This is Kim.
And this is Amanda.
From Put A Cup In It.
We're here to talk about some of the not often discussed
aspects of using a menstrual cup.
Maybe things that you might find out, possibly the hard way,
after you begin using a menstrual cup.
* upbeat music *
For starters, menstrual blood is pretty thick
and it can be chunky.
Before switching to a cup you probably
had an idea of what your blood looked like
or maybe you never even gave it a thought.
But, it actually kind of looks like chunky soup.
Some people get clots, some people don't
but if you've never seen one before, it might be alarming.
When it's in the cup and you pour it out
for the first time, you'll probably be kind of impressed
and interested to see that it's like
a little lava lamp in your toilet.
This is actually a good thing
because, if your blood were watery
like water or a glass of wine, when you go to remove the cup
and you pinch the base to break the seal,
it could spill out over your hand and be kind of messy
which is what a lot of people assume.
So having chunky blood, from your vagina, is a good thing.
There's a learning curve and why you may
get this sucker in right the first time and nail it,
chances are you won't and backup is something to consider.
It is not like a tampon where you just kind of poke it in
and everything works out alright.
When you put in a cup there are different things
to consider like the fold method you use,
because different folds work better
for some cups then others and also different positions.
As you're putting it in, do you tilt it, which angles.
So like a cup like the Lily Cup has an angle
and you want this towards your spine.
These are all things that you're gonna have to figure out.
Kim and I have different views about this.
I'm sort of a jump in with both feet
without thinking kind of girl
and she's a little more cautious.
But we both agree that the option
of using backup protection is something to be aware of.
Sometimes the internet has two moods.
Scare you to death or oversell, oversell, oversell.
If you've researched cups you've probably
come across videos with a crazy scary thumbnail
of a woman who's like * gasps *
and a title that's like,
"My menstrual cup was stuck forever!"
These are clickbait videos and this is not indicative
of the kind of experience that the majority of people
have with their cups.
These are the experiences of people
who want you to click and watch their video
so that they can make more money.
The other side of the internet, the happy side,
is like, "Oh my God, the menstrual cup changed my life.
"It's the most amazing thing I ever heard of."
"It's the most amazing thing, why didn't I do this sooner?"
And that's actually closer to the truth
but, those people often don't tell you
the little things like, you have to get the cup to work
and often that means failing for a few tries
before it gets there.
So, you're coming across those two things.
You might be confused because it sounds
like those things don't go together.
So when you hear that cups can be life-changing
we agree, they definitely can change your life.
But also be prepared that things
may not go smoothly the first time, the second time
or for a little after.
We recommend a few cycles to really get the hang of it
and don't be afraid to reach out for support.
Whether it's a friend that uses the cup,
the comment section here or our Facebook group.
Whatever you do, don't listen to the worse case scenarios
played out on YouTube.
Your cervix moves.
Uh-huh, yeah.
It moves and you kinda need to know
where it is when you want to pick a cup.
As your cervix moves throughout your cycle,
if it's low during your period only certain cups will fit
and conversely, if you have a very high cervix
you want a longer cup,
because you don't want to lose your cup.
So these are two extreme scenarios
that you definitely want to look out for.
And then, there are those of you who are in the middle
where something with an average length will work just fine.
If you're watching this and you haven't made the switch yet,
make sure you watch our video on how to measure your cervix.
But a quick little demo here, is just insert a finger,
probably while you're in the shower,
while you're on your period and see how low your cervix is.
Measure that and then compare the cups
that are on the market that you're considering
and make sure it's shorter then your lowest cervix height.
This is the fun one that no one tells you about.
Your menstrual cup can make some interesting noises.
Some of you might have researched using a cup
and you'll see people say you want to hear the cup pop
and some people are going to actually hear that
inside their bodies, not very many.
But more likely, you're gonna hear that squelching noise
that the cup sometimes makes when being removed.
Wet surface, wet cup, squishiness.
Lots of wet stuff.
Thankfully these can be worn for up to 12 hours
but, if you have to change it while you're out
or if you just don't like the possibility of the sound,
instead of pulling the rim out all at once,
try tilting it out.
Tilting the cup out can make the rim a bit thinner
when you go to remove it, so if you happen to experience
any discomfort when removing your cup, that may help.
