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How I Found Out About Mooncups

I was 19 years old and in university when I first seriously considered purchasing a menstrual cup. This was far before I was into cloth pads, FAM or even thinking about things of this nature. Prior to buying a Mooncup (a brand quite easily available in shops near me), I mainly used disposable sanitary pads (whichever brand was on offer at my local supermarket) and tampons rarely (just for swimming). I used to have my period for 7-8 days and that was the way it had always been, regardless of any time spent on oral contraceptive pills.

Initial Reaction on Unboxing

Mooncup is a brand of menstrual cup that can easily be found in the UK. It comes in two sizes. I went for the one designed for those who have not given birth vaginally and are under 30 years old. My first reaction to Mooncup was that it looked really big as I took it out of the box but, as it was the second day of my period and I could already feel the skin irritation building from the sweaty disposable pad I was wearing, I was eager to give it a go. It was quite easy to insert after reading the simple instructions although I did have to cut off the stem completely (I have a medium height cervix). Once this was done, I couldn’t feel it at all.

My Experience Using Mooncup

I had my doubts that it would work well for me straight away since many people online had talked about there being a ‘steep learning curve’. Pushing this to the back of my mind, I carried on my life as normal. Later that day I went to the gym and the day after that I hiked up some hills near me. To my surprise, there were no leaks! I was amazed considering I’d never tried something like it before. Another very nice experience was that, by day 5 of my period, I was on what would normally be the amount for day 8 (barely anything, enough to stain underwear lightly if I wasn’t wearing the cup). After cycle 2 using the Mooncup, I soon realised that it had somehow shortened my period down to 5 days – this isn’t something that appears to have been studied, just my anecdotal experience that I thought I’d share.

Something I also really enjoy about using Mooncup is that I don’t need to empty it often. This means I can clean it in the morning before going out and, provided I’m not out too long, I can normally last until I’ve arrived back home again. This has taken a lot of the anxiety out of the thought of cleaning it in a public bathroom, however, those with heavier flows or longer days may need to face this situation.

Here’s a quick summary of my pros and cons:

Pros of Mooncup

• I didn’t experience any leaks so personally disagree with the idea that it takes a long time to learn how to use a cup.
• Mooncup is easily purchased in UK high street stores – unfortunately, many other brands appear to only come from online retailers.
• It’s a basic cup without the bells and whistles. If you’re a beginner, something simple is a great place to start in my opinion.

Cons of Mooncup

• It’s quite a firm cup. This may be an issue if you have an especially weak pelvic floor or are sensitive to things pushing against your bladder through the vaginal wall.
• It stains quite considerably over time. This doesn’t mean it isn’t clean if you’ve cared for it properly but it can be unsightly.

Final Thoughts

At the time of updating this article, I’ve owned my Mooncup for several years and it’s a cup I keep coming back to despite owning a few other brands. I love the convenience of throwing it in my bag if I’m not sure whether my period will begin soon and consider it to be my ‘safe option’ with regards to comfort and preventing leaks. Mooncup is a cup I recommend as a starting point to all of my friends as it has never let me down.

Mooncup can be purchased via Mooncup’s own website, or alternatively, Amazon.