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.

[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

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Smoke Jaguar]

I surfed in mine last Friday, on my second day of full flow, no problems And I also ride my horse whilst wearing one. Pretty much I do everything I need to do when I have my period, and I'm not leading a very sedentary life

[PumpkinZulu]

Hmm not sure hun. I bought them about 18 months ago so possible the old ones? They're very easy to use, and they're malleable but not super soft. As for working out, I used to run wearing it, I was never more active than that The first few months it's a little hit and miss so I wore a pad too, but after that it was amazing. You can even have sex mess free if you're game (but it's nothing to write home about because the cup takes up a bit of space) but the option is there. I have extremely heavy periods and I could still leave it a few hours. I'm a big fan of menstrual cups I kind of even look forward to AF just so I can use them

[Eenee]

Onyx yep I've played hockey with it in and that's as good as work out as you can get.

[Babyluv]

I recently bought a meluna classic stem and like PZ said they throw in a freebie. It's fantastic. I don't even know it's there, it's much better than tampons as my first few days are really heavy. I sleep with It in too and have gone bike riding with it in. It's easy to use. I cut the stem off because it was annoying, I'd get the ball next time!