A little over a year ago, I didn’t even know menstrual cups were a thing. Of the not-that-many period products currently on the market, you’d think they’d be on everyone’s radar. I’ve been in the menstruating world for 12 years now and didn’t know they existed until the 2020 pandemic.
When I first found out about menstrual cups, I was very intrigued. You mean there’s a cup that I can throw in and not think about all day? You really mean I don’t have to sit in a thick diaper all day?
After hearing about it, I spent maybe 5 mins looking into menstrual cups. I googled prices and only saw cups in the $30 – $50 range and was immediately turned off.
Fast forward a few weeks later, and I get an Instagram ad for The June Cup. What caught my attention was these cups were going for just $6 with $3.99 shipping! This time, rather than being turned off from the price, I was skeptical of the product itself. I did my research and found there were barely any reviews, except a handful on the website.
I figured since these were so affordable, I’d try them out to get a feel of what menstrual cups were like and possibly make a bigger investment later. I’ve had my June cup for about a year now, and it has served me well! Before we jump into my experience with the June Cup, let’s talk about menstrual cups and why they’re a fantastic period product to start using.
WHAT IS A MENSTRUAL CUP?
A menstrual cup is a feminine hygiene product inserted into the vagina to catch and hold period blood. It’s made up of a cup and a stem. The cup part catches and holds, while the stem is used to pull the cup out. Menstrual cups are flexible, typically made of silicone or latex rubber (watch out if you’re allergic), and can be reused for up to 10 years!
Like tampons, one of my favorite things about menstrual cups is that it’s held inside the body, so there’s no concern about smell. Many women who wear pads have slight paranoia about smelling themselves or other people smelling them, even if they just slipped on a fresh pad. You only smell your period when it hits the air, and luckily, this isn’t an issue for cups. If you need more push to get a menstrual cup, here are some even more convincing reasons:
MENSTRUAL CUPS ARE SUSTAINABLE
One of the biggest pros of a menstrual cup is sustainability. Since cups are reusable, it significantly cuts down on our plastic footprint compared to other hygiene products ridden with plastic packaging. It’s actually quite shocking when you quantify the impact that period products have on the environment. To give you some perspective, here are some quick stats:
- The average woman will dispose of 14,000 tampons in her lifetime, contributing to 300 lbs of waste from applicators, tampons, and packaging.
- There are about 3.8 billion women in the world. Let’s do the math: 3.8 billion x 300lbs = 1.14 trillion lbs waste from period products alone. Whew!
- Every year, the manufacturing of menstrual hygiene products alone generates a carbon footprint of about 15 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
It’s our responsibility to be environmentally conscious, even down to our periods, and a switch to menstrual cups significantly decreases these numbers.
MENSTRUAL CUPS ARE MONEY-SAVING
The initial overhead cost for some of the more popular menstrual cups ranges from about $20 – $50. While that may seem like a lot at first glance (which I initially thought), it really isn’t. Think about it. A menstrual cup can last up to 10 years if properly cared for. Within those 10 years, you would have spent close to $500 on tampons alone.
This doesn’t even include pantyliners, pads, ruined underwear, or other costs of period care. While you should definitely change out your cup more often than 10 years (The June Cup lasts 5 years), you’d still be spending significantly less.
THEY HOLD MORE, HENCE LONGER WEAR-TIME
The long wear-time of a menstrual cup is because of its holding capacity. An average capacity cup holds 24-30 ml, almost twice what super tampons hold before needing to be changed. But, we only lose around 30-60 ml of menstrual fluid in a 4-8 day cycle. So, if you’re a light to normal bleeder, then you’d probably be able to pop this in when you wake up and not worry about it for the next 6-12 hours. If you’re a heavy-bleeder, you may need to refresh every few hours or get a bigger cup.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE JUNE CUP
The June Cup is my first and only menstrual cup, so I won’t be making any comparisons to other cups. Throughout the year that I’ve had June, I’ve switched around between the cup, tampons, and pads.
I typically dedicate a good chunk of time to insert and properly position my cup to prevent leakage. So if I’m running late or doing something last minute, I’ll probably reach for something other than my cup.
Because of this, I can only attest to using this cup for about 7 full menstrual cycles.
