Mooncup Reusable Menstrual Cup Review!

8 September 2014

OK! So this one is tricky! If you're a guy please look away now. This will be mutually embarrassing. Gone??

Ladies... ever heard of menstrual cup? Mooncup? Divacup? No?? Quite likely! We'll quickly cover the basics then.

Menstrual cup is a silicone cup/funnel designed to be used instead of pads & tampons - Environment friendly and easy to deal with. This has the power to make those 5-days a breeze (Excluding the Day-1 cramps! hate them like anything).


The brand I'm using (as I type... eeek!!) is Mooncup that I've bought off Santé beauty. Nellie was quite keen on me giving it a go & writing about it! At that time it felt all cool but it's harder to write than I thought.
This is my third period using Mooncup, so safe to say I've tried it on for a fair amount of time. In all honestly, this is the second best thing to happen to us women after lingerie. I no longer have to worry about the dreadful day1 as you are never quite sure which & how many pads you should be carrying! I had been a tampon girl lately and not even the super flow ones would suffice a work day. Since Mooncup, in these 3 months, I haven't used a single tampon or pad!! That's quite something.


How this works?
It's a sterile silicone funnel that you insert inside. Tampon girls know where! For my pad buddies.. in your V*ginal opening. How? Even the instructions say it's best to do this during shower & I prefer it that way too. It's easier when wet. So you fold the funnel (it's silicone - think soft rubber, it'll mold to any shape) and insert it in. I prefer the shape as shown in the pictures below! Tapered from the front and hence easier to insert. It'll open itself when inside you, locking in & creating a suction, so no bloody discharge escapes out.

The funnel/cup

Folded


Does that sound hard & gross? Well, it is, a first couple of times! Till you get a hang of it. I admit I'm still learning. You'll know when you've got it right.. No leakage!

Best pose to do this is squatting. Sitting in Indian sh*t pose and pushing your v*ginal muscles which shorten its length & open it up, making your life easier. You make a funnel & use your fingers to guide it inside (Trim your nails!!)
 You don't have to push it real up as with tampons. It sits quite low as shown in this pic. The lower it sits, the better!


Why are we doing this? Why I love my Mooncup & wouldn't be without it ever?

- It's re-usable! Some ladies on internet have claimed to use theirs for 5+ years (with proper care, which isn't fancy). This can last you years. That's a hell of a saving as sanitary stuff isn't cheap as chips.

- Environment friendly- There's just nothing to chuck away (well except that blood!). No pads, yukky tampons. No need to find bags or newspapers to wrap them up before you dispose. Just nothing! How amazing?

One woman uses at least 11000 throwaway sanitary products in lifetime!

- My fav part! No panty lines, no need to wear baggy pants. Well you know, I hate tight clothes , even thinking of  a thick pad stuffed inside my jeggings makes me gag (you should look at my face right now!). With Mooncup, because it's inside, there's nothing on the outside. It's like any normal day. After the initial cramps, you'd even forget you have a period drama going on! Bliss!!!
 
- The amount it holds! This is getting super exciting. Now I'm all about keeping clean down under but sometimes its hard & not so practical to change pads/tampons. Say you have a full blown day at work or you are travelling or when you don't even know if the toilet you'll get next would have a sanitary disposal bin (India!!! I'm looking at you). This is when I'll be at peace. The amount this thing holds is insane. In the name of blogging, I've tried it for 12+ hours & there was still space left. The company claims 8 hours.


Now you are thinking!! How do I empty it? Well, just tip it in toilet, wash it thoroughly & put it back in. I admit I haven’t traveled with it yet but I do have a back up plan sorted in my head. Firstly, I’ll hold onto my load till I find a decent toilet where I can wash it & chuck it back in. If not, I’ll just wipe it with tissues & put it back in. Did that make you gag? Well, it’s your own blood & it’s not dirty blood as some people say. It’s just blood off your uterine wall. Stop discriminating!!

The amount this holds is spectacular & I’m not worried about any untoward situation. We ladies are known to forward plan or is it just me, with my mind racing in all directions all day?

Mooncup comes in 2 sizes

How to take it out? You pinch the bottom of the cup (Stem area) to break suction and drag it out. Or insert your finger along the side and break the suction. You'll hear the cup losing suction. (Think opening a soda bottle sound.. just a lot softer). I've tried it both ways and they work. Haven't figured out my preferred one yet.

You trim that stem according to your comfort, to the point you don't feel the cup inside.

Ummm… What next??
Oh! Did I tell you, how it’s better for your v*aginal health too, unlike tampons/pads that are made of pesticide ridden bleached cotton? Our  skin down there is really porous & whatever goes in there gets absorbed & reaches our blood stream finally (as with most lotions n potions). Mooncup is made of high medical grade non-allergic silicone that is sterile & non-porous. It doesn't harbor bacteria & thus keeps infections at bay. Who hasn't read about warning of TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome) on the tampon packaging?? Mooncup allows your v*ganinal membrane to continue its function as normal. It will not leave you dry as it has no fibers to absorb your precious moisture or mucus. In other words, it lets your skin breathe.

The cotton pouch it comes with.

I know I’m making it sound like a paid advertisement but honestly I’m not making a penny. I am genuinely passionate about this product and was pretty shocked at how little, if anything, people know about menstrual cups!

Geez! The post is getting super long.
Just few more pointers! Hang on for another minute will you?

How to maintain it? Hot water is best to clean it in-between uses i.e. during your period. Just take it with you in shower. Beware!! No soap though!!! The company sells Mooncup Cleanser too, but I can’t be bothered. I asked Nellie fromSanté and even she does as the instructions say, boiling it in hot water for a couple of minutes, wiping it dry and storing in the pouch that comes with it, in a cool & dry place, till your next period. Easy!! Sunshine doesn't let me use a cooking pot so I tend to have one of those plastic yogurt containers in my bathroom where I can keep it in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Works for me!

It's a lot smaller than it looks in pictures. Here's Mooncup posing with iPhone 5. 

That’s about it I guess!
Oh! You know those instruction pamphlets that we tend to chuck away as soon as we rip open a new gadget? Please don’t do it with this. I have had to come back to instructions even on my second period using it. You will need to read them over & over before you start. Don’t believe me now? You wait!! My cup kept leaking & it was because I wasn't placing it as low. Follow instructions to the 'T'.

Should we just summarize all the highlights just in case someone’s here to skim read?

-A reusable silicone cup to insert inside v*gina that catches your menstrual flow
-Lasts years with proper care
-Safe, easy, practical
-Suitable for all kinds of flow- low, medium, heavy. Can hold the ground for 8+ hours
-Medical grade silicone that doesn't harbor bacteria & infections
-No yukky pads/tampons to chuck away- Environment friendly 
-Available in 2 sizes- A & B. I’m a B i.e. less than 30 years old, no children yet!
-Easy to clean. Hot water!
-Great for sports and busy days. You won't even know it's there, inside you.


Buy from: In NZ – $49.95 NZD off Ohnatural.co.nz. International – About £20 off Mooncup.co.uk . The official website ships to various countries. They also have a list of approved suppliers from all the countries on their website. Just click on the link above and select your country.

$50 might seem like a lot but it'll pay for itself in less than 6 months. Plus its better for you and Mother Earth.

I’m sure there will be a lot of questions unanswered. Is there anything lingering at the back of your mind? Ask me!

Did it interest you? Would you give it a shot??

Keen to hear!
Nish xo

2 comments

  1. I'll give it a shot! Great review by the way! I'm sold

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kitty! I'm so keen to hear your experience with it!

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