r/menstrualcups

Hey guys! I am currently deciding on using a menstrual cup. I first got my period when I was about 12 or 13 and used pads for about 10 years. I was extremely hesitant to try tampons but started using them full time in May 2025 and they changed my life, honestly. I love that I can swim with them (I used to have to turn down going swimming on my period when I wore pads) but still get anxious about the possibility of leaks and TSS is always a concern (albeit rare nowadays). I do use period underwear sometimes as well, usually overnight.

Some information about me that I think might be helpful in figuring out the size/capacity:

25F

Would be a first time cup user

Never given birth or been pregnant

I think I have a heavy flow, at the beginning of my period I need to change ultra tampons every 4 hours or so

Edited to add: Please do not recommend discs, only cups. Still not comfortable with the idea of using a disc.

I've been using cups from allmatters (organicup) since 2017 (have changed them a couple times) and I used to have zero issues with leaking but throughout these past ~2 years or so I've been leaking more and more.

I've reached a point now that I can no longer rely on a cup alone because I bleed so much and it will keep leaking even though I empty the cup several times a day.

I used to be able to only empty the cup every 12 hours but now I bleed more and have to empty it anywhere from 1-3 times extra during the day and sometimes once at night if I go to the bathroom at night. Still I almost bleed through in the morning.

This period (currently bleeding still) I noticed that when I insert it, it kind of feels like the cup goes in sort of more to the left side leaving some space on the right side, which I suppose means it doesnt create the vacum and thus the blood runs out on the right side, basically requiring me to need pads too which I really really hate.

I've tried to see if I could insert it more centered but it does the same thing.

I dont want to go back to tampons but Ive been considering it because I dont feel safe using the cup anymore.

Does anyone have any ideas what might be the cause?

Am I doing something wrong all of a sudden, has my vagina changed shape so that I suddenly need a bigger cup to be able to still get the vacum to hold the blood in?

I haven't birthed any children yet. I gained a lot of weight since I started using the cup but didnt have any issues with the fit or insertion until about 2 years ago.

I've lost a smaller amount of the weight again within this past year and admittedly the leaking has gotten worse in the past 6 months.

Can the weight gain/loss really have affected the fit of the cup this much?

I only lost about 10-15 kg and I'm a tall girl so it isnt even that visible.

My weight was also already stable for several years before I started leaking like this.

Anyone have any advice or insight?

*Edit - I dont take/use any type of hormonal birth control or have an iud

I have been trying to use one for 8 months now, but the problem is that it never fully opens inside (see image), which is fine on days when blood flow is a little, but on the first 3 days it ends up staining. And I want to fully shift to a menstrual cup, pads suck and give rashes, period panties are too expensive and the clothe version of them just feels icky. I can't wear tampons bcz they have to be changed every 8 hours and my college + travel can last upto 11 hrs (and public washrooms suck). I read a lot of posts and saw a bunch of videos too, I have tried both a small and medium sized cup but the problem remains, I try to put it more inside but it just doesn't pop open.

If you know anything that helps with this problem, do comment, it will be appreciated. Thanks :)

Img Link

It seems nasty but it’s very practical. I also heard period blood is the cleanest type of blood or whatever. I guess it’s gotten a bad rap. Can it cause smell?

Hi gals and afab friends,

I've been using a mestrual cup for some years now, but i am currently pregnant (yay!) and thus taking a break from periods.

I have an allmatters (formerly organicup) in the smaller size, and i'm wondering if i'll still be able to use it after having the baby. I'm planning on a c section, but i've read that it doesn't matter and you would still need a larger cup.

What have been your experiences? Did you need a different cup after giving birth? Did your periods change in the months and years after?

Now this is a question i never would have thought i would ask. Hypothetically speaking, if you’ve used a period cup for a few months but need to move up in size, do you actually just throw it away? Or can you sterilize it like you always do and give it to your little sister?🫢 idk it’s supposed to be a sustainable thing yk, but it doesn’t feel very sustainable to throw it away as soon as you need a new size, cuz the cup is still as good as new🤷‍♀️ it sounds very stupid. Its obvs an intimate thing but… idk you sterilize it..?

Do i have to use a completely separate pot to boil my cup in?

I’m starting to think i should get a bigger menstrual cup. I got the smallest size available, as i had never stuck anything up there, not even a tampon. And i wonder; does the hole expand? Cuz to me it almost feels like it has..? I am debating wether i should try a disc this time around. What are your experiences with discs compared to cups?

Whats everyone experience with using a menstrual cup while swimming? I bought one today cause I’m going to a friend’s pool party tomorrow and of course my period decided to start today. I had a feeling it would. My birth control has it coming like every two weeks. Super annoying but anyway I obviously can’t swim if I don’t use a tampon or a cup. Last time I tried a tampon it hurt really bad. I put the cup in and so far i can barely feel it so I’m hoping this is the solution.

