As this is not my first menstrual cup review you might not expect it, but the LadyCup was my first menstrual cup ever! :D :D
To be more precise, my very first cup was the Large LadyCup. A green one since that's my favourite colour. I wanted to make my first go at using cups a little less frightening, for yes, I have to admit, I was a bit scared (read: extremely terrified :p) to try a cup. I had never seen one in real life before, only heard about them, and did not know what to expect.
I can't remember how I came across LadyCup, but I guess I googled 'menstrual cup' and that their website was one of the first hits I got. What I do remember is that the LadyCup website looked really nice and genuine. It was easy to use and I could find all the information I needed. This reassured me, as two years ago when I bought it, the info on cups was not so readily available as it is now and neither were reviews. That's the way it seems to me anyway : )
LadyCup back then also had an offer on a cup, which included that with the cup you also got 4 Milton sterilizing tablets. I looked up cup sterilization and found that you can also boil your cup to sterilize it, but, since back then I didn't know anything about cups, I did not want to take any risk in damaging it. I thus bought the Large LadyCup that came with the Milton sterilization tablets.
A while later my cup arrived. I was very excited and it looked good quality. I was not entirely happy with it though. I was not sure if I would dare to use it as it was HUGE! Since I was going to use a menstrual cup for the first time, that made it extra scary.
I also was a bit mad at myself for not having gone by my gut instinct, but to rely on the company's recommendations on how to choose a cup. I had decided to buy a large as I thought I would be able to use it longer because I was nearing the age the LadyCup company recommended a large cup for. Alas I quIckly realized that I should have just bought me a small. Since, I have tried quite a few cups and I have to say that most companies' recommendations on cup choosing are quack in my opinion. Not that I know it all, but if I had known back then what I know now, I would have felt more capable and less stressed about something so awesome as choosing a (first) cup.
Now, this review is on both the small and large LadyCup, so how did I get my small one when I did not even dare to try my large?
Well, when last year, I heard that we were going on a camping trip for 3 weeks, I panicked, because I knew I would be gone for a substantial amount of time. It was also my first going on vacation using rumps. I thus wanted to be prepared. When it comes to my period I always want to be prepared anyway. I'm the kinda girl who always carries pads with her (and now most of the time I carry (or wear when I'm about to start my period :p) a cup with me too). Since we were going to be cycling a lot on our trip (we love cycling) and I might also be on my period either at the beginning of our trip (the last days from my period) or just starting at the end of our trip (for my period, it's not always sure when I will exactly get it, it's thus better if I come prepared, always), I felt uneasy. How on earth was I going to be able to manage my period when cycling? I love my cloth pads, don't get me wrong, but cycling for hours with possibly no bathroom in sight to comfortably change, made me feel apprehensive and anxious. I am already always apprehensive about peeing on cycling trips as is. Not to mention the not-so-appealing-idea of sitting, while constantly moving and sweating, in the blistering heat, on your own blood for hours and praying not to leak. I knew I had to come up with a solution, quickly! No way I was going to let period-stress ruin my vacation/cycling trips!
My solution was very simple: a menstrual cup. The best part of it was that I already had one! The only thing I had to do, was find it and put it in my bag. I thus found my Large LadyCup (I had to look for it as I had bought it a one-and-a-half year before our trip and had not yet used it (I daren't)) and had a look at it again. You can already guess, all my initial fears about its size came back and I knew again why I had put it away: I was afraid I would never get it in. I was afraid to hurt myself in the process and start disliking cups, something I wanted to avoid at all cost because the idea of them (and the hate I had developed for tampons) seemed fabulous to me. I thus had to come up with another solution. Wat could I do? Of course, it was so simple! I could buy the small, even if I might not be able to use it that long, I still preferred that over not being able to use a cup at all and be scared for the rest of my life. I really wanted to try a cup! I went to the LadyCup website again and noticed they had gotten a few new colours and there was an offer on a small LadyCup with Milton sterilizing tablets. I knew that would be the one! I bought it and was very excited for it to arrive : )
Sadly, my small LadyCup did not arrive in time for our trip abroad. : (
I just had to take the large with me. I was scared about it, but I was determined. If I were to get my period on our trip. I would make the large work! No matter what. I would have a heavenly holiday as I never really had been able to go on a holiday with family before and especially not such a long one.
Luckily for me, I did start my period on the last day of our trip when we were heading home. Since I only spotted and bled very little, I could make do with the cloth pads I brought : ) Yay!! :D
Back home, in my mailbox, I found an awesome welcome home surprise: my small LadyCup had finally arrived :D!
