Pads, tampons, or menstrual cups?

I decided to get with the times and try my first menstrual cup. It was a toss up because there are now so many menstrual cup brands; seems they all popped up over night. I chose Lena Cup as my first victim because I liked that they offer two cup sizes in color variations. Size of the cup is important to me because I lose a lot of blood. Color of the cup is also important to me. After a while, no matter how many times you wash and/or steam, blood will stain, so I refrained from trying a white cup first.

Here’s quick description of the cups per the Lena website: Lena is a bell-shaped cup that collects your monthly menstrual blood. Inserted like a tampon, the cup sits comfortably in your vagina and offers a leak and sensation-free period. This menstrual cup is supposed to help women maintain a healthy pH level to stay naturally moist and comfortable. The flexible design moves with you and offers complete protection and comfort. It can be worn for up to twelve consecutive hours day and night but must be emptied twice a day. There are three different suggested folding techniques for insertion: C-fold, Seven fold, and the Punch-down. Depending on your vagina and remembering that your cervix can change during your cycle, the cups can either sit high or low in your vagina and both are fine. This will also help you decide if the stem needs any trimming on your end for ultimate comfort. For removal, insert your fingers into your vagina until you find the base of the cup and gently pinch the base to release suction and gently pull. Lastly, Lena currently offers three purchase options: Lena Cup, Lena 2-pack, and Lena Sensitive.

Of the three products I chose the pink Lena cup in large. I used this cup for two cycles and did not like it. My first few days with Flo are always intense and heavy; Lena either could not or would not hold me down during the first three days. I did not experience any of the lovely benefits mentioned above until I hit day 4 of my cycle and by then it’s almost gone so who even cares! My cup never filled up, not even half way, but I couldn’t wait a full twelve hours to remove and refresh my cup; I had to refresh every two hours. I had to wear a panty liner and/or sacrifice a pantie because I leaked so bad as if there was no cup chillin up in my business. The folding was a little difficult in the beginning. It took a few days for me to realize that the c-fold was most manageable. A clean and organized removal is still a mystery to me, good luck with that. I am an amateur and I can admit this, but I do remember my vag feeling a little sore after using this for the first time.  The worst part was when I coughed, sneezed, or laughed I feared for my life, my pants, and whatever surface was beneath me. Bottom line, I’m not a fan.

Unfortunately, Lena had me in my feelings and had me singing the “Broken Pussy” song from Insecure during both cycles. Hopefully, I have better luck with the next cup.

PS. I made sure to purchase a mini sterilizer steamer from trusty Amazon to keep my cup clean!

https://lenacup.com
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