So I am a 19F virgin and have a normal period cycle. Last month i tried using tampons for the first time and it was a nightmare for me. I used on the second day of my period and followed all the instructions like the correct position, correct angle, enough lubrication etc. But gosh it only goes for a certain length. After inserting like half of it it doesnt go any further and when i try to do it it hurts as hell. But however i completely pushed it inside but gosh half of it came out right after i loosened the pressure. I do swimming so this is my only choice. In my country only the brand called MARVEL is available and also it comes without an applicator. Is it because of my hymen? Plus Ive been experiencing some kind of pain in my vulva only when im on my periods. Ive haemorrhoids and this pain is similar to the haemorrhoids symptoms but only happen when im on my periods. please give me some advice girls

Just found a menstrual cup inside me from many many days ago. I dont know how long. It smelled bad.

When you think to yourself, "its so cool that my period ended that abruptly", maybe double check.

If I were to get one, would it still have the bible verse inscribed on the inside or is it gone now? I don’t want an unpleasant surprise.

Edit: Not buying the Pixie Cup. Still interested in hearing if they’re still doing this though.

Hello reddit,

I am considering a menstrual cup but I’m not really sure if it’s possible for me. For context about me, even though I’m turning 21 soon, I’m really clueless about the female anatomy and health. It wasn’t taught about in school, and it is a forbidden topic in my family. I also have a lot of shame about being a woman and having female anstomy, so I’ve been avoidant of looking too deeply online because I feel sick just thinking about these things. I learned about periods through an Animal Jam skit on YouTube in middle school, and once I started having a period, I used pads I took from public restrooms and classmates until I got the money to buy secretly buy them. However, with the amount that I go through, they’re really costly and extremely gross to hide them from my family until I can dispose of them. So, when I learned about menstrual cups, I thought this might be an easier solution for me. I know my whole situation sounds a little crazy, but I only have a little longer before I can manage to safely and reliably leave my family, as I rely on them for food and home.

1. I’m not 100% sure where my vagina(?) is. I’ve found it before by prodding around with a tampon, but even with half a bottle of aloe vera on the applicator and general area, I could only manage almost an inch inside before the pain was too much and I gave up. Therefore, I’m not entirely cup if my anatomy will allow for a menstrual disk to be inserted within. How deep does it need to be inserted so that there isn’t discomfort and there is a proper seal? Are they inserted so deep that “digging” is required to remove them? If the stem isn’t accessible to the surface area to pull out, I’m not sure how or if it would be possible for me to fit multiple fingers inside to remove the cup.

2. I

3. am fairly certain I have some sort of female health problem. I know that I should be having them monthly, but I typically only have them six-ish times a year. When they do happen, they’re extremely painful to the point of me vomitting and passing out on the bathroom floor, and the blood pools in the heavy pads so I have to change them constantly. I’m also aware I shouldn’t have so much pain with inserting something small into there, especially when proper lubrication is applied. However, I can’t see a gynocolgist to get anything diagnosed or treated because it isn’t allowed for me, and I’m too ashamed of my lack of knowledge and with my general cowerdice to go through the effort to secretly book an appointment. Therefore, I’m not sure if a menstrual cup is a viable option for me anatomy-wise (if they can make the pain worse somehow??) and if smaller menstrual cups that can fit into me can even hol

d everything.
I’m sorry to spill my whole sob story, and it feels really shameful to acknowledge all of this. I just really want to be able to use a menstrual cup because I think it could mitigate so many of my period problems. Economically, I wouldn’t have to spend so much of my money on heavy-duty pads. Physically, I wouldn’t have to go through so much effort to hide my used pads from my family. Mentally, I wouldn’t have to think so much about the logistics of a period and be reminded of my bleeding anatomy so viscerally.

Yes, I know reddit isn’t the place for medical advice, but I really just want the perspective people with far more experience with menstrual cups than me. Any advice on specific types of menstrual cups, ways to insert/remove with minimal invasion, anything to be wary of, or just anything from people who have had similar problems would be incredibly appreciated. Please don’t shame me for this, I acknowledge I really should know more about my body for my age and shouldn’t be relying on reddit to educate me. I’m slowly trying to learn more online, it’s just a really scary and shameful topic for me I’ve tried to just put in the back of my mind. Thank you to anyone who reads this and/or responds!

I had the exact same panic my first cycle. Stop pulling the stem - it is not a handle. Reach up past the stem to the base of the cup and pinch it firmly.

You are denting the cup slightly to break the suction seal. Once the seal releases - sometimes you hear a soft pop - it slides out easily. Also try bearing down with your pelvic floor first, like pushing it lower before reaching in.

Took me 10 minutes that first time and about 20 seconds now. You are not doing anything wrong.

