r/MenstrualDiscs

For me, pooping with a menstrual cup makes me scared it’s gonna pop out along w the 💩. But since discs sit higher up, do you not get that issue? Debating on wether i should switch to disc cuz i really want to!!

I use a menstrual cup currently but i am debating getting a disc. To be really honest with you i’ve only been emptying my cup twice a day…🫢 When i wake up and before bed. But i also have a pretty light flow. I clean it with cup-safe soap at least once a day. I get some leakage once in a while. How often do you get leakage with a disc? Is it a lot? I know the disc is self-emptying, but how often are you actually taking it out to clean during a period? I assume you can’t just leave it there for a week, though that would be reaaally nice! It goes further up than the cup, and that really scares me, how is it to take in and out? Is that process more uncomfortable than with the cup? I’m guessing you also boil it the same way as with the cup? Which is your fav?

This might be TMI but I really need advice since tampon prices are so expensive and every company keeps redesigning them to be worse and worse. I have a Flex disc and it made me extremely constipated, to the point where I had cramps for three days, when usually my cramps are only one day long. It literally stretched me out to the point where it closed up my rectum. It made me extremely uncomfortable and I know that isn’t healthy at all, so I stopped using it. Since then my periods have been way less painful, but I hate having to rely on tampons because the brand I used (Cora) recently changed their design and now it’s unusable.
Are there disk sizes smaller than the Flex one? Or maybe some made with softer material? And how safe is it to have a piece of silicone lodged up there for 5-7 days out of each month? I just don’t know what to do. Having a womb is so much trouble.

Hi all. A little about myself, I have tried Flex disposables and Lumma High and both of them pressed against my bladder with Flex being unbearable. This led me to Lumma med which I have been using for almost a year now. The problem I have with Lumma is that I don’t like its tacky material and it takes me a little digging to get it out (the string felt uncomfortable so I cut it off).

Now I’m highly contemplating trying Saalt regular out. But should I switch just because of the tacky material? Or should I keep using Lumma because it works for me?

This might be dumb but would like really any insight. Thank you :)

Hey guys,

I’m interested in trying a disc but don’t really know where to start.

I want to move away from tampons as inserting and removing them starts getting painful around day 3/4.

I have previously tried the Moxie cup and really didn’t like it. I had constant leaks, it made my bladder feel weird and my cramping was really bad. I also struggled to get it to suction, I would think I had it suctioned and then at some point within the next hour I would feel it suction suddenly and the sensation would make me feel nauseous.

I think I might also have a low cervix as I had to trim the stem on the Moxie cup and even then could still feel it even after pushing it in as far as I could get it.

I’m in Australia so it looks like my most accessible option might be the Hey Zomi disc available at Woolworths. Does anyone recommend this one or have any others that are easy to find at the shops?

Thank you!

hi all,

i'm between these two for someone with a very low cervix. for reference i can only use the smallest tampons from OB and I still feel it.. for cups I use a meluna short but the suction gives me a slight cramp and pressures my bladder as well.. so I think a softer disc would be better.

does anyone know which of the two is softer?

edit: im not considering the lumma because I'd have to import it, so it would take super long to arrive and i'd have to pay import duties etc

Tips for Beginners

Inserting the Disc
● Apply some lubricant.
● Insert it slowly and gently.
● Fold the disc until it’s about the width of a tampon tip.
● Aim it toward your tailbone (back toward your buttocks), not straight up.
● Once it’s fully inside, use your index finger to push it a little farther toward your tailbone, then tuck the front rim up behind your pubic bone.
● Make sure the pull tab (tail) is also completely tucked inside. It shouldn’t stick out, as this can cause discomfort.

Removing the Disc
● Bear down gently, as if you’re having a bowel movement, until the pull tab becomes easier to reach.
● Pull it out slowly.
● Once part of the disc is out, pinch the front of the disc to make it narrower, similar to how you folded it during insertion.
● Keep pinching while slowly pulling until the disc is completely removed.

