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Kase moch posted:This thread has gotten me to take the plunge and buy a meluna sport (in particular the possibility of less cramping and fewer days bleeding omg). I find that during my period, if the cup *doesn't* have that sort of horizontal bend in it, then I don't have a good seal. That's basically what I'm feeling for when I reach up there: round rim, dented body. Everyone is different; what you're feeling is my personal ideal, YMMV when it's go time.
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Jul 17, 2015 19:19
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So after about 2-3 years of using a cup I tried putting a tiny bit of lube on the outside and my god, why did I not listen to people earlier who said this is the way around any insertion problems? I would recommend it to anyone who has trouble getting it to go up and pop open easily.
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Jul 21, 2015 11:23
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Fionnoula posted:I find that during my period, if the cup *doesn't* have that sort of horizontal bend in it, then I don't have a good seal. That's basically what I'm feeling for when I reach up there: round rim, dented body. Everyone is different; what you're feeling is my personal ideal, YMMV when it's go time. Thanks! I know the real test is whether it's leaking or not during the crimson wave, but it's nice to know beforehand that the dent isn't automatically a failure.
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Jul 22, 2015 19:01
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Trip report, day two of my period: I've utterly failed to get the cup to work so far. I've inserted and removed it about a dozen times during bleeding, and every time except once, there's been nearly nothing in the cup, and the backup pad has been soaked. My cervix feels like it's kind of shoved into the back of my vagina wall, with or without the cup in, so I'm wondering if maybe some women's insides are shaped too weird for a cup to be able to catch the blood? It always opens up inside me all the way, and I've tried angling it this way and that, to no avail. I can try to draw the way my cervix seems to be sitting if it might help someone advise me.
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Aug 2, 2015 23:45
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You may be putting it in too far, there's a diagram in the thread somewhere of how some women's cervixes are on the top side rather than at the end of the canal so the blood just goes past the cup.
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Aug 3, 2015 00:11
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Portals posted:You may be putting it in too far, there's a diagram in the thread somewhere of how some women's cervixes are on the top side rather than at the end of the canal so the blood just goes past the cup. I don't think it's in too far, because the cup kind of pokes out of me a bit when I sit down. And it won't go in any further than that, either. I saw that diagram, and I know what you mean, but it seems like my cervix goes all the way across and pokes into the back wall... like the cup is sitting almost on top of my cervix. It feels like I'd need to dig the cup into the back wall a little to get it to direct stuff into it from the cervix opening. That seems like it wouldn't work with the way the cup is shaped, so I'm thinking maybe cups don't fit my particular vag? Maybe my cervix is too long or something. Kase moch fucked around with this message at 01:29 on Aug 3, 2015 |
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Aug 3, 2015 01:27
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Kase moch posted:I don't think it's in too far, because the cup kind of pokes out of me a bit when I sit down. And it won't go in any further than that, either. I saw that diagram, and I know what you mean, but it seems like my cervix goes all the way across and pokes into the back wall... like the cup is sitting almost on top of my cervix. It feels like I'd need to dig the cup into the back wall a little to get it to direct stuff into it from the cervix opening. That seems like it wouldn't work with the way the cup is shaped, so I'm thinking maybe cups don't fit my particular vag? Maybe my cervix is too long or something. You could try turning the cup inside out. That makes it shorter and some people find it is a better fit. Harder to get out though.
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Aug 3, 2015 01:31
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Kase moch posted:I don't think it's in too far, because the cup kind of pokes out of me a bit when I sit down. And it won't go in any further than that, either. I saw that diagram, and I know what you mean, but it seems like my cervix goes all the way across and pokes into the back wall... like the cup is sitting almost on top of my cervix. It feels like I'd need to dig the cup into the back wall a little to get it to direct stuff into it from the cervix opening. That seems like it wouldn't work with the way the cup is shaped, so I'm thinking maybe cups don't fit my particular vag? Maybe my cervix is too long or something. What kind of cup are you using? You can get some pretty small/short cups although they don't hold as much of course.
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Aug 3, 2015 02:55
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Organza Quiz posted:What kind of cup are you using? You can get some pretty small/short cups although they don't hold as much of course. I'm using a meluna medium sport. Compared to many of the other ladies who have posted here it seems like my flow is fairly light, so I suppose I might try a shorter cup...
