Full paper is available here. Concerningly high concentrations of lead and arsenic were found among every single tampon tested in this study (30 tampons from 14 tampon brands, across 18 product...
Concerningly high concentrations of lead and arsenic were found among every single tampon tested in this study (30 tampons from 14 tampon brands, across 18 product lines). Especially considering the following as an elevated health risk:
The walls of the human vagina are lined with a highly absorptive tissue that has the potential to soak up stray pollutants – like metals – that would circulate in the bloodstream without being filtered by the liver first.
I plan to stop using tampons myself until more research is done here, and I would recommend that all people who menstruate do the same. I've been meaning to look into menstrual cups for some time, and this seems to be the push I've needed.
I heartily recommend them. Used a cup for decades until I no longer needed to, and I found it was almost always the best choice for me. (On camping trips, not so much.)
I heartily recommend them. Used a cup for decades until I no longer needed to, and I found it was almost always the best choice for me. (On camping trips, not so much.)
I started using the cup half a year ago (I couldn't do it before for anatomical reasons, I had surgery which fixed the issue) and I absolutely love it. It's almost like I'm not menstruating. All I...
I started using the cup half a year ago (I couldn't do it before for anatomical reasons, I had surgery which fixed the issue) and I absolutely love it. It's almost like I'm not menstruating. All I need to do is remember twice a day that I should empty and clean it and that's it.
I know that it's not for everyone, but I'm so glad that I can use it now.
For those who can't do menstrual cups for one reason or another like me, I also heartily recommend reusable cloth pads. They're much comfier than the disposable ones.
For those who can't do menstrual cups for one reason or another like me, I also heartily recommend reusable cloth pads. They're much comfier than the disposable ones.
I started with the quiz at putacupinit.com to find my first cup and I've never looked back! I watched a bunch of YouTube videos on how to insert it so I felt confident I could do it. I think it...
I started with the quiz at putacupinit.com to find my first cup and I've never looked back! I watched a bunch of YouTube videos on how to insert it so I felt confident I could do it. I think it took like 3 cycles for me to really get it down, so expect a few leaks and have pads or panty liners ready. It's totally worth the learning curve.
Great, as if I needed another reason to want a hysterectomy. I don't understand why there are so many heavy metals in sanitary products though, is it the bleaching process? The pulp/cotton...
Great, as if I needed another reason to want a hysterectomy. I don't understand why there are so many heavy metals in sanitary products though, is it the bleaching process? The pulp/cotton processing? I'll need to investigate.
Edit: And there it is:
Metals may arise in tampons through contamination of the absorbent core materials (e.g., cotton, rayon, viscose). In particular, the uptake of metals by plants and its subsequent accumulation along the food chain is known to be a common point of exposure through biomagnification for animal and human populations (Singh and Kalamdhad, 2011). Previous studies have found that metals can leach out of contaminated soils and into plant species and affect the physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes of plants (Rashid et al., 2023, Angulo-Bejarano et al., 2021). Some metals, including lead, copper, zinc, and cadmium, can bioaccumulate in the plants that are often harvested and used in tampon blends (Angelova et al., 2004). Cotton plants readily take up metals from soil (Angelova et al., 2004, Chen et al., 2015, Kaur et al., 2018), which can be contaminated by metals through atmospheric deposition (Angelova et al., 2004, Xing et al., 2019, George et al., 2015, Huang et al., 2017), application of wastewater (Khalid et al., 2018, Khan et al., 2019), and use of metal-containing pesticides and fertilizers (e.g., arsenic in phosphate fertilizer) (Jayasumana et al., 2015). Manufacturers may also add metals during production for product whitening, antimicrobial purposes, odor reduction, lubrication, and as pigments in applicators (Lake et al., 2024, Nemeth et al., 2012, Williams, 2004, Bond and Gorton, 2020).
Thanks for doing the leg work, I had been wondering why and how the heavy metals got in there and just hadn't looked into it yet. Side note: getting a hysterectomy is far and away the best thing...
Thanks for doing the leg work, I had been wondering why and how the heavy metals got in there and just hadn't looked into it yet.
Side note: getting a hysterectomy is far and away the best thing I've ever done for myself. I still have ovaries, so hormonal cycles are still a thing, but all that means is I get a twice monthly reminder that at least I'm not fucking bleeding and my god. 12/10, cannot recommend highly enough.
Oh my you're living the dream!! If you don't mind me asking, did you get a hysterectomy because you wanted to or because of medical reasons? If I were ever to get one I'd keep my ovaries as well,...
