Honest Pros & Cons of Using Menstrual Cups

Menstrual Cups are the little unicorns of the feminine health world that are having their moment right now.

Walk down the feminine hygiene of your local Target and you will more than likely see 2-3 different types right on the shelf. Do a quick search on Amazon and you will be absolutely blown away by the amount of options.

However, they are still a hard no for many women and I can certainly understand that. I have personally been using them for many years, but still have my fair share of “wtf am I doing with a cup in my va-jay-jay” freak out moments. For the record, I quickly throw those thoughts in the garbage and keep on keeping on with my cup in tow.

Nonetheless, I wanted to share some real life unbiased pros and cons to help some of those still wondering if it’s really for them or what’s the big deal in the first place.

If you need a little background on why I started using cups and organic/cleaner feminine products in the first place, click here or the picture below to read my previous blog post.

Pros:

1. Cost Effective:

Despite the fact that many cups have a higher initial cost, when you really think about it, the cup is actually a money saver in the long run.

Menstrual cups are made to use for at least a year. They are made with medical grade silicone and are created to withstand long term use. Some women keep there’s for much longer, even up to 5 years (or more) with proper care.

Even if you choose to only keep it for a year, a $40 investment up front would break down to about $3 a month in feminine hygiene costs. That’s cheaper than most disposable products on the market.

2. Convenience:

Once I started using the cup on a regular basis, I began to really enjoy not spending additional money each month AND not having to run to the store to get pads or anything else when I felt my period was close. I had pretty much everything I needed to get through my entire period without having to leave my house.

Yes, I needed to make sure everything was properly cleaned in time, and YES, there is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to use at first which may lead to leaks until one gets the hand of it, but I will get into that a bit later in the cons section.

Regardless, having my cup and a set of good cloth pads like this one, has keep me confident and prepared for the last couple of years.

3. Completely Non-Toxic Period Protection:

This probably should have been the first point. Menstrual cups are one of the safest options out there when it comes to non-toxic feminine care. There is no questioning of the different elements and ingredients used within the product itself that can lead to doubt and confusion.

While I am a huge advocate of women just choosing better than the products we’ve come to always see (no pun intended), on our store shelves, navigating through the labels and claims on the new safer products coming out based on demand is still a bit dizzying.

I plan on sharing a list of some of my favorites based on my testing of many of them in the very near future, so stay tuned for that.

But, if you’re a simple girl like me who doesn’t want to always stand in the aisle figuring out which product is better based on claims, the cup might be the better option for you.

4. Time Saver:

This is a point I have really come to appreciate while being a new mom again. Time to myself is often short between taking my son to his practices and running around after a 1 year old. Thankfully, the cup is able to stay in (and collect fluids to just be super clear), for up to 12 hours.

Yup, 12 hours.

Does that mean I never have to adjust it or fiddle with it sooner than then? No. That definitely happens ever now and then, especially when I put it in the wrong way.

BUT, over 90% of the time, aside from the first day cramps, I literally almost forget I have my period simply based on the fact that I’m not in the bathroom every 2-4 hours changing my products. And yes, that saves time.

I usually empty it in the morning, clean it, and reuse it until that 12 hour period is up. I also have more than one cup at this point to that also makes things a little easier when it comes to holding more fluids earlier in the period compared to later. This truly allows for the 12 hour thing to be a reality for me.

Cons:

1. A HUGE Learning Curve

Ok, so when I first starting getting my period, I was taught how to use a pad because it was easy. You open up the little individual package, pull the adhesive strip covering off and slap it on your undies and you’re ready to go until you have to change it again.

Tampons were, (at least for many of the girls I grew up with), the next step in the feminine hygiene world because it allowed for more freedom, both in activities and from the uncomfortable feeling of wearing a diaper all the damn time.

But, tampons required a little bit of practice for me to feel 100% comfortable using all the time, simply because of the more intimate nature of them.

Cups, take this whole thing to an entirely different level.

It took me a good 2-3 cycles of fiddling around with placement and whether I wanted to keep the little stem on the end of it on or off to get me to a place where I finally saw what the big deal was. That sort of dedication is not everyone’s cup of tea and I get it.

Thankfully, there are some great resources out there such as the site PutACupInIt.com that goes over so many tips to help with the transition.

Plus, there are tons of videos on YouTube to help with figuring out how to fold the cup to get it in best.

Lastly, most of the brands that are now selling cups have teams behind them who are huge advocates of cleaner feminine health. They also understand that actual support may be needed for the switch, so don’t hesitate to reach out the brand itself for help if you can’t figure something out.

2. The Higher Initial Cost

I touched on this above, but menstrual cups are more generally more expensive up front. The can run up to $40 for a single cup and almost $50 for packages with more than one cup.

However, as I mentioned above, this cost can certainly be justified by the fact that it’s used for 1 year at the very minimum.

In addition, there are a fair amount of lower priced cups on Amazon and stores are starting to have promotions to lower the cost as interest increases.

3. Contact with Fluids

Sigh. There is really no way around this one. Using a menstrual cup will almost certainly get you up close and personal with your fluids. It’s kind of part of it. So, if this is the deal breaker for you, I totally understand.

However, I must say that as a geek when it comes to health and wellness, I was very fascinated by the fact that I learned how much fluids I am actually losing those days.

Before moving on to the next point about our contact with our fluids is pretty obvious even if it does gross you out, I would like to remind you that guys hold their junk in their hands at least (AT LEAST), 4-5 times A DAY, FOREVER when they pee. And some of them don’t wash their hands before they wander about in the world.

Just wanted to give some context. 🙂

4. Pooping

Another nasty one that is not talked about enough. This is also something that bothers some women and not others (lucky them). Pooping while having the cup in can be tricky. For me, it’s downright impossible. However, for perspective, it was when using tampons as well.

That downward pushing motion is pretty powerful even when you’re not really trying. (You really shouldn’t have to put that much effort into it by the way. I am a huge fan of the Squatty Potty if you are looking for a way to better positioning when going to the bathroom).

Some companies are starting to create cups with a wider upper area to help it keep a better position and not fall out while pooping.

Just keep this mind especially when you are aware from the house.

5. Cleaning the Cup In Public

This is one thing I personally try to avoid if I can. Cleaning the cup after emptying it can get pretty messy if you’re not careful. Doing this at home or somewhere with a personal sink nearby is easy.

Doing it in a bathroom with public stalls is much harder and requires some time and equipment.

The prospect of not being able to get to a sink mid cup change is really my least favorite part about using a cup. This less than ideal situation is made easiest by having a water bottle with you so you can empty the cup and then rinse it off before re-inserting it. Many websites also give the option of simply wiping it off with tissue and then re-insering it.

My biggest issue with having toilet paper come in contact with it is that it then can be left with little lint pieces on it from the paper crumbling while using it. And who wants to put that back, well you know where.

It’s because of this very situation that I try to put it in at a time that I will either make it to where I am going and back before the 12th hour hits, or I try my best to find a personal bathroom stall (even one of the handicap or family bathrooms are personal enough) with a sink within a couple step’s distance.

These are just a couple of my pros and cons. Both are significant and again, I won’t give up my cup despite the hefty cons I’ve come up with. I just wanted to share my experience for anyone who is looking to make the switch. Of course, these may be unique to me, so I will always encourage women to try it themselves and let me know what they think.

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