Pre- and peri-menopausal ladies – consider the cup

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Although first-wave baby boomer women are far into the post-menopausal stage, plenty of later boomers are just approaching this momentous time in life. That fun time when our bodies begin to play sometimes-dismaying tricks with our menstrual cycles: one day heavy, another week light, another month not at all. And if that wasn’t enough, many baby boomers start to feel some discomfort when inserting and removing tampons as aging thins out the vaginal walls.

English: Silicone menstrual cups can be boiled...
English: Silicone menstrual cups can be boiled. This picture shows a menstrual cup being cleaned by boiling it. Svenska: Menskoppar av silikon kan kokas. På bilden syns en menskopp som steriliseras genom kokning. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So, now might be a good time to investigate a method many modern young women have found to handle Mother Nature’s antics: the menstrual cup. The menstrual cup is made of soft, flexible rubber and fits right up inside you against the opening of the cervix and collects the blood. You then reach inside, pull it out, empty it, rinse and repeat.

Diva and Lunette menstrual cups are the two main brands on the market (video comparing the two). Lunette was kind enough to send us a sample for review, so here’s an opinion from a 30-something woman who converted a few years ago to a menstrual cup instead of tampons. She used both brands but writes here about the Lunette brand smaller-size cup:

“I used it on light days, and it was great. It didn’t bother me at all, and if I had to choose (I’d need the larger size for heavier days). I would just go with whatever brand is cheaper.

In general, I love the cups over tampons. They do last much longer, and not having a string is awesome. And, my garbage isn’t disgusting from being full of bloody tampons. And I love that I don’t have to buy tampons all the time! I do still use a backup pad on heavy days and pantyliners on light days.

Maybe TMI, but it works great for me because I can reach the sink from my toilet. If I had to carry it [across the room to empty and rinse it], I think that would be a big/messy problem.

Lunette's menstrual cup comes in two size
Lunette’s menstrual cup comes in two size

Lunette’s marketing department says its product:

“…is shorter than competitors making it less obtrusive – yet holds the same amount. It’s also made of softer silicone and the rim is smoother, which makes for a much more comfy fit… The air-holes are bigger, which makes it easy to clean [and theoretically to remove]. The stem is solid yet thin, soft and flexible.” Lunette also apparently comes in crazy colors (see photo) if that appeals to you.

Assuming you’re not someone who is freaked out about touching your menstrual flow, it’s definitely worth checking out this modern invention as you move toward saying farewell to the monthly ritual of menstruation. Read more on Lunette’s website.

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