Oh my you're living the dream!! If you don't mind me asking, did you get a hysterectomy because you wanted to or because of medical reasons? If I were ever to get one I'd keep my ovaries as well, for hormonal reasons as you mentioned.
I think, absent medical reasons to remove them, they generally leave in the ovaries because otherwise you'd need to be put on hormone replacement therapy to avoid things like osteoporosis.
I think, absent medical reasons to remove them, they generally leave in the ovaries because otherwise you'd need to be put on hormone replacement therapy to avoid things like osteoporosis.
Also had a hysterectomy, and it's the best thing I've ever done for myself. It was for primarily medical reasons but also wanted one. I had fibroids, the biggest was 4.5cm at its biggest point on...
Also had a hysterectomy, and it's the best thing I've ever done for myself. It was for primarily medical reasons but also wanted one. I had fibroids, the biggest was 4.5cm at its biggest point on the front of my uterus. It caused my uterus to be enlarged and angry, 3x the size of a normal uterus. The last month before my hysterectomy, I had to pee all the time, was constantly fatigued, and always uncomfortable. I kept my ovaries because there was nothing wrong with them but chose to remove my cervix (HPV positive, despite Gardasil vaccine as a teen, did not want risk of future cervical cancer or potential mini periods). It solved every single problem I had before with my reproductive system.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm so happy reading others' stories about getting hysterectomies on Tildes. I don't know that the cramps I get are enough to allow me to get such a procedure....
Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm so happy reading others' stories about getting hysterectomies on Tildes. I don't know that the cramps I get are enough to allow me to get such a procedure. At this point it doesn't hurt to ask I suppose. If I don't ask it's a "No" anyway, so all I risk is a "Yes".
Ask away! I got it just because I wanted it. My partner and I are very set on not having kids, and I couldn't come up with a single compelling reason to keep bleeding every month lol. Periods have...
Ask away!
I got it just because I wanted it. My partner and I are very set on not having kids, and I couldn't come up with a single compelling reason to keep bleeding every month lol. Periods have always been sensory hell for me, and until I got my autism diagnosis I had assumed this was true for everyone... Apparently not! Some people actually kinda enjoy them? Like, it can be a point of contact with their femininity, or can feel cleansing, or any number of other positive things and I just. What? Wild.
So anyway, autistic sensory nightmare + identifying as agender meant the surgeon could call it medically necessary so insurance covered it completely :) (I'm in the US, btw, so that was a very exciting win)
Sorry I've been away from Tildes for a while and didn't get around to replying. Thank you for sharing this experience. Your description of periods being a sensory hell really resonates for me. I...
Sorry I've been away from Tildes for a while and didn't get around to replying. Thank you for sharing this experience. Your description of periods being a sensory hell really resonates for me. I fear it'll be an uphill battle for me to get a hysterectomy where I live but your story gives me hope. Next time I go to the gynecologist I'll ask if that's at all an option for me. Maybe I just need to be really annoying about it until they cave....
Hell yeah, be annoying! Advocate for yourself! r/childfree has (had?) a list of doctors in every state who will take a request like this seriously, that's where I found mine. Or, it was every...
Hell yeah, be annoying! Advocate for yourself! r/childfree has (had?) a list of doctors in every state who will take a request like this seriously, that's where I found mine. Or, it was every state, before all the reproductive rights shenanigans really settled in.... I really, really hope you can find someone who will listen and help. Good luck, and feel free to ask any other questions that may come up (bearing in mind that I'm not a doctor, of course).
Turns out my mother was correct, even if not exactly for the right reason, she always insisted there was something bad about tampons for folks with vaginas. If only she were alive to "ah-ha! Told...
Turns out my mother was correct, even if not exactly for the right reason, she always insisted there was something bad about tampons for folks with vaginas. If only she were alive to "ah-ha! Told you so!" me right now :')
Hearty recommendation for IUDs if your doctor OK's it. No period products whatsoever and no surgeries involved.
Interesting, do IUDs stop periods altogether? I want to get a hysterectomy not because of contraception, but because I hate having periods and my uterus is literally more useless to me than my...
Interesting, do IUDs stop periods altogether? I want to get a hysterectomy not because of contraception, but because I hate having periods and my uterus is literally more useless to me than my appendix. If it had been an option I would have yeeterus my uterus from day 1.
Talk to your doctor for sure. The good thing about IUDs is that if it doesn't work for you or you change your mind, it's only a couple hundred bucks sunk cost, and an extra 20 minutes office check...
