How To Insert & Remove a Menstrual Cup

Hey earth muffins! If you are looking to zero waste your period, a menstrual cup is a great option! Last year I was looking into the pros and cons of menstrual cups and wrote a whole post on that. One of my major cons was that I wasn’t sure if it would be easy to insert and remove… Now that I have been using the Lena cup (affiliate link) for a few months, I thought I would share my tried and true tips for inserting and removing cups. I hope these recommendations help any of you if you are deciding to switch too! 😊

How to Insert Your Menstrual Cup

Before you even think about putting it in your body, please sanitize it! 😬 I find that letting it float around in boiling water for a few minutes does the trick. Don’t worry about melting it; most cups are made from medical grade silicone! This is awesome because you can keep them clean AND they will last for many years.

After it is sanitized, it is time to insert. 🎉 When I researched menstrual cups, I found it strange that this step was not explained in detail. “Fold and insert” didn’t really help me when I was trying this for the first time! I was a pads girl and barely ever used tampons; so, the idea of shoving this cup down there was definitely nerve-racking. My top tip – find the fold that works best for you! Because I never really used tampons, I started with the “punch down” fold. This fold results in the smallest area for insertion:

But, after trying this out, it definitely didn’t work that well for me. The cup must create a seal when inserted; this fold wasn’t allowing the cup to fully open for me. Don’t be afraid to try many folds!! I personally like the “C” fold, but there are SO many options to try out. You could even get creative and make up your own. 😆

Other Insertion Tips

Even with a perfect fold, you might still have trouble inserting the cup. If you need a bit of lubrication, I suggest running water over the cup before you put it in. It is actually a great idea to insert your cup in the shower, as you will be nice and “wet” and relaxed.

It is definitely a smart idea to know your own body before putting the cup in too. If you aren’t sure where your cervix is or what angle is the best for insertion, use your fingers to figure it out! Insertion is SO much easier if you know the correct angle and how far up you need to push the cup. Every cervix is different, which means cup placement differs for each person. Some people don’t need to insert them very high, while others need to put them a bit higher. If you inserted the cup and it feels uncomfortable or hurts, then you didn’t put it in the right place. Take it out and try again! 🙃 I have found that after I insert the cup, it helps to use my Kegel muscles to “pull” the cup up into the correct space.

How to Remove a Menstrual Cup

Once the cup is in, you can forget about it for up to 12 hours! I find it amazing that for $25 you can get a menstrual cup to use for years instead of having to throw away pads/tampons every few hours (affiliate link). 😍 So awesome for the planet and your wallet! After getting my cup in for the first time, I was definitely super nervous about getting it out…. But it actually isn’t hard at all…

First, don’t be alarmed if the cup shifted or moved higher throughout the day. Wash your hands and then insert a finger until you can feel the stem of the cup. Do NOT pull on the stem – the cup is basically suctioned inside of you, so that will be painful. Instead, grab the base of the cup, squeeze gently to release the seal, and then pull the cup out. Remember that it will have blood in it, so I suggest removing it in the shower until you master getting it out without spilling anything. 😆

If you are having trouble locating the cup, don’t panic! There is nowhere the cup can go, it might just be higher than you expect. I have found that you can push down with your Kegel muscles and this can literally push out the cup… Try pushing and then see if that makes it easier to locate!

Overall, the first time I used a menstrual cup I thought that it would be easy to insert and hard to remove. But, I found the opposite. For me, it took a lot of tries to insert for the first time. Don’t get frustrated – it is a new experience and takes time to learn! It feels so exciting when you finally get it in! 🙂 I am still learning the ins and outs of menstrual cups, but the Lena cup has been a great purchase (affiliate link)! I’d highly recommend it and (if anyone is interested) would love to write a full review on it at some point. Do your part and switch to a cup!

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