Should I Get a Menstrual Cup? - Pros and Cons

Hey earth muffins! As I use a natural form of birth control, I am still plagued by my period every month. 😬 While I wouldn’t say it is the highlight of my month, I am grateful that my cycle is almost always regular/predictable using my Femometer. Ever since the start of my journey towards zero waste, I have been toying with the idea of getting a menstrual cup as it has been one of my major failures so far… I still have not made up my mind yet, so I wanted to share my personal pros and cons of using a menstrual cup with you all today! 👍

Pros
~Saves A LOT of waste: Just think about how many pads/tampons you use during one cycle of your period… And then multiple that by 12 months…. And then however many years you have had your period. That is a TON of waste. A menstrual cup is a great reusable alternative that diverts waste from heading to the landfill (and thus, damaging the planet).

~Less money!: While one menstrual cup might seem a bit pricey (they are usually around $40), they last for multiple years… Which will save you $$!

~Needs less attention throughout your period: Instead of having to change your pads/tampons throughout the day, a menstrual cup can stay in for 12 hours. That is a lot of time that you don’t need to worry about any leakages!

~More natural and free from chemicals: Did you know that our periods only smell because of the chemicals in our pads/tampons and the fact that the blood is exposed to the air? Learning that fact made me want to switch to a cup right away, as I am always down for cutting back on the chemicals that are exposed to my body. Plus, smelling nice is always a bonus 😛

~Easy to use: You basically just insert it like you would with a tampon, which makes it easy for anyone to use!

~Easy to sanitize: After each cycle, you can sanitize your cup by boiling it water (but not for too long or the plastic could warp!).

Cons
~Easy to insert and remove?: While I say it is “easy to use” in theory, I am pretty sure it would take me quite a bit of time to figure out how to use it… I am also pretty scared that I might have an issue removing the cup… But, I definitely think that I would be able to learn how to insert and remove it correctly!

~A bit more messy: When you change your menstrual cup, you need to dump out the blood into the toilet, wash it, and then re-insert. This is one of the main reasons I haven’t purchased one yet, as I currently live in a dorm with public restrooms. I think it would be difficult to change/clean the cup if you don’t have your own place with your own bathrooms. 😬

~Can mess with implants/IUDs: While this doesn’t pertain to me (as I use the Femometer as my birth control method!), I thought I would include this for others. Apparently, if you have an IUD or another implant in, a menstrual cup can mess with the strings and can possibly pull it down from where it is supposed to be… Just talk to your doctor to make sure using a menstrual cup is a good idea!

~Hard to find the right fit?: There are a bunch of different types of cups, and some people have a hard time finding one that gives them the right fit… I suggest lots of research beforehand!