I purchased a size ‘Small’ June Cup. This was recommended for those with normal to heavy flow who haven’t given birth vaginally. They also have a larger size for those with heavier periods or who have had vaginal births and a “mini” version for teens or petite women.
USING MY CUP AS A FIRST-TIMER
My first cycle with the cup was rough. It took me multiple tries to properly get the cup in. Once I did, I struggled with opening the cup fully and forming a seal. If you’re unfamiliar with what I’m saying and need a visual, check out this video from the JUNE on inserting your cup. Each time I thought I had the seal and didn’t, my underwear paid the price.
My first cycle was a series of continuous insertions and removals. At some point, I got a little sore and had to pump the brakes for about a day. It was the same frustrating story the next day, and I felt like cups would not work for me.
If you’re at this point and feeling discouraged, DON’T BE! The only way to figure it out is to keep trying. By the last day of my first cycle, I sort of had it but still had some leakage.
By cycle #2, I was unstoppable! I came into it with a renewed mind, was less nervous, and got my seal on the first try. I took it out frequently (every 4 hours) because I hadn’t learned to gauge my flow with the cup and thought I was bleeding a lot more than I actually was.
My first full night with a properly inserted cup was a dream! Not to be dramatic or anything, but it was so different from my experience with pads or tampons. With tampons, I had to wake up at least once during the night to change it out. With pads, Aunt Flo always found her way through the front or back to decorate my sheets. I always had to sleep a certain way or wedge the pad to avoid this.
MENSTRUAL CUP CHALLENGES
CUP INSERTION
I had A LOT of trouble with insertion. There are tons of folding techniques that can be used for menstrual cup insertion. I tried all of them, and the only one that worked for me (and I recommend this for first-timers) is the “Punch-down fold.” I only started the punch-down fold in cycle #2, and that was the most comfortable style that actually did the trick for me.
Also, before I got the hang of it, I would angle my cup upwards, unaware that the cervix is actually located backward towards my tailbone. Once I figured this out, half of my struggles were gone.
BALL/STEM OF THE JUNE CUP
Like all other menstrual cups, the June cup has a stem used to pull it out. However, June specifically has this thick bulb attached to the end to help with gripping the cup. For the most part, I didn’t feel the cup at all and barely noticed it throughout the day; however, I found the bulb very uncomfortable. So, I cut off the entire stem. Yes, I cut off the part that helps you take your cup out.
At first, I was nervous that this would make it harder to remove the cup, but it wasn’t. Personally, I find it a lot easier to remove my cup by pinching the rounded base to break the seal and then pulling it out with the base, not the stem. This will be different for everyone, so experiment to see what works best for you.
CRAMPING
When I started using my cup, I would notice occasional cramping, which typically resolved by repositioning the cup. After researching, I found that it could have been a combination of reasons: Inserting my cup too high or opening my cup fold directly on my cervix. Either way, I had to strike a balance between having the cup far up enough but not too low to compromise the cup’s seal.
These were my personal challenges with using my cup and may not be the same for you, so don’t worry. If you experience something else, there’s a wealth of resources online to help with addressing them.
TIPS FOR FIRST-TIME MENSTRUAL CUP USERS
- Practice makes perfect. There is a learning curve with using a menstrual cup, and you may not figure out proper insertion on the first, second, third, or even 16th try, and that’s okay! Take a break and come back to it.
- Get comfortable with feeling around down there. You will be doing a lot of insertion and removal during the first few cycles when you haven’t quite gotten the hang of your cup yet.
- Double-Up! You may not get a proper seal with your cup for the first few times, so I advise throwing on a pantyliner or pad to catch any leaks until you master your technique.
- Relax! Don’t panic if you’re having trouble removing your cup. You cannot lose a cup inside you, there’s literally nowhere for it to go. With the right combination of positioning and relaxation, you can get the cup out with no issues.
- Long, sharp nails won’t cut it. For hygiene and injury reasons, ditch the nails until you’ve at least developed some skill with using your cup.
Menstrual cups are top-tier compared to the other period products, but there’s a learning curve like most things. Being comfortable with yourself and taking the time to figure it out is key. For a first-timer, it can be intimidating but think of it as an exciting challenge to find what will help you have a more enjoyable period. If you’re considering menstrual cups, give the June Cup a try. After all, it’s only $6 and has worked great for me!
If you just got into the world of menstrual cups or have been here for a while, what was your first experience like?