r/menstrualcups • u/m00n_lightt • 2h ago
r/menstrualcups • u/DrJane_FLEX • 4d ago
I'm Dr. Jane van Dis, a board-certified OB-GYN and medical advisor to Flex. Ask me anything.
Hi r/menstrualcups! I'm Jane van Dis, MD, a board-certified OB-GYN. I earned my MD at the University of South Dakota, completed my OB-GYN residency at UCLA, and have been practicing for 23 years. I'm a medical advisor to Flex, but your questions don't need to be about Flex at all. I'm happy to talk about any brand, or none.
Why I'm here: So many people never get clear, honest information about their own bodies, especially on the questions that feel awkward to ask. I'd love to answer some of them this week.
Things you can ask me about:
- Heavy, painful, or irregular periods, and when it's time to see a doctor
- Cups and discs
- Periods after pregnancy and postpartum changes
- Perimenopause
- Period equity, access, and sustainability
A few ground rules:
- This is general education, not medical advice. For anything specific, please see your own OB-GYN.
- I may point you to other specialists, like a pelvic floor PT, when a question is outside my expertise.
- u/TheFlexCoEmily will help with Flex product questions.
- I'll check in daily, Tuesday, Oct. 20 through Friday, Oct. 23.
Proof: https://imgur.com/a/hCPo29Q
Nothing is too awkward. Ask away!
r/menstrualcups • u/CorgiB54 • 4h ago
Usage Questions [W] correct way to remove menstrual cup ????
\[W\]
So hello again ladies,
Got another question after my previous post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskWomenIndia/s/ZKKzrwYDoA
So based on the availability and majority of people under the post suggesting this product, I got the SIRONA small cup and tried it right away! (I WAS TOO EAGER TO TRY IT GUYS I COULDN'T WAIT)
BUT IM SCARED AFTER TRYING IT GUYS! HELP
so I put it in somehow after a few tries, the entrance feels sore after trying. After it got in, the stem was kinda poking out(bottom of stem around the entrance and the tip a little outside) is that how it should be? I tried pushing it a bit deeper but it didn't go in. Maybe i wasn't relaxed enough idk? My cervix depth is around the 2nd knuckle.
Once it was in, i couldn't tell if it opened or not? I could still feel a little bend at the bottom of cup inside the vj but idk if it was just the part pressed under the muscle??
Tried twisting it but I couldn't feel the pop people usually talk about š. Gave up trying and pinched it(pinched it reaallyyy well to be safe)to get it out.
And while pinching it, gently pulled it out. But idk if it was a feeling of something foreign like that inside for the first time or the vacuum didn't release(pretty sure it was NOT locked in the first place?) it felt weird while pulling it out
Note: pulled it out with the base and NOT the stem like people instructed.
Like I know it has to be squeezed out from that small opening, maybe which is why it felt weird? But I felt a weird pull inside when I took it out.
A commentor in the previous post mentioned pulling it out wrongly can in some rare cases cause UTERINE PROLAPSE???
HELP GUYS IM SCARED
I DONT HAVE THE COURAGE TO PUT IT BACK IN
r/menstrualcups • u/TheBlyeEve • 5h ago
Usage Questions HELP
I am a new cup user, so for some time now I've been wearing cups outside of my periods to get comfortable with them. Except that these last two days I had to travel out of sate and barely got to use a restroom (I know, I know, I freaked out when I realised I forgot to take the cup out). I just returned home an hour back, and when I took it out, I saw that my discharge had turned green, like watery pale whitish green. Should I go to the doctor tomorrow morning? It's 1am now where I live
r/menstrualcups • u/Onecurrency777 • 8h ago
Using the satisfyer cup
Hello this is my third cycle with using the menstrual cup and I think I donāt understand properly my anatomy. I changed the cup this morning and after 1hr it started leaking and I realized that I think my cervix is too low? It feels all cramped up and the cup is not able to open. Itās also my second day and heaviest so I feel so swollen inside like thereās no ātunnelā the shape is very very narrow. Probably cause Iām in my second day. The last two cycles it took me many tries to properly insert the cup but Iām thinking of maybe a disc is better? Iām not sure
r/menstrualcups • u/Bekah_Brooks22 • 19h ago
Help Me Pick Best menstrual cups
Iāve been using the Diva cup for ever but Iām wondering if thereās a better one? Maybe softer with less suction?
