Mooncup

hyperballad · 16-07-09 02:52:10

Just purchased a mooncup online from an NZ company 'Greenbeans' and it's arrived, I am anxiously awaiting my period to give it a whirl.

Has anyone else used one of these?

Once trialled I shall write a review here methinks.

If it's all that it says it is then I'll be pretty impressed. An item that can be reused over and over and poses no toxic-shock or poisoning risk ftw.

Folly · 16-07-09 08:23:51

wow good move hyperballad. Interested to hear...

ngaio · 16-07-09 08:31:28

Yep, also looking forward to hearing the results because I've been considering getting one for years but just...haven't... for some reason.

hyperballad · 05-08-09 01:06:04

I've dusted off my cup in anticipation of next weeks 'flow'.

This has seriously got to be the first time I have *ever* been excited about menstruating.

Hold onto your butts!!!

Review to follow.

ngaio · 05-08-09 01:10:02

Well I was already holding onto my butt but now I have an excuse!

hyperballad · 11-08-09 02:34:48

Alrighty then. This morning I inserted my mooncup for the first time ever.

According to the instructions you may need to practise inserting the cup or wait until the last 2 days of your period...

I had no problems whatsoever, I'm pretty damn familiar with my lady bits and as long as you fold the cup correctly (there are instructional pictures) it goes in fine. The cup doesn't sit as far inside you as a tampon either, which makes putting it in the right position quite easy.

For the first 20 or so minutes I felt quite aware of the cup, but it wasn't uncomfortable just was able to feel it inside me.

However it's now been in for about 3 hours and I'm mostly unaware of it. Sometimes when I plonk down in my chair I can feel the cup or the stem, but it's not an owie or unpleasant feeling.

I may possibly need to position it a little further inside me, or trim the stem. I'll see how I go.

FYI, the cup is recommended to wear from 4 - 8 hours, so I won't be removing it until this evening. Will let you guys know how that bit goes later tonight or perhaps tomorrow morning.

hyperballad · 12-08-09 01:44:01

Removing the cup is actually quite easy, although it's best to do so over the toilet or in the shower.

Last night before bed I emptied the cup and washed it under hot water with a little soap. I trimmed the stem as it was poking out of my vagina a little.

I've now slept with the cup inside me, went to the gym and then came home to shower, removed it whilst in the shower, washed the cup and then myself - then popped the cup back in.

Today with the trimmed stem I don't feel the cup at all really, even when exercising really hard. This is going very very well insofar.

hyperballad · 12-08-09 01:52:51

If any of you Aussie/Kiwi ladies are interested:

http://www.greenbeans.co.nz/index.php?c … up&sort=2a

ngaio · 12-08-09 01:54:15

Awesomeness! I'm so getting me one of these!

gala · 12-08-09 02:37:34

Feed the plants hyperballad! I reckon your san pedros would love it.

hyperballad · 12-08-09 02:51:14

Yay ngaio - do it!

Oh yessum Miss Gala, I'm going to get myself out into the garden this evening to 'feed' my pschadelic cacti for sure.

ngaio · 12-08-09 03:05:30

Wowzers, can cacti handle that many nutrients? Dumb question, probably, I think I just have this vague notion because you have to be careful to to overwater cacti!

gala · 12-08-09 03:29:40

Ah, you're right actually ngaio, san pedros are more into low-nitrogen fertiliser, so hyperballad, if you've got some other plants that will take nitrogen-rich foods, you should feed them instead. You don't want to damage those precious succulents. Leafy plants love nitrogen, and some herbs as well, but don't feed your blood to sage, thyme, or rosemary - they tend not to want much food. But if you've growing greens, broccoli, that sort of thing, they love nitrogen, so go for it. Sorry for the mis-advice!

hyperballad · 12-08-09 04:01:08

It's not like I'm going to have a bucket load to dump on them...

I was thinking I would push my thumb down into the soil around the cacti and put a small amount into each little hole, then cover it back over.

gala · 12-08-09 04:26:33

Yeah I know but it's not the right fertiliser for them. Maybe try it with one and make sure they don't gag. The composition of the fertiliser really does matter. And stuff. This is a funny conversation.

hyperballad · 12-08-09 04:54:14

It is pretty bizarre.

blissed · 12-08-09 04:57:44

It a bit like the handover between radio DJ's at 5 in the morning, aaaaaagh am I awake or am I asleep.

.

blissed · 12-08-09 10:14:12

Yeah I'm awake now, I shouldn't work through the night, 5 am is too late to go to bed but you know what happens when you think your inspired.
Hyperballad thanks for being so open about the mooncup, if it works for most people it'll make a nice difference. I'm looking into switching to a metal razor and razor blade. At the the moment I use disposable razors and throw away a ton of plastic handles.

.

hyperballad · 13-08-09 01:34:56

If someone doesn't talk about it, they how will other people know? But thanks Blissed, it's a taboo topic for a surprising amount of people...

When I look at the landfill created, I just can't see why other people wouldn't want to find an alternative:

http://www.keeper.com/photographs.html

And my main concern was would it be easy to get in and out - which it is. Oh and I was pretty worried it would be a bit messy/gross and it's really not, in fact I'd go as far as to say it's much less messier than pads/tampons (especially if you have heavy periods) the mooncup creates a seal using your pc muscles, so I reckon I can probably chuck out my 'period undies' too. Win!

blissed · 13-08-09 02:25:01

I'm a man so I can't tell people what relationship they should have with their own menstrual fluid but instead of it being absorbed and discreetly thrown away if the mooncup means people are confronted with it, find it's not so bad and start feeding it to plants painting/cooking with it :) Thats got to change some peoples feelings about menstruation, that it's not something disgusting but part of something wonderful. We're not use to celebrating fertility really are we.

