Did you know that the average person uses up to 11,000 disposable pads and tampons in their lifetime? Me neither! Thats, a lot, right? Switching from disposable sanitary products is something I've been looking to do for AGES but had no idea where to start. BeYou came to my rescue and very kindly sent me their menstrual cup to try and it has CHANGED MY LIFE and it'll last me up to a decade! If you want the low down on it, keep reading.
I had a vaginal birth with Penelope and with that came forceps, an episiotomy, stitches and a lovely scar. It's quite true that you'll never really be the same down there. Pads are uncomfortable and tampons just don't work for me anymore. Honestly, I wondered how on EARTH I would get this thing up me but I had a few practice goes and got to grips with it pretty quickly using the 'Punchdown Technique'. Push the rim towards the base, squeeze the sides together, insert. You'll know when it's in properly and a seal has formed inside, you'll hear it. Et voila! If it's in properly, you won't be able to feel it at all and you'll be well on your way to an environmentally friendly, more comfortable and pocket friendly period.
One of my favourite things about using the cup is not having to worry about changing it as it holds up to 3 tampons worth and can be worn for up to 12 hours at a time. When your pad shifts in the middle of the night and you end up waking up in the morning having leaked? Having to find a toilet when you're out and about because you need to change your tampon? None of that! Forgetting to put a new pad on after a shower because you're busy procrastinating in your towel and then getting blood on your bed sheets? No? Just me? WELL I DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THAT EITHER.
As a teenager I had really heavy periods and would go through 2 boxes of tampons a month, so the costs do add up. The BeYou menstrual cup will set you back £14.99 so it's one of the most affordable on the market and, as I mentioned before, will last up to 10 years. In 10 years of having periods I've worked out to have spent around £500 on sanitary products. That's an astronomical difference! Not only is switching to the cup going to be more gentle on your bank balance but it's kinder to the environment too as there's no waste, no plastic in landfill and no monthy repurchases. It's made from 100% medical grade silicone, without nasty chemicals. No BPA, latex or dyes.
I asked for your questions on Instagram about using the cup too, some of which I've answered in this post but I'll try to cover all bases:
Is it comfortable to wear, can you tell you have it in?
This was asked THE MOST and yes, it's extremely comfortable. It took me a few tries to get the positioning right but when it's in correctly you can't feel it at all. It sits far lower than a tampon does which might feel strange at first but that's how it fits. Don't be tempted to push it in further than in needs to go - that is the most common reason for it to leak. Which leads me on to the next question...
Does it leak/overflow?
Basically no, it shouldn't. When the cup is in properly it forms a seal against the walls of your vagina which prevents it from leaking. If you find the cup is moving around and leaking a lot you may need to switch to the larger size. I've had the cup in for the full 12 hours on my heaviest days and it was never more than two-thirds full!
Is it messy?
Well, I won't lie, it isn't just a case of wrapping it in bog roll and chucking it in the bin when it comes to changing it like you would with disposable sanitary products. You do need to empty it and rinse it out. This was no issue for me and I definitely wouldn't say it was messy, although I understand this might not be everyone's 'cup' of tea! Ha, get it? Moving on...
Can you imagine it being a hassle when using public toilets?
Okay so I'm yet to test this as the furthest I've ventured with it is to ALDI for gin essentials (thank you lockdown). If you do find yourself in a situation where you need to empty it in public it's recommended to take a bottle of water in with you and rinse it in to the toilet. Perhaps not ideal BUT in all fairness, as you can leave it in for up to 12 hours, it's not something you really have to worry about.
How do you keep it clean?
BeYou do a foaming cleanser for the cup that you can use to wash it. You can also boil it in an allocated pan for 5-7 minutes or soak it in sterilising solution (eg. Milton).
I think that just about covers it? One thing's for sure though, I will never return to disposable sanitary products, the menstrual cup has revolutionised my whole period! Thank you so much BeYou!
The BeYou menstrual cup was sent to me for free in exchange for a review across my socials. However, all views are my own.