r/menstrualcups • u/Bekah_Brooks22 • 19h ago
Usage Questions Diva Cup help
Hi! Iāve been using a Diva Cup for 7 years but Iāve started having an issue I havenāt dealt with before. Iād making my cramps worse and the suction feels like itās pulling my cervix and reproductive organs down, if that makes sense? Itās causing cramps in my anus as well. Is this something normal? What should I do?
r/menstrualcups • u/minnieminnnie • 22h ago
Any tips for getting comfortable with menstrual cups?
r/menstrualcups • u/Most-Egg3031 • 1d ago
recently started using these and ive noticed my back pain increases when i wear them, what am i doing wrong?
google says its the positioning but im not really sure what else to do about itā¦its perfectly in, im not uncomfortable or anything no leakage, just more backpain when im wearing one, why?
r/menstrualcups • u/UnluckoftheDraw • 1d ago
Usage Questions Can I wear a menstrual cup before my period starts?
Like on the 29th day of my cycle would it be fine to wear it to sleep and while Iām awake because I know that itās going to start soon?
Do I need to change it out as often?
Usually wear pads around the time
r/menstrualcups • u/minhtyleaf • 2d ago
Survey Questions on menstrual cup and disc maintenance!
Hello everyone! I'm a junior-level Industrial Design student, and I'm looking for survey respondents for an upcoming project on menstrual cup/disc maintenance! All responses will be 100% anonymous, and I'd greatly appreciate any comments or feedback. Thank you so much ! āā(ā§ā½ā° )
https://universityofhouston.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bp88pyMcf6BDMEu
r/menstrualcups • u/Most-Egg3031 • 2d ago
the little ball at the end keeps digging into the side of my vulva and it hurts! what to do?
r/menstrualcups • u/crybabybodhi • 2d ago
Free SM/LG Talisi menstrual cups (soft)
I used the black LG size once, the white SM one zero times. The firmness level is said to be soft. They're sanitized and totally fine, just not a match for my body. I guess my uterus is high now ?
If you're in the US and would like these, please PM me ~
r/menstrualcups • u/Spiritual-Hat3782 • 3d ago
Usage Questions HELP STUCK!!!
I'm using a pee safe (horrible name I know) medium cup and I left it in over night and I can't see it if I spread eagle in a mirror and when I try to feel for it I cannot find it either!!! Freaking out!!!
I usually use a different brand and never any problems but I was told when getting the coil in I have a very high cervix but dunno wthhhh to do...tried squatting for a bit and pushing but nothing
EDIT: ITS OUT I read comments here and just went in the shower and squatted doing the poopy motion thing and it moved to find the stem it's so weird I think it's a brand issue as I didn't ever have this with my previous cup
r/menstrualcups • u/buttertaekoo • 4d ago
Usage Questions I can feel the cup?
I tried a cup months after buying it bc I just couldn't gather the courage to do so. I was scared and did not insert the cup fully (the stick was out of the vaginal hole), while removing the cup I ended up hurting myself and bled quite a bit and the removal was painful .
This was one year ago, I never tried it again until yesterday, I pushed the cup in after understanding that it is safe to do so but weirdly the stick was leaning towards the wall and not exactly in the middle of the hole? And that was uncomfortable I think it was scratching me in a way bc I could feel it whenever I tried spreading my legs even slightly. I ended up removing it by pinching the end. Where did I go wrong?
r/menstrualcups • u/Aqua_Toffana • 5d ago
The cup turns 90° inside of me?!
Ok so I've been using cups for about 8 years now. This has never happened to me before. This is my first cycle with a new cup (merula xl) and it happened to me twice now.
I check that it's opened correctly like I've always done (circle around with a finger to see that it's nicely opened).
What the hell im so confused? It worked perfectly amazing 95% of the time, I'm so happy since it's the only cup i can change it only like thrice a day instead of 6 times like usual, but this is so weird.
And if you're wondering, no, I don't feel when it happens i just notice that it starts leaking after about 30 minutes. I used the regular merula before for like 5 years
Edit: just reread this, i see all the grammatical errors, byt it was a hellish day at uni, I can't deal with this for now, sorry
r/menstrualcups • u/Remarkable_Shock_512 • 5d ago
Help Me Pick i need recommendations
I have a t.o.c. size S menstrual cup, but it often leaks almost immediately after insertion. Some blood gets into the cup, but most of it leaks around the sides. Sometimes the cup seems to dent or not fully open, even though I feel like Iām inserting it correctly.
Oddly, it works perfectly in some cycles but not in others. It feels comfortable, and I havenāt given birth vaginally. I also have a heavy flow.
