The menstrual cup is an ecological and economical method of protection. Unlike sanitary napkins and tampons, this feminine device can be reused for a lifetime, or almost. The way it works is simple; it collects period blood while waiting to be thrown into the toilet bowl. Menstrual cups are changed less often than a tampon, and can be reused for years.
If the cup seems to have everything good, some users however find it uncomfortable or difficult to use. Because, of course, the cup is not always easy to place right the first time. But the following tips should help you insert and wear it very easily.
Here are 19 practical tips for beginners or experienced menstrual cup users that should make things much easier.
- Use oil to lubricate the cut
To make it more comfortable to place, you can coat your cup with virgin coconut oil (organic, preferably). If you have vaginal infection you can use black seed oil or mix the coconut oil with blackseed oil. This will make the insertion easier and comfortable.
- Put one foot on the toilet or squat down
to insert your cup more easily, just put one foot on the toilet or squat down, some positions allow you to insert it easier. For instance, if you inset the cup in the shower, just put one foot on the tub. When you are in the bathroom, you can help yourself by putting one foot on the toilet or just consider squatting.
- Don’t be discouraged
You may already know that the menstrual cup is not as easy to place a simple sanitary pad. But rest assured if you didn’t manage to place it correctly the first time, nothing more normal than that. In fact, the insertion may take several weeks before you claim complete victory. In the end, the cup is no more complicated to place than a tampon (remember your early attempts). Don’t give up, you will get there!
To successfully place your menstrual cup smoothly, take all the time you need and don’t rush things. The first few times, it is important to be calm and have all your time in front of you.
- Test several brands and models
Not all menstrual cups are the same. Testing multiple models will help you determine which one is best for you. Some cups have a stem, others end in a ring, while some menstrual cups are all bare.
There are also several sizes depending on the flow or the morphology of the vagina. Find the menstrual cup that best suits your specificities and your sensitivity.
- Choose a flexible menstrual cup
Choosing the right menstrual cup is essential if you want it to become your best ally during your period. And the first thing to check is its flexibility. There are plenty of cups on the market, some are very flexible, others not at all.
You may need to consider one that is neither too rigid or too flexible, so that it can adapt to all body types. Also choose a menstrual cup made of 100% hypoallergenic medical grade silicone, containing no toxic components, and completely safe for your health.
- Choose a cup adapted to your flow
Second checkbox when choosing the menstrual cup is the size. When you buy jeans, you make sure that the 
jeans aren’t too big, so they won’t float, or too small, so that they don’t feel stiff, right? Well, it’s about the same for the menstrual cup.
When we talk about size, we are actually talking about flow. There are two sizes of menstrual cup:
- Small for light to medium flow and
- Large for heavier flow or if you have had a natural birth.
As you can imagine, you have to know your flow before choosing your cup. Now the question is How to determine if you have a light, medium, heavy or very heavy flow?
It is considered that losing between 40 and 50 ml per menstrual cycle (5 to 7 days per month) corresponds to a light to medium flow, and that between 50 and 80 ml abundant. Above 80 ml is considered very abundant or even hemorrhagic, in this case, we recommend that you consult a gynecologist.
- Cut the stem of a cup if necessary
If the cup has a rod, it is to facilitate its removal. But sometimes it can be too long for some women, as all women do not all have the same morphology. Either way, it’s better to choose a menstrual cup with a stem that is too long than too short. You can shorten the rod yourself but the opposite is impossible. Some menstrual cups have flexible and breakable stem which allows users to choose the ideal length according to their body type.
If you experience discomfort or tingling sensations, whether standing, walking, lying down, when upside down or dog position, or even on your hands, you may need to cut the stem with a pair of previously disinfected scissors.
- Add additional holes
As you can notice, most menstrual cups have thin openings. These allow a suction effect for optimal adhesion. But sometimes they are not enough. Widening them, using a pin or a needle for instance, will optimize this suction effect and therefore strengthen the adhesion to the vaginal walls.
- Never rinse a menstrual cup with hot water
To prevent discoloration, the color turns brown for instance, do not rinse the with warm or hot water, but cold water. Blood has the unfortunate tendency to set in contact with hot water, even lukewarm. To keep a menstrual cup healthy, make it a habit to always rinse it with cold water.
- Sterilize your menstrual cup
This is basic hygiene, but as a reminder, always sterilize the cup before use. The sterilization step is so important to your health that I have to shout it out loud: STERILIZE YOUR CUP PLEASE.