I fell in love with it the moment I opened the envelope. It was teenytiny! I was so happy. The small had also the same quality feel to it as the large. The only thing that was 'wrong' with it was that they had forgotten to include the Milton sterilizing tablets with my cup, but when I contacted them they were very friendly and they promised me to send new ones, which they really did! But most importantly, due to it's tiny size, I was not afraid of trying this one! Okay, maybe I was a bit scared, but hey, who isn't when you're about to try something new for the first time : )
Review time
Small LadyCup
About the Small LadyCup
- made of high-grade medical silicone
- firmer rim with a slightly softer body (half down the cup)
- dotted grip rings at the base
- dotted grip rings on the stem
- flexible and hollow stem
- one of the smaller small cups around
- slanted air suction release holes
- the air suction release holes come quite low (is said to reduce its capacity)
- comes in a beautiful and quality-made pouch of bio-cotton
Dimensions and capacity:
- height of the cup is 46 mm
- length of the stem is 19mm
- external diameter is 40 mm
- holds 21,2 ml up to the rim (not mentioned how much up to the air suction release holes)
- is said to be one of the lower capacity cups around due to its lower air holes
Dry run
When I just had my small LadyCup I had not tried it on a dry run, because, at the time, I did not even know such a thing existed, but recently I dry-ran it twice.
I noticed each time that sometimes, I can feel it inside, sometimes I don't. Getting it in, however, is as easy as when I'm on my period, i.e. it slides in like a breeze without any other lubrication than the one my body naturally produces. I always use the 7-fold with my cups and the small LadyCup is really tiny with it, making it extra easy to get it in. Once inside, it also pops open with ease, every single time. Also getting it back out has always been easy for me and I never hurt myself in the process. However easy it is to insert and take out dry-running the small LadyCup, I'm however still not sure if I really like wearing it on a dry-run. I, however, keep doing so because this cup is heaven when I'm on my period.
On my period
As I said above, the small LadyCup is the first menstrual cup that I tried. EVER : )
This means that this tiny cup had a lot to prove. It was my first cup so I had no previous cup experiences to go by, nor did I know anyone personally who had ever used one, and the reviews I had read only were scarce and mixed. As a result, I was scared, and I have to admit, also skeptical. I did not trust cups at all.
The LadyCup however, proved me wrong about each and every prejudice/fear I had. I have to say that I am very lucky with my first cup-experience. I could not have had it any better. The LadyCup was the best first cup I could imagine.
I wore it to my Finnish class as that would give me plenty of time to leave it in for a substantial amount of time, i.e. 6,5 hours (travel time to and from class included), without being able to constantly check on it or worry : ) My mind did wander occasionally though about how my cup was doing, had I leaked? I reassured myself, that, whatever happened, I was wearing a cloth pad (a heavy :p) as a back-up, just in case : ) I did not feel anything though, or maybe I did, I remember I was a bit bothered by its stem, it stabbed me, but nothing too unbearable or painful. Could I cut part of it off?
For once, Finnish class could not be over soon enough :p I could not wait to get home to check on my little Lady(Cup) : ) I had the feeling that it was full. I can remember that I felt as if it had gone down a bit and that I could feel the weight of it. I had no clue though if my guess would be correct so I was extremely eager to take my cup out. Until I entered my bathroom. Oh my gosh, I had to take it out? How on earth was I going to get it out?!? Well, it had to get out sometime, and it sure would not come out on its own so I just had to dig into things and try. I remember myself standing there, in my bathroom, praying not to create a murder scene on the bathroom floor, and inserting my fingers a little bit into my vagina to get my small LadyCup out. Doing so, I noticed my guess about my cup having come down a bit was correct. This made it easier to reach and grab its stem. I tugged the stem gently and I then very carefully pinched its base and hold onto it very well. It came further down until it sat just at the entrance of my vagina. Oh my, I really hoped I would get it out in a clean manner. I pinched the base of the cup again and with my other hand I succeeded in helping to get my cup out. It was not at all the complete bloody mess I thought it would be plus I got it out without any spills! I was so happy. The best part of it was that the small LadyCup seemed to have worked! It was completely full entirely up to the rim. When I had it in my hand to have a proper look at what a blood-filled cup actually looked like, nothing came out of its air suction release holes at all, which makes me think that those will not reduce its capacity. Yay :D! I can fill it up completely without any worries nor any spills when taking it out completely filled up. Maybe still even better, there was no smell at all :D
Since that first try, I tried quite a few other cups too, and I have to say, the small LadyCup is still one of my favourites. I love that it is so easy to insert. It also always pops open. No fiddling with this one.
Once it is inside I cannot feel it at all, ever. It also is extremely easy to clean too (even its air holes!) I even get it out easily. Due to its shiny silicone, it's a bit more slippery, which helps slide it out.
The only thing that really bothered me about the small LadyCup, was its stem. It kept stabbing me so I just had to cut a tiny bit off. Ever since I did that, the small LadyCup is one of my most comfortable cups! Even when I'm afraid I am going to suffer from any cramping, I dare to wear my LadyCup. When I'm cramping and in pain, I do not want to be bothered by having to run to the toilet all the time to change (when I'm cramping I bleed tons and it can be a bloody mess) and get a ton of blood on my hands in the proces, no, I want to feel clean and be able to rest in all comfort, which my small LadyCup gives me.
In short, I really like the small LadyCup. It was the best first cup for me.