Here's something that you've probably
heard or you haven't.
That you can have sex with your cup in maybe.
Menstrual disks, like the Ziggy from Intimina
are one way that you can have sex on your period
while still catching your menstrual blood.
A disc sits very differently then a cup.
A cup sits in the vaginal canal below the cervix
to catch the flow.
While a disc sits tucked up behind the pubic bone
and behind the cervix, creating a seal.
It's sort of higher and back more.
Menstrual cups, on the other hand,
are definitely oral friendly, but did you know
that some people actually have
penetrative sex with a menstrual cup in?
How, well for starters the vaginal canal
lengthens considerably when aroused.
This makes plenty of room for a penis
or a sex toy or whatever else goes in a vagina.
Just to be very clear, menstrual cups
are not designed to be worn while having penetrative sex
nor are they approved of in any official capacity
that we've ever seen or unofficial capacity by any brand.
Menstrual discs, on the other hand,
are definitely approved of.
Things to consider are the angle,
the size of your partner, what you're trying to do
and the shape and contour of your cup.
If you have the right cup and the mood strikes
and you don't want to remove it
for either mess purposes or things just happen very quickly,
what will happen is that it can go beyond the cup like this.
Oh my God, I'm doing it.
Look at that.
Or you can do a little, just the tip action.
So, if the mood strikes and people are getting frisky
and there's no time to remove your cup,
do a little math, figure out what cup you have in.
Play some just the tip game and see where that takes you
and it might take you all the way
or it might just stay just the tip.
We've tried it, it works.
Tried it a couple times, worked every time.
But again, think about the cup.
Continually ask your partner if they're comfortable.
Make sure you're comfortable.
Or just use this
or take it out.
While I've personally only done it with a softer cup,
I have heard that some people
have done it successfully with a firmer cup.
Basically, as long as your partner is careful
and the cup plays nicely with your anatomy
it's been known to happen without injury or complaint.
And knowing that because your vaginal canal
does lengthen, it is going to raise that cup up a bit,
so don't freak out if you go to try to adjust it afterward.
It's probably gonna be riding high,
you may not be able to reach it.
Even me, I have a medium to medium-lowish cervix
and afterwards it's definitely like riding high.
But that's okay, it will come back down
after all of that stuff goes back to it's
pre-aroused positioning.
All of this said, we definitely think Ziggy
is the better solution in what is often considered
mess-free period sex.
Pooping might be a problem.
Okay, so we did a whole video about this,
but it's worth mentioning again.
For some people, having a bowel movement
while wearing a cup is simply not comfortable.
For some people, it's no big deal.
If you're having a bowel movement
and you feel like your cup's moving,
you may want to preemptively just go ahead and take it out
or hold it in place with a finger or something,
because you don't want to actually poop your cup out.
That's a rarity but it has happened
and if you're in public
and it's a automatic flushing toilet, that's a biggie
because you might lose your cup, so keep that in mind.
Pooping, the cup, think about it.
Make preparations.
You may find that you want to collect and try them all.
Oddly enough, as strange as it might sound
one of the things that people don't expect
when they switch to a cup,
is that it may turn into their new weird hobby
and they're going to tell everyone about it.
Making the switch to a cup can take a lot of courage.
We aren't taught about cups in school
and most of us may not know someone in real life
who uses a cup that we can ask
all of those TMI questions to.
That brings me to my next point, the internet.
Once you've discovered cups, you're going to discover
that there are hundreds of cups.
They come in all sorts of colors,
silky soft silicones and innovative shapes
and you may want to try them all.
Even if your first cup is perfect for you,
you may find yourself drawn to other cups
simply because they're pretty or the shape looks like
it might be really comfortable
or it just has really good reviews.
If this is you, welcome to what
we lovingly refer to as, The Cup Cult.
You're gonna fit right in.
Thanks so much for watching.
Be sure to give this video a like and subscribe.
Bye.
I can't believe I'm fingering a vagina, on video.
Look at that.
Number two, number two, number two.
Sometimes it can make a * squishing noises *.
Gonna find a wanna cup, blah loo la.
Gonna find a wanna cup, that's not even a word.