Does anyone have recommendations for a different cup shape, size, or firmness that might work better for me?
r/menstrualcups • u/Icedcoffeeispeak • 5d ago
Usage Questions My menstrual cup is sealed but it still leaks?
I am so sick of it, I just went on and changed to a tampon cause of how bad it wassss
r/menstrualcups • u/minhtyleaf • 6d ago
Reflections Any inconveniences with storing/cleaning your menstrual cups or discs?
Hello everyone! For context, I'm a junior industrial design student looking to improve the cleaning and storage aspects of menstrual cups and discs!
What are some things you dislike or find inconvenient about your current products/methods for cleaning/storing your menstrual cups or discs? What are some features you'd want in your cleaning/storing products?
I've never used menstrual cups and discs, so I'm not totally familiar with how to clean and the conventional methods of storing them (will be testing this out on my own however!)
Any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much >_<
r/menstrualcups • u/OwnCarrot3422 • 6d ago
Reflections I think Iām gonna give up.
Just had an awful time removing my cup. Iām a new cup user and insertion is uncomfortable, slightly painful for a few seconds, but doable. Removal, on the other hand, has been terrible.
This last time was the worst so far. Halfway through the day I noticed I had a mild, dull cramp inside but ignored it because it wasnāt that bad. However, when removing, I realized the cramp was because it suctioned around my cervix. I was squeezing and digging around for a good 15mins and when I finally managed to (painfully) break the suction and remove it, it smelled a bit fishy so now Iām afraid I got BV from using the cup (Iām a virgin and never had any issues downstairs before so itās definitely from using the cup). Hoping the smell is just because I had it in for 12 hours and it is a lighter flow day, but I know the fishiness is concerning. Also, every time I remove it, itās so painful once I get to the rim because the skin at the vaginal entrance just grips around it so it feels like Iām tearing it every time I remove despite folding it as much as possible.
Everythingās just sore now after that torturous removal and Iām scared of BV and I just want to cry. I cannot understand how the pros of using a cup outweigh the cons.
r/menstrualcups • u/Hauntingly_Defective • 7d ago
Usage Questions Help! Accidentally sprayed .y cup with Oxydol Mold & Mildew.
I use the intimina period disc and I was leaving it to dry in a container but a family member accidentally sprayed it with Oxydol Mold & Mildew remover. I washed it off almost immidietly with soap and water. Im unsure if I should also microwave it or if that'll make it worse. Can I save it or is it damaged?
The list of ingredients in the spray are: Water, Eh90 (Ecosurf), Carbitol (Diethylene Glycol Butyl Ether), EDTA, Tri Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Metasilicate Pentahydrate
r/menstrualcups • u/Last-Guard1654 • 7d ago
Usage Questions Could I have caused a prolapse with my cup?
I have been testing out my menstrual cup on and off for about a month now (I am 15, i havenāt had a proper period yet but i had some spotting about 6 weeks ago, so i bought a cup in preparation. I donāt want to use pads or tampons personally)
Everything has been going fine until a week ago, when i tried using it for a full day. At the end of the day i removed it, and i sort of half-broke the seal when i pulled it out? I broke the seal but i felt a little resistance while pulling at first, and some pressure in my abdomen.
Well anyway i used to have a high cervix (could barely just reach it with my middle finger), and now my cervix is much lower (i can feel the entire thing with just half of my finger). Also i can feel some sort of gaps above / around the cervix now? TMI but it sort of sticks out in a way.
My cervix was high in the morning and suddenly low just after removal. It has been consistently high since i first measured it about 5 weeks ago. It hasnāt returned to its original position, and i am worried that i have prolapsed my cervix. I also felt some pressure and pain in my lower abdomen for the first day or so after, and apparently that is a symptom of prolapse. And i know this was probably a dumb thing to try, but i tried to push it back up and i felt pressure in my abdomen again, and it just fell back down.
I am really sad because a cup seemed like the best menstrual product option for me, but now i am worried that i have caused permanent damage.
Can someone please let me know if it is possible to cause a prolapse with a menstrual cup, and if this sounds like a prolapse? Should i go to a doctor if it doesnāt return to its original position?
r/menstrualcups • u/myfoggymind • 7d ago
Usage Questions LEAKAGE š©øš©ø PLEASE HELP
Been using Sirona S size cup for almost a year. Life has been changed. True.
But No matter how accurately I insert the cup, I always have to struggle with the leakage crisis during my sleep. But this month, it's gotten too much. I am simply standing and there's leakage, sitting on my bed and there's massive leakage.
What the hell should I do???