I have been using a menstrual cup for many years and have
been fairly happy with the one I use. I have a job that at times makes getting
to a bathroom regularly a challenge…and as all women know, we need to use a
bathroom pretty often during our periods if we use pads or tampons. I also run
long distances and the thought of dealing with my period needs in a porta potty
was not attractive to me. So for these reasons I had switched from tampons to a
menstrual cup. I have to say, that small change definitely made my life
infinitely easier to deal with during my periods. I now can go 8-12 hours
without having to deal with my menstrual cycle needs (depending on how heavy my
cycle is that day). I will also add that the comfort of using a menstrual cup
far exceeds using pads or tampons, and there is very rarely any sort of leakage
or “accidents” that happen with the use of a menstrual cup.
While I have been using one brand of menstrual cup for many years, there are some drawbacks to the one I have been using. The brand I have been using is a “re-usable” type that you wash each time you empty it. I have found that this can be troublesome when I am in a public place or even in a porta potty. So the thought of finding a disposable type to use during those times appeals to me.
I decided to try Instead Softcup. My first reaction upon
opening the box is that I liked how the product was individually packaged. I
found the instructions included to be very straight forward and easy to
understand. I felt that inserting the menstrual cup to be quite easy and
comfortable upon insertion. I really could not feel the menstrual cup while it
was inserted. I like that this menstrual
cup is more shallow than my regular brand, which at times can be uncomfortable.
However the “shallowness” of this product makes it more difficult to remove the
menstrual cup when the time comes. I followed the inserts advice of “bearing
down” a bit and found that solve the problem immediately. Removal of the
Softcup was not messy or gross. In fact I find using a menstrual cup makes me
feel cleaner than pads or tampons during my period. If blood is something that
bothers you, I suggest just having a wad of toilet paper ready to put in the
cup upon removal to soak up the blood and then you can wrap the cup in paper
and toss it as you would a pad.
Being as I am a seasoned menstrual cup user, I may have
advantage to trying a new product, because I know it can take some time to
become used to a menstrual cup and not give up on it after just one try. If you
are new to this experience, don’t give up after just one try. Give it time and
try it several times. I recommend trying to place a menstrual cup before your
period even starts, just so you practice doing it before you try to do it when
you are already uncomfortable with your period. The first time you try to use a
menstrual cup during your period, try to pick a point in your period where your
flow is light, this will also help you get used to using this product.
I cannot recommend the use of a menstrual cup enough. I have
found the use of one to be very liberating to me. I have heavy periods and that
really was problematic for me when using pads and tampons. The switch to a
menstrual cup has allowed me the freedom of being able to go long periods of
time without having to deal with my period needs. I loved using the Instead
Softcup. Previous attempts I had made to use other disposable menstrual cups
many years ago, left me uncomfortable and unhappy. This product shows how far
things have come in designing disposable menstrual cups. The Softcup is
packaged well, simple to use and comfortable no matter what activity you are
doing. I will be using the Softcup in the future.
Click Here for More information about Instead Softcup
Click Here for More information about Instead Softcup