Talk to your doctor for sure. The good thing about IUDs is that if it doesn't work for you or you change your mind, it's only a couple hundred bucks sunk cost, and an extra 20 minutes office check up to take it out.
It stops periods for a lot of people. Some light spotting for some. And no affect on periods in a few. But again, it's minimally invasive (aside from the tiny risk of it embedding into the uterus and or travelling outside of it, thought I should mention it however small the chance. But don't worry that's why a tiny metal wire dangles out of your cervix so you can check every day it hasn't gone on holidays).
The contraceptive aspect of it isn't to be discounted either, in my humble opinion, in a world where sexual violence is a thing......
Sorry to be a ray of sunshine, but as with most things dealing with uterine health, our choices are lead/arsenic, hot sticky napkins, travelling plastic T's, or major surgeries that might do other things to our hormonal systems. Yay.
Edit: oh yeah silicone cups you have to wash don't seem like a bad idea either.
Some good points to consider, thanks for the insights. Given my medical history the chances of falling pregnant are thankfully 0. I am just extremely keen (almost desperate) to get rid of periods...
Some good points to consider, thanks for the insights. Given my medical history the chances of falling pregnant are thankfully 0. I am just extremely keen (almost desperate) to get rid of periods forever and not having to think about it. I cannot stress enough how much I loathe having them. Literally the first day I got my period my only thought was "Shit. I'm going to have to deal with this for 50 years". I'm not a fan of taking hormones long term, but maybe the IUD will buy me some time to think about a more permanent game plan.
I would offer a caveat for the “minimally invasive” and “sunk cost” comment. My girlfriend has a IUD and she describes its insertion as the single most painful experience of her life. She needs to...
I would offer a caveat for the “minimally invasive” and “sunk cost” comment.
My girlfriend has a IUD and she describes its insertion as the single most painful experience of her life. She needs to get hers replaced (they have a shelf life, depending on the type, of 7 to 12 years iirc) and has been putting it on hold because of her utter terror of having to go through that again.
There are those who advocate for the application of a topical anesthetic and preemptive pain regimen for the installation, but such is not the norm.
Honestly, patients should, if they have the ability, refuse to get an IUD without appropriate pain management being provided and seek another provider who will do it. Not everyone has that...
Honestly, patients should, if they have the ability, refuse to get an IUD without appropriate pain management being provided and seek another provider who will do it.
Not everyone has that ability. But if they can numb my arm for a nexplanon implant, they can numb a cervix.
That's a good point. My first attempt, the OBGYN couldn't even get anywhere with it and it was absurdly painful. She told me it was because of excessive cervix scar tissues, which was massively...
That's a good point. My first attempt, the OBGYN couldn't even get anywhere with it and it was absurdly painful. She told me it was because of excessive cervix scar tissues, which was massively frightening on its own. Went for a second opinion at a different OBGYN just to ask about the supposedly horrific scaring and what I should do from now on, and he was like, what scaring, there's nothing the matter at all. He was just looking during this appointment, but he asked if things look good and and wouldn't hurt if id try the IUD again. I said maybe, being skeptical now. So, he asked me about my job and before I could even get two sentences in, inserted the device without any pain.
So.......I know it's anecdotal but ........man, am I ever glad I went to that second doctor. The replacement ones have been uncomfortable but not awful, Tylenol and a few minutes took care of it.
I'm not dismissing her pain though I totally believe her experience to have been horrible. I'm just hoping her next interaction will be less terrible with some pain management medication beforehand
At this point, she’s interviewing gynecologists to see who is dismissive and who is sympathetic. I’m hopeful she can find someone who understands how traumatized she was by this, and works with...
At this point, she’s interviewing gynecologists to see who is dismissive and who is sympathetic. I’m hopeful she can find someone who understands how traumatized she was by this, and works with her to ensure the removal and replacement isn’t anything like the first one.
I wish I could get an IUD, but the copper ones are out since I already experience pretty severe period cramps, and the hormonal ones are out due to other health complications. Definitely a great...
I wish I could get an IUD, but the copper ones are out since I already experience pretty severe period cramps, and the hormonal ones are out due to other health complications. Definitely a great option for those who can benefit from it, though.
Unfortunately enough, yeah. I had to have one ovary and fallopian tube removed in the past due to cancer, and so now everything is a little off-kilter to say the least... the hormonal stuff...
