urine…I’m not exactly sure what you mean.
Please forgive me if you already know this, but our menses and urine come from different exits. A menstrual cup will sit inside of the vaginal canal, near or around the cervix. It will not catch any urine.
If you mean to ask if it will help stop stress incontinence leaks, it may 🙂
My daughter uses a cup almost every day while she at work. She normally experiences leaks while lifting heavy items or just coughing and sneezing.
I use a cup when I neglect my kegel workouts and my pelvic floor muscle starts getting weak or when I have a slight bladder prolapse. When this happens, any type of bearing down causes me to have incontinence issues.
We use the cup like a pessary.
Pessary – a device that is placed into the vagina to hold the bladder in place. Pessaries must be removed and cleaned at regular intervals to prevent infection, as do menstrual cups.
So while some people might have some relief from urine leaks, others may find that a cup applies too much pressure that causes other issues such as:
- feeling the need to urinate often
- feeling like the bladder is not completely emptied when you do urinate
- having a slow urine stream
Finding a cup that applies the right pressure to keep the leaks at bay without applying too much pressure is what you’re looking for.
I would probably start with locating your cervix if you don’t know how low or high it is already. This may be important so that a cup “fits” you well. You don’t want to get a cup that is too long and stick outside of your body, and you don’t want to get a cup that’s too short that you’ll have to hunt and/or fish it out.
Here’s some info on locating and measuring your cervix:
2018 Guide | How to Choose a Menstrual Cup – For Beginners and Pros
However, a Pessary comes in a varies of types and shapes. Some need to be placed by a doctor. Others are placed by the individual. You can find disposable (at a local store) or reusable (normally online).
Here is one disposable type that you can find on the shelf at a local chain store or drugstore: Poise-Impressa
- This one comes in three sizes. They have a test kit to see which one “fits” you best.
- They have an applicator and is much like a tampon when inserting them.
- The actual device is about the same length as an OB tampon but opens to be wider.
- They have free samples and a coupon here: Samples
Here is one reusable type: IncoStress
This one is from the UK, but there are other types out there that are similar to this.
- This pessary is inserted into the vagina and can nestle into the vagina fornix next to the cervix.
- You most likely don’t need to know how low or high your cervix is.
- According to the company, this pessary should be removed approximately every eight hours to be washed before reinserting.
Both have pros and cons. One is that you will need clean water to wash the device, and another being that you will have waste that needs to be disposed of.
I would suggest speaking with a doctor if possible. They may have a device in office to fit you with. If not, I would personally prefer to use a reusable device since you won’t need to carry any extra items and you won’t need to worry about throwing anything away if you’re in the middle of a rainforest!
A pessary would be easier to “fit”, while there’s a chance that a menstrual cup will be too firm or not firm enough.
That’s probably a lot more information than you were looking for, but I hope that I gave you some options.
If there’s anything else I might be able to help you with, please feel free to reply. If you would still like to try a cup, I can help you narrow a few down that might work for you if you are able to locate and get an approximate measurement of your cervix.
Good Luck and Have fun!
