mooncup (Merged Discussion Thread)

ellies_angel

Got it in OK, but removing it a few hours ago was tricky. I did manage it, but only after I had removed my shoes and trousers and was in a squatting position. Which is a bit of a hassle each time.

Am I missing something? There must be an easier way. Or is it just one of those things that you find the 'knack' of after a few uses?

I find it easier to remove once I have emptied my bladder.

Coconut_2

I also go in a squatting position to put it and remove it, seems the best to me. (I have a diafragm and use this same position)

However removing it is quite tricky, as it's so deep in....the only way i can do it is pulling at the stem, but it's quite difficult... is this the correct way of doing it?

Second day today and I'm having more problems than yesterday, had some leakage already this morning

From tomorrow my flow will be really light, so let's see how it goes...

LittleMoog

don't use the stem to remove it - the rim forms a seal against your vaginal walls which you need to release. push down with muscles until you can grasp the base of the cup, and then slide a finger up the side to the rim and push in to release the seal. If you just pull, there;s a suction effect on your insides - ouch! :eek:

eta: I insert/remove mine sat on the loo, as I would have for tampons. Once I got the knack it was pretty straightforward, and no need to worry about spillages

fallen121

Wonder if anyone can help? My Mooncup is beginning to develop a slight unpleasant odour after several uses. I generally sterilise using a microwave steam method, before I put it away in its little cloth storage bag until it's needed again. This time around I tried using some white vinegar in with the water at the bottom of the steriliser bag, this helped a bit with the smell but it still has a nasty "niff". Does anyone have any sugggestions as I don't want to use anything which will irritate next time I come to use it.

Sorry if this is too much information!

LittleMoog

Have you checked that the holes around the rim are clear? I think this is the only place that stuff could stick to cause a smell? Otherwise, try boiling in a pan of water for 5 mins, that should shift anything?

fallen121

The holes around the rim are clear, I washed it thoroughly in hot water before I did the microwave sterilising.

I have already sterilised it in the microwave twice, once with vinegar. I can't pan boil it on the stove as I use cast iron pots and I can't afford to take one of those out of food service, they're too expensive. I'll see if I can nip to Poundland in the morning and pick up something cheap.

Anyone any other suggestions? This isn't a smell from something sticking to it, the latex itself seems to have an unpleasant odour it didn't have before.

I have seen pictures online of someone who photographed their Mooncup to show how they can discolour with use, so presumably the latex can absorb colour - can it absorb odours as well???

flea72

fallen121 wrote: »

The holes around the rim are clear, I washed it thoroughly in hot water before I did the microwave sterilising.

I have already sterilised it in the microwave twice, once with vinegar. I can't pan boil it on the stove as I use cast iron pots and I can't afford to take one of those out of food service, they're too expensive. I'll see if I can nip to Poundland in the morning and pick up something cheap.

Anyone any other suggestions? This isn't a smell from something sticking to it, the latex itself seems to have an unpleasant odour it didn't have before.

I have seen pictures online of someone who photographed their Mooncup to show how they can discolour with use, so presumably the latex can absorb colour - can it absorb odours as well???

what exactly is the smell like?

the mooncup isnt made from latex, its made from silicone which doesnt really smell of anything

tbh, if it smells, then it isnt clean. i would try using a sterilising liquid like milton, or even a weak bleach solution, just to see if that gets rid of the smell

F

Haffiana

This smell thing does very occasionally happen. It is nothing to worry about - sometimes it is because a cup has been left in for too long, sometimes it just happens. Use a Milton sterilizing tablet - it might take a few goes. The best is to put the cup on a sunny windowsill for a couple of days, but sun can be in short supply at this time of year!

Also - I am not convinced that a cup ever needs boiling. Firstly it doesn't truly sterilize. Secondly, there is absolutely no need to sterilize - nothing else that goes in there is ever sterilized, is it?. Thirdly, boiling can cause protein deposits to stick on the cup. Fourthly, in my observation, boiling causes limescale to be deposited on the cup. If you happen to use a cup and then discover that you have a yeast infection, then it might be worth boiling or using Miltons, but not otherwise.

I would suggest the following - rinse always in cold water first. This will stop protein build up, and help prevent staining. Then wash with soap and hot water, and then rinse very thoroughly with hot water. Never store in any form of airtight container.

fallen121

The smell seems to have lessened somewhat since I removed it from the sterilizing bag and put it in its cotton storage bag (where presumably it has been able to breathe).

The smell was very difficult to describe but the last time I smelt anything like that I had a really heavy cold and my nose was all stuffed up and everything smelted and tasted...well...like snot (sorry!). But I looked at the cup really carefully through a magnifying glass because I was convinced I hadn't cleaned it properly or something. And there was nothing there.

So presumably, as the previous poster stated (thank you, BTW) the smell was because I had left it in too long and after being thoroughly cleaned in a weak steam with vinegar and then rinsed and stored in its cloth bag it has slowly lost its smell.

I like the idea of leaving it on a windowsill in the sun (dunno what the window cleaner would make of it - LOL!) but with my luck my 9 year old would find it and it would become Barbie's hairdryer II. I have enough trouble with my iPod sock being borrowed as a sleeping bag for various small toys.

Thank you again for all the suggestions, and for all the people who have sent such nice PMs urging me not to be put off using the Mooncup because of this.

Milton is a really good idea BTW. I like that better than vinegar.

angelil

Just finished my first period on the Mooncup!

As with some, I found it a little trickier to insert and remove than tampons, but not too bad. I also found it quite perversely interesting to see how much blood is actually lost each time...!
In terms of sterilisation, we have hardly any space in the flat and I'm not buying another sodding saucepan just for the Mooncup (where would I put it?! In a cage suspended from the ceiling?!). SO to get round this I boiled some water in the kettle (1-1.5l), poured it into the sink and soaked the Mooncup in that for a while. I also have some denture tablets that I'm thinking of throwing into the water with it to get rid of any discoloration Then of course a good rinse with cold water after before drying and putting back into its bag.

Some tips that others may find helpful:
1) You may feel more relaxed if you drop your trousers and knickers down to your ankles to avoid staining clothes; however, you shouldn't need to squat - just sitting on the toilet was OK for me.

2) Before trying to remove your Mooncup, rip off 2 strips of 2-3 pieces of loo paper and put them somewhere within convenient reach, such as on the cistern. One's for you, one's for the Mooncup.

3) To remove the Mooncup, bear down as if going for a poo (!) until you can pinch the bottom of the Mooncup. Use the stem to help if needed. Pinch the bottom of the Mooncup tightly - this releases the seal and then you can just pull it straight down and out.

4) Use one of the toilet tissue strips to wipe round the Mooncup after emptying, then reinsert the mooncup (I found the folding twice method just fine btw). Then use the other bit of paper to wipe your fingers. Handy if in a toilet with no sink in the same room!

5) If you are having quite a heavy day, the blood you empty into the loo probably won't flush away all at once. You therefore have 2 options: flush 2-3 times until it all goes down (perhaps not very MSE!) or flush once, and put up with the tinge in the water for the rest of the day. Something to bear in mind in the workplace perhaps.

6) I too was a bit anxious about how I could initially feel the Mooncup inside me on insertion; however, it does "settle" inside you during the course of a normal day's movements and soon you can't feel it at all. Perfectly normal