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Aug 3, 2015 03:43
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That happened to me a lot but I got into the habit of running a finger around to rim to check that it's actually covering my cervix and now I almost never have leaks. When I started doing that I realized I was inserting the cup at the wrong angle and adjusted my technique accordingly (usually I raise a leg while standing to get the correct angle).
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Aug 3, 2015 17:08
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Hummingbirds posted:That happened to me a lot but I got into the habit of running a finger around to rim to check that it's actually covering my cervix and now I almost never have leaks. When I started doing that I realized I was inserting the cup at the wrong angle and adjusted my technique accordingly (usually I raise a leg while standing to get the correct angle). That's the problem though... I can't make it cover my cervix without angling it almost sideways. My cervix is sitting squashed into the back wall and the outer lip of the cup won't cover it consistently unless the cup is almost an inch outside me/put in sideways. Even with all the leaks, I had way less cramping with the cup than I usually get, and it's amazing to not feel chafed the whole time! I really hope a shorter cup does the trick... I don't wanna go back to tampons. 
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Aug 3, 2015 18:00
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Is your cervix always that low?
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Aug 4, 2015 00:57
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Hummingbirds posted:Is your cervix always that low? It's not this low for the rest of the month, definitely. It's sometimes this low during periods, but I'm not sure if it always is.
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Aug 4, 2015 02:20
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Okay, we're going to need a speculum, a ruler, and maybe a protractor. Also mirrors. Lots of mirrors. And a flashlight.
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Aug 4, 2015 02:24
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This cup comes with a low-cervix version. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NQ9E4B8/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2M736PZYZD53&coliid=I2R623ZTM9240P
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Aug 4, 2015 02:34
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Hummingbirds posted:That happened to me a lot but I got into the habit of running a finger around to rim to check that it's actually covering my cervix and now I almost never have leaks. When I started doing that I realized I was inserting the cup at the wrong angle and adjusted my technique accordingly (usually I raise a leg while standing to get the correct angle). This reminds me, I just had a really weird period where my body was doing something different for whatever reason and my cup just didn't want to open the way it usually does. This happened a few years back too and I just wore pads because I couldn't get it to stop leaking, but thanks to this thread I had other things to try like running my finger around the rim and re-positioning it to make sure my cervix was in it and I managed to get it working just fine. Thanks, thread!
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Aug 4, 2015 03:04
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spatula posted:This cup comes with a low-cervix version. These intrigue me, but they're pricey enough that I'm a little afraid to actually try one.
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Aug 5, 2015 01:42
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That price is for a two-pack though, you can click through for singles and it's much more along the lines of other cups. It intrigues me too but the Diva Cup actually fits me perfectly enough I don't see much benefit in trying others. Knowing it's one of the longest out there and it still gets sucked up so deep it's work to get it out sort of limits my options in trying others.
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Aug 5, 2015 02:10
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Hi ladies! I just got the meluna size medium in the mail and I'm super excited for my next period! I just did a dry run (not actually dry, just a "dry run") and I'm not sure how to get it to open up fully inside, or how to tell if it is, in fact, opening. I have quite a long vagina, and I've never been able to feel my own cervix, so that complicates things a bit. Any tips?
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Aug 5, 2015 18:44
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I have baby hands and have never felt my cervix. I recently discovered that a teeeeensy smear of lube on the outside helps mine go into position and pop open a little easier, but in terms of telling whether it's open I feel around the highest bit I can reach (a bit above the stem, I guess) and if it's basically smooth/has only a small indentation towards the front then I know it's open. It's a bit of a trial and error thing, though, so the only way to tell 100% at first is by seeing whether you leak or not.
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Aug 5, 2015 23:59
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QuelleFuck posted:Hi ladies! I just got the meluna size medium in the mail and I'm super excited for my next period! What I do, and I have deep vag issues too, is I use a punchdown fold and once it's inside a bit I run my thumb up to unfold it, then while it's partially open I shove it up the rest of the way. You can squeeze it a little at the base once it's seated to see if it's opened. No real leakage issues ever.
