#and dont even get me STARTED on big menstrual cup

[gin-juice-tonic]

big pad and big tampon would never allow it.

#and dont even get me STARTED on big menstrual cup #trans falls stuff #lol

[the-gayest-sky-kid]

Right back at you what are YOUR favourite Chuuya headcanons (and dazai)

okay so the way i draw skk is pretty inconsistent i think but...!!!!

I think its pretty apparent in most chuuyas i draw that i am a BIGGG freckle chuuya enjoyer. it's what he deserves. but also ive been picking up on dark circles/eyebags and such for him too. real and canon to the enlightened one. OH AND PIERCINGS ‼️

↑↑↑ i like doing em like this

and thennn... not really headcanon? but people are so used to anime chuuya so .... big brown eyed chuuya fan. big sienna haired chuuya fan. harukawa was right from the start... oh and i tend to floof up most characters hair when i draw them but really i do imagine his hair at least really wavy? i dont put much thought into hcs when i draw them so its not very consistent but if i made a definite guide itd be on there. wavy-curly hair

NOW AS FOR DAZAI‼️

i like giving him moles fhrhej typically i do one under his left eye and one by the right side of his mouth but occasionally I'll slip some extra in. i also like giving him eyebags... i don't think his sleep schedules the greatest. i think tend to make them darker for port mafia dazais and less obvious for ada dazai ? thats how it is in my head

...and i really like freckles okay shhhhhshshshshh but i do imagine them to be a lot fainter or non-existent when hes younger, being visible when he's older. getting more sun. but i do draw them as a lot lighter than or sparser than chuuyas, like here.

personally i think hes got dark brown hair, but a bit darker in the mafia because he doesn't take care of it often enough. had i actually been focusing on consistency id probably note like. flatter darker hair (oily) for the mafia & curly hair in the ada. curly haired dazai 🔛🔝...

NOW FOR HEADCANONS IN GENERAL (BUT SLIGHTLY MORE DAZAI IM SO SORRY HE IS ON MY MIND ALWAYS)

theyre both trans. both of them‼️ trust me. soukoku transmasc swag. their periods are synced. i think they'd use different products though tbh. dazai seems like a pads guy but i feel like chuuya would use menstrual cups mainly

chuuya should get a big splotchy birthmark. as a treat. im thinking on the side of one of his legs or smth. i think dazai should have a smaller one on his shoulder or smth.

chuuya likes his coffee black but will have something sweet with it. dazais coffee is more milk and sugar than anything

scars!!!!! on both of them!!!!!!! in particular i think corruption scars chuuya is cool + dazai having one from the scythe slash in fifteen. plus some stupid ones. dazai tripped over his shoes once and now hes got one on his knee. chuuyas got some barely noticable burn on his hand because he forgot to put on oven mitts once

dazai will twirl anything hes holding (pencils. his hair. someone elses hair) but chuuya will flip stuff (coins. pencils. his phone)

theyre both asexual. double black ace rings. if you even care

dazai needs glasses so bad his right eye is so fucked up guys. his headaches are probably the worst go take an ibuprofen dude tf.

dazai also canonically knows embroidery so i like to think its a genuine hobby

OH ALSO chuuya crochet hobby. crochet cant be done by machine. btw

#longer post #caps cw #swearing cw #aethers asks #THIS TOOK FUCKING HOURS IM SO SORRY #I JUST SAT HERE FOR FOREVER THINKING ABT THIS #i hope this is Suitable

[allfather-we-stan]

A little life update "summer 22 with no solid poo"

for anyone who cares lol

as some of you may have seen from my other social medias and here, my health has gone to pretty downhill and I want to share my story and explain bc idk

And for not to scare anyone, no its im not deadly ill. Im prob gonna be just fine.

gross warning i talk about poop

So umm this all started at the end of may- start of june when i started having diarreah. no biggie, i get anxiety diarreah like once a week so i didnt think much of it at the time. Only took me like few more weeks for straight diarreah to realize that something may be wrong lol. So i joked about it and let it be. I call this summer "Summer 22 with no solid poo" and wanted to wait till august to go to doctor. Then i got covid. So i had to wait that out before going to the hospital.

