lunettePeriod Cup – Menstrual Cup with 12h Leak-Free Comfort - Soft 100% Medical-Grade Silicone - Eco-Friendly Pad & Tampon Alternative Reusable for 10 Years - One-for-One Donation – Size 2 Blue

I have to start by admitting that I was always one of those people who thought the idea of a menstrual cup was a little gross but after seeing a couple of videos on YouTube with people saying how much better they felt for it (less cramps and side effects!), I decided it was worth a go at least. I'm trying to reduce the amount of plastic I use little by little and when you read how many disposable sanitary products one woman uses in her life, this is a real way to make a big difference.Having used this for one cycle, I'm already so glad I gave it a try! I now see exactly why everyone was talking about how much more comfortable, easy and cleaner it felt to us the cup over disposable products and I don't think I will ever go back!The things I personally like are:- The comfort - honestly I can't even feel it most of the time! Unlike a tampon which is solid and static, the silicone of the cup moves with your body so that you would hardly know it was there.- The cleanliness - this was something that I never expected from using a cup - I feel cleaner than I ever have during a period and almost forgot I was having it at times!- The ease of use - another surprise - it took me around a day or two to get used to using the cup but now I have, it's really easy to use and very quick to empty and replace!- The peace of mind - cups can be worn for up to 12 hours and as they aren't absorbing like a tampon, the risk of TSS is extremely low. No more worrying if you sleep for over 8 hours!A few tips that I have learnt along the way are below, I won't go into detail but if you are easily grossed out by these things, be warned!- Before you buy a cup, find out which one will be best for you. I love the Lunette, it isn't too large and it is soft silicone, it also comes with a nice pouch to keep it out of the way when not in use but there are a lot on the market and everyone is different. Look up the "Put a cup in it" quiz online - if you answer a few questions, they will recommend the best one for you. (Having said that, all of my friends who have done the quiz since I told them how good this is all ended up with Lunette as well!)- Have a good read of the instructions when the cup arrives. There are also some great videos on the Lunette YouTube page with some tips as well as some really useful honest advice from other vloggers on there about cups in general and the Lunette. Watch them before you give it a go and it will help way more than words alone do! In particular, Sarah Tran's page on YouTube was a real help to me with her tips!- In terms of getting the cup in, I find the "C fold" the best for me as it seems easiest to hold but there are other folds, some are bigger, some are smaller. I had a couple of occasions where I couldn't get the cup to "pop" open but found that if I stood up fully and then bent back down, it had sorted itself so perhaps that was something about the angle I was stood at (squatting!)- Once inserted, Lunette recommend feeling around the edge of the cup to ensure it is fully opened. This ensures that you have a proper seal on it. I have checked every time and have had no leaks whatsoever but I definitely wouldn't have noticed the not popping open issue mentioned above if I hadn't done that check and I would have ended up with leaks.- I have had spotting once or twice immediately after emptying. This seems to essentially just be the bits not caught while you are changing but honestly it's such a small amount, I wouldn't worry.- Changing in the shower is a game changer! You can just empty away down the drain and obviously everything is all clean in the shower!- Once you have watched a couple of videos online, you will see a lot of people mentioning cutting the stem of the cup off for comfort if it protrudes. I found that the stem didn't protrude but that it was uncomfortable and caused almost an itchy feeling - I think perhaps it is the ridges which cause the uncomfort. I was concerned about needing the stem to remove the cup so didn't want to cut it all off at once so I did it in stages, cutting first above the first stem ridge but finding it still uncomfortable. In the end I cut to just above the highest stem ridge. That gives a little bit of stem to grab if needed and actually now makes the cup so much more comfortable - to the point that I can't even feel it most of the time!!- Removing the cup was the point I was most concerned about and felt like would be the most "icky". In terms of actual removal, the best tip I can give you that I found online and which works brilliantly (apologies if TMI!) is to squat down and to push as if you are going for a number 2! The muscles will then do a lot of the work for you and bring the cup lower so that you can easily grab the bottom of it. Remember that there is a seal on it and not to just pull it out as that will be very uncomfortable! Bring it out by pinching the base and moving it back and forth, the seal will break and come out. As for the "icky" factor - bizarrely it feels cleaner than a pad or tampon to me! You are only ever touching the outer cup where there is no blood and you pour it away and wash immediately! I've never had the cup more than even a third full when I've emptied it so it's not like it's full to the brim!- The amount you empty the cup will depend on your body and how often you need it. I find that I can empty in the morning, then again when I get home from work (avoiding the awkward changing in work toilets!) and then again just before bed. You can wear for up to 12 hours as long as the cup isn't too full but if you do need to change at work or in public, disabled or baby changing toilets are great for having a sink in them (obviously if there are disabled people or a parent and child waiting for those facilities, I'm not recommending going ahead of them!)- Finally on cleaning - there are cleaning products available through Lunette and other brands. Having done some research these are not an essential product, just an extra if you want them. It is perfectly fine to simply boil the cup between cycles and to rinse in hot water when emptying. That said, I have seen that the Lunette wipes can be used in place of boiling the cup between cycles and so I will likely buy a pack of those for when I am on holiday and boiling isn't an option.