Unfortunately enough, yeah. I had to have one ovary and fallopian tube removed in the past due to cancer, and so now everything is a little off-kilter to say the least... the hormonal stuff doesn't quite work the same way for me as it does for most. But I'm optimistic that the menstrual disc I just ordered will work out well, fingers crossed!
Does anyone have experience with using menstrual cups that would be willing to answer some questions for me? I've tried a few different brands in the past and they always seem to hurt. It feels...
Does anyone have experience with using menstrual cups that would be willing to answer some questions for me? I've tried a few different brands in the past and they always seem to hurt. It feels like they're "sucking" on my cervix when it's already very sore. I've tried the Diva Cup the Saalt cup, and recently the Nixit disc which just doesn't fit inside me at all or catch anything and the ridges hurt every time I move. Am I doing something wrong or do I just need to keep trying different models?
I can try to answer some questions. I have only used 2 brands. I am currently using MeLuna and I like it more than the previous one, LucyCup. The problem with it being uncomfortable could be the...
I can try to answer some questions. I have only used 2 brands. I am currently using MeLuna and I like it more than the previous one, LucyCup. The problem with it being uncomfortable could be the size and material. I have a small cervix and the size of many brands is too big. Luckily MeLuna has different diameters and heights and also 2 different materials (one for regular use and one for active/athletic use).
I hadn't heard of MeLuna, thank you! When you use it, do you typically feel the suction of it? Does that go away/you get used to it, or am I maybe just overly aware of that sort of sensation? I'm...
I hadn't heard of MeLuna, thank you!
When you use it, do you typically feel the suction of it? Does that go away/you get used to it, or am I maybe just overly aware of that sort of sensation? I'm sorry, I know that's a really private question to ask a stranger, it's okay if you don't feel comfortable answering.
No worries! I don't mind answering at all. I tend to feel a little suction when I first insert it. But it goes away pretty quickly if it's seated right. If it's still uncomfortable after a few...
No worries! I don't mind answering at all. I tend to feel a little suction when I first insert it. But it goes away pretty quickly if it's seated right. If it's still uncomfortable after a few minutes, I know it didn't seat correctly and I'll try again. There are also a couple different ways to fold the cup and I found the punch down method to work best for me (there are pictures on the MeLuna site demonstrating different folding techniques).
Are the holes in the side of the cup clear when you insert it? They are supposed to stop it from creating a vacuum/suction, but they can get blocked easily.
Are the holes in the side of the cup clear when you insert it? They are supposed to stop it from creating a vacuum/suction, but they can get blocked easily.
Yep, I always use a sterilized push-pin to clear them, even if it doesn't look like there's anything in there, more because I don't want to insert whatever would be in there into my body than for...
Yep, I always use a sterilized push-pin to clear them, even if it doesn't look like there's anything in there, more because I don't want to insert whatever would be in there into my body than for any other reason. I thought it was supposed to create a vacuum and that's how it keeps any blood from going around the seal?
Full paper is available here.
Concerningly high concentrations of lead and arsenic were found among every single tampon tested in this study (30 tampons from 14 tampon brands, across 18 product lines). Especially considering the following as an elevated health risk:
I plan to stop using tampons myself until more research is done here, and I would recommend that all people who menstruate do the same. I've been meaning to look into menstrual cups for some time, and this seems to be the push I've needed.
I heartily recommend them. Used a cup for decades until I no longer needed to, and I found it was almost always the best choice for me. (On camping trips, not so much.)
I started using the cup half a year ago (I couldn't do it before for anatomical reasons, I had surgery which fixed the issue) and I absolutely love it. It's almost like I'm not menstruating. All I need to do is remember twice a day that I should empty and clean it and that's it.
I know that it's not for everyone, but I'm so glad that I can use it now.
For those who can't do menstrual cups for one reason or another like me, I also heartily recommend reusable cloth pads. They're much comfier than the disposable ones.
They can be useful even for people who do use cups (for those of us who are heavy bleeders and don't always make it through the night).
And they have snaps! They do a better job of staying put for me than any of the sticky wings did.
I started with the quiz at putacupinit.com to find my first cup and I've never looked back! I watched a bunch of YouTube videos on how to insert it so I felt confident I could do it. I think it took like 3 cycles for me to really get it down, so expect a few leaks and have pads or panty liners ready. It's totally worth the learning curve.
Great, as if I needed another reason to want a hysterectomy. I don't understand why there are so many heavy metals in sanitary products though, is it the bleaching process? The pulp/cotton processing? I'll need to investigate.
Edit: And there it is:
Thanks for doing the leg work, I had been wondering why and how the heavy metals got in there and just hadn't looked into it yet.
