Lady Cups

I'm going to go off the autism/kids related path and just toss this out there:

Using a lady cup is a freaking mess.

They're often called a Luna cup, Lunette cup or the DivaCup or some other branded name.  "Period Cups" or "Menstrual Cups" are also popular terms.

Image credit: Google Search brought me to slate.com

They're silicone rubber cups you insert during your period and this tool is supposed to be easy to use, hypo-allergenic, sanitary, easy to clean, no leaks and both environmentally and economically-friendly.
I had used it before I had the M-Girl and after I had her it was impossible.
2-years later I'm finally trying to use it again.

For those that don't know- the cup kind of looks like a funnel. A pink (or other colour), thick rubber funnel and you need to fold it in half to squeeze it up in there.

Then once it's inside- you can trim the stem if you need to and it'll unfold itself and the cup acts like a suction cup so it won't fall out and won't leak.

Most companies have 2 different sizes - small and large.  Large is typically used for women who had given birth and their insides have maybe expanded and shifted around!  But read the boxes carefully and see which one fits you best!

I had always been a fan/user of Always branded pads but for whatever reason, have developed a slight allergic reaction to them (even non-scented!) and while tampons are fine and dandy- they still didn't give me the proper protection I needed to feel comfortable using them solo in public.

I remember complaining to my friend about my weird reaction to using pads and she advised me about the cup and I found it in the local healthy food shop. It was over 20€ but seeing as it's washable, reusable and should last me a long time- it'll be worth it. It's like investing into cloth diapers for babies- they're expensive at first (or are an investment) then quickly pay themselves off!
Some companies recommend replacing your cup every year and some say with good hygiene and taking care of the cup, it can last up to 10-years! Wow!

Now, the good thing about living in Finland is that most public bathrooms have a little sink inside the stall- so whenever I need the bathroom and have to remove the cup - it's easy enough to wash off and then re-insert it.
The cup is good for quite awhile per usage - up to 12-hours- so it beats a tampon and a pad easily! I don't bother using the cup during lighter cycles or near the end of one, when panty-liners will suffice- but that's just me.

Now the mess? Ugh. That's where I (sort of) miss using pads and tampons. I just find that inserting a cup (and earlier trying to remove it!)- felt something like pretending to be a gynaecologist on myself.
Because if you cut the stem too short- you'll really have to "dig" for it. So if you're comfortable with yourself and know your body- it'll be a breeze.
But if you're not then maybe the cup isn't for you.

Example: I was trying to remove it earlier and it was impossible for me to reach - so I dug out my labour pushing skills and kegel exercises and managed to pee all over my hand and nearly pooped too trying to get the darn thing out.
But after a bit of practice- I got it sorted - I think.  I think the reason why it's really hiding up in my girl-cave is because my body insides have shifted quite a bit since having the M-Girl - so it may be that I need to buy a new cup for the sake of getting a longer stem!
Remember when you pull the cup out- if your flow is heavy- it'll gush out.
Sorry if you're eating. But the cup acts like a suction cup/plug.

I do agree it's comfortable to use (once you get used to it!), easy to clean (use scent and colour-free dish soap) and compact. I haven't had any reactions and the other bonus is not having to worry about TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome) from tampons for example. And yep, I'm saving money.
I also don't have to worry about everyone in the public bathroom knowing its that time of the month because all tampon and pad packages sound like 100 bags of chips being opened at once.  And let's not forget the echo of a public washroom!

I'm not a representative of the company or any of them- I just wanted a small break from blogging about the kids, food and such!
Oh and here's a site of the top 10 cups reviewed for you.
And I love Buzzfeed and there's a list of awesome reasons for using the period cups too!
And if you're wondering about more information from a fairly reliable site - try Parent Guide's info site on menstrual cups! :)

Oh and one more thing:

You can't swim with a pad in your bathing suit and while you can with a tampon - you got that pesky rope dangling out your doo-da...but with a cup - it's invisible!
And your worries of getting the wrong sanitary product will never happen because there's no shapes, stickers, coloured packages or sizes to look for! :)

Of course there's cloth pads/mama pads available too- which I agree are comfortable to use too! But overall, I'm alright with the cup- even if it can get a bit messy!
BIMU

PS with the saved money- you can load up on your guilty pleasures for that time of the month! Like ice cream, chips, wine and chocolate- just as an example. 😉

PPS no it won't fall out if you sneeze or cough. 🙂  I've tried - several times.

Update 16.5.2016
My cup leaked.  I'm thinking because my insides are a bit bent out of shape because of the M-Girl.  So I bought a Lunette branded one today and within a second it popped into place properly - there was no fidgeting my hips and pelvis about in order to get it into position! And it's orange.  Wahoo!
So I went up to size 2 and when I compared the two (my new orange Lunette and the previous pink-ish DivaCup) - they seem to be the same size!  But I won't trim the stem on this one and see how it goes!