Pixie Cup Menstrual - (Small)

I had just switched from using pads to trying out a menstrual cup. I was a bit nervous trying it for the first time, but surprisingly insertion was super easy and it fits well!! I’ve had no leaks and I am so happy with the pixie cup :) I highly recommend this product.

So I heard about menstrual cups on some blogger's site a year or so ago and thought "no, there's no way it's that great." Fast forward to now, I'm about to embark on a three month trip abroad with limited luggage space and a fear of not finding compatible period products (for example, in Greece it is hard to find tampons with an applicator). So I start timidly exploring the world of menstrual cups. All the reviews are great, and after spending five nights in my cart in a bachelorette style competition with other cups like Diva or Luna, the Pixie cup is purchased. When it arrived, I wasn't on my period, but I decided to put it in to test it and make sure it was comfortable. Like many of the reviews said, getting it in the first time was somewhat challenging. But once I had it in, I didn't even feel it! I'm also a dancer, so I left it in for rehearsal- the true test for any tampon or hygiene product (splits, jumps, kicks... you get the picture). Again, I didn't even feel it, and it stayed in place! No slipping half out or anything! Taking it out was a little difficult, but again, practice helps. Finally, my period arrived, and it was time to trust the cup. It was amazing! I went all day without worrying about Toxic Shock Syndrome, leaks, or discomfort! I will say that it took a couple (messy) attempts to perfect removing the cup without making my bathroom look like a murder scene, but I got the hang of it eventually. I was worried leaving something in so long would cause a smell, but there's none! Just a few tips: If you have a narrow vagina, I suggest using the fold where you press one side of the cup down with your finger and then use your other fingers to press the sides together- I think they call it the triangle fold. Either way, it makes the cup skinnier and is a lot easier to put in. Also, I was really confused about how to seal/check if the cup was sealed, because the directions said run a finger around the rim of the cup. While I thought that meant the very top, I've found you can check my running your finger just above the stem to feel for any dents in the bottom of the cup- there shouldn't be any if it is sealed right. I love that Pixie Cup donates a cup to women in need with each purpose, that the business is small, and that it is inexpensive but not cheaply made! I promptly bought another cup a week later so I had one to keep in my purse and one to keep at home. It's also helpful because you can gauge how much blood you're losing each day more accurately. I have anemia so if I notice a heavier flow I have to take some precautions, and the cup helps me regulate that. All in all, I would tell anyone who is skeptical to give this a try! It is environmentally friendlier than pads or tampons, more reliable, more comfortable, and great for things like camping or traveling. I don't have to worry about taking my purse with me everywhere or wondering if I've packed enough products! 10/10 would recommend!

I can't believe I wasted a quarter of a century of money and plastic, buying pads and tampons. At a rate of a box each of pads and tampons per month, at $7/box for organic products, I am paying this back in one cycle. How's that for a silver (panty)lining to having your period? Bought this in a size Small after shelling out for a size 2 Lunette Cup last month. I had purchased a size 2 per the package instructions which really market based on if you've had kids or not. Since I had two rapid labors, I figured I'd need the "support" of the size 2 (you ladies who've also blown out a darling little bowling ball, take note!). However, the cup material was a little on the firm side, and turns out a size 2 was just a bit too wide and long for my body. The whole insertion process made me queasy, and removal with a little bit of suction pressure felt VERY odd (to the point that I got dizzy all over again, and I am not usually a dizzy kind of gal). Despite cutting off most of the tab handle, the size 2 Lunette still felt like it was poking out. I persisted in wearing it because even with the flaws, it was still miles better than wearing a tampon on a sandy beach. Plus I developed a really weird neurosis about bleeding while swimming in the ocean. It somehow felt more shark repellent than a tampon. Ha! Side note: if you take this in a carry-on, be prepared to be asked by airport security if you have "anything dangerous in your bag." Then be prepared for a lovely experience in which a dashing young male security agent searches your bag, finds your cute little satin cup pouch AND INSPECTS IT. I have to hope they added that incident to the Things That Look Scary to Men TSA list. My consolation is: if you don't get your cup searched at the airport, my mortification played a small part in airport security education. ;) It is worth the aforementioned public mortification to be the happy wearer of such an awesome product. In contrast to the Lunette 2, Pixie Small is made of a slightly more flexible material, which I personally like. I also like the soft pink color, because if I have to endure heavy bleeding, breakouts, mood swings, and generally just feeling like a sweaty cow 6+ days out of every month, I'm gonna do it wearing something CUTE. Also please consider: blood is red. Cup is pink. Looks *way* less gross when you deal with its contents. SIZE/FIT: A visit to my gyno confirmed that FIT IS BASED ON YOUR INTERNAL SHAPE, NOT PREGNANCIES OR TYPE OF LABOR...so if you have a low cervix for example, consider purchasing the shorter cup. For me, flexibility is an equal factor, because though this cup is only mm shorter than the size 2 Lunette, the material feels more like a part of my body. I did note that the Lunette size 1 is supposedly made of a more flexible material. Whatever the case, I find the Pixie easier to bend and insert and I did it on the first try without feeling queasy at all. It's not so bendy that it feels like it would give way; just enough that it "adapts" easily. I don't have enough experience using these yet to speak to capacity, or long term durability, but I wanted to write this review in case other women like me are not sure what size to buy. I would *highly* recommend starting with the smallest size/length, and use that as your light flow cup if you decide a bigger one is worth a try. I think the only con is that yes, you have to deal with your period blood. And that grosses a lot of people out. I find it way less gross than dealing with a stinky tampon, or a leaky pad, but still: if you are blood averse, you might want to have a backup option and try this on your lightest flow day to get used to it. Also, you might get stopped in airport security by a hot TSA agent. (Maybe that's a marketing bonus?) Bottom line: Spend the money. Buy some period snacks with the money you'll save.

