Periods.

We all know the struggles. We all hate periods. It's the time of the month when you just wanna hide under the sheets and not move.

In the old days, pads never existed. Women have to make their own "pads". It's made off a plastic sheet that is pretty much shaped like our pads these days. The plastic material will prevent spillage onto the garments. A paper-like material will be sewn onto the plastic sheet to help in the absorption. And women would just tie the plastic sheet onto them.

And then we have sanitary pads. Absorbent and thin. I have no complaints with sanitary pads except on heavy days when I have to wear really thick ones that made me feel like I'm wearing a diaper.

I bought myself a menstrual cup recently, after months and months and years of deliberation. I've read about menstrual cups and was always curious about it. When we were kids going through puberty lessons, nobody mentioned about menstrual cups. It was always sanitary pads, or tampons.

So what's a menstrual cup?

A menstrual cup is normally made of silicone and shaped like a bell. It is to be worn inside and it captures fluids. It's reusable and can be worn overnight and in the day.

There are many brands of menstrual cup but I'm using Mooncup and loving it to bits. There has been a kickstarter on Looncup which basically contains a sensor to let you know when the cup is going to be filled, which is a brilliant idea imo. Why didn't I come up with the idea first?

How do you use it?

There are two ways of inserting it in. You can either fold it into a u-shape or fold the top inwards. I usually fold it inwards but it's up to individual's preferences. It takes some getting used to it but I've realised that the cup generally fits itself comfortably. All I did was just to push it in and the moment it flaps open, I'll just leave it where it is and it'll find its own comfort spot.

Always wash your hands before using the cup. The instructions state to boil the cup before the first use. I like to boil it after every cycle to keep it clean.

I only have one cup so whenever I'm in the washroom, I'll take it out to give it a rinse. No issues there. Is it difficult to take it out? A little. It took me quite a while to finally master the skill because of the suction the cup has.

How's it like using a menstrual cup?

It took me 2 cycles to get used to using the Mooncup. There's a steep learning curve but once you get the hang of it, you'll never look back.

There is hardly any feel when you are wearing the Mooncup. Sometimes, I forget that I'm on my period and that I'm wearing it. Happens a lot more often when I'm just about waking up.

What are the benefits?

1. It's really comfortable and you don't feel a thing. Pads are just really annoying and uncomfortable.

2. It allows you to swim. I've went into the sea with it and its's perfectly fine.

3. It doesn't leak. I'm always afraid it will leak but apparently, once you master how to insert it properly, it's leak proof.

4. It's environmentally-friendly. It's reusable which means it reduces the amount of waste (pads) you throw away after each use.

5. It's money-saving. As it's reusable, it'll be a lot more affordable in the long run as compared to buying pads.

Will you go back to using a pad?

No.

I read a review on a lady who talked about how the cup changed her perception of periods entirely. It felt a little exaggerated because it doesn't seem to be powerful enough to change one's negative perception of periods into a positive experience. However, after using it, I finally understood what she meant.

It's a far cry to say it made me change my perception of periods into positive but it certainly removed the dreadfulness of periods.

I would highly recommend ladies to switch over to the cup.