At the Start and End of Every Cycle
● Soak the disc in hot water for 3–5 minutes to sanitize it

I just want to know if this has happened to anyone else 😅 Am I delusional and I put the bloody thing in wrong or has it actually just back flipped inside me vag? I was quite tired when I put it in but I could definitely feel the tab once it was in so I don't think it's just in my head... I will be wearing my period pants for the rest of the day for fear of this happening again while I'm at work :( This is perhaps another sign that I need to try another disc, at least for days 1 and 2 and I need some help pleeeaase!

Extra info and some questions as a first-time disc person:

I wear it with 1 loop (2nd loop cut off). My cervix is low, when I wore it with 2 loops and even flipped it was hanging out me vag and very uncomfortable.

It likes to spinaroony a bit which can make it hard to get at sometimes but isn't a massive problem as I can normally find the loop with a good rummage. Does anyone else experience this with hello disc? Is there a disc that doesn't do this or is better equipped with features that make it easier to remove?

I also notice that on day 1-2 of my cycle the ol vag is preeetty sensitive and perhaps hello disc is not the right size/shape for when I feel like this? In general, I don't think the hello disc can be fully round in my fornix, I think it is more like a slightly squished circle so maybe that is contributing to the discomfort on day 1?
Any recs for discs that might work better for when everything is more sensitive? My flow is maybe light-ish/medium, sometimes heavy... whatever that means. Also have pmos so nothing is ever the same during my cycles.

This is my first disc and my 4th cycle while using it, I do really like it but I don't want to get caught out again. I like period pants but want to eliminate the gush feeling, which is why I like using a disc. I've never used cups (the suction and length of the dangly bit scare me) and tampons give me cramps and don't seem to work with my anatomy.

I have looked on period nirvana but find all the charts quite overwhelming so thanks in advance for any wisdom and potential solidarity!

I have the Lumma M and I've been using it for two cycles now, and overall it's been great! It goes in easily and for the most part, I haven't had any leaks. This month though I did notice a leak on my heaviest day. The basin of the disc always seems to stay crumpled, so I don't think I'm getting the full capacity. Has anyone who likes the Lumma switched to a similar disc with a firmer basin? The lumma has been perfect for me aside from the crumpled basin!

I am a first time disc user. I ordered the hello disc after seeing many positive reviews and taking the peroid nivana quiz.

I tried it for the first time on the first day of my cycle. I inserted it and tucked it in behind my pelvic bone. I was only able to keep it in for about an hour before removing it due to discomfort. I did remove and re-insert the disc once during this time frame to see if I may have inserted it incorrectly the first time.

The discomfort and pain were gone once I removed it and switched to a pad. The discomfort felt like a constant dull cramp which I never usually have on my periods. I also felt a stronger level of a painful cramping like feeling during and shortly after removing the disc.

I am wondering if I am not inserting it correctly? Or is it possibly too large or frim?

Thank you for any helpful insights!

I’m on my 3rd cycle using the moonthlies menstrual disc with the pull tab - size medium (purchased from Amazon). I love the disc so much compared to pads and tampons. I inserted it correctly the first time and was shocked at how easy it was, but I spent 2 years researching menstrual discs so I think that may have helped with understanding the pelvic bone tuck. I don’t ever want to go back to pads and tampons. My only issue with the disc, was the first time I used it, I had irritation at the opening of my vaginal canal. I thought this may have been from the wipes I was using. During my 2nd cycle, it happened again! So I think I finally figured out the issue. I wasn’t using lube to insert the disc because I thought I was already naturally lubricated enough. I was so wrong and having to wait an extra week to heal before I could even think about being intimate with my partner again sucked. Don’t be like me, use the lube! I went overboard today and think I used a little too much and feel like the disc might just shoot out of me lol. This is trial and error for sure but I’m hoping that this time I got it right!

I also am trying out a toy cleaning wash called Shine by Sliquid, made for woman by a woman owned company. I used it with a small toothbrush and it scrubbed out the brown stain on the outside of my disc before I boiled it. I am so grateful to have found this reddit community because I probably would have still been using tampons and hating my life during my bleeds.