.

hyperballad · 13-08-09 02:51:23

I wouldn't ever tell anyone what to do in regards to their own body... But most of my friends haven't even ever heard of a mooncup, I guess that's why I'm being so vocal about it and sharing my experience quite candidly. (I've posted on my blog and my livejournal about it, with links etc)

My issue with tampons is 1) the *massive* poisoning risk and possible DEATH resulting from Toxic Shock Syndrome 2) the environmental issues of creating masses of non-biodegradable landfill and 3) the fact I have to pay GST on these products, which is absolutely fucking ridiculous.

I mean, what's the deal with hygeine products that can kill you? How is something like this acceptable in our society? I am mortified for myself and for women all over the world that this has been decided as an acceptable risk for us. The chemicals, synthetic materials and not to mention the fact that tampons aren't sterile REALLY bothers me.

It's funny though... A lot of these 'alternative' solutions I have are inspired by Timothy Leary. Don't know if this is what he was talking about, but I think it applies. See my tagline.

Folly · 13-08-09 07:29:02

Awesomeness. I have some questions but first in regard to the poisoning risks of tampons - good point. And don't forget that many plastics used in inferior sex toys are potentially toxic as well. So remember on your next trip to the sex shop, don't scrimp on your purchase, but go for the best quality materials such as silicone, glass or metal. Careful also with those flimsy cock rings/tickler sleeves. That plastic, if you hang on to it for long enough you can see for yourself how it disintegrates and melts. Gross. Luckily sex toy makers are catching on to this.

So the mooncup:
It's not messy? like what if I'm out drinking and I go to the bathroom to change and im holding up my skirt with one hand, trying not to touch the pub bathroom seat with my butt, and trying to empty my mooncup...how would that go? I suppose I have to empty it, come out of the cubicle to wash it, and then go back in to reinsert?

And no leakage on the undies? really? super.

I'm interested that it works at night, as I would have assumed the angle of the body would affect the flow etc.

And really? you don't feel it? I guess you did do the exercise test that's pretty good. So swimming safe too I guess?

And don't answer if too personal,
how often did you find it suited you to change it, how full does the cup get, and do you normally have heavy/light/in between flow?

Thanks for sharing. That would mean a lot to be able to do without tampons.

hyperballad · 14-08-09 01:50:17

The sex toys I have are quite high quality, the idea of cheap or poorly made/manufactured toys bothers me... I mean that thing is going inside me!

I reckon if you're out drinking in the pub, empty your cup and wash it out before going out... Then you don't have to deal with it whilst drunk at all. And remember it holds 30 mls of menstrual blood - thats a whole lot of blood.

I'm changing it once in the morning in the shower, after wearing it all night and working out at the gym. Then reinserting it and wearing it through the day and taking it out when I get home at night, giving it a wash out and reinserting it again.

I have heavy periods which are at times mostly clots, which tampons just don't absorb - so I end up having a set of ruined knickers to soak after each period. I just keep said knickers for the next one, but theres always the worry that the escaped blood with soak through to my clothes. I find with tampons I changed them every 3 hours and my night flow (for which I wore pads) always ended up getting on my bed sheets.

This weeks particular period hasn't been massively heavy, but the cup is filling about a 1/4 from each change. I reckon even at my heaviest flow I wouldn't need to be changing it more than 3 times in 24 hours.

Yes you can swin with it in, you would just need to remove it afterwards, empty and give it wash as there are tiny holes in the sides of the cup so as to avoid suction.

I think perhaps the mooncup would take a little while to get used to if you weren't familiar with your body and vagina. You need to find the position that is easiest for you to insert it, I'm able to comfortably do so sitting over the toilet but it is easier if you're squatting.

And when you're inserting and removing it you are putting your fingers into the opening of your vagina, so you definitely need to be hygeine conscious, I guess more so than tampons - washing your hands before and after going to the toilet is a habit you need to be in if you're using the mooncup.

I fucking love this product. I have endometriosis, so anything I can do to make menstruating easier is a total godsend. The mooncup also allows me to exercise hard when I have my period too (couldn't do this with tampons), which in turn helps immensely with my chronic pain and gives me a mental release too.

Just had a rather funny thought: I am a born again menstruater.

Folly · 19-08-09 01:32:48

Exercising helps with the pain? Usually only crawling into a ball and wishing for sleep eases my pain when it's at its worst.
Less leakage than tampons. Sounds pretty awesome. I may well be sold.

hyperballad · 19-08-09 01:59:57

Oh for sure! I busted my ass every morning at the gym last week and I only had 1 day of chronic pain (it was Thursday, when I had to go home in the afternoon) when I would usually have 4 or 5 days of chronic pain usually.

I can't do that with tampons or I just leak all over the place.

#1 16-07-09 02:52:10

Mooncup

#2 16-07-09 08:23:51

Re: Mooncup

#3 16-07-09 08:31:28

Re: Mooncup

#4 05-08-09 01:06:04

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#5 05-08-09 01:10:02

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#6 11-08-09 02:34:48

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#10 12-08-09 02:37:34

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