The menstrual cup is normally unproblematic to use and represents an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional hygiene products. In rare cases, however, the cup may leak even though it is supposed to be seated correctly. Usually this problem can be easily remedied and with a little practice and experience you will quickly get used to the handling of the menstrual cup.
Choose the right size
As with tampons and sanitary towels, it comes with the choice of menstrual cup to the right size. If a model that is too small is chosen for heavy menstruation, the cup may leak out soon. Here it is advisable to adjust the different sizes to the strength of the bleeding. The cup can also leak when you get up. A large amount of blood usually flows during this process. A sufficiently large menstrual cup is required, especially on the heavier days of your period.
Wear time as a guideline
The ones mentioned for the menstrual cups Wear times averaging eight hours are only an approximate guide. For some women with particularly heavy bleeding it may be necessary to empty the cup after six hours or even earlier. Here it is important to observe yourself carefully in order to develop a feeling for the correct wearing time.
Correct insertion
The most common experiences with a leaking menstrual cup are related to incorrect placement in the vagina. Mostly it is assumed that the further the cup can be pushed up, the better it sits. In fact, however, it sits comparatively far in the lower third. The cup is inserted in a folded state and usually opens immediately after insertion. A simple minimal pull can be used to determine whether this has worked successfully. An unfolded cup hugs and sits securely.
The location of the cervix
With some women, not all of the blood gets into the cup, but a small part runs past it to the side. This may be due to the fact that the menstrual cup is not located directly under the cervix, but a little to the side. This dilemma can be avoided by feeling the cervix with a finger at the beginning of each period. This makes it easy to determine the position and the correct position of the cup is guaranteed.
The thing with the vacuum
The menstrual cup is always inserted folded and then unfolds in the vagina. This creates a vacuum that ensures that the cup closes just below the cervix. If the opening did not work properly, a leak can result.
The menstrual cup sliding up
Sometimes the cup slips up and becomes leaky. This phenomenon usually arises when the first placement has already taken place very high. It should sit as close as possible to the exit of the vagina. If it sits very high up and can supposedly no longer be reached, there is no need to worry, the menstrual cup cannot go away. Relaxing the pelvic floor and pressing lightly is usually sufficient for it to slide deeper.
Swim with the cup
The cup is basically the ideal companion for swimming as well as other sports. However, some women complain about a leaky menstrual cup while swimming. The cup overflows with water and loses its function. This can only happen if there is no vacuum during insertion that would hold the cup optimally in place. Here it makes sense to check your position again right before swimming, especially the tight fit.
Leaking cup when lying down
Especially at night, problems with leaky menstrual cups can occur in the beginning. If the cup is inserted immediately before lying down, there is a possibility that it has only partially unfolded. Accordingly, the blood can run past the side even though the cup is not yet full. It makes sense to insert the menstrual cup about half an hour before going to bed. In this way, it can adapt itself optimally, and there are no unpleasant surprises at night.
Final tips and tricks
If the above examples do not lead to the desired success, the following tips and tricks have proven themselves to prevent leaky menstrual cups.
- If the stem of the cup is carefully shortened, sliding up can be largely avoided. However, caution is advised here. An excessively shortened or even completely removed style can result in a hole being created in the bottom of the menstrual cup, rendering it unusable.
- If you find it difficult to find the right position for the cup, you can try to place it very low in the vagina first. Muscular contraction of the pelvic floor then ensures that the menstrual cup is automatically pushed up to the right place.
- Anyone who uses menstrual cups for the first time and is used to years of using tampons and sanitary towels must first adapt. As a rule, handling is safely learned after one cycle at the latest. When using it for the first time, it is important to deal with the cup size, the changing rhythm and the safe insertion. Usually the problems with a possible leak disappear afterwards.
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