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Aug 6, 2015 00:06
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Divacup has been my goto for years but i switched to the MeLuna large, same capacity and general size as the Divacup but it comes in pretty colors, cleans easier and doesn't have a bunch of dumb embossing all over it to collect stains
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Aug 6, 2015 00:07
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I want to get in on this menstrual party. I've got a cup (Diva cup size 1), tried putting it in, but had to stop not even halfway because of the sheer pain. I've been trying this a few times a week during the past month with the same results. I'm a virgin, and I know virgins can use a cup, but I'm still lacking confidence when I can barely fit a finger in my vagina. I've done some Google research and watched some YouTube videos about it, but everyone makes it looks so easy... How much trial and error does it take for the cup to actually get in there? It seems like diva cups are extremely firm too. Would the Meluna or any other cup be a better alternative?
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Aug 28, 2015 01:20
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First, it's important to be sure that your difficulty is not due to a physiological problem such as vaginismus. If you are sure that is not the case... How attached are you to your hymen? Because while virgins can use a cup, it's definitely a bit more difficult to work around the hymen with a cup than it is with, say, a tampon. The cup will be much more comfortable without the hymen getting in the way, and I'm speaking from experience. I'm not saying you need to go out and bang a guy just so your cup will fit. You can take care of it on your own with an appropriately shaped object and some lube and whatever happens to get you in the mood. You have the added benefit that you know how slow and gentle you need to go to make the experience not awful. (That's how I solved the problem, anyway.) You don't have to do it that way, of course. It seems like we've had other people in this thread who just sort of toughed it out for a while and after a few cycles it wasn't so bad anymore. The hymen just got used to stretching to where it needed to be.
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Aug 28, 2015 02:38
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FWIW I also couldn't get my first cup in until I had sex with a guy but afterwards it was pretty easy. I have a meluna soft and it's about the same as my diva was after ~5 years of use (that is to say it's much softer than an unused divacup)
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Aug 28, 2015 03:49
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I'm a virgin, and I found that using lube like someone else said was very helpful. I also kind of got used to fishing around in there? and set aside a little time to practice taking it in and out, trying different positions etc. The first time it was tough, but now I don't even think about it anymore.
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Aug 28, 2015 05:11
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Julet Esqu posted:You don't have to do it that way, of course. It seems like we've had other people in this thread who just sort of toughed it out for a while and after a few cycles it wasn't so bad anymore. The hymen just got used to stretching to where it needed to be. I've never had sex with a dude and have no idea what the status of my hymen is but this is what I did. In retrospect, lube would have been really useful and I probably should have used it, but after the first few months it was perfectly fine. I just kept telling myself it was worth some discomfort for a few months in order to get a couple of decades of convenience and that seems to have borne out. That said, calilco, if you're having trouble even getting a finger up there and trying to insert a cup results in so much pain that you have to stop every time, that's starting to sound like an actual issue like vaginismus (which basically just means your muscles tighten up as an unconscious physiological reaction). I'd say you should get it checked out by a professional but I know that can be difficult for a myriad of reasons. It's something to keep in mind though.
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Aug 28, 2015 08:32
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If you do use lube though, make sure you don't combine silicone lube with a silicone cup. With a silicone diva cup it is safe to use water or oil based lubricants. Get actually sex lube though, don't just get some butter from the kitchen or whatever. You probably know all that, but better safe than sorry. 
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Aug 28, 2015 08:52
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I find the cup is way more difficult to get in when its room temperature than when warm. I usually run it under hot water to warm it up and it helps. Though I haven't used a cup as a virgin, sometimes I get achey if I just jam the cup in when its cool-ish.
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Aug 28, 2015 09:20
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Thanks for all the advice! I've honestly never heard of vaginismus before this, and I'm hoping this is not the problem, but I honestly can't rule it out. (I'll look into it separately, so I don't derail the thread) Meanwhile, I'll grab some actual sex lube and keep figuring myself out down there. I'm definitely not giving up, so if it boils down to the fact that I need to buy a dildo or go see a therapist to get a roomier vagina, I'll do just that. Thanks again. 
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Aug 28, 2015 16:09
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Julet Esqu posted:
Bless this thread
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Aug 28, 2015 18:58
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I'm on my second period with the (probably too large) cup, and while I'm still getting a lot of leaks (need to buy a shorter one), I can definitely say it's lessening my cramps considerably. Normally I need at least 4, sometimes 5, extra strength Aleves/Tylenols/Advils at a time to make the pain tolerable, but during both these cup periods the cramps have been bearable without using pain meds, and I can even eliminate the pain entirely with only 1 pill! I am boggled by it and wish I'd known 20 years ago about this magic voodoo wizardry.