Side note: getting a hysterectomy is far and away the best thing I've ever done for myself. I still have ovaries, so hormonal cycles are still a thing, but all that means is I get a twice monthly reminder that at least I'm not fucking bleeding and my god. 12/10, cannot recommend highly enough.
Oh my you're living the dream!! If you don't mind me asking, did you get a hysterectomy because you wanted to or because of medical reasons? If I were ever to get one I'd keep my ovaries as well, for hormonal reasons as you mentioned.
I think, absent medical reasons to remove them, they generally leave in the ovaries because otherwise you'd need to be put on hormone replacement therapy to avoid things like osteoporosis.
Also had a hysterectomy, and it's the best thing I've ever done for myself. It was for primarily medical reasons but also wanted one. I had fibroids, the biggest was 4.5cm at its biggest point on the front of my uterus. It caused my uterus to be enlarged and angry, 3x the size of a normal uterus. The last month before my hysterectomy, I had to pee all the time, was constantly fatigued, and always uncomfortable. I kept my ovaries because there was nothing wrong with them but chose to remove my cervix (HPV positive, despite Gardasil vaccine as a teen, did not want risk of future cervical cancer or potential mini periods). It solved every single problem I had before with my reproductive system.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm so happy reading others' stories about getting hysterectomies on Tildes. I don't know that the cramps I get are enough to allow me to get such a procedure. At this point it doesn't hurt to ask I suppose. If I don't ask it's a "No" anyway, so all I risk is a "Yes".
Ask away!
I got it just because I wanted it. My partner and I are very set on not having kids, and I couldn't come up with a single compelling reason to keep bleeding every month lol. Periods have always been sensory hell for me, and until I got my autism diagnosis I had assumed this was true for everyone... Apparently not! Some people actually kinda enjoy them? Like, it can be a point of contact with their femininity, or can feel cleansing, or any number of other positive things and I just. What? Wild.
So anyway, autistic sensory nightmare + identifying as agender meant the surgeon could call it medically necessary so insurance covered it completely :) (I'm in the US, btw, so that was a very exciting win)
Sorry I've been away from Tildes for a while and didn't get around to replying. Thank you for sharing this experience. Your description of periods being a sensory hell really resonates for me. I fear it'll be an uphill battle for me to get a hysterectomy where I live but your story gives me hope. Next time I go to the gynecologist I'll ask if that's at all an option for me. Maybe I just need to be really annoying about it until they cave....
Hell yeah, be annoying! Advocate for yourself! r/childfree has (had?) a list of doctors in every state who will take a request like this seriously, that's where I found mine. Or, it was every state, before all the reproductive rights shenanigans really settled in.... I really, really hope you can find someone who will listen and help. Good luck, and feel free to ask any other questions that may come up (bearing in mind that I'm not a doctor, of course).
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!!
Turns out my mother was correct, even if not exactly for the right reason, she always insisted there was something bad about tampons for folks with vaginas. If only she were alive to "ah-ha! Told you so!" me right now :')
Hearty recommendation for IUDs if your doctor OK's it. No period products whatsoever and no surgeries involved.
Interesting, do IUDs stop periods altogether? I want to get a hysterectomy not because of contraception, but because I hate having periods and my uterus is literally more useless to me than my appendix. If it had been an option I would have yeeterus my uterus from day 1.
Talk to your doctor for sure. The good thing about IUDs is that if it doesn't work for you or you change your mind, it's only a couple hundred bucks sunk cost, and an extra 20 minutes office check up to take it out.
It stops periods for a lot of people. Some light spotting for some. And no affect on periods in a few. But again, it's minimally invasive (aside from the tiny risk of it embedding into the uterus and or travelling outside of it, thought I should mention it however small the chance. But don't worry that's why a tiny metal wire dangles out of your cervix so you can check every day it hasn't gone on holidays).
The contraceptive aspect of it isn't to be discounted either, in my humble opinion, in a world where sexual violence is a thing......
Sorry to be a ray of sunshine, but as with most things dealing with uterine health, our choices are lead/arsenic, hot sticky napkins, travelling plastic T's, or major surgeries that might do other things to our hormonal systems. Yay.
Edit: oh yeah silicone cups you have to wash don't seem like a bad idea either.