I tried a disc for the first time in my life (one of the Flex disposable discs) and had trouble getting it tucked behind my pubic bone. I’ve used a cup for one cycle and I didn’t have any issues with insertion, but the feeling of it bothered me, so I thought that a disc might be less invasive. I tried one of the disposable discs that I was given along with my cup. Insertion was easy and I could feel my pubic bone, but the disc felt like it wasn’t staying there/popping open. I could push the disc behind my pubic bone, but it would immediately slip back out of position and just sort of hang vertically inside of me. Obviously this resulted in a LOT of leakage. Is this an anatomy issue? A sizing issue? Any help is appreciated because I really want to make discs work!

I starting using the Saalt menstrual disc during my last cycle and fell in love with it. I saw a comment that a lady self-empties the disc and I was curious. Can I self-empty and not take it out every 12 hours? Or should I take it out regardless and rinse it and put it back in? What's the difference?

For the context, I am 34F, I used menstrual cups for like 5 cycles, then I switch to disc as I have to change the cups every 2-2.5 hours on my heaviest day plus insertion seems a little bit difficult for cups.

So, after switching to disc for last 2 cycles, I have to change it every 3.5-4 hours. even if I auto dump, it start leaking after 15-20 minutes, which makes me even more conscious about leaking.

Am I wearing it correctly, as I know it is not leaking, but it has larger capacity (disc - 55ml, for my cup-21ml), how to know it is fully opened and maximise its capacity and how do you all manage auto dump for like 10 hours, don't you leak after sometime?

Hi all,
Pre kids I used a small sensitive Luna cup that I loved. With the rise of discs though I’d like to explore that.
I am in my early 30s, rarely exercise, have given birth vaginally, average to high cervix, and now my period has returned after almost 3 years 😭

The period nirvana quiz suggested hello disc, but I’ve been reading it might be too firm and perhaps the Zomi is better?
Day 2 of period and trying my cup, so can’t comment on how it sits post kids yet sorry.

Open to any suggestions, thanks!

This is my first period using the Lumma disc. I’ve perfected insertion but now my only concerns are with cleaning. Am I doing it wrong? I have super sensitive skin so I use a body wash that only has 10 essential ingredients in it and have been using that to clean my disc after removal. Oil free, sulfate free, paraben free, fragrance free. It felt fine the first 2 or 3 days, but now the rim and inside of the basin feels gritty every time I clean it. There is also significant brown staining, which I’ve read should develop over several months, not the very first use. I’ve done some googling and it says if it feels gritty that it should be replaced, but it’s my first time using it and I do not want to spend another 30 some dollars to buy a new one… any tips or advice? How do you remove the stains if able..? I know it’s not dirty (hopefully) but the look of it makes me feel dirty 😭 ugh. Is it really that worth it to spend the $15 on disc wash..? Help pls!

I’ve tried three different brands of menstrual discs so far, and I think I’m done with them. What a waste of money. I’m going back to tampons and pads.

The first disc I tried was the Hello Disc. It was a nightmare to insert. I could feel it unfolding inside me, and it hurt.

Since I had trouble with insertion, I decided to get a smaller disc. I bought the Saalt Small, along with the Pixie Disc Applicator to help with insertion. The disc went in perfectly, but the problem came when it was time to remove it. I have a prominent pubic bone, and the disc tucked itself too securely behind it. It was a nightmare to get out.

Frustrated, I decided to try a disc with a removal string. I bought the Shordy Small. Unfortunately, it put slight pressure on my urethra, and I ended up having to see a doctor to treat the first UTI I’ve ever had.

After trying three different discs, I’m so fucking done.

I've had my reusable Flex Disk for about a month now, this was my first period using it. Before this period though I had disposable ones I was using. I've noticed it when removing my disk it seems like its moving up more. When I used the disposable ones it would get into place and stay in that place for the whole 12 hours. When I used my reusable ones it seems like the rim goes higher up making it harder to grab. Instead of being able to pull it out I have to work my finger into the inside of the disk and pull it out from the inside. . . If that makes any kind of sense. I really like using disks but I can afford to pay a pack of disposable ones a month. Is this a sizing issue on my disk? Is this normal? I'm still learning and really want to make it work.