I'm actually very scared of trying the cup but I think I will end up loving it. I've read that the Lunette size 1 would be good for my preferences. Is that true? Any other cups that fit this?
Also, I've read that the cups are not very messy.
Since you are comfortable using tampons, it shouldn't take much to adapt to a cup.
There are many cups in the same size and capacity range as the small Lunette. Use the many size charts at the Community FAQ or http://sizecharts.livejournal.com/ to compare them. Also look at side by side comparison photos to see what shape appeals to you most.
Inserting and removing cups can be messy in the beginning. You'll learn to make less of a mess as you get the hang of using them. But occasionally you'll still have a few messy episodes. You'll probably want to wear liners or light pads as back-up during your learning curve.
How often you empty your cup will depend on your flow. Don't be afraid to empty it more often. It's not like you're "wasting" it if you take it out and there's only a little in it. Popping it in and out will become quick and easy. It shouldn't be "a big production."
If your mother will be the one paying for this, get her in on the decision process too. Maybe she'll want one for herself too. You can save on shipping if you order them together.
Thank you so much for your quick reply! And I was afraid of having to empty it during school, it COULD be messy even with practice and I didn't want to risk it. And my mom said she has no interest in it. She's strictly a pad girl, never even tried a tampon. She doesn't like the idea of something being in there. However, I know that some cups do offer free shipping.
As for mess... many bring a moist paper towel and/or a water bottle into a public stall with them. Get the hang of using the cup at home first, then when you know what you're in for and comfortable with it, then start wearing it to school, etc.
After looking through the link and the links on the post, I've decided that the small Lunette really would be the best for me. But if it doesn't work out, I think I'll try the Fluercup small or the Meluna medium.
Do you possibly know what the "new" Meluna is? I went on their website and it never stated what is "new" and what's "old".. Thank you so much!
The new Meluna are actually the standard, volume-optimized, bell-shaped cups. They come in very soft, middle-firm (classic) and very firm (sport). There's 4 sizes and various stem options. Every size up is both wider and longer than the next. The "old" shaped were more conical, shorter, and didn't hold quite as much. they're still available and now known as the "Minis", which come in size small and medium, soft and classic.
I use the softest cups, they do not lose their seal for me. You' have to have extremely strong pelvic muscles (from exercizing them a lot) for that to happen. the most important factor upon getting a cup is length, that's why we usually advise measuring the height of your cervix while on your period, using your finger as a ruler. You could also estimate by measuring one of your tampons, or looking at Meluna's comparison pictures on their side, there's on with cups next to tampons. The small Lunette works well for some, for me its drawbacks would be : middle stiffness (rather than soft) and pointy shape, which compromises capacity a bit if your cervix is dangly and tends to steal capacity inside the cup. Just something to consider. I think the small Fleurcup holds a little more for a very similar size. And it's also pretty cheap.
On the Size Charts site, "new" and "old" are only for size Large.
MeLuna changed their cups a few years ago and they replaced the old Large with a completely different size and shape.
Some distributors had some old style larges left over for a while so that's why they stayed on the chart. But they're probably all sold out by now.
I'm 14 too, and I just got a cup this summer. I had never used tampons before, so I can't give you much of a comparison there. I am in the same boat as you with a low cervix. I got a small lunette Selene, and for the most part I love it. I had to trim off the whole stem, and still it barely fits, but I can't feel it at all. Unfortunately, on the heaviest day of my period, it only lasts for about 5 hours. I haven't had the courage yet to empty it at school, but it is slowly getting easier so hopefully I will soon. On my heavy day, I just wear a disposable light pad along with the cup to school. That way it doesn't feel like much, but it catches any overflow. At night on my heavy days I just wear a regular pad. As far as mess, quickness, and ease, it has definitely gotten easier. At first, it would take me 5-10 minutes, and my hands would look like a murder scene. Now, 3 cycles later, I can empty it and put it back in in under 3 minutes, and generally I only get a drop of blood on one hand. I have found that for insertion, the 7 fold works best for me, and for removal, the "pinch the base, rock it down, and carefully ease out one edge" has been the quickest, comfiest, and least messy. With my capacity issues, I have been looking into getting a larger cup, just for convenience. I have been looking at a large fleurcup, since its not much longer, but has good capacity. If you scroll down a bit from your post, you can see mine asking about a higher capacity cup just a few days ago. Anyway, I would totally recommend a small lunette for your first cup, but don't be discouraged by the fact that there is a learning curve. Also, consider learning to insert you cup with some lubricant at first. When I first got my lunette, I thought I couldn't insert it until I tried using some lube. With practice now, I can insert it fine without lube. I'm so glad that other teens are trying menstrual cups! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask and I'll see if I can answer!