It really needs to be sterilized before and after each menstrual cycle. This sterilization will allow you to clean your cup but above all to disinfect it.
- Simple sterilization techniques
To sterilize the cup, you have 3 possibilities:
- Boiling water sterilization: pour boiling water over your cup and leave it to submerge for 5 to 7 minutes. You can also immerse it directly in a pot of boiling water. The little trick to keep it off the edges of the pan is to get it caught in a whisk.
- Sterilizing tablets: buy sterilization tablets online or at a pharmacy that you will melt in a large volume of water. Just add your cup for about 15 minutes or according to the instructions given.
- Menstrual cup sterilizer: Just place your cup in the sterilizer, follow the sterilization procedure. To support the channel, please consider Looloone Menstrual cup sterilizer. Link in the description.
- Test several folding methods
As you probably know, to insert a menstrual cup correctly, it is necessary to fold it beforehand. But there is no one way to do it. Many folding techniques exist, from the most official to the most personal. Experiment with several methods before finding the one that works best for you.
Please continue watching to # 15 for 3 simple folding techniques.
- Consider toilet paper when there is no water
When you are in place where there is no water, wipe your menstrual cup with toilet paper. Not all toilet has a waterpoint, especially the public ones. However, it is not impossible to change your cup without a sink. To do this, empty your menstrual cup into the toilet bowl, as usual, and then wipe it off with toilet paper.
An easy troubleshooting technique that will allow you to wait until water is available. You can also remove your cup in the shower to kill two birds with one stone! In addition, it is usually easier to reinsert it at this point, with your foot on the edge of the tub.
- Prevent leaking
A simple tip to prevent leaking is to complete your cup with a washable panty liner for the first few uses.
As a beginner, if you’re worried about leaking when you first start using your menstrual cup, don’t hesitate to protect your back with a washable sanitary napkin. This will let you know exactly when your cup is full.
- Fold your cup easily
This is often the stage when everything goes nuts! Yet, you don’t have to be an experienced user to properly fold your cup. Although there are several methods, with varying degrees of success, two are users favorite.
1. U-FOLD – Also known as C-FOLD, this method is named as such because it is U-shaped. It is also called CHANGE THE GAME the fact it can also be C-shaped.
How to do the U-fold?
- Hold the cup with your two hands right below the rim and squeeze tightly
- While squeezed, fold the cup in towards you and into a C-shape
- Hold it in this position and insert.
2. PUNCH-DOWN FOLD: this folding technique is progressively called the FINGER method. As you know, a woman much prefers a finger to a fist. It popular among young and experienced users.
The way you do the punch-down method is simple. Just follow these steps :
- Hold the cup lightly with one hand
- Using the index of your free hand, punch down any side of the cup, then remove the finger
16. Make sure the cup is correctly placed
The cup is folded, now you have to insert it. It’s not the funniest part, but this is the most important.
To make the menstrual cup slide more easily, you can moisten it with water or a little coconut oil as natural lubricant. Then take a deep breath and relax as much as possible. To make the cup pass like a letter in the mail, choose a position that you find most comfortable and practical. You can either lie down, crouch, or put one leg on a chair, a bathtub edge, or else.
When inserting the cup, be careful not to push it in like a tampon. Do not hesitate to run your finger around the cup, if necessary, once it is deployed, to check that it is correctly placed and opened. If the menstrual cup is properly seated, you are unlikely to have a leak or drop it down the toilet during your business.
17. Remove the cup with no force
Removing your menstrual cup is quite an art and we are proud to teach you. To properly remove your cup, it’s all 
about the muscles. Rest assured, you don’t have to use force. The goal is to be able to relax in order to release your vaginal muscles.
Here is a simple tip, in a squatting position, relax and push as much as possible on your perineum and abdominal muscles in order to lower the cup. The base of the latter is then clamped to release the air and therefore break the seal, and then gently removed. Be careful, even if it is tempting, do not pull it sharply.
18. Take out your menstrual cup in the shower
Removing the cup in the shower allows you to empty and rinse it all at once. It’s like killing two birds with one stone. If you don’t have an ultra-heavy flow, this is even more important. You just take the cup out in the shower and empty and rinse it at the same time. In addition, you will have more ease to insert it.
19. Insert the cup properly
After you insert it, touch all the edges of the cup and make any adjustment, if necessary, in order to make sure it covers the cervix well, and then twist it a bit to make sure it’s sealed. It may sound more complicated than it really is; the whole process takes about 10 seconds. But you have to be prepared to touch your private parts a lot.
Kindly, share your experience with our readers by commenting below.