Please tell me someone can relate. Idk about you all, but for me, part of being a cup user for the past decade or so has always been accepting the insane noises that come with it. Normally they happen when inserting/removing so I'm in a private space like a bathroom and it's not so bad. But for me, whenever I'm having a heavy flow day and I stand up after sitting for a while, often my cup will surprise me with a really cool, fun noise that sounds like giant bubbly farts as the air gets displaced. Often when this happens I know it means my cup is full or getting full and I really need to go empty it. At home it's no big deal but in public it always makes standing up in a quiet room a high risk venture.

Well, today, I had my worst one yet. It's day 4 which for me is usually quite a bit less heavy than the first 3, which means less emptying and is usually fairly chill. I made the mistake of being too complacent. Thought I'd make it to the end of my shift without having to empty like I normally can on day 4. Well, 10 minutes before the end of my shift, I stood up from my desk and my uterus decided to say F You. Immediately, my cup let out the loudest, most insane gurgly fart noise known to man and I felt a massive leak. I immediately froze. I work in a cubicle, with my coworkers all around me. It was dead silent. I know for a fact everyone in the entire office heard it. I was so mortified I couldn't even leave my cube to shuffle to the bathroom. I just stood there trying to figure out how to explain away the noise, but it's not like you can just yell, "Sorry guys! I'm on my period! That was my full Diva Cup, not a fart! I promise!" Now I have to go back and face all my coworkers tomorrow like a normal person with the knowledge that they all most likely think I just ripped huge ass in my cube tonight for all to hear. I hate using a cup sometimes-- this is going to be an intrusive thought that keeps me awake at 3 am for the rest of my life 💀💀💀

I usually use a menstrual cup, but I've used tampons in the past too. With both, I've noticed that after being in the water, once I get out, I sometimes start leaking into the bottom of my swimsuit and end up staining my swimsuit or towel. It seems to happen after I've already gotten out of the water.

I know changing products more often might help, but when you're at the beach, there isn't always a bathroom nearby, so that's not always realistic.

Has this happened to anyone else? Do you have any tips or products that help prevent leaks when swimming at the beach?

So et me evangelise for a sec. I’ve been moving countries every 4 months for tetr college and for the longest time my period was a whole logistical crisis every single time. You land somewhere new, immediately have to hunt down a pharmacy, half the time my usual brand doesn't exist, tampons are weirdly impossible to find in some countries, pads are like 3x the price, and I'm standing there trying to figure out if its brand i use since almost all the script is in arabic or some lang i dont know.

Took a classmates advice and switched to a cup. It is life changing.

The only one edc thing, lives in my bag, works best and no more emergency pharmacy runs, no more paying tourist prices for basics. I legit don't think about it anymore.

Only rough bit was the first cycle figuring out the fold + insertion, took me a couple tries and i almost rage-quit but persisted and ykw now never looking back hehe.

Okay so context I’m 18 and in September of 2024 I was diagnosed with PCOS. Right before I was diagnosed I had a miscarriage. Back story into that(it is relevant to the situation) on July 4th of 2024 me and my ex were doing the do and the condom broke. He got a plan b for me the next day and I had some bleeding for like a day or so a week later. The problem is I kept feeling off and bloated and just not right so I took several pregnancy tests over the course of a few weeks; all of which came out negative until the last one around the 3rd week of August. All that to say I have a history of having negative test for a while. Flash forward to about the first week of April I had a period. A few weeks after that I start feeling off and for about a week I was sick and throwing up with no apparent cause. The first day I threw up that same morning my cousin texted me saying “I had a dream last night that you were pregnant) now at that point in time no one knew about my symptoms or what was going on. I was due to get my period the week of April 17th but completely missed it. So I found that odd. On April 25th a took a test and it came out negative. And two weeks later I got a relatively light period. With my pcos I normally have HEAVY periods the first couple of days and then it lightens out; I also get pretty painful ones too. This one started with brown spotting/discharge and then gradually picked up but was only heavy for a few hours on the 2nd day with tiny clots that all piled together were probably around the size of a penny or dime. Here’s the problem ever since my period I’ve still had the same symptoms(minus the throwing up) and I’m so much more tired now it seems like a need a nap within the first 4 hours of being awake. Some of the symptoms I’m having include night sweats that soak my hair(I have naturally curly hair that I straighten and it’s enough sweat for me to wake up with parts of my hair being curly), ever bad bloating, a pressure feeling or “full” feeling in my lower abdomen, lower back pain like soreness, I’ve had period like cramps off and on, I’ve been having very slow bowel movements, and little to no appetite(which normally only happens before my period), I get really strong whiffs of things like I can smell things far away but only for a few seconds, and I’m also more moody and sensitive than normal. I took a pregnancy test this morning since I heard the morning is the best time to take it and it came out negative. So I’m just wondering if anyone else has experienced something like this and if so what it was?