Menstrual Cups

My Lunette

I've written a page on my experiences with the Lunette. Pick a section below or just start reading at the top and work your way down.

Why Lunette
I decided to buy the Lunette menstrual cup. Why did I choose it over the other cups? For these reasons..

Supporting a newer product can help make it more well known.
I prefer to support smaller companies/countries than larger ones.
The Lunette has only one size which is roughly the same size as the larger cups (and I'm almost 30 and had a (caeserian birthed) child)
Lunette's flat stem seemed more appealing for comfort and cleanliness.
Lunette's smooth inner made it preferable to those with writing inside
The colour of the Keeper and fact it is latex (though I have no known allergy) made Lunette preferable to the Keeper.
It would seem more people I have seen (via internet) have a Diva cup, so this is my way of trying to balance it out a bit more.

That was why I picked the Lunette - but if you look at my Comparisons of Cups I've tried page, you'll see that after trying the other cups, it's preferable to me for other reasons.

How it looks
I bought it through www.kuukuppi.com (and it came with 2 yummy turkish delight type sweets). Comes in a satin-like pouch (though apparently some people's pouches have been blue, so they must change fabrics).

One thing I wanted to point out was the stem.. Unlike the others, the Lunette stem is flat and really flexible. To give you an idea of how flexible, if you put a finger on the top of your ear and press it to your face, that's about how bending the stem feels. Most women seem to find the stems poke them, and not having felt them, I can't say for sure, but I imagine a hollow tube wouldn't be flexible as this flat stem, so I believe the Lunette must be more comfortable in this respect. I find it barely noticable even with the stem not trimmed at all, because it simply moves out of the way if its in a position it would poke you in. Also, because the stem has ridges I imagine its easier to grip than the tube ones. Although I do find it is hard to turn the cup with the stem, as it is too flexible (so I turn the cup by holding the base of the cup).

Shows the side on and front on view of the stem.

You can just make out the word "Lunette" in the first picture (which has some water drops as it had been washed). The writing is on the outside and is slightly indented, which I imagine is easier to clean than raised writing that I believe Mooncup uses.

Observations

I find it easier to insert when reclining - like this on the bed.
I'm able to let it overfill, without leaking. I know it overfills because I break the seal slightly there is massive spillage and still a very full cup.
As the Lunette pamphlet says, it is better to put a piece of toilet paper in the toilet before emptying the cup, because blood *IS* thicker than water and sinks to the bottom and doesn't flush away! (the toilet paper stops that happening)

How I do it
I'm using the "C" fold. I fold the cup in half (with both hands), and hold it in that position with my first finger and thumb - running down the length of the cup, so that my fingertips are at the rim end.

I insert the cup as far as I comfortably can (which is almost all the way in (not including the stem), and slowly release my fingers so the cup opens slowly (otherwise it pops open too quickly). Then I hold the base of the cup (between thumb and finger) and push it up a little further, while also sort of doing a "sucking" motion with my muscles, to pull it up. It then sits so that the end of the stem is just at the entrance to my vagina. I can't twist it with the stem because the stem is too flexible and it just turns leaving the cup where it is :) So I hold the base of the cup and give that a little twist, then use my middle finger to check the cup has opened properly.

I find the best position to put the cup in is when I'm sitting/laying on my side on the bed. (reclining - like this) I've found that squatting opens everything up (so to speak), but my pubic bone then gets in the way. And I find I can't reach as easily when sitting on the toilet (And I'm concerned I'll drop it in). I used to use the other hand to hold my labia open to make it easier. But with more practice I can easily put it in on the toilet now - though reclining is still my favoured position.

When getting it out, I think I use my middle finger just under the rim and push in slightly to break the seal, then I pull the cup down (holding the base with thumb, index and middle finger) halfway (until the base is poking out of my vagina) and I put my finger up near the rim to break the seal again (since its re-sealed by that point) and basically pull it out still fully open (I tip it sideways a bit to get one side out before the other)

I clean the cup after I take it out by giving a quick wipe with toilet paper, then rinse with water. At the end of my period I clean it with soap then put it away. At the begining of my period I did boil it for a minute or so, but now just use soap (I use a natural soap, as normal supermarket soap is chock full of chemicals I don't want on my outer skin, much less inner skin!

First thoughts ("dry run")
I filled it with water and was really surprised that no water leaked out the airholes..... I'd always wondered about that.

The first go.... folded it in the "c" fold.... was pretty hard to keep folded (have I got weak fingers?)..... Wondered a bit about my long fingernails damaging the cup......

It accidentally (prematurely) popped open while I was putting it in which gave me a bit of a surprise! So I took it out and tried again (holding it tighter!). I couldn't get it in very far (short fingers, long fingernails and doing it at a weird angle I think), but from what I've read it sits low anyway. The stem (untrimmed) would be just inside my inner labia, though when I went to check it about 20 mins later it had ridden up a bit higher.

From what I could feel it opened up ok, but my fingernails made it a little hard to check and I couldn't really get enough grip on the stem to be able to turn it... especially since the stem is *very* flexible, so I found turning it impossible. But it felt fine. Of course I won't know how well it sealed until I actually have something to test it with.

I was aware it was there, but not in an uncomfortable way, just like how you can feel clothing or something... More so while it was in the lower position than when it was higher (but that could also have been because I got used to the feel) Occasionally I felt the stem, but because it's flat and really flexible it's not uncomfortable (I was just momentarily aware of it), it just moves out of the way, So I won't bother trimming it.

The first time I went to the loo was a bit weird. I've worn maybe 3 tampons in the last 10 years (I'm a cloth pad gal), so its not something I'm used to. My logical side was telling me its not going to get filled up with wee, and my muscles will keep it in, so it won't fall out into the toilet..... but part of me was worried I'd end up fishing around in the toilet for it or something bad happening, but no problems.

I was expecting to have to go through all kinds of stuffing and unstuffing to get it in/out, but it seemed easy...(not "I can park a mac truck in there" easy... but not like a "square peg in a round hole" thing...) But It would have been nice to know if it was in properly so I'd know when it comes to actually trying it.

I wore it for several hours and took it out before bed. I was a little.. I guess shocked... when I took it out, I suppose I was expecting it to be all clean and dry as it was when I put it in. I'm quite fine with bodily secretions, but it took me by surprise to see the milky white secretions on (and in) it.... but it was still pretty clean.

My first proper test!
I want to do this as informatively as possible.... and I wanted to show people who have never used a cup what it actually looks like when its been used. Because I was really surprised at how clean it was, and how clean I was!

So be warned..... I've put this on a different page because it contains images of real menstrual blood - I don't bleed blue liquid... If that bothers you, don't look at the page. If you want to see, please carry on....

My first actual go with the Lunette