If you like this post and want to read more about our uterus-related topics? Click here for Sarah’s Mirena IUD experience and click here for her 2+ year IUD update.

Waste Less Wednesdays

With the new year we’re starting a new weekly series called “Waste Less Wednesdays”. Our passion for preserving Mather Nature is pretty strong, but we recognize that we live in a consumer-driven society. As such, we try to be honest with ourselves about our own consumption, our needs vs. wants, and the opportunities that we have to reduce waste. Sarah and I are often sharing tips and tricks to reduce our consumption, and this series was born from those conversations.

We’re starting the series by bringing back one of my most favorite waste-reduction choices: the menstrual cup. Why start with this post? Well, I’ve used my cup for every period for 2+ years. I had heavy periods requiring both pads and tampons. There was nothing fun about my period, but switching to the cup paired with period underwear (more on that below) has been a game changer and a major waste-reducer! I haven’t used a single disposable period product since making the switch.

That’s right. Not a single disposable product in over two years! I can confidently say that I’ve made the money back that I spent on the initial cup + underwear investment,  and at this point I’m saving saving money that would have gone to more pads and tampons.

To be honest, I’m much more bashful when it comes to talking about certain topics than Sarah is. Kudos to her! But, I’m so happy + excited about my experience using a menstruation cup that it’s time for a post…. happy enough that I’ll repost this information every year with the hope that it will help others make the switch.

I’ve become the crazy lady that will talk to anyone about it if they just mention the word cup…. Oh, you were just talking about Boulder’s awesome new cup-sharing program? Well, let me tell you about my new cup anyway. You were just asking about the difference between a question mark and a period, we’ll let me answer all of your questions about my period cup.

Some Background Info

<<< Before getting into the nitty gritty, I’m writing this post because I’ve had such a successful experience, and I want to share it hoping that it may help others. As you’ll see, my success came after a bit of frustration. And so, I want to encourage anyone who dreads their period to accept that they have to suffer through them. With a bit of research and product sampling, I think that you really can find a solution that will work for your body and lifestyle. Below I share a just a few ideas/products, but a quick Amazon search offers so many options that can be delivered to your door in days. >>>

After struggling with heavy periods for the past couple of years, I was getting so frustrated with using conventional pads + tampons.  I’ve used them for my entire period-having experience, so I didn’t know where to turn, but I knew that I was now at the point that I dreaded having my period every month.

Around the same time, I had a few conversations with other moms with similarly heavy periods. One started using the Diva cup; she was having a great experience and it sounded awesome, but I also squirmed slightly when thinking about a cup. I assumed that it was too messy. I didn’t want to clean it. And it sounded uncomfortable.

FLEX Discs

Another friend had just started using FLEX discs. At the time they sounded easier to use as a mom on the go. They’re disposable, so I could always carry a back-up in my bag in case I needed it. But, they were also supposed to be an all-day alternative that could/should work better than pads + tampons.

Beyond their disposable nature, FLEX discs are different from cups in a couple of other ways. The ring is made from silicone, but the “bag” that holds your menstruation fluid is a thin plastic material. So, the whole object can seem smaller and easier to insert than a larger cup. And possibly the biggest difference between the two products is placement. The cup is placed in your vaginal canal, whereas the FLEX discs are placed higher, right behind your public bone at the base of your cervix.

I ordered my first box of FLEX discs and was so excited for them to work. But, my schedule was so crazy this past summer that I think it took three months until I finally wasn’t traveling and had a period where I felt comfortable trying something new. The long story short is that I tried them for three months, and just couldn’t get them to stay in a good, non-leaking position. After about 3 hours max, my disc would slip, and I would have to find a bathroom.

But, dudettes, I was COMMITTED. I had already signed up for a subscription and wanted to them work so badly.  I mention that to let you know that for a few months after my first use, I really tried to make them work. Finally, as I was dreading the start of another period, I had to admit that I was a FLEX dropout.

Menstrual / Period Cup

So, I got online and started doing a bit of cup research. I ended up ordering a Saalt Cup, put it in two days later, and it’s been a love story ever since!

There are  A LOT of cups out there. If you don’t have one yet, but want to learn more, Put A Cup In It is a great resource (here’s their review of the Saalt cups)! At their site you can learn more about the wide-world of cups, and do some research to determine which might be right for you. I didn’t know about them before buying my cup, but fortunately, I still ended up with a cup that’s working well for me!

When deciding which one to buy, I went with Saalt based upon Amazon reviews (simple, I know).

I ordered the regular size. They also have small, but after having two kids, and with my heavy periods, I figured bigger would be better. I was a bit concerned that the larger size would be uncomfortable, but I haven’t had that experience at all. And, no joke, I can’t even feel it when I’m using it for 12 hours at a time. It’s amazing.

After getting the cup, I learned that Saalt has a private Facebook group (called Saalt Academy) for users where you can ask questions, get help, and hear about the experiences of other users. I browsed the posts in that group when using the cup for the first time and found them to be so helpful! The posts and thoughtful comments immediately put me at eases and gave me some great tips for inserting/removing my cup.

Surprisingly (to me), I’ve found the cup to be a lot easier to use and less messy than I expected. The flexible silicone makes it super easy to squeeze and manipulate the cup for both insertion and removal.  The removal may be the part that people are most curious about. When removing mine, I’m able to pour its contents directly into the toilet without any mess. Then I wash it well with soap and water and re-insert it. Since I only have to remove it twice per day, I’m always able to do that step at home rather than in a public bathroom.

Period Underwear

My experience has been so successful that I’m now at the point where I don’t have to worry about back-up pads for accidental leaks. Honestly, after my first day with the cup, I haven’t had a leak!

BUT there can still be some spotting due to menstrual flow that was on its way out while I was putting in the cup. Or, I’m assuming, there will be a time or two when I don’t have perfect cup placement.

So, I bought some THINX period-proof underwear to wear during my period. And again, I feel like this is a revolutionary product! I love the fit of the underwear, and I love that I’ve eliminated one more frustrating product from my bathroom. NO MORE PADS!

The bad news : I bought my THINX before learning about the poor treatment of employees within the company. Fortunately, this is a growing market and there are alternatives!

GOOD NEWS: I found another brand of period underwear that I LOVE. They’re the Bambody sport hipsters.  I’ve been using these for the past 10 months and they’ve worked perfectly as a back-up form of protection.

Less Money | Less Waste

At the end of the day, I really just wanted to make my crazy periods less overwhelming. I was wearing huge tampons + pads, but I felt so uncomfortable and still was paranoid that I could start staining the couch at any moment. With the cup + THINX, I’m unbelievably comfortable and I don’t think about my period!

The other benefit, which is something that we care deeply about, is that this combination of products completely eliminates disposable period products from my bathroom. It’s an inadvertent good habit that resulted from months years of period frustration!

There’s less to throw away, less to buy, and more money in my pocket!