Are all cups made equal? (menstrual cups, that is)

[Lenny]

I am very keen to buy a menstrual cup. No-one I know has one, except for BB ladies.

I am wondering if i should stick to the really well known brand (who has an advert running on BB and keeps reminding me!) or whether the other brands are just as good.

What should i look out for? i.e. made with silicone?

The last question is should i risk trying it out for the first time this month even though i am travelling to NZ for 9 days and will most likely be on a plane and in airports for the first (very heavy) day? Or should i just stick with horrid tampons and maternity pads and going to the toilet every hour or so! (The boys are TT so i have no excuse to be lugging a giant bag into the bathroom with me everything i go!)

Thanks in advance.

[PumpkinZulu]

Can't answer in detail now, will bbl, but basically I have a few MeLuna cups and they're great!

[Smoke Jaguar]

I have only one cup of one type, and it's the Mooncup - I swear by it and love it so much! I considered getting another Mooncup, as a spare, but I don't really need a spare, so I'll just keep using mine as is I haven't used another type, cos I was so happy with mine when I first used it.

[Eenee]

Also have a mooncup and am very happy with it.

[Lenny]

I just wanted to say THANK YOU (yes i shouted, some of you live far away) to everyone who replied.

I bought one.

YAY. And the lady i bought it off is friendly and helpful and so even handing over the money was pretty cool. She was all into embracing menstruation - well, i'm not quite embracing it yet, but i'm taking steps to make it less bloody annoying every month!! (no pun intended )

I'll have to tell you all how much i love it when i get it. If i tell non-BB friends they'll think i'm completely mad...

[Floweryfields]

I'll have to tell you all how much i love it when i get it. If i tell non-BB friends they'll think i'm completely mad...

A real life friend and I were browsing a baby magazine and came across an ad for some type of cup - she commented how weird people must be to use something like that and that they must be hippies! Little does she know (and I'm as far from a hippy as someone can be)!

[Fleur]

If i tell non-BB friends they'll think i'm completely mad...

I told my boss at work & converted her
Nice that the lady you bought it from was so nice. FWIW I think travelling with it would be easier than mucking around with tampons & pads, too.

[onthefly]

I think it's basdically silicone vs natural rubber and different stem sizes.
I would probably avoid practice while on the road - I had some issues getting mine in straight the first couple of months.
They're great though! I hope you like it

[Smoke Jaguar]

While I was learning I used a stash of cloth pads, which are also handy for the tail end of my period as liners.
Some people react to the natural rubber in some of the other cups, which is what swayed me to the Mooncup with its medical grade silicone.
Also, just speaking for the Mooncup, the stem should be cut to a size you're comfortable with. There are only two sizes - pre-childbirth and post-childbirth, making it easy to choose which one to get.
I looked into the Keeper, not sure if it's still available, and there were too many reports of allergies, so I gave it a miss.

[Maruschke]

I have a mooncup and had to cut the stem totally off.

One thing to think of... if you are travelling you really want to have the optimal stem length already sorted, because sitting on the stem.... OUCH.

That said, I personally would experiment with the stem length and use it while travelling as it is much more convenient than pads and tampons.

[Eenee]

Yep I cut the stem totally off to marushke

[Lenny]

I went with Meluna. I got one of their latest model extra soft ones. They say they are a little bit harder to get the hang of to start with, but are more comfortable in the long run. I am a SAHM at the mo, so i figure i can handle taking a few months to get the hang of it. Their german website was kinda funny. Think 'lost in translation'.
I had to buy it from an international distributor because i couldn't seem to get it here.

We go camping quite a bit ( a bit much for my liking!) and we often end up in places with composting toilets. I HATE having to carrying it all out with me - it's just gross.

I'm actually so looking forward to it that it's a bit sad

[RhiChiChi]

While I was learning I used a stash of cloth pads, which are also handy for the tail end of my period as liners.
Some people react to the natural rubber in some of the other cups, which is what swayed me to the Mooncup with its medical grade silicone.
Also, just speaking for the Mooncup, the stem should be cut to a size you're comfortable with. There are only two sizes - pre-childbirth and post-childbirth, making it easy to choose which one to get.
I looked into the Keeper, not sure if it's still available, and there were too many reports of allergies, so I gave it a miss.

Can you please clarify the pre-chilbirth and post-chilbirth part - do you mean vaginal birth? Thanks

[Phteven]

If you have had a vaginal birth or you are over 30 you get the larger size.
If you are under 30 and have not had a vaginal birth you use the smaller size.
That's for the mooncup.

[PumpkinZulu]

Basically, I looked into all the big brands and decided to go with MeLuna because they are latex, PVC and silicone free, so they're anti-allergen which is what I was after, as I'm allergic to latex and easily irritated down there. I also had a mooncup but got rid of it as I did find it irritating. I bought a pre baby MeLuna before DD, but they threw in a free after baby one which is awesome now. The stems on mine are a ball and a ring. Both are equally easy to remove.

[Lenny]

RCC - different websites say different things. Some say post birth VB or CS. Just the act of carrying a child i guess. Some say even if you are 25+ you need the next size. Some say 35+.

Thanks for the info re: rubber. The Keeper is still available. But maybe i won't go there.

[Lenny]

PZ - do you have the new softer one, or the older more easy to use one?

[Phteven]

Can you really work out in them? I know the website says you can but I have a hard time trusting people who have to sell their product and there is a world of difference between a gentle stroll which is what they might mean and a proper workout.