Sanitary period items to use?

[Amelie8]

Does anyone recommend anything to use when bleeding during period.

I've read cups are not ment to be safe is this true? And not good for endometriosis?

I struggling using tampons near the beginning of my bleed, as it hurts to much. So pads are the only way 50% of the time.

Wondering if a cup would be more comfortable as they are flexible. But is the plastic silicone safe? As tampons are bleached and can leave fibers behind.

Any advise would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[hm89]

Cups are only not recommended if you have an IUD as the suction can cause it to dislodge. I tried one but found it very difficult to insert so it's not for me but people do rave about them!

[luthien]

Hey, cups are safe as the silicone is medical grade, not sure where you got the info from about them not being safe, would like to have a read though if you do find it!

Obviously use them, clean them and wash them with boling or really hot water once a month. They can stay in for up to 12 hours - the limit is just because that's the longest they can be kept in before the blood starts to clot and could cause problems. You need to be really comfortable with your insides! And do your research as there's lots out there. They work by folding it - takes some practice so try with an upside down champagne flute lol! They then unfold when inside and create a seal around the edges, you can decide how far up they go but bear in mind you need to get your fingers inside to break the seal and pull the cup out. There's lots of sizes, depths, widths, softness, thickness and stem length. I've gone for the Tulip Cup, which is narrower than most and has the longest stem so I feel it's easer to put in, and I can feel the stem to remove. Definitely look at youtube vids for what to do; and there's loads of forums out there for which ones are good, pros and cons.

Pros:

they don't leave fluffs inside

they don't expose the blood to air - so no smell

there's no clots (okay so it's liquid in the cup)

a lot less risk of TSS (toxic shock syndrome) than tampons

they can be left in even during heavy times, so "one size fits" all, no need to buy reg, super

there's no smell

can be used for all sports activites

can be reused by washing

reduces vaginal dryness as the normal lubricants aren't affected

can be worn before during and after period so no need to wait until it actually starts

Cons:

can be pricey initially, sometimes it's good to shop around

can leak until you get the positioning right so a bit of trial and error

can sometimes need changing in public; restroom with sink preferred to rinse out

need to be okay with body and blood

I've found tampons make my endo stomach cramps worse, and my bloating, plus it makes my vagina all dry, I like my cup but it's taken me a few months to get the hang of it and I really only use it during the night or travelling as when I'm at home I prefer pads. I think it's because it feels all new even though they've been around for decades, so it takes some getting used to.

If your vagina is tight at the base, or you get nervous vaginal tightness it may not work for you. Plus you need good finger flexibility lol!

There's a few new ones out, can't remember the brands: one that you squeeze the stem and it drains (for heavier periods) so it doesn't need removing until the 12 hour limit, there's one that you squeeze to push air up that breaks the seal making it easier to remove.

[Amelie8 in reply to luthien]

reusablemenstrualcup.com/me...

menstrual-cups.livejournal....

These are just a couple.

Thanks for all the info it was very helpful.

What make have you got? Xx

[luthien in reply to Amelie8]

I shall have a read, at a quick glance it seems to be that there's confusion about the causes of endometriosis - which is understandable as there's lots of known theories but at the moment no proof.

Check out the sister site to this:

endometriosis-uk.org/causes...

The retrograde menstruation as a cause for endo would not be caused by the cup or a tampon; the majority of women developed endo when they started their periods and wouldn't have been comfortable using either of those until later. Retrograde isn't just the idea of lying down using a cup causing blood to back flow, it can actually happen when standing and is to do with the muscles and specific anatomy (not really proven). If it were just lying down could cause it more women would have the issue!! Cups and tampons catch the blood that passes through the cervix, it doesn't go back up and both don't cause filling up any more than they are designed to catch; they leak before that.

I have the diva cup and tulip cup. I prefer the tulip cup as I like the longer stem, and it comes with it's own case. I find pads easier to use during heavy flow, I use those when just at home. I I prefer cups over tampons as they feel cleaner and don't smell with the string hanging out, plus I can put them on the last few days of my period so I can go out and socialise.

Plus with the ever increasing environmental problems I'd like to do my bit towards helping the environment and cups do that - not quite ready for the reusable pads yet! Imagine all those pads, tampons, wrappers, inserts floating around out there as they cannot be disposed of properly and are not incinerated. We either need to start using eco friendly stuff for our periods or have an actual medical grade disposables bin which gets incinerated as it's more hygienic.

[EmaW]

I struggle too with tampons because they hurt so much but often too heavy for pads and they’re so uncomfortable.

I’ve been reading about cups and they do sound fiddly but great if you can get them to work.

Try searching online for ‘Put a cup in it’ if you’re interested. There’s so much information and reviews about different ones which I’ve found really helpful. There’s different sizes and strengths of silicone too so a softer one may be more comfortable for endometriosis pains?

[Thecraftyadder]

Only just seen your post. I've used cups for about 3 years. Much more comfortable than a tampon but it does take a few months to get used to inserting and removing them. You can sterilize them after cleaning at the end of your period by boiling or soaking them in sterilizing tablets that are used for baby feeding bottles and then rinsing them. It took me a while to find my preferred cup design, I've tried 3 but prefer my lunette cup. You can find lots of cup comparison videos on YouTube.

[Amelie8 in reply to Thecraftyadder]

Thank you, what have you tried previously to the lunette?

[Thecraftyadder in reply to Amelie8]

I tried the organicup (think that's how its spelt) first as I got it on offer. Its beautifully made but v soft so it didn't spring open inside very easily and my muscles could crush it and make it leak.

Then I tried the fleur cup as it was a good budget option. It wasn't made as well, rougher on the outsides. It worked but because it was firmer but its quite 'bell' shaped with a pronounced rim and rounded bottom so not 100% comfortable for me. So I avoided other cups with that shape (such as mooncup uk) and super firm ones (mooncup uk and diva cup) and settled on lunette as its medium soft in the body but has a firmer rim for opening. It tapers at the bottom and it's very well manufactured so super smooth outside.

If you are a bit dry inside like me then a bit of water based lube might help insertion. And I suggest wearing back up panty liners till you are confident about the seal of your cup. I got loads of information from the precious star pads youtube channel. A girl in the UK who does lots of comparison and information video's like how to know what size cup to buy etc.

I use a mixture of a cup and reusable cloth pads- they are way more comfortable and absorbent than disposables however you have to be really comfortable with the cleaning process lol. I used to get irritation and thrush after most periods but since switching to reusable methods everything is healthier and I secretly enjoy being an eco warrior