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My Menstrual Cup and Me

One of my 2021 resolutions was to try and make environmentally conscious decisions and this has started with my period. The stats regarding period product waste in landfill was something I just couldn't ignore. 

"Did you know that conventional sanitary pads contain a high percentage of plastic? One estimate is that pads are made of up to 90% plastic – another is that a pack of menstrual pads is equivalent to 4 plastic bags"  (Friends of the Earth).

"The average person who menstruates throws away up to 200 kg of menstrual products in their lifetime" (Friends of the Earth).

Image by PatriciaMoraleda from Pixabay
This really made me think about the waste that I was producing each and every month.  I decided it was time for me to try something more environmentally friendly and I decided that I would try menstrual cups. Now don't get me wrong, the idea made me nervous. I had heard horror stories of leakage, cramping and struggles removing them. I had heard that women can find it tricky to begin with, so I knew I would have to stick with it! I faced my fears and got on with it. I stumbled upon this type (see below) on amazon and it had good reviews and so I thought I would give it a try! 

It arrived in a box containing instructions, a bag and 4 cups (2 small and 2 large). I started using the cups on day 3 of my cycle as this was the morning they arrived in the post.

The first morning. I've read all the instructions, boiled the cups and now is time for insertion. I decided to use the smaller cup to start with. This was going to be a homey day for me so I figured it was the perfect opportunity to give it a try. I practised the folding technique and manage to insert it pretty easily.

Fast forward to the 4 hours later removal. I found taking it out to be a little challenging and a little uncomfortable as I struggled to break the seal. I did find that I also had cramps the entire day (when I usually don't get cramps) and therefore decided to not use it overnight. 

The next day I found that the cramping seemed to be much less. I felt much more comfortable with using the cup and I was less concerned with removing it. I also went on a long walk and completed some moderate exercise. I could not feel it at all during my walk but did have some mild discomfort during exercise. The cup stayed in place and I experienced no leakage. I think that with time I will get better at inserting the cup correctly and therefore probably wont experience any discomfort. 

All in all I wish I had tried it sooner. I love the convenience of being able to leave it in for up to 12 hours and I think, with a little more practise, I will almost forget I am on my period at all! Although I did experience cramping, I believe that with more time and practise this will probably reduce. I also think that its all worth a try when thinking about the waste I will reduce! I still need to experience leaving it in overnight and during the start of my period, although, I did trial it on heavier days when I believe more problems were likely to occur!

So here's to continuing to make more environmentally conscious choices in 2021! 
Have you got any more suggestions of easy environmentally friendly swaps that I can make?

Take care, 

Lozzy 


Website I used: 

Friends of the Earth

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