Five years of hormonal birth without a period to “manage” endometriosis left me clueless in the menstrual cycle health department. To be honest, I don’t even know if there was such a thing as a menstrual cup when I last had a period. The day I stopped taking birth control I looked into my options (take a peel at the whole story here), and after an embarrassing amount of research into all things period hygiene, using a menstrual cup was a no brainer. Less waste, fewer toxins, lower cost…I could go on and on about all the reasons it was an easy “yes”. But then came the hard part…choosing WHICH menstrual cup to get…because there’s ~literally~ hundreds! Cue more internet browsing, texts with friends, aaaaand a few returned purchases, and I finally settled on the Me Luna Cup and haven’t looked back since.

The Me Luna Cup is made with medical grade TPE (not silicone) meaning it’s better for the environment, there’s less likelihood of an allergic reaction, and it’s recyclable once you eventually decide it’s time for a new one.

Second, Me Luna realizes that not all vaginas are created equal, so they’ve created a customizable cup that I miiiiiiight have had a little too much fun personalizing. You can choose sport or classic, long or short, handle style, and size all based on your birth history, pelvic structure, and sexual activity. And if you’re overwhelmed or not quite sure which options are right for you, I 100000000% recommend taking advantage of their “Consult the Cup Fairy Quiz”. Eeeeeek!…so fun.

Now don’t get me wrong….I’m very aware that using a menstrual cup comes with a few drawbacks too. They tend to be a little more messy, can be difficult to insert and remove, and you have to sanitize them every month. But I’m now a seasoned cup user, and in my opinion, the positives still outweigh the negatives by far.

WANT A PELVIC REHAB THERAPIST’S PROFESSIONAL (AND PERSONAL) TIPS FOR INSERTING, USING, AND REMOVING A MENSTRUAL CUP? KEEP READING>>> 

1. Always use the bathroom PRIOR to inserting or removing your cup. If you’re still “holding it”, your pelvic floor muscles will be more tense and inserting/removing will be more difficult. 

2. The pelvic floor is tighter during menstruation as the uterus and muscles are contracting to shed the endometrial lining. Make ~extra~ sure your pelvic floor muscles are fully relaxed by sitting fully relaxed on the toilet (no standing or squatting!!!), taking a few deep belly breaths, and performing a mini kegel  (pelvic floor contraction) then letting it go. This FREE guide has all the step-by-step details to fully releasing pelvic floor tension and is a must download if inserting or removing a menstrual cup is difficult for you.

3. Lightly squeeze the cup to release the seal on your cervix before removing it. This pressure needs to be let out before pulling down to prevent a uterine prolapse or decrease the likelihood of a present prolapse worsening.

4. Use warm water when rinsing your cup between uses. This makes the cup just ~a bit~ more pliable and simply more comfortable on the vulva and vaginal tissues. 

5. Fold the cup in half length-wise twice to insert. To prevent leakage, make sure the cup has fully opened and suctioned to your cervix. If the cup remains folded it hasn’t properly sealed and leakage is more likely to occur. 

6. If you try all of the above and still have a hard time, a softdisc may be your next best option. It’s significantly more pliable than a cup which makes it easier to insert and remove. While it’s disposable, you use one per menstrual cycle making it significantly more environmentally friendly than pads or tampons.

Cups are a great option for most, and if you’ve been on the fence about trying one I’ve gotta urge you to take the leap! I consider myself a cup-user for life and find myself telling friends, patients, and really any woman who will listen about the benefits of a menstrual cup and why the Me Luna is my cup of choice.  I could go on and on about how periods don’t have to be awful, but that’s a whole other conversation in itself. The menstrual cycle is our superpower, friend, and a comfortable, leak-proof way to manage it is a small but oh so important piece of the puzzle.