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Aug 28, 2015 19:24
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Welp, curiosity got the best of me and I ordered a low cervix Femmycycle cup. It should be here in time for my period to start this week. I'll tell you how it goes! Reviews are generally positive, but there are some worrying reports of  DEATH SUCTION on removal. Hopefully that part isn't a problem for me. 
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Aug 29, 2015 19:37
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I picked up a diva cup yesterday. I'm not really sure when my period will be, I stopped taking birth control about 3 weeks ago. I practiced inserting it a few times in the shower this morning, then left it in for a few hours while I was running errands. I definitely had a proper seal, I heard and felt it release when I took it out earlier. I'm looking forward to not using tampons. Those fuckers hurt.
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Aug 31, 2015 04:11
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I’m back! And, as promised, I tried out the FemmyCycle and am going to give you my thoughts. I’d have posted this sooner, but I had a couple of questions for the company and wanted to wait for their reply. They never did respond, so... OH WELL. Here we go! TL;DR I know I have a tendency to be wordy, so, for busy ladies, yes, the cup works. Most (not all) of the issues I had with it are ones that presumably will be less of an issue over time as I get used to using it. There is a high learning curve with the FC, even if you are experienced with cups. As it is, I intend to keep using the cup. If you are currently perfectly happy with the cup you have, I wouldn’t recommend replacing it with this one-- it’s not THAT much better than a regular cup. However, if you’re in the market for a new cup anyway or if you have a low cervix that’s a pain to work around with your current cup, this might be worth a shot. /TL;DR And now, more details for the people who like  Pros -There is a low cervix version. This is the model I chose and I was pleasantly surprised to find it really did fit me without getting all up in my cervix’s business. -I can’t feel this at all when it’s in right. The material it’s made of is really soft and conforms nicely to your body. This is the first cup I’ve had where I didn’t immediately have to cut off the removal ring/pulltab/stem because it was poking me. -Allegedly high capacity, though my period isn’t really heavy enough to test this myself. -If inserted properly, the anti-leak rim really does work. You can remove it without spilling anything, too, which is nice if, while removing your cup, you tend to… splash. -While some people have reported  DEATH SUCTION, this did not happen for me. Yes, there was more suction than with a normal cup, but I suspect the reviews unfavorably comparing removing this cup with childbirth were slightly exaggerated. I didn’t find it significantly more troublesome or painful to remove than a regular cup and the fact that I was actually able to leave the pull ring on this one helped a lot. Of course, every body is different, YMMV, etc.Cons -Insertion can be tough, at first. With the FemmyCycle it’s recommended to have your chosen fold open toward the rectum, which is kind of the opposite of how it’s often done with other cups and feels awkward at first. They say to use some KY to help get it in, and this does make it slide easier, but for me it also made me lose my grip and the cup opened prematurely. (After some experimentation, for me, so far, I’ve had the best luck with no lube and a 7 fold.) -Really hard to tell if this thing is in right. It’s designed not to open fully inside you, so it’s hard to tell by feel if it’s properly seated because, at least in my case, it feels like a crumpled mess regardless. I usually just kind of sit there and rearrange it for a while until finally shrugging my shoulders and hoping for the best. This backfired on me on the second day when it turned out it wasn’t quite in properly after all. The company recommends using pantyliners until you have the hang of things, and I agree. -This one may be due to user error, since it only happened on 2 of the 6 days I had it in (and one of them was the day it was in wrong), but oh my god, my pee stream got clamped. Felt like I had to pee all the time, and then when I did it was the tiniest of dribbles. I felt like a pregnant lady. The other three days there was no problem, though, so I’m not sure if it was normal changes in anatomy over the cycle or if I just put it in weird. -This is the one that might be a problem long term. I’m not quite sure what the approved way to clean this thing is. The only reference I’ve found to cleaning it at all in the information the company has provided is to use a mild soap and water. If FemmyCycle approves of boiling the cup or soaking it in any type of disinfecting liquid, I have not seen where they say so. With most cups I’d say hell with it, do what you want, but the FC cup is thin and soft enough that it really is believable to me that harsh cleaning methods might damage it. This is what I emailed the company about, but, like I said, they never got back to me. v  vI plan to keep using this cup, so if anything new develops, I’ll let you know. Here’s a couple of pictures, for anybody who wants a size comparison. It’s a low cervix FemmyCycle next to a MeLuna (small or medium, I don’t remember).   Hope this helps anybody on the fence!
