How I did it: I got a Mooncup from http://www.keeper.com/,
and I don't know about comparisons to other brands but this one was
relatively cheap with postage to Australia, and it works fine for me. There are many brands to choose from: Divacup, Femmecup, Instead, Keeper, Lady Cup, Lunette, Miacup, Mooncup (UK), Mooncup (Keeper).

I decided to try a reusable menstrual cup for convenience and cost reasons (I don't need to buy pads or tampons for the next 10 years), as well as environmental reasons (the average woman uses 17,000 disposable pads/tampons in a lifetime which contributes significantly to landfill). Menstrual cups have never been associated with TSS.

Most women don't even know there is an alternative to pads and tampons.

Lessons & tips:

• Keep practicing - don't give up if you don't get it first try.
• Suitable for virgins.

Insertion:

• If you get bad PMS, leave your first attempt to a day when you're not feeling moody.
• Practice when you're relaxed and have plenty of time.
• For me, sitting at the toilet works best for insertion.
• • Other women try squatting in the shower or lying on their bed for first-time insertion.

Use:

• Once in properly, I can hardly feel the cup.
• It sits lower down than a tampon would, so the stem sticks out a little (sometimes I can still feel the stem if I think about it)
• I still wear a small pantyliner while using a menstrual cup
• I only need to empty the cup twice a day - once in the morning, once before bed.
• • If you have a heavier flow you may need to empty it more regularly

Taking It Out:

• Beware the cup's suction seal - it will be very painful if you attempt to pull the cup out without breaking the seal.
• Pinch down on the bottom of the cup or use your finger to break the seal at the top of the cup.
• It might be a bit messy until you've practiced removing it without spillage.

Cleaning:

• In the morning I just emptied it and wiped it out with toilet paper.
• In the evening I emptied and washed it properly in the sink or shower.

Feel free to ask if you have any more questions!

Resources: Check out some of these websites for more information:

http://media.www.thestrand.ca/media/storage/paper404/news/2007/11/01/Features/Feminine.Hygiene.Options.Natural.Enviromentally.Friendly.And.Healthy-3068919.shtml

http://www.cavalierdaily.com/news/2008/aug/23/red-tide-goes-green/

http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_cup

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Sep 19, 2008, 05:52PM PDT | 0 comments | 1 cheer