Mooncup

After the initial piece on The F-Word regarding san prods I did a bit of digging around the web. I read the Mooncup site and was intrigued. I’ve now bought a Mooncup and I’m never going back to anything else ever again. It’s so easy, it’s extremely comfortable and I want to prosletise about this.

Mooncup from www.mooncup.co.uk

I’ve never been a pads person, they aren’t that comfortable for me and I don’t like the sensation of actively bleeding, it makes me paranoid that it’s going everywhere. Tampons in some variety or other have done their job for 14 years despite the fact that the bleach on the string makes me itch. I’ve tried going “green” but can only get ‘normal’ sized tampons in very small boxes (no pun intended) at my local health store (also I object to paying over £3 for 16 natural cotton tampons that are just going to waste!) So, of the alternatives discussed the Mooncup was the obvious answer.

It just makes so much sense. It’s a little silicone cup which catches all that flows and you empty it when you need to. On a heavy day every 4 hours, on a light day, once a day. Never need to buy any more san prods; it can live in its little cotton bag in you luggage or handbag and always be ready for action. You have to clean it regularly but only sterilise it between periods (much easier than the pads to deal with). I feel so much freer about my period. After years of being shacked by and all too aware of my body’s whims, I now feel in control of it (I’m still aware of the whims, but because I WANT to be rather than I HAVE to be.)

I would say that you have to be familiar with your cunt and not afraid of it. If you’ve ever masturbated you should be fine. If not, get a mirror and have a good look at what you’re dealing with. I thought that the whole process in messiness terms was on a par with using tampons. Some of my friends, sensible, logical, upstanding feminists included, have expressed a distaste for using tampons that don’t have an applicator (because you might touch your cunt and in some way it’s portrayed as dirty – yet, these same women would be pro receiving oral sex… ). All I can say is – GET OVER IT, your snatch, cunt, vagina & vulva, bits or whatever other euphemism jumps to mind are not inherently dirty or smelly. Love them and they’ll love you right back.

I can’t even think how to describe what a complete revelation this is in my life. I’ve always had extremely irregular periods. This has meant the wrong size tampons being used on more occasions than I care to name. This can be irritating and uncomfortable as well as leaving a small, but persistently nagging, worry regarding TSS. With the Mooncup there is no worry about TSS. My vagina also feels like a much more hospitable and friendly environment. The natural juices haven’t been sucked out by a nasty, fluffy, bleached time bomb, they are all intact and working with me.

You can do anything except have [PIV] sex while wearing a Mooncup. It’s a revelation I think users should share with every woman they know. It’s also remarkably cheap at “17.99. That price will cover you for 10 years of sanitary protection (it’s about 6 months worth of ordinary san pro). Think about it, that’s about “360 of your money not going to big corporations that want to over-charge you and make you paranoid about your ‘smell’. If you used a Mooncup for 40 years you could save over “1,500. I’ve never spent such a small amount for such a big change in my life – try it, if you don’t like it they’ll even give you a full refund.

One month later… some additional comments

Well, I’ve had one of my outstandingly heavy periods recently and I can say that the mooncup does not leak BUT you do have to empty it when necessary – at one point it was every hour!!!! Also, I would advise a towel or similar at night if you are a very heavy bleeder, or setting your alarm the way one used to you at 12 or 13 when you were still getting used to the whole process.

It is all a bit like starting again, making sure it fits well and is comfortable I found easy but you might need some practice. They say if it doesn’t suit you after 3 cycles you can return it. I think it may only take a few days to get used to for some but others might need the readjustment time. Practice – it doesn’t hurt like taking out a dry tampon!!!!

Cleaning: some practical advice. Boots (and I’m sure other chemists) sell extremely discreet denture baths. I bought one (about £1.75 or so) and it fits the mooncup perfectly. If you live in shared accommodation and don’t want to boil or sterilise your cup in the kitchen then just pop it into the denture bath. I used cold water sterilising tabs found in the baby section (also from boots about a pound for 60 or so – v. cheap) and made up a solution with half a tablet in a 1lt water bottle. There is no hassle and it’s very clean and easy, and private if that matters to you.

I would still recommend it most highly to everyone, the control aspect is a real revelation.

You can buy the Mooncup from www.mooncup.co.uk. The Mooncup is made from silicone. There is also a similar product called the Keeper which is made from rubber, available from www.menses.co.uk. You may also hear about another silicone cup called the Divacup, which comes from Canada but may be available to buy from some UK sellers.

Ailsa has absolutely no connection to the sellers of the Mooncup – she just loves it!