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10 Ways Using A Menstrual Cup Will Make Your Life Better
Girl, I get it. The whole menstrual cup thing can be a bit weird at first.
When you talk about ‘collecting’ your blood in a cup and ‘sustainable’ periods it can seem a bit woo-woo. And it’s not the easiest topic of conversation to bring up at dinner!
But I’m telling you, menstrual cups are game changing and gaining momentum. Everyday women are talking about this …on the streets! If you’re wondering what on earth a menstrual cup is, then you should read this first.
If you need convincing, here are 10 reasons why your life will be better when you use a menstrual cup. We don’t call it The Better Period for nothing!
1. Menstrual Cups are Zero Waste
You will no longer fill up that bathroom bin with pads and tampons each month. Or contribute tonnes of blood waste to landfill over the course of your life!
According to Unicef, on any given day, 800 million people in the world have their period. The average person uses 9,000 – 11,000 disposable menstrual products over their lifetime.
I multiplied 800 million by 9,000 and the answer was A LOT of bloody waste.
Menstrual cups are without doubt, the best zero waste swap for your period. Click this link to learn more about Plastic Free Periods.
2. You Can Wear A Menstrual Cup Overnight
You can wear a menstrual cup to bed overnight without:
a) having to change it every 4 hours like a tampon; or
b) feeling like you’re wearing a giant nappy to bed (thanks but no thanks Libra Goodnights).
Menstrual cups can be worn for 8 – 12 hours depending on the manufacturer’s guidelines and the heaviness of your flow.
Read this post for more tips on how to have a great night sleep when you have your period.
3. Menstrual Cups are Discreet
Using a menstrual cup usually means you can insert it in the morning and wear it all day, without needing to remove and empty it when you’re out.
This means no more trying to discreetly pull a pad or tampon from your bag and hiding it up your sleeve before heading to the bathroom.
While I try to only remove and empty my menstrual cup at home in the shower where possible, if you do have a heavy flow and you need to empty it while you’re out and about, it can be done. You can take a bottle of water into the stall with you for rinsing or invest in some menstrual cup wipes to wipe your cup clean if you don’t have access to water.
4. Menstrual Cups Save Money
Invest in a menstrual cup and you won’t have to spend your hard-earned money every month on pads and tampons. One menstrual cup is all you need and it can last for 10 years!
Be sure to invest in a good quality menstrual cup from a reputable brand. You can expect to pay around $30 – $50 (AUD). It seems like a lot up-front, but you will not need to buy and more disposable pads or tampons for up to ten years. It pays off within a year!
Choosing a menstrual cup can be an overwhelming decision and because it’s an investment, you want to get it right. I recommend you read this helpful article on How to Choose A Menstrual Cup.
5. Menstrual Cups Give You Freedom
Using a menstrual cup means you can spend all day doing what you want, without having to change every 3 hours. Feeling like an all day hike in the middle of your period? You do you, you’ve got up to 12 hours between changes!
Using a menstrual cup has allowed me so much freedom from my period. I’ve gone on bush walks, all-day boat trips and even travelled the USA on a tour bus without having to worry about changing my pad or tampon every couple of hours.
6. Menstrual Cups Keep You Feeling Fresh On Your Period
Menstrual cups keep you feeling fresh when you’ve got your period. We all know the feels of sitting around in a pad all day. There are many words to describe it, but fresh ain’t one of them!
With the menstrual cup inside you collecting the menstrual fluid before it comes out into contact with the outside air, there are no ‘period smells’.
7. You can get in touch with your flow
This may be a little too much information for some, but seriously how do you know how heavy or light your flow is when it’s being absorbed into a pad or tampon? You don’t! With your menstrual cup you can actually measure your flow – I’m serious, some cups even have measurement lines to make it even easier.
It’s good to know how much menstrual fluid you are losing over the time of your period. If your period is overly heavy or overly light, then you can have informed discussions with your medical practitioner.
Knowing how much menstrual fluid you lose can also help you choose which absorbency period underwear you require. Period underwear is another fantastic plastic free period option.
For reference though, this is how much menstrual fluid is typically lost over the course of the period for light, average and heavy bleeders:
Some people have even reported shorter, lighter periods since using a menstrual cup. This is a completely un-researched phenomenon, but worth a try for this benefit alone!
8. Your vagina will be better off
Using a tampon doesn’t just absorb your menstrual flow, it absorbs all of the moisture in there, including your beautiful natural lubrication.
So switching to a menstrual cup might just be better for your vagina, and your vagina deserves the best!
9. Travel On Your Period is Easier With A Menstrual Cup
Is your period joining you on holiday? Fear not! There is no need to pack a mountain of pads or tampons, just throw in your menstrual cup and away you go. It makes things much easier too when you’re long-haul travelling!
Not to mention the freedom a menstrual cup gives you (see #5) is going to ensure your period does not ruin your holiday.
10. Forget You Even Have Your Period When Using A Menstrual Cup
And finishing off with quite possibly the greatest thing of all… when using a menstrual cup you will mostly forget you have your period (once you’ve gotten the hang of using it of course!)
You might even get brave enough to wear white on your period!
Menstrual Cups Make Life Better
There you have it, 10 pretty convincing reasons why the menstrual cup is going to make your life better!
Are you convinced to give it a try yet or are you already rocking the menstrual cup? Let us know in the comments below!
If you’re thinking of making the switch to a menstrual cup, there are some things you need to know first! Each of us have our own unique anatomy which will effect which menstrual cup we should choose.
I’ve created a handy guide to help you choose the best menstrual cup for YOU. You can read it here or subscribe to my mailing list below to have the free PDF guide sent to your inbox.
If you’ve got a friend who needs convincing, share these reasons with them and they’ll be jumping on the menstrual cup bandwagon with you in no time!
Ready to use your menstrual cup for the first time and need some tips? Check out my post 5 Tips For Your First Time Using A Menstrual Cup.
Ellie Heasman
The Better Period
Ellie Heasman is a period blogger and founder of The Better Period. Ellie helps people on their journey to a better period through introducing them to the world of menstrual cups and period underwear, and sharing knowledge about the menstrual cycle and fertility awareness. You can join in the better period conversations on Instagram @thebetterperiod_ or find out more about Ellie here.