Tried out a cup a few years ago and haven't gone back to tampons or pads ever. Love the Pixie Cup and the customer service team is incredibly helpful about finding your fit and taking care of any problems however minor.

========= UPDATE: ========= IT’S ALL IN THE FOLD! I stand corrected, so I will change my previous rating and chalk it up to my lack in knowledge of other folding techniques useful for tight or strong pelvic canals. I learned that there are several other cup folding techniques out there and found that that tulip fold (aka 7 fold, I think) works for me! Since I am new to this cup thing, I was under the impression that the two (2) cup folding diagrams, located in Pixie’s instructions, were the only existing techniques. So thankful that my pride won’t allow me to accept defeat so easily. Hopefully, I will get the hang of this folding process. With the tulip fold, it took only one attempt to comfortably insert the cup AND I DIDN’T FEEL THE BATTERY OF THAT HARD RIM. Also, didn’t have to rotate the cup to get it to open. All I did was give it a little downward tug and I instantly heard the cup pop as it opened to seal into place. I also found that laying down on my back with legs up during insertion is a great way to get the cup to pop open and seal every time (but this is only useful while I'm at home). While in the restroom, doing a track runner stance (which pretty much look like I'm doing lunges) works to get the cup to open for me as well. (I will leave my initial review up because maybe someone will have or is having all the same issues). ====================== I know that all our bodies are different, so with that being said: What doesn't work for my anatomy, may work for yours. This review may or may not be of use to you. I spent the first 2 days of my menses trying to get things to work with this cup. This is the first ever time I've purchased and have chosen to use an alternative to pads and tampons; this cup is making me want to throw the towel in all together! I will keep this review as PG as possible because I have no desire to be too personal or too graphic about my lady parts on here--so, here goes: First off, the rim of Pixie's silicon cup is too hard! I'm in my late 30s and so I have no problem with relaxing those muscles on command. It is impossible not to feel the brute prodding from the hard surfaced-rimming during insertion. I spent 45 mintues trying to get the cup in without the stem hanging out, so I ended up trimming it but it still hangs! Because the cervix changes altitude/elevation/position--whatever you choose to call it--someone experiencing a low cervix (or people with low cervices) may likely have issues of the stem hanging out of the vaginal canal. I went to bed the first night wearing the cup but the constant presence of the low sitting cup made me get up in the middle of the night to remove it. I felt tons of pressure while removing the sealed cup; although, I admit that the wide stem kept the cup upright so that no spills were experienced. My experience with this cup was far from comfortable due to the sensations of both the base and stem being ever present at the entry of my canal. Also, this cup would only seal if it was sitting in an uncomfortably low position! My cervix had moved a bit higher on the second day, so I was able to get the cup and stem completely in but it remained folded and it would not open to seal no matter how much I rotated or wiggled it. I did a full 360 rotation and the thing would only open and seal once I pulled it near my opening for removal. I have strong pelvic floor muscles, so even a very hard rim wasn't strong enough to get this cup to unfold--I can only imagine the pain I would had to endure had I bought a large cup. I will just look for a cup that has softer, more pliable, silicon material. I am only disappointed because this cup didn't work for me--I am not disappointed with the brand. Just too bad that I couldn't be one of the many satisfied Pixie cup users. My search continues.