Mooncup

[Heddwen]

Hi there, just wondering whether anyone uses the mooncup on a regular basis and whether they found it easy to use.

[katie bridgewater]

I do. Love it. Very cheap, very easy, much better for you. I had to use lillets once in the last 12 years (when I lost my mooncup abroad) and I absolutely hated them. Once you get used to a mooncup everything else seems expensive, unpleasant and a hassle. You have to get used to dealing with your own 'emissions' (personally I found this liberating and not difficult) and putting it in and out which is no different from a tampon and a lot less than a cap. Nothing goes to landfill and it's much much less detrimental to the environment than the growing of cotton and the production and disposal of towels and tampons. They only cost 20 quid, so it's not much to risk - if you get on with it you will save hundreds of pounds in the long run.

[Julysea]

I also do, and also love it. Have used it for 7 years since the birth of my eldest child and never had any problems. Would never go back to use anything else.

[Lily]

I'm tempted.

How's using it on a public toilet work?

[katie bridgewater]

Well Lily, first of all you can pee and poo without removing it so you don't have to take it out every time you go to the loo. You only need to take out and empty it every 8 hours (it holds a lot more than a conventional tampon can absorb, plus it doesn't dry you out so things are a lot more 'normal' down there) so you can avoid having to remove it in public toilets, and have plenty of time to think and plan ahead. It's helpful when you're out and about if you can use a toilet cubicle with a sink in (often the disabled loo will have lots of room and a sink) but you can manage without if you carry a small bottle of water. Take it out, empty into the toilet and either rinse with your bottle over the bowl or use paper to wipe round if you can't rinse it. Then back it goes. You soon get used to the amount of flow and how often you need to empty. It's a lot easier than trying to dispose of a tampon or towel in a poorly serviced convenience! The advantages far outweigh any inconvenience, I reckon, and you soon find ways to adapt to different circumstances.

Apologies to those reading who are not comfortable with this kind of talk - it's tricky to explain any other way...

[Lily]

Oh thanks for the explanation and if anyone is offended by this, they should have gone away long ago.

Do you think it is compatible with a Nuva ring that I'm thinking of getting?

[katie bridgewater]

It sounds like the Nuva ring is removed for 7 days of your cycle, during which you have a kind of 'dummy' period, same as on the pill, so I presume it would work. You probably wouldn't want both in at the same time. Same applies to the cap(diaphragm). I'd check with the manufacturers though, since I know nothing about hormonal birth control, having avoided it very deliberately for most of my adult life...

[Bracken]

I agree with everything Katie said. Amazingly, I also found that any bloating I had during my period just vanished completely. I always thought bloating was a natural part of menstruation. Turns out it is a reaction to the crappy bleached tampons I had always used. It makes me so mad that our vaginas are considered so 'unclean' that they have to be bleached, but it doesn't surprise me. I've gone through the menopause now, but I am really glad I discovered Mooncup for those last few years. Wish I'd known about it from day one.

[Heddwen]

It sounds like the Mooncup is a winner all around then. Do you know what, it really annoys me having to pay monthly for pads and tampons. Think of all that cash since I was a teenager and here I am approaching the menopause(I'm 45 and it happens young in my family), let alone the environmental cost and the health problems that can sometimes be caused by using tampons.That's just me having a rant!
Thanks Katie for your expalnation it was really useful and helpful

[Alfarera]

It's pretty good.
As long as you place don't place it too high it won't leak.

[Aigeann]

Apologies to those reading who are not comfortable with this kind of talk - it's tricky to explain any other way...

I personally found your explanation very useful! Heck, I'm thinking of trying it myself. Thank you.

[Oneonine]

I found this no-holds-barred article on mooncups helpful. The author makes no attempt to cover up her sick fascination or comedic aspects of changing over to using this method, which actually made me worry less as she's thought of way more problems with it than I could have thought up myself in advance.
http://www.ampnet.co.uk/femorabilia/mooncup.html

[Heddwen]

Llwynoges, I hadn't thought about the leakage, I wonder if choosing a different size would help although, how you determine what size you are is a different matter. It could be an expensive mistake but it sounds like its all good and not a potential bloodbath! I'm glad you posted that article Oneonine-everything answered

[Oneonine]

I spent about five minutes wondering how you measure if you need a 46mm wide one or a 50mm wide one before finding out it's an age/if you've had children decision.

[Julysea]

If you position the mooncup correctly there shouldn't be any leaks because you kind of put it in folded and it springs open inside you and then sucks up against the cervix forming a vacuum seal. So, even if it gets pretty full or you lie down or whatever, if you've formed that seal, it shouldn't leak. Some people I know who have experienced leaks, it has been because that seal hasn't formed, they've just placed the mooncup like a cap. It does also work like that but will leak. To take the mooncup out, you then pinch the bottom to release the seal gently and remove.

Again, this is probably TMI for some, but it's a hard topic to talk about without the TMI thing! There's loads of advice and FAQs on it at http://www.mooncup.co.uk/

[Oneonine]

TMI might be the fact I was wondering if I'd need a shoehorn.

Another worry answered.

[Julysea]

It is a learning curve, but a short one, and certainly no more difficult than I seem to remember finding tampons to insert the first few times I used them, back in the mists of time...

[Zylah]

I WANT ONE!! But it can't be delivered in the U.S. Whyyyyy??

[Corwen]

I WANT ONE!! But it can't be delivered in the U.S. Whyyyyy??

Seems like there is a US website:

http://www.mooncup.com/

[Zylah]

Thank you, Corwen - I guess I should have done a search instead of just trying to order from one website and then throwing a fit when it said 'undeliverable' !