there is no need to fear the menstrual cup!
the lady bits push through full grown squealing babies!!! a teeny tiny menstrual aint nothing! if you still have some apprehensions, read on!
learn to laugh…
this is the first rule about learning to use a menstrual cup. do not tense up, dont be apprehensive. have a laugh and more with every failure to insert or remove! it’s a great learning process so have with it and you will learn with ease and master the cup faster.
take the time…
the first time i used the cup, it took me a good 40 mins and several acrobatic feats to get the menstrual cup in. dont get me started about removing the cup! i spent a good one hour trying to get the cup out! but oh god it was fun! being a medical researcher, i know and understand the human body, i did not panic. i actually was stunned by the vast difference between what i knew and what happened in actuality. it was great learning curve! but those two hours and change that it took me to learn was a great investment.
now i get the cup in and out in under 5 minutes!
* start on non-period days.
* dont give up!
* practice practice practice…
understand the biology…
take a good look at the pic above! see those little lemon balls? those are the ovaries. an egg (teeny tiny cell) is released every month from the ovary through the tubes (fallopian tubes) to centre stage (uterus).
now what happens here is one of two things.
fertilisation – sperm enters from the outside through the vagina past the guard-gate (cervix) onto the center stage. soldier meets egg, fertilisation takes place and tada! baby!
periods – either you’re lucky and soldiers dint meet the egg or you’re unlucky and dint get lucky (wink, wink). if the egg is single, the egg is shed along with the lining tissues and mucus (endometrium)
IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE:
* distance between outside to guard gate (vagina to cervix) – max of 7 inches (average is 4 inches).
approx 50-60% of the length of your hand.
* cervix is truly a guard gate – unless you are liquid or microscopic, NOTHING can get past the cervix from the outside. it’s biology! so your cup is NEVER getting lost!
GET IT IN…
now that we have the basic biology down, let’s break down the art of inserting the cup.
* wash hands
* fold it up
* get posing
* put it in
* “vagine pop”
* squeeze and seal
wash hands…
cuz DUH!
fold it up…
there are 2 popular ways to fold the menstrual cup. C Fold and the Push Down/ Pinch Down fold.
personally i prefer the pinch down fold. this allows for a lot of hacks that you can use for easy insertion, removal and confirmation that all is right.
get posing…
this is where practice comes in handy. find what works for you. some make it work sitting on the potty. i find squatting best. biologically squatting down (indian style) brings your cervix lower and angles it in a way that it conducive to easy insertion of the menstrual cup.
put it in…
simply insert the folded cup into your vagina. push in with the mildest force until the folded portion is past your pubic bone. then gently release the pressure on your hold. push in mildly again and this should open up your cup!
vagine pop…
many call it the “vagina bitch slap”. but let me assure you, as someone with horrible cramps and multiple tattoos, it’s nothing more than a mild bubble popping inside you. so “vagine pop” when you properly insert your cup and it opens inside, what happens is that it creates a seal of vacuum so that all the blood is collected within the cup. i find the vagine pop reassuring that all is sealed tight!
squeeze & seal…
if you dont feel the cup opening or dont feel the “vagine pop”, stay squatted and do a kegel. (squeeze like you are stopping pee). that usually does the trick!
GET IT OUT…
but how do we get it out??
* wash hands
* relax
* fingers in
* shake it up baby, twist and shout!
* rinse and repeat
wash hands…
cuz DUH!
relaxxxxx…
this is key. squat down and take deep relaxing breaths. the more your tense up, the more you wont be able to get your cup out. if you dont succeed in your first attempt, take 5 minutes off to browse instagram and try again. relaxing is key.
fingers in…
use your thumb and index finger and locate the base of the the menstrual cup. without putting too much pressure on the cup, pinch down with the mildest of force and try to dislodge it.
shake it up baby now, twist and shout…
you will break the vacuum seal by pinching down on the bottom of the cup with your index finger and thumb. move it left and right and gently slide the cup out.
rinse & repeat…
LITERALLY 🙂 🙂
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