And finally the day I got to go to the doctor and everything was fine, i was supposed to get blood work tested and maybe poop in a container and the doctor thought that it might be celiac-disease bc that runs in my family. But i got fever straight as i got home. I didn't feel so good. The fever continued for a couple of days and then we decided its time to go to ER.

We went there, got bloodwork done etc. Waited there like 6 hours and finallly at 9pm the doctor had time to see me and turns out my inflammatory values were super high and that theyd like me to stay at the hospital for a while. So i stayed at the hospital for 7 days.

In those 7 days they took so much bloodwork from me it was insane! (and fun fact, turns out my veins are shit and no one can find a good spot to draw blood or put an IV tube in). For a couple of days, no answers. They had no idea whats wrong with me. My fever rise and they gave me antibiotics and other meds. Went to the ultrasound and nothing. And then, they had to give me a observation aka "put a little camera up my ass".

But bc i live in a small city theres like one doctor who does that and his schedule was full. So I had long long days waiting for my appointment. And they got me on friday.

But before we get to the camera up my ass part. Hell was loose. They had to "clean" my bowels. And they told me, and I QOUTE "It's either 1: drink two cups of this cocktail that tastes like orange juice or 2: drink 3 litres of water". Obv i took the orange juice! It cant be that bad! WRONG! JESUS CHRIST I WAS WRONG.

As soon as i drank the bad tasting orange drink, i felt like throwing up. Then the pain came. Oh god the pain. It was like level 10 menstrual cramp kind of pain. I was literally crying and screaming bc it hurt so bad. Only thing that helped at the moment was to stay still but i couldnt do that bc i had to shit out the cocktail like every 5 minutes. Many times i thought to just shit my pants on the bed and not let that be my problem. I was in so much pain I was in panic mode. And the worst thing was, no one warned me. They didn't even mention that it might hurt with some people. I don't remember all bc panic lol but i remember this one bitch ass nurse going "Duh its gonna hurt it has big chemicals in it! Even gas can hurt inside bowels". I would have punched her if I wasnt shitting at the time. Then the nurses took their sweet time to get me painkillers and nausea meds. But I couldnt take those bc i felt like throwing up. And then I remember a doctor came. He was nice and explained to me that it hurts bc the orange juice made my bowels like spasm to clean it. I was like "lol thanks for warning me beforehand". Some time goes, they give me that yummy tranquilizer trough IV and I'm high asf. It still hurt but atleast i was high. Then came the cup number 2! I tried to drink it, immeadetly i threw it up like no way that stayed down. And again, panic bc idk what happens next. Do i need to do this all again? Is my bowel clean? Am i gonna be okay? And then i passed out and slept trough the night.

And at this point, on a serious point. WHY THE FUCK IS TELLING PATIENCE THAT THIS THING X IS GONNA HURT SO FUCKING TABOO??? Like i get it, you dont want to scare people but a little heads up would be better than nothing! I just wish someone had told me.

Okay, morning comes, its friday, camera about to go up my ass. they give me nice tranquilizer again, YUMMY. Im high again. they roll me to the operation room, and the nice nurses and a doctor explains whats gonna happen. ( I knew this was gonna hurt beforehand bc they gave me the tranquilizer and figures). At this point they tell me that going up my ass is the hardest part and hurts but after that its easier. Im like okay i can do this, im high and im a big boy! So there i was, laying on my side, doctor rips hole in my underwear to put the camera up my ass. And there it goes, felt weird. Then this stinging pain comes and i curse. Nice nurse lady notices and presses against my tummy and the pain gets easier. They tell me to take a deep breath everytime the pain eases. I do. I'm breathing so good baby you wouldnt believe ( still fucking high). And that thing happens over and over again for like, maybe 3-4 minutes but felt much longer. Sometimes the pain was larger but the nice nurse always pressed my tummy and i, kind of, farted the pain out? It's weird but you get it. Then i hear the words of heaven "We are there"! THE WORST IS BEHIND. I'm happy! I turn around, look at the screen where i can somehow see ( didnt have my glasses) the inside of my bowel part. And i said "ew" and turned my head back. I dont wanna see that. it was pink. Then the doctor spoke something doctorly that i didnt understand. They spend a minute inside my ass doing... doctor stuff and then they took the camera out. It didnt hurt just felt weird, like taking a weirdly shaped long shit. And then they were like "lol we done! We gonna take these samples to the lab asap!" And I was like "you took samples?". THEY TOOK PIECES OF THE INSIDE OF MY ASS WTF.

okay its done, im still high and after couple of hours, they let me go home. I'm happy. I'm feeling good. Life was good. Untill the next morning.

