Menstrual cup have been around since 1930 but due to women preferring tampons and pads, it never gained popularity. But now suddenly they are back in limelight and this time around women actually love them. They are not just cost-effective in the longer run but are safer, hygienic and reusable.
What is it?
It is an alternate sanitary product that is inserted in the vagina to collect blood. The cup is reusable till 5 years but there are also options for disposable ones. They are made of medical grade silicone and are soft and don’t irritate any skin even if you are the sensitive one or the one that is prone to allergies or has eczema.
What are its benefits?
- They are good for your intimate health as it sits low in the vagina and don’t interfere with the natural pH. Also, since it collects blood, there is no dryness or itchiness due to its presence.
- Tampons and pads need to be bought every month. With most countries still taxing them, they become real heavy on our wallet. But cups are a one time investment for up to 5 years and thus are cost-effective.
- Tampons and pads are disposable and have cotton, chemicals and bleaches which not only harm you but also harm the environment as they are non-degradable
Can menstrual cup leak?
Yes, menstrual cups can leak but that is not because the cup has issues or that it is made of an inferior substance that is making it leak.
The leak has more to do on our part, we may be using a cup that is not the right fit for us and in this case we can absolutely get it changed. Also, other reasons may include overflowing or not inserting it in the right manner.
Here are some reasons due to which cups leak and how we can get it right.
#1. Your pelvic floor muscles are strong
Having a strong pelvic floor muscles is a good thing but sometimes these strong muscles squeezes the wall of the cup and pinches it. This may cause it to overflow while removing it. You can fix it by buying a cup that is firmer.
#2. Having diarrhea or constipation
Most women get constipated or diarrhea on the first few days of periods, and this means frequent visits to the bathroom. This may push your menstrual cup a little, but that won’t make it pop out of your vagina.
But if the cup is a little too full, it may overflow, but not much, it will just a few drops of water, and menstrual fluid stuck on your clothes especially if you didn’t wipe properly.
#3. Your cervix positions changes
The cervix sits in the vaginal canal and has space on both the side. Thus when the cup is inserted, it needs to be next to the cervix not under it as it can change position during periods. The estrogen level can drop sometimes which causes the cervix to move, moreover, it opens and swells to let the mucus and fluids to flow out easily causing it to move or tilt to side or downwards.
This is the reason there may be leakage while the cup will be empty. To fix this, feel with fingers whether the cup is under the cervix or not and if not, then reinsert it.
#4. It leaks due to overflowing
Sometimes the cup may leak due to heavy bleeding. If in the initial days of your period, you tend to bleed more, you need to empty the cup every 6 hours. Otherwise the cup can work up to 12 hours but knowing your flow and knowing that it is heavy the first two day will help you keep it from overflowing.
Check the size of the cup and switch to a larger size if you want or empty it frequently. One of the best menstrual cup is Lena Menstrual cup. It comes with perfect size and fits awesome. You can check out the Lena menstrual cup review too online to make sure you are buying the right thing.
#5. The cup might have not opened properly
Sometimes, the cup is inserted in a wrong manner and it doesn’t pop open and it won’t start collecting the fluids if it’s not opened properly inside the vagina.
To make sure that it pops open, rotate it after inserting it and move it to slightly from left to right.
Hopefully, your doubts about do menstrual cup leak and why they leak have been answered. So, choose the right cup for you and enjoy your periods without any problems.
