Mooncup (as seen on a Veggie Nugget thread near you...)

[eterna]

I also get sort of "crowning" pain on removal...but nothing has been quite right down there is DD was born (still a bit painful DTD as well) so I assumed that won't go away with technique.

[qbm]

The refolding to get it out... Can you, erm, shove your hand in a bit further? I get my fingers in as close to the seal as possible to break it then pull it out without it refolding.

Mine also pops open and I have to give it a shove up a bit further. Seems fine after I do that.

This must be my most glamorous post yet

[Where'stheMistletoe]

Oh yes, this is all about the glamour .

I get what you mean about the shoving thing, I think that's what I'm also doing.

I knew I had another question... Does everyone use soap with theirs? I don't like the idea of using soap so wondered if it was ok to boil at start and end of period, and just rinse with hot water at each removal? The FAQs on their website do say "rinse with water OR soap" but I'm not sure if that means you can avoid soap every time. I could do a boil mid-period I guess but this one seems pretty heavy so far.

Think I'm going to cut the remaining small stem off tonight. I can't really feel it when I'm wearing it but when I go to take it out (or just go for a wee) it feels a little tender and the stem seems to be a bit pokey.

Still getting some leaking (day 3) but hoping with technique that may go away - reading suggests that takes around 3 cycles to get sorted.

[mamapup]

Hmm.
I rinse before use at beginning of period...and I mean rinse under warm tap if I'm honest. I rinse with cold water every change and I sometimes (maybe once of twice) remember to boil it at end.

So soap, no, never, sounds odd to use soap to me but also I'm clearly not very hygienic. Oops.

[qbm]

I do the same as MP. Never soap!

ETA I still sometimes get slight leaks but can't work out what I'm doing differently on the days I don't leak. I wear reusable pads so I'm not too bothered.

[Where'stheMistletoe]

Yay, those were the responses I was hoping for! Will definitely avoid soap then.

Thanks for all the help .

[Kitcameron]

I started trying mine out on last af but wasn't wearing it for long periods of time because the bit where I cut the stem seems to rub and be painful. Think I'm going to chop mine right off too as I can get my fingers in and around anyway.

My other problem was that I don't seem to be able to push it far enough in so its slipping down and practically falling out. Is this all just a matter of technique that I will get better at in time?

[busmother]

[Brigitte]

I use soap pretty much every time! But only the unscented plain glycerin liquid soap I have at home, and I'm sure I rinse it ALL off before re-inserting. I've never had any issues. If I'm not at home, I would rather just rinse it or even just wipe with toilet paper (in a public stall without a sink), as I don't like the idea of re-inserting a soap-scented cup in there.

I also never boil it, only the once when I first bought it. I feel like the soap + rinse does the job.

I have had no issues with trampolines or swimming. It works just fine in both cases.

I too have a bit of the burning/crowning sensation sometimes, but like someone else said, things have been funny like that since giving birth and I also often get the same sensation during sex now. I figured it must be scar tissue or something, since it is a bit tighter and less flexible than regular vaginal tissue?

[ches]

Soap at the start of AF and hot water at each change here. Never boiled it. Never boiled DH's penis, either. (I have washed that with soap too, and I trust that he does fairly regularly.)

[yorkshirepudding]

Ouch and lol ches!

[Where'stheMistletoe]

[Where'stheMistletoe]

I was out with some friends the other week and we discovered that 4 of us use a mooncup. How cool is that?! One of them has recently made me some reusable pads as back up to the cup .

[eterna]

I have three cousins in their early teen years...I was contemplating getting them all a nice moon cup for Christmas (think of the $$ savings if you start when you're 13!)...but decided that was maybe a bit too weird, even for me.

[Kitcameron]

I'm not getting on with mine. It's constantly slipping down then the stalk rubs and is uncomfortable, even though I've cut the stalk practically right off and tried to smooth the edges as much as I can.

Is there one that has a sort of rounded end not a stalk? Think I'll have to try a new one soon. I am saving money on Tampax as not using as many but want to get rid completely and that's just not possible atm.

Oh yeah, and somehow when I don't have it slipping down I have it turning round lol. Need to practise inserting it I think lol.