Diva (is a female version of a hustla) cups.

Shark week, period, menstruation, mensy, bleeding, on the rag, moon week call it what you want but #everybodybleeds.  Today we are talking menstrual cups. A lot of people call them "diva cups" but that is actually a brand name. You can get menstrual cups from many different companies. I am currently wearing a cup made by Lunette thanks to a close friend who gifted it to me when my cycle returned after giving birth to my daughter (thank you Ashleen).

I don't specifically remember the first time I learned about menstrual cups but I bet I was young and disgusted and probably laughed at the idea. Now I am on my second cup i've owned and I love it. Sometimes I use tampons and occasionally pads as well. You don't need to pick one method and be monogamous to it. Be poly with your period products if that's what you want. There are a ton of reasons cups come out on top when the subject of menstrual products comes up but I wanted to share how to use a cup more than why to use a cup.

*Before I go into giving advice I just want to state that I am not a doctor or medical professional. This is all just one person's experiences and understandings. I always encourage you to do your own research outside of whatever you may read here.*

A menstrual cup is a silicone cup that fits inside of the vagina to collect menstrual blood to be later disposed of. 

This is similar to a tampon and even a pad. When you wear either of those you are collecting blood to dispose of later. The fact that this blood doesn't absorb into something is what I think really throws some folks off. 

There is a lot of pros and a few cons to cups but this is personal. A cup might not work for you for whatever reason and that's fine you don't need to announce to everyone what's in your vagina unless you wanna. 

This post is going to be my tips and tricks to using a menstrual cup. I highly encourage folks with a menstrual cycle to learn more about cups if they are interested. Before we get into the nitty gritty of how to use I want to add that you do not have to go to whole foods and spend $45 to buy a diva cup. If you want to spend that and need it now then you just go right ahead but you can also find cups online for a lower price than what I just mentioned. I found some and gifted them to a few friends I spent $35 total for 3 cups and I know for a fact at least one of those friends is using hers still and it has been a few years. The cups lifespan is typically 10 years if you take care of it properly. I have had to dispose of one already because I did not and while it is embarrassing for me at admit my cup became so stained with a god awful smell that I had to dispose of it. I feel this cautionary tale will help others. I will get into cup care below.

When you get your cup (yay!!! its here!!!) the first thing you should do is open up the package it came in and read all about it! they should have sent you some additional info but you can prob learn everything you need to know online if not right here. 

Caring for your cup and preparing it for use

I hope yours came with a little cloth pouch to keep it in, most do. This is where your cup lives when its not living inside of you. Usually these pouches are silk or some type of material that doesn't shed fibers. 

You want to deep clean your cup after each use and it's probably a good idea to do this before your first use as well to sanitize. To do this all you need is boiling water. Dunk that cup and you are good to go. Don't boil it on the stove like you're trying to cook the thing you're just sanitizing it. I pour boiling water into a designated cup (you don't need a designated cup I just know my boyfriend would literally die if he found out he drank from my cup-sanitizing-cup) and let it sit for 10 minute. Boiling it helps tremendously in keeping it smelless.  This is the embarrassing reason mine got unbearably stinky. I did not boil it often enough...or like ever..maybe once?? I know I KNOW. I am sharing this for your benefit. I did the science project for you. you're welcome. now stop judging me. 

One more thing needs to happen to your cup, she needs a haircut. Menstrual cups usually have a stem similar to a tampon string to help with removal. I'm not sure about everyone else but I cut that thing all the way off (otherwise it is super uncomfortable and I can feel the cup inside me.) If you trim the tail to the right length for you and you place it correctly you should not be able to feel the cup while its inside of you. read on to learn how to remove the cup without that "string" 

How to use your cup

To insert the cup you'll want to fold it in some way to fit into the vaginal opening. I prefer the "taco fold" also known as the "c fold". You first pinch the cup closed and then fold it, like a taco. There are many ways you can fold your cup and some methods work better for some than others so try some other methods.

 I found this video with a few methods on Lunette's website.

Once it's folded insert it into the vagina a little bit and release the fold. It will pop back into its original shape inside of you. Push it in further. Now is a good time to give it a twist or slightly squeeze some of the air from it to make a seal. 

To remove the cup stick your pointer finger and thumb inside the vagina and find the bottom of the cup and grab it and pull it out. When you grab it to remove it I suggest pinching the cup while its inside of you to break that seal or else you may be playing tug of war with your vagina and the cup is the rope. While removing the cup it can also help if you bear down as if you were trying to push it out. 

Now you can empty it into the toilet and rinse it off in the sink. If you're at home and the sink is near the toilet that is the best scenario. If you need to empty it and you're in a public restroom it's great to have a water bottle on hand and/or wipes. Lunette sells cup wipes but I think any personal bathroom wipe would work fine. the upside to hygiene wipes vs. baby wipes is the portability of hygiene wipes. they're usually single wrapped *remember wipes always go in the garbage don't flush them, our cities utility workers thank you.*

Additional tips and tricks

Menstrual cups can be worn for 12 hours at a time. This means if you time it out right you'll almost never have to empty it in public. 

Since i'm obviously not the best at remembering to boil mine clean I use a silicone adult toy cleaner between boiling. I've got two types of cleaners one from Taboo and one from a Pure Romance both work fine. 

Every time I empty my cup there's this moment between rinsing the cup and putting it back inside where I used to not know where to set it down. Problem solved by using the cap from my toy cleaner as a stand for by the toilet or in the shower.

Choose a spot to keep your cup and leave it there when not in use. I have lost my cup before. I did find it thankfully :)

The first time I used my cup I took it into the shower with me and I got all up inside of myself and really figured out how to place it in my body and felt where it sat the best. This was a great educational experience for myself and I credit my quick success with menstrual cups to that experience. Not saying you have to get in the shower to learn to use it but that's what helped me.

My final tip is to prepare to see blood. I remember the first time I emptied my cup it was a little disturbing because when you see that amount of blood it typically means someone got hurt. After the first few times it doesn't even phase me anymore. I probably felt a similar way when first starting my period. Just be aware that you will see and touch blood.

While I was on Lunettes website finding that video of folding methods I discovered they have a whole section with helpful information so if you want even more info go check out their site.

If you have a dope ass menstrual cup tip or trick and I didn't list it here please tell me about it so I can add it to the list! Thanks for reading and happy bleeding.



As a total side note I just want to point out that I was able to write this entire period related article without mentioning the gender of the user.  I'm not trying to be a show off when I say that but I've been practicing using neutral terms when speaking of pregnancy and periods. Although the majority of folks having periods and babies identify as women not all of them do and I want everyone who feels like they can use the information I provide to feel welcome here. If I did use problematic language or in the future am dismissive please feel able to approach me with that concern. I felt it important to mention this to show people how easy it is to use neutral terms on any topic.