Ladies, I really recommend this product. But....there are some things you should know, please allow me to explain and then you can make a well informed choice....So, it arrived (a day earlier than expected, thank you Amazon) and actually right on time for TOM. I'm not ashamed to say I was pretty excited about trying it out, I'd been psyching myself up to it for a while now, really inspired by the environmental credentials and of course the long term cost save. It comes with a little instruction manual (read it. No, really), and it's own fabric carry case which is a nice touch. I bought the model 1 which is apparently smaller and softer than the model 2. The first instruction is to sterilise it by boiling it for 20 minutes. Childish me found it kind of amusing to see a "feminine hygiene product" bubbling away in the pan next to my spuds and carrots. Not the same pan, what do you take me for!? My mom invented the second instruction that isn't in the manual "best let it cool down first or you won't be laughing!" common sense, sure, but it's a fair point!So, all sterilised it's time for its maiden voyage. I struggle with even the smallest of tampons, so I wasn't expecting this to be easy. Plus the ladies on YouTube videos (there are a LOT) all say this takes practice, so not to expect perfection the first time you try. There are a few options for how to fold it to make it easier to insert, I went for the C fold. It isn't actually that easy to hold in that shape as the cup wants to naturally spring open (spoiler alert, you want it to do that!) but actually it was way easier to pop on in than I expected. I had to sit on the bathroom floor the first time, but it was in, and not uncomfortable at all. I strut out of the bathroom, feeling like champ, I have nailed it. Seems I have the knack of sticking things up my....wait, don't comment.Throughout the day, no leaks, no discomfort, no pressure on my bladder making me pee like a racehorse with a UTI. I'm loving it. I've told my mom, my best friend, and my sister, like I'm a pioneer in periods. This. Is. A. Game. Changer.But before you rush out and buy one girlies, it wasn't total perfection.So 12 hours later (yes, 12. I had forgotten I was even on my period) I have to remove it.It has a little stem on the end to aid this process, the instructions are to gently grab the stem until you can hold the bottom of the cup, release the vacuum, pull it out, empty the contents, easy as pie, right? Wrong! I go to grab the stem, when I put it in the stem was flush with the "opening", but now it was nowhere to be found. My new found period pal had gone for a wander up there. 2-4 inches the average vaginal canal, really huh, well I was all up in there and I couldn't even touch it! Trying desperately to relax I started to wonder what else I might find in there, my spare car keys, that fiver I lost last week...maybe even the radiator bleed key? Eventually I touched the stem to my great relief. Getting much purchase on it was difficult, but finally I could reach the base of the cup. I tried to release the vacuum by squeezing it back into the C fold as instructed, but to no avail. I daren't let go at this point lest it be sucked back into the anatomical version of Mary Poppins' handbag. I had no choice but to pull against the vacuum, and let me tell you Mr Dyson, I can teach you a few things about suction! I was genuinely worried it might suck out my whole womb! I can only assume this product was designed by one of those Thai ladies in the dubious bars who shoot ping pong balls out of their hoohahs, because the only way to remove this thing is to PUSH! So with one hand clenching the loo roll holder and the theme tune from Call The Midwife echoing through my mind, I finally give birth....congratulations, it's a rubber egg cup!! So, in short, I do love this thing. It's a true revolution in period care. No more discomfort from tampons, no more rashes from pads (girl, I'm 31, I'm too old for nappy rash), no more odours, no more toxins and waste and needing to go and change every couple of hours. I'm all for it, and I'm not giving up. But I do not love the mini labour twice a day! The things I do for Pingu and the polar bears.....Good luck ladies!