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So I want to talk about this menstrual cup, better known as the ‘Mooncup’ or 'Lunette'
Mooncup® Brought us the worlds first hypoallergenic, medical grade silicone menstrual cup in 2002. Its eco- friendly, comfortable, and available in over 50 countries!
'Lunette' founded by Heli Kurjanen in Finland is just a dream, this is the cup I am the proud owner of. Its beyond comfortable and I just love the feel and flexibility to the cup...plus you select a firmer or softer silicone and colour that suits you.
The menstrual cup has been around for donkeys, in fact, the 1st version was patented in 1932! Can you believe this magic vag cup has been around this long yet most of us are still trying to figure out what heck it is?
I was a menstrual cup virgin until May this year when I finally bit the £20 bullet and purchased this weird looking thing in Wholefoods. It was in fact my Husband who poached it from my grasp, instantly finding the idea appealing. Maybe he foresaw the diminishing phone calls and texts; ‘Baby, can you pick me up some Tampax’ either that or he quickly weighed up the long term financial benefits. Regardless he gave me that final push I needed to give the cup a whirl.
It wasn’t the first time I pondered over the cup, there had been countless occasions prior to that day but I stayed safe with what I knew. In hind sight I slap silly myself for being such a numpty with my decision making because the cup is bloody genius!
The initial ‘how do I get it up there’ had me a little longer in the bathroom on the 1st day of my cycle but once in, I just couldn’t believe how easy it was. The question of comfort wasn’t debatable, I couldn’t even feel it!
Did you know that tampons and pads take around 25 years to break down in our oceans? Poor ocean life, having to live and choke on that grossness.
It’s advised the menstrual cup be disposed of after 5 years of usage. Think about all the pads or tampons you’d use in that time! Imagine all that waste piled up on your kitchen table… eewwww!
Maybe you feel like I did, that initial £20 splurge on something that’s pretty alien looking to you and your vagina, it’s understandable. I feel it’s a shame such an awesome ‘flow solution’ hasn’t had more exposure over the years, it’s a shocker really. Purchasing a menstrual cup is a mini leap of faith as the media hasn’t really installed any assurance or trust in us, it’s mainly word of mouth that entices us to explore idea. But this is when we ask ourselves ‘why?’.
It’s a one-time purchase every 5 years, leading brands like Tampax and Lilets want your repeat business, they lose you to the cup they lose your business.
Let’s break it down…
On average 20 tampons are used during one menstrual cycle, most women have roughly 9 periods per year so that’s say, 180 tampons per year. Box of 20 tampons is roughly £2.30 (give or take 30p) £2.30 x 9 boxes = £20.70 per year. Over five years = £103.50 is what you will spend contributing to landfill. So the £20 cup is now looking like a total winner right?
“Each year, an estimated 20 billion pads and tampons are discarded in North America. They typically end up in landfills or are incinerated, which can have a great impact on the environment. Most of the pads and tampons are made of cotton and plastic. Plastic takes about 50 or more years and cotton starts degrading after 90 days if it's composted".
WiKi
But what about the toxicity levels in the cotton itself? According to recent studies it has been disclosed that conventional Tampons contain pesticides, and according to the USDA, 94 percent of all U.S cotton is genetically engineered.
Tampons and pads with odor neutralizers and artificial fragrances are a chemical shit storm, laced with artificial colors, polyester, adhesives, polyethylene (PET), polypropylene and propylene glycol (PEG), contaminants linked to hormone disruption, cancer, birth defects, dryness and infertility.
There has been a lot of exposure on this recently, my good friend Lara Jezeph, a health and wellness coach voiced her concerns…
“If your body is highly toxic it can keep you from losing weight, disrupt your hormones, cause gut issues and with that will cause emotional issues due to the gut/brain connection.’'
Another good reason to ditch the tampons/pads and embrace the cup!
Ladies don’t fear, I promise you will never look back after your first cycle. My biggest observation was the reduction in bathroom visits. Day one Expect 3/4 visits, day two 2/3 and thereafter once or twice per day depending on flow. Plus you can sleep with it in, and no, it doesn’t leak when you’re lying down.
Best advice for insertion is to get all primal and squat like a cave woman, pinch and sandwich the top of the cup, insert it so you can feel lower tog, just above the Vulva. Don’t worry, you’ll soon know if you’ve positioned it too far up, you’ll feel a little cramping….just pull it down slightly.
Obviously there’s some suction involved once it’s in, I had a couple of ‘incidents’ when I would squat and pull the removal tog, the cup would launch from my vagina unexpectedly, the result, a rather red abstract situation on the bathroom floor. Avoid this by pinching the bottom of the cup; this releases the suction, enabling you to remove it without any resistance.
It’s easy to clean. After each removal rinse with water and reinsert. After each cycle sanitize it in boiling water and give it a good wash with some soap, that’s all you need to do.
My hope is this article has raised your curiosity over the menstrual cup, it’s a truly wonderful little gem with so many pros, I honestly can’t think of any cons. Try it out and send me your moon cup success stories! I would love to hear from you all.
Many thanks to my Lara, Heli at Lunette and team at Mooncup®, I will do everything in my power to push this solution out to the masses, check out their websites and further information on all both below....
Lots of love,
Beth
Lara Jezeph - Life coach and personal trainer -
www.larajezeph.com/toxicity-quiz
Lunette
https://www.lunette.com
MY CUP! - https://www.lunette.com/collections/lunette-menstrual-cups/products/lunette-menstrual-cup-orange
Mooncup -
https://www.mooncup.co.uk
Further reference -
WiKi -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_cup
Huffington post -
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/feminine-hygiene-products_b_3359581.html