Large LadyCup
About the Large LadyCup
- made of high-grade medical silicone
- firmer rim with a slightly softer body
- dotted grip rings at the base
- dotted grip rings on the stem
- flexible and hollow stem
- slanted air suction release holes
- the air suction release holes come quite low
Dimensions and capacity:
- height of the cup is 53 mm
- length of the stem is 13 mm
- external diameter is 46 mm
- holds 34,3 ml up to the rim (not mentioned how much up to the air suction release holes)
- possibly lower capacity due to its lower air suction release holes
Dry run
When I first had my large LadyCup I had not tried it on a dry run, because, at the time, I was too scared because of its size nor did I even know such a thing existed, but recently I dry-ran it twice.
However easy it was to insert the small LadyCup, such an entirely other matter was it to get the large in. (So glad I trusted my instincts and bought the small before trying this one!) I do not own any lubricant (except for coconut oil, but do not want to use it for this purpose, I want to get it in without any because when I do not have anything at hand (I do not have the space in my bag how tiny the tube may be), I want to be able to manage too) and I have to say, inserting it without is not something I'd like to repeat very often. My vagina's opening is very small and tight and the large LadyCup according to my bits is too big to insert easily. If, however, I'd find some other folding method in which I can get it smaller, then I might dare try it again. Once I got it in, on the other hand, I could not feel it at all, although it being a large it was extremely comfortable. Also the stem was unfeelable. Thumbs up on that one as I can really appreciate a good stem. I like to keep them on for an easier getting hold of my cup when I have to remove it, so I do not like having to cut too much of it off. Getting the large LadyCup out, I had to be more careful than with the small. I punch the base when it's at my vagina's opening and with another finger, I gently push the belly of the cup to. I do this in order to make it smaller. Otherwise, the cup would be too wide to get out without getting hurt by it popping back open firmly (as it's not or not much filled, depending on if I've started my period or not, this is possible because there'sno or not much fluid to counteract a firm pop)
On my period
On my period, it is far more easy to insert the large LadyCup. My period blood acts like a natural lubricant and the shiny silicone makes it more slippery, which makes it slide it more easily. That being said, the large LadyCup is still a handful (a bit big) to get inside. It also has the habit of unfolding before or at the moment I'm trying to get it in (I have tiny hands :p). I will continue to find a way to fold it smaller (I'm not that good at folds : ) ), however, as just like the small LadyCup, I really like wearing the large LadyCup while I'm having my period. I first was afraid that I might notice it or be hindered by it, but it appeared that once I succeed in getting it in, it is extremely comfortable. Getting it back out, is just like when I dry-run it, a question of being gentle with it. I have to pinch the base and squish the belly of the cup and then very slowly wiggle it out. Doing so I manage to get it out painfree. The stem of the large is helpful in getting the cup out too, and unlike the small, it does not stab me. I think this is because it's a bit shorter. And last but not least, like the small LadyCup, it's really easy to clean!
About LadyCup in general
- I think it's a pity that the LadyCup does not have measuring lines. Measuring lines are really practical to exactly manage your blood loss. It may exclude some from buying an otherwise good cup.
- The stem is hollow and, in my opinion, this makes it less easy to clean and also can make it a bit more likely to stab you, causing discomfort
- It easily attracts lint (like you might be able to see in the photos, but that's because it's a shiny silicone, and other cups with shiny silicone, tend to have the same problem. Since you always have to wash your cup before you insert it, this is not a real problem either.
One thing I absolutely do not like (NOT to do with the cup!!!):
The LadyCup Company now offers what they call, Lady Protectors (small gloves for your fingers to use when handling your cup). I can see how in some rare cases people could really benefit from them, but they are not aimed at only these people. They are mass-marketed to all who want to use cups, and LadyCup especially. They should protect you to come in contact with your own blood during insertion and upon removal.
They say you can wash them if you'd like, but they are sold in packs of 12 so they really are meant to use once and throw them away after.
In my opinion this goes against the meaning of using Rumps, completely defeating their purpose, i.e. creating less waste, because, imagine if every cup user started using these, not only a whole lot of waste was created (that have could been avoided), but also a whole lot of resources are needed to produce them, creating even more waste in the production process, as well as they keep every person who menstruates from getting a positive body-bond. It's only your own blood that you touch. There's nothing gross about that. If you cut your finger, you touch that blood too without reaching for gloves (unless you're really squeamish). On top of that, they are expensive: in hospitals they also already use a similar kind of finger protector, which is a lot cheaper.
But, overall, I love LadyCup because:
- It's very comfortable
- It's easy to insert and take out (probably only the small one if you're tiny like me)
- It's really easy to clean due to the shiny silicone. The blood glides right off of it when you rinse it with water.
- You do not have to own a credit card to be able to buy your own LadyCup! You can also pay via Maestro as well as via bank transfer! (What I did : ) )
- Worldwide shipping is only €2,49!
- It's a great quality cup
- It's available in a lot of pretty colours
- The pouch that comes with it is good quality
- Great customer service
Picture time!
Would I recommend LadyCup?
Yes, I absolutely would. I love the LadyCup. It's one of my absolute favourites! I hope by writing about it on my blog, I will get the word out about this fantastic cup a little more as it's not the most talked about one. It's definitely a cup worth trying in my opinion! The LadyCup is very comfy, easy to insert (especially the small) and take out, easy to clean, and it comes in the most fun and vibrant colours. I really love this cup!