I cycle a lot so I'm really into the idea of using cups. Wearing a cup while cycling, you don't have to worry that much about leaking through your pad. One cup will last you as long as three regular tampons, which is quite a bit. I would advice to always use a cloth pad or a cloth pantyliner as a back-up though. Just in case : )
After a fair bit of research, I thus decided to buy myself a cup. Not a moon cup though, as a lot of women did not recommend it as a cup for a cup-newbie, which, I obviously was. I decided to go for a LadyCup, the large size so it would be able to keep a lot. When the cup arrived though, I did not dare to use it, as it was huge and I'm quite petite. :p
I was determined, however, to try menstrual cups. There are a lot (read: a ton) of advantages to them:
- You have no risk of TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome)
- You can leave them in for up to 12 hours
- One cup equals the amount that 3 regular tampons can absorb
- One cup will last for up to ten years
- Massive reduce of waste, thus very eco-friendly for the environment/nature
- No stink
- Cost-efficient
- Saves you a lot of money
- Cups do not contain any harmful chemicals
- A cup respects the natural balance of your body
- Shorter and lighter periods in some women
- Less cramping in some women
- Does not absorb the natural mucus that's present in your vagina, so you will not feel as if you dried out
- In 1937, a woman!, Leona Chalmers got a patent on the first 'modern' menstrual cup, i.e. a menstrual cup much like the ones we know today You can read more on: http://www.lunette.com/blog/2012/03/history-of-menstrual-cups/
- You can do sports with them, even swimming. I used to swim a lot, but due to a lot of sinus-troubles I put a bit of a pause on it. I might be going back though! When I do, I will try out what it's like to swim with each menstrual cup I tried and do a review on it!
- You can wear them in the shower/bath to avoid leaking when you get yourself dry
- They come in different sizes, shapes and softnesses
- You get the benefit of getting to know your lady parts really well, which empowers you and makes you feel more confident as a woman and as important, if something was not normal or wrong, you would instantly know it since you got used to what's normal for your body
- You get to feel more comfortable in your own skin and more body-confident
- You feel a lot cleaner on your period
- You are not being used by the disposable menstrual care industry to make money on you at the expense of your own health
- Great when you are commuting or sitting exams/being at work/sleeping because you don't have to change it that often plus can wear a pad as backup, which will give you more of an opportunity to keep calm/enjoy/focus/do-what-you-have-to-do/rest/relax
- More hygienic than tampons, you can wash them after every use plus you boil them or add a Milton tablet to sterilize them at the beginning of every period
- No strings attached : )
Visualized:
A funny and entertaining video about menstrual cups (& their benefits) vs. tampons: