I Finally Tried A Menstrual Cup And It Was A Disaster

Menstrual cups aren’t as popular as they probably should be since they have many advantages over pads and tampons. I finally decided to try one, but it didn’t exactly go well.

1. I figured a menstrual cup was the answer to my period problems. I just started getting my period again after years without it due to infertility. I wasn’t used to getting it, so it was messing with my routine. I never liked pads and tampons, so I figured this would be a good alternative. I didn’t know much about them, but online reviewers had nothing but great things to say about cups. For example, you can go up to 12 hours without needing to empty them and they’re better for the environment. What could go wrong?
2. There are so many different variations that it was overwhelming. I read a ton of articles about different menstrual cups and how they compare to others on the market. They come in various lengths and widths and have different stem lengths too. Not every cup is going to work for every woman because vaginas come in different shapes and sizes. It’s intimidating at first to choose one and to learn how to use it, which may explain why they’re not as popular.
3. I have a retroverted uterus but didn’t think too much of it at the time. A retroverted uterus is when the uterus is tipped backward. It can make it difficult to insert tampons and cups and have them sit properly. It can also cause pain with sex and with pelvic exams, which I’ve experienced. But no one told me I had a tipped uterus until I had children. The doctor said it was completely normal so I never expected to have a problem with a menstrual cup because of it.
4. I picked the smallest cup with the best reviews. I was anxious to test one out to see what all the fuss was about. I didn’t think it’d be comfortable because of the issues I’ve had with pelvic pain before, so I thought I was being cautious by choosing a small one with a small stem. Little did I know what would happen.
5. I used it for the first time and I really liked it. It went in pretty easily and wasn’t as painful as I expected. I left it in for a few hours and even went to the gym. It was very comfortable and I had no leaks at all as I normally do with tampons. I didn’t even feel like I was on my period. I was ecstatic. Where had the menstrual cup been all my life and why hadn’t I tried it sooner?
6. The trouble started when it was time to remove the stupid thing. I couldn’t remove it no matter what I did. I couldn’t get a good enough grip on the end of the cup to be able to pull it out because it was so small and I couldn’t reach it. I literally tried every position to get to it. After 20 minutes of painfully trying to get it out, I started getting really nervous and I was worried I’d have to make a really embarrassing trip to the emergency room.
7. I had no choice but to ask my partner for help. I’m very comfortable with my husband; we’ve been together for a long time and he’s seen me give birth twice. He still wanted to have sex with me after that, but fishing something out of my bloody vagina is a whole new level of awkward. I was so embarrassed to tell him what was happening. Not much phases him, but he still looked at me like I’d lost my mind when I told him. There’s no mystery left in our relationship after this incident.
8. Even with his help, we still had a hard time getting it out. I basically laid on the bed with a towel underneath me and spread my legs like I was giving birth again. He had trouble grabbing it too. We tried different positions to no avail. Then I tried bearing down as if I were pushing a baby out. In retrospect, it’s comical, but while it was happening, I was beyond mortified.
9. Finally, he wiggled it out! Thankfully, my husband was able to pull it out after a few minutes of struggling and me pushing. There was blood everywhere, and he was a little freaked out even if he wouldn’t admit it. I’m not sure what I would’ve done if he wasn’t around at the time. If he’d do this for me then he’s definitely a keeper.
10. I realized what my mistake was after the fact. I don’t know why I didn’t consider my retroverted uterus beforehand. I think I was so excited about the prospect of using a menstrual cup that I didn’t think about the potential problems. I figured that lots of women use one so it couldn’t possibly be that hard. I was clearly wrong. I’d used the wrong size and only narrowly avoided a disaster because of it.
11. The moral of my story is that one size doesn’t fit all. Do your research and maybe check with your OB/GYN to find out what size might be right for you. You don’t want to go through what I did. Even though I had a bad first experience, I’d consider trying a menstrual cup again because I love the idea. I’ll be much more careful next time, though!