"Happy Periods" aka menstral cup...!!!

Have you ever had this feeling during periods, "Why God why? Why I am a girl? Why don't boys have periods? Why can't it only happen once a year?  Why can't I just stay at home and lay down all day long? 😖" Babe, I know the feeling, happens with me every month. They are painful, messy, and agonizing.

Then a few months back, I switched to the 'menstrual cup'. I'm not saying I love periods now, but this cup made them bearable. So here I present my story of not so bad periods.😊

I'll directly come to the point. For most of us, sanitary pads are the harshest and hardest part of periods. So when I came to know about the cups. I asked myself why do I want to get rid of pads?
Phew! I got tons of reasons.

• That uneasy feeling! No matter how soft they became over time, yet after an hour of use, they start killing me down there. I don't want to walk with a pad between my legs, or even stand. Many of you might feel the same way. After 3 to 4 hours it starts feeling heavy and after 6 hours, it gets this weird wetness. Above all, even when I'm not bleeding much, they keep reminding you that you are on periods and never let you be at ease, even when you are sitting, walking, or standing still.
• Time to change! The worst part is when I have to change and I'm not home. How to carry my bag in the washroom?  Where to dispose? Why people don't have dustbins in their washrooms? No matter how advanced we get, people still treat you differently when you are on your periods. Man! it sucks.
• Pads are pilling up! Believe me, your pads are creating huge piles of garbage on this planet. These are not just difficult to manage but disgusting as well. These have started causing health concerns for people working around them. Though nowadays new technologies are coming either to safely decomposing them or producing bio-degradable pads. Still, it will take time to reach every corner of the world.
• It's not so pocket friendly! Being an IT professional and spending 9-10 hours in the office, I need to use good quality pads. And I was using on an average 10 pads (approx Rs. 120) through one cycle. That makes Rs. 1440 for a year, so I had already spent around 20k on pads. 

Now why di I suggest others use menstrual cups?

The answer is pretty clear. It gives me freedom/solution from all the above-mentioned problems.

A menstrual cup is a feminine hygiene product that is inserted into the vagina during menstruation. Menstrual cups are usually made of flexible medical grade silicone and shaped like a bell with a stem. The stem is used for insertion and removal. The bell-shaped cup seals against the vaginal wall just below the cervix. Every 8–12 hours (depending on the amount of flow), the cup is removed, emptied, rinsed, and reinserted. After each period, the cup should be boiled for at least 5 minutes and stored for use the next month.

Unlike tampons and pads, cups collect menstrual fluid rather than absorbing it. One cup is reusable for up to five years or more. This makes their long-term cost lower than that of disposable tampons or pads, though the initial cost is higher. Menstrual cups are also promoted as more practical and eco-friendly than pads and tampons. Given that the menstrual cup is reusable, its use greatly decreases the amount of waste generated from menstrual cycles, as there is no daily waste and the amount of discarded packaging decreases as well. The cup comes in 3 sizes, small medium large.

Okay, you got me, I copied the above two paragraphs from Wikipedia. But hey, they explained it very well. Now based on my own experiences let me tell you who should or should not use this cup.

Use it if:

• You are open to your body.
• You are okay with touching your vaginal walls, cause sometimes you have to check whether it is properly inserted or not. 
• You are fine if, during the insertion process, your fingers get a few drops of blood.
• You will be able to see the blood in the cup, cause after 10 or 12 hours you have to empty and re-insert the cup.
• You really want to try a better option.

This all may sound too much, but it's worth giving a try. Trust me. While using the cup, if there is either no or minor period pain, you can easily forget that you are on your periods. No wetness and no irritation. You can sleep in your favorite position. Even both legs stretched out in 120 degrees. If inserted properly you will never have the fear of leakage. And did I mentioned, you can swim with it! Remember, when you stand up after a long time and you feel that sudden flow of blood, which scares the hell out of you. With the menstrual cup, you will never feel the flow. Blood is being collected way before it reached your vagina. 

But, don't use it if:

• You believe touching your own vagina or blood will make you impure.
• You can faint at the sight of blood in the cup.
• You are satisfied with your pad experience. I agree many might be okay or more than okay with pads. 

But if you want anything better, please give it a try. I'm not saying, the cup will make you fly, but it will surely put you at ease. Additionally, it will take some time to get used to it or properly understand it. I tried it for a day during the first 3 periods, then finally got hold of it. You will find tons of videos about how to use/insert it. Now I use it throughout the cycle. Initially, it took me 10 minutes for inserting the cup and then be sure it , and then the time gradually decreases. Now it goes straight in. But all the troubles are worth it. Periods still sucks, cause my back and tummy pains a-lot but now I'm not hesitant about going out with friends or visit relatives while I'm bleeding.

I hope this inspires at least one gal out there. Thank you for reading. Do let me know in the comment section if you try or have any questions about it.