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Sep 17, 2015 19:10
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I have had my moon cup for a few years now and very rarely have to use it because I have irregular periods. It's always cleaned and sanitized, and when I'm not using it, it's kept in a dry place where nothing will get at it. My period this time 'round was almost 3 weeks late, so I get my trusty moon cup and put it in. This was after I had been at work (was completely unprepared), took it out for a bit for some horseplay, put it back in, took a shower, cleaned it while I was in there too, and put it back in. I felt it seal, as normally I get a sharp pain when the seal forms, and went to bed. This morning, I woke up completely covered in blood. And I mean covered, like I'd murdered someone by crushing their head between my thighs while I was sleeping. I immediately hopped into the shower to clean myself up and removed the cup while I was in there. It wasn't even a quarter of the way full. Okay, maybe it was a fluke and somehow it came unsealed overnight while I was sleeping.. which has never happened before. I don't think much about it, cleaned it, put it back in, and went to work. I removed and cleaned my cup each time I went to the bathroom at work today, and before I removed the cup and after I'd wiped after urinating, the toilet paper was bloody. And the blood coming from the cup stank like I'd left it in all day long. I must've removed and cleaned at least 5-6 times today at work, then once again at my parents', and once more when I got home. So all total maybe 8 times. Blood on the toilet paper each time, blood stinking to high heaven, and the viscosity is not the same as it normally is, it's very very watery, but the color is not light red, it's still bright like from a fresh wound. I'm assuming the not sealing issue is being caused by the age of the cup itself, but what could be causing the stinky, watery blood? I can't afford a new cup right now, cannot use tampons, and I'd rather die than wear pads. Please help.
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Sep 18, 2015 06:13
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copy of a posted:I have had my moon cup for a few years now and very rarely have to use it because I have irregular periods. It's always cleaned and sanitized, and when I'm not using it, it's kept in a dry place where nothing will get at it. This sounds like an actual medical problem, not a cup problem. I've had "weird" periods before where the cup wouldn't seal properly and also the blood was a different viscosity to usual and I assumed it was just my body being weird, but as far as I know general advice is if anything coming out of your body smells worse than normal, it's a sign that something's wrong and you should see a doctor about it. The lack of seal isn't because of the cup's age, people often use the same cup for 10 years every month without it degrading.
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Sep 18, 2015 06:32
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has anyone else noticed their...scent? i guess, changing after long-ish term use? i started using a cup about 2 years ago and up until about 4 months ago everything was fine. i'm a two shower a day person so it gets dumped and anti-bac'd twice daily, and boiled every month when i'm done bleeding. then a few months ago things just started to smell off in a really bad way. i would notice it in the shower when dumping it and the smell would linger on the cup even after cleaning. the bathroom drawer i kept it in would even smell weird days after it dried out. my fluids also started smelling different, and not in a pleasant way. it's a lot stronger near that time of the month, but even in the off weeks i just have this funk that was never there before. i disposed of my old cup and bought two new ones hoping it might get better and it's not as repulsive but it still smells really terrible. i tried a yeast infection treatment in case it was that and there was no noticable change. i have a lady check up next week and i'll ask the doctor about it but i guess i was just curious if anyone else has experienced anything like this too. it's kind of hurting my sex life because before i actually enjoyed my scent and taste and now...idk i'm really worried about how bad it smells and scared to let anyone go down there.
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Sep 18, 2015 12:04
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crocodile posted:i have a lady check up next week and i'll ask the doctor about it but i guess i was just curious if anyone else has experienced anything like this too. it's kind of hurting my sex life because before i actually enjoyed my scent and taste and now...idk i'm really worried about how bad it smells and scared to let anyone go down there. Yeah it's good you have an appointment because it sounds like you might have BV or something.
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Sep 18, 2015 13:59
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| # ? May 4, 2024 10:49 |
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Omg, smart cup https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/700989404/looncup-the-worlds-first-smart-menstrual-cup
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Oct 9, 2015 15:40
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