Some good points to consider, thanks for the insights. Given my medical history the chances of falling pregnant are thankfully 0. I am just extremely keen (almost desperate) to get rid of periods forever and not having to think about it. I cannot stress enough how much I loathe having them. Literally the first day I got my period my only thought was "Shit. I'm going to have to deal with this for 50 years". I'm not a fan of taking hormones long term, but maybe the IUD will buy me some time to think about a more permanent game plan.
I would offer a caveat for the “minimally invasive” and “sunk cost” comment.
My girlfriend has a IUD and she describes its insertion as the single most painful experience of her life. She needs to get hers replaced (they have a shelf life, depending on the type, of 7 to 12 years iirc) and has been putting it on hold because of her utter terror of having to go through that again.
There are those who advocate for the application of a topical anesthetic and preemptive pain regimen for the installation, but such is not the norm.
Honestly, patients should, if they have the ability, refuse to get an IUD without appropriate pain management being provided and seek another provider who will do it.
Not everyone has that ability. But if they can numb my arm for a nexplanon implant, they can numb a cervix.
That's a good point. My first attempt, the OBGYN couldn't even get anywhere with it and it was absurdly painful. She told me it was because of excessive cervix scar tissues, which was massively frightening on its own. Went for a second opinion at a different OBGYN just to ask about the supposedly horrific scaring and what I should do from now on, and he was like, what scaring, there's nothing the matter at all. He was just looking during this appointment, but he asked if things look good and and wouldn't hurt if id try the IUD again. I said maybe, being skeptical now. So, he asked me about my job and before I could even get two sentences in, inserted the device without any pain.
So.......I know it's anecdotal but ........man, am I ever glad I went to that second doctor. The replacement ones have been uncomfortable but not awful, Tylenol and a few minutes took care of it.
I'm not dismissing her pain though I totally believe her experience to have been horrible. I'm just hoping her next interaction will be less terrible with some pain management medication beforehand
At this point, she’s interviewing gynecologists to see who is dismissive and who is sympathetic. I’m hopeful she can find someone who understands how traumatized she was by this, and works with her to ensure the removal and replacement isn’t anything like the first one.
There are different kinds of IUDs, some of which stop periods and others which don't, depending on their mechanism of action, fwiw.
I wish I could get an IUD, but the copper ones are out since I already experience pretty severe period cramps, and the hormonal ones are out due to other health complications. Definitely a great option for those who can benefit from it, though.
The copper ones don't prevent periods anyway, only the hormonal ones.
That sucks :( I understand the hormonal ones are really very low dose, but even then I guess eh, that's too bad....
Unfortunately enough, yeah. I had to have one ovary and fallopian tube removed in the past due to cancer, and so now everything is a little off-kilter to say the least... the hormonal stuff doesn't quite work the same way for me as it does for most. But I'm optimistic that the menstrual disc I just ordered will work out well, fingers crossed!
Does anyone have experience with using menstrual cups that would be willing to answer some questions for me? I've tried a few different brands in the past and they always seem to hurt. It feels like they're "sucking" on my cervix when it's already very sore. I've tried the Diva Cup the Saalt cup, and recently the Nixit disc which just doesn't fit inside me at all or catch anything and the ridges hurt every time I move. Am I doing something wrong or do I just need to keep trying different models?
I can try to answer some questions. I have only used 2 brands. I am currently using MeLuna and I like it more than the previous one, LucyCup. The problem with it being uncomfortable could be the size and material. I have a small cervix and the size of many brands is too big. Luckily MeLuna has different diameters and heights and also 2 different materials (one for regular use and one for active/athletic use).
I hadn't heard of MeLuna, thank you!
When you use it, do you typically feel the suction of it? Does that go away/you get used to it, or am I maybe just overly aware of that sort of sensation? I'm sorry, I know that's a really private question to ask a stranger, it's okay if you don't feel comfortable answering.
No worries! I don't mind answering at all. I tend to feel a little suction when I first insert it. But it goes away pretty quickly if it's seated right. If it's still uncomfortable after a few minutes, I know it didn't seat correctly and I'll try again. There are also a couple different ways to fold the cup and I found the punch down method to work best for me (there are pictures on the MeLuna site demonstrating different folding techniques).
Thank you! I'll give MeLuna a try. Maybe a different fit and a better position is all I needed.
Are the holes in the side of the cup clear when you insert it? They are supposed to stop it from creating a vacuum/suction, but they can get blocked easily.
Yep, I always use a sterilized push-pin to clear them, even if it doesn't look like there's anything in there, more because I don't want to insert whatever would be in there into my body than for any other reason. I thought it was supposed to create a vacuum and that's how it keeps any blood from going around the seal?