Hi, thanks for sharing your experience! It definitely made me more confident in getting a cup, knowing other people wear it to school. I was wondering, was it very intimidating at first? I can't imagine trying a cup without ever trying other internal hygiene products..
Ill definitely wear a light pad during my learning curve though, and thanks for the advice with the lube!!
Oh yeah, I went on a bike tour with pads in my teens (mother was anti-tampon). My experience was over a weekend so it wasn't as traumatic as yours, but I empathize!
Kudos to you for knowing about cups. If you don't mind my asking, how did you find out about cups?
I'm hoping to introduce my younger half-sis and step-sis to cups once they get their periods. I'm not sure how my parents will feel about it but oh well.
I really think the Lunette would meet your needs. The same could go for the fleurcup. I think it will just come down to your preference.
The Lunette is pretty soft. On the softness chart I used to pick a cup, http://menstrualcupinfo.wordpress.com/cup-stiffness-comparison-chart/ , the Lunette was somewhat in the middle. I didn't want a cup that was too soft nor did I want one that was too stiff.
As for the mess, the only advice I can give is to try to cup the cup as much as you can and aim downward to dump the contents into the toilet. It might take time to get this technique down. I heard about this technique via Youtube, just doing a search on removing a menstrual cup. I've found it's best to go slow when removing it because the one time I was in a rush, I made a mess. Aside from that, typically I have a little blood on two fingers on the hand I use to remove it. I don't think that's too bad.
Thanks for the reply! And I actually found out about cups while searching the effects of scented tampons (i accidently grabbed the wrong box). Almost half the responses told me to switch to cups, because it's much safer. Then, in order to convince my mom to let me get one, I make a PowerPoint presentation with all the pros/cons of cups..
I definitely think it's best to approach them slowly on the topic. When I first looked up menstrual cups, I saw a really disturbing picture of a person holding a bloody cup with blood all over their hands. It freaked me out (which delayed my decision to get one). But now I know that with experience the mess will be minimal..
I agree with the rest of the comments about mess -- I can usually remove a cup without getting more than a little on the two fingers I use to pinch the cup and slide it out. If it gets really, really full, pinching the base could cause some to overflow and get on your hands, but even so, if you ease it out at an angle, most of the excess will go straight into the toilet.
I've been using cups for a while now, and I think I saw that photo you mentioned, and it still squicked me out. I'm okay with seeing my OWN blood in the cup; not so much other people's!
In my experience cups are only messy if you're still in the learning curve or if you let it get REALLY full, like overflowing. B/c when you pinch it to get it out and it's full, it's just going to spill a bit. But nothing that some toilet paper can't fix.
One thing I also do is wash my hands before going in a stall to change my cup, dry my hands on a paper towel and then use that to open the stall doors and fiddle with the locks and things. That way even if you do get a bit messy you'll have something to use as a barrier afterward when getting out and to the sink.
The first paragraph. I normally have a fairly light flow and my cup never fills up, so I never get more than a drop or two on my fingers, if anything at all. The one time I got my hand covered in blood was a freak, heavy period where I just completely forgot to empty it on time (like, possibly over 12 hours) and it started overflowing, so I went to a public bathroom and proceeded to cover my hand in blood. It was an uncomfortable feeling, but in the end I still managed not to gross out anyone.