Get informed and learn a little bit about cups. If you are brought up in a society where cups are not widely available, they may seem strange to you. However cups are healthier, more economical, and more convenient than conventional menstrual products. See How to Decide About Using a Menstrual Cup for more information about cups.
Measure your cervix to determine the length of cup you should buy. Your cervix is the part of your vagina where your menstrual fluid leaves. It's important to measure how far up your cervix is in your vagina before you buy a cup, because some cups are longer and some are shorter, so they work worse or better with people who have lower or higher cervixes. If you have a low cervix you will want a shorter, stouter cup so that it does not ride down or poke out of you while you're wearing it. So before deciding which cup to buy, find out how high or low your cervix is using the following process. Wait until you are on your period, because your cervix will be in different positions at different times of your monthly cycle. Also, you may want to measure on a couple of different days of your period, because it may not be exactly the same each day. Gently and slowly insert a clean finger back, not up, into your vagina, past your pelvic bone, some muscles, and a kind of 'empty' space. Lubricant may be helpful to use for this part. Wander around to find the bit that feels a bit like the tip of a nose. Your cervix is a round nub, with an indentation in the middle. Note how far your finger went before touching your cervix, and measure your finger with a ruler to find out how many centimeters or millimeters back this was. If it's so far back you can't find it at all, just estimate a bit longer than your finger. Now what to do with this information! Some brands make cups as small as 4 centimeter (1.6 in) long or as large as almost 6 centimeter (2.4 in) long. Your cup will sit below your cervix when in use. If it is low, you will probably find a shorter cup such as Ladycup, Lunette, Fleurcup, or Yuuki more comfortable. If your flow is light, the MeLuna is also a good option -- however, if your flow is heavy and you want to use this brand, you may need to choose one of their larger sizes. If you have a low cervix, the cup without the stem should not be too much longer than the distance from your cervix to your vaginal opening (but you have a bit of slack there, because your cervix can be partially in the cup). If it is high, a longer cup such as Divacup, Naturcup, or Shecup would be better so that it will be easy to reach when you want to remove it, but in this case you can comfortably use most cup lengths.
Take into consideration how heavy your flow is and cup capacity. Some cups only hold about 11 milliliters (0.4 fl oz) and others up to 29mL. Observe on a general day of your period how many tampons you use and how often you change them. Then, using the tampon capacities listed below, calculate your flow volume for twelve hours. This would be the target capacity you want in your cup. In general it's best to overestimate than underestimate so you are not changing your cup too often. Pads have capacities ranging from about 100–500 milliliters (3–20 fl oz), but the pad would be fully saturated and leaking by this point. If you use pads, there is not a precise way to calculate the capacity you need, so just consider a light flow capacity cup (10-16ml), medium (17-22ml), or large (23-29ml). Tampon capacities: Light/Regular: 6-9ml Super: 9-12ml Super plus: 12-15ml Ultra: 15-18ml
Take aesthetics into account. Cups come different colors. They have frosted or slick finishes, grips rings or no grip rings. Stems can be hollow, flat, or cylindrical; some even have grip rings or ball stems instead. All of these things depend on the brand, and this is another characteristic to consider when purchasing your cup.
Decide on the brand of menstrual cup you would like to buy. Once you have figured out the length and capacity you would like to have in your cup, check the size charts below. Cups are not one size fits all, because although you maybe able to make any cup work, a little premeditation as discussed above before buying will ensure your cup is comfortable and has the correct capacity for you.
Purchase your cup online or in a store. Most menstrual cups can be purchased over the Internet and delivered to your home address. Also, check the store locator on the brand's website to see if the brand is sold near you. (Look for a cup manufactured near or in your country.) For example in the USA, Lunette, DivaCup, and Keeper brand cups are sold in stores. In the UK mainly Femmecups, DivaCups, and UK Mooncups are available. South America has InCiclo and Maggacup; Africa has Luvur Body, MPower, Ruby Cup, Lunette, and Mooncup UK; Australia has JuJu, Lunette, and DivaCup. See the list of "Major Brands" below. You can also check the World Wide Menstrual Cup Shop Map to see if there is a store near you that sells cup.
Comments
0 comment