I felt bad again, I threw up at night and I had a mild fever. We call the ER to ask what we do. They tell me that i havent drank enough liquids. So for the next two days I drank so much water you wont believe but i still felt bad and had a fever. So off to ER again!

We went there, they were like lol again bloodwork. At this point im sure i have no blood left. Then we waited and waited and they take some more blood and wait again. Results come back. My inflammatory values were high again. They again want me to stay at the hospital overnight. Hospital booked full. I wait. And finally its time. They take me to a 2 person room, as a 3rd guy. Like it was so cramped and I didnt even have the emergency button. Everything is overwhelming. It smelled like shit. I cried. it was a horrible experience and i can go all night about how shit it was but ill skip it at this point.

So i spend like two nights at the hospital, and they finally have the results in about the pieces of my ass they took. they dont know what it is. THEY HAVE NO CLUE. But atleast they got me meds that work and i dont have a fever anymore. But its like 5 different meds. They make me nauseous and tired. So its not going that well now but atleast im in a good shape to be at home rn.

Im still waiting for more results and follow-up things at the hospital. I'll update as I get to those. Thanks for reading, feel free to ask any questions and stay healthy lmao.

#so yeah its been like 3 months and i forgot what it feels like to have poop thats not liquid #legomirage rant

[neshai-esper]

Hey neshai! Im a 19 yr old girl from new-zealand whos new in magic but I introduced myself to my patron not long ago and I enjoy it so much. I thought about offering menstrual blood for later if thats okay but Im not sure. I know its a touchy topic but pls if you have any experience with that could you just give me some answer? I dont know how should I start or get it at all??

First of all, let me remind you that offering blood is a very serious act. It’s a life source after all, more precisely your own, and as long as your soul possesses this body, it might have unexpected consequences, what you might not aware of. Because of that, you have to be cautious and make sure that the entity you offer your blood to is a trustworthy being (or why are you want to use your blood even as an ingredient for something else). Do not let yourself to be fooled by an impostor, or even by a Deity to get this life source of yours that easily! Just... no! Take your time.

The way how you would like to “get” that blood and “serve” it (however, menstrual blood offering is not 100% blood), is really depends on your personal preferences. There are women who uses menstrual cups, while others are prefer using tampon or sanitary napkin. I’d assume you are not a cup user, because in that case, you would have a very easy job.

How about a cup of tea? I mean, a cup of blood-tea? In the case if you prefer to use tampon, you just have to find a clean and worthy glass for the cause. You can put purified water in it, squeeze the blood out of the tampon, then let the rest it in for about 10-20 minutes (just like you’d do with a tea filter however I’m not a big fan of tea).

To be honest, I’m not a master of “getting blood out of sanitary napkin to offer it”, because when I used to offer menstrual blood (once in my life), I chosed a different method. How about soaking and filtering (just to get rid of undesirable substances from the sanitary napkin)? It might be a good way to you if you are in the sanitary napkin club.

Anyways, it was a pretty brave question! Not many people would have the courage to ask about the topic, but I hope my answer was helpful and you’ll be careful and also, successful.

ll Note: My last few days have been very critical, exhausting and lot of unexpected things happened, so I’m afraid I can’t reply to you as fast as I’d like to. If you feel like I’m too slow, and you need an answer asap, DM me directly, and I promise I’ll answer as soon as I can.

#ask #Anonymous #menstrual #blood #offering #magic #witchcraft #women #life source

[twenty-one-flightattendants]

This one is for all of you people out there with a uterus

Since the devil blesses anyone with a uterus every month I think it would be rude not to acknowledge their thoughtful gift. So for those of you who are younger and just starting this cycle of torture, or are also a veteran who either cant or does'nt want to go on birth control, here's what I do to deal with it every month :)

What you will need to survive (I am not a professional this is just what helps me yeah yeah yeah we get it anyways)

•hot water bottles (preferably 2)

•A LOT of drinking water so you don't die

•a lot of tea so you have something to warm your cold dead heart

•a will to live (will be lost at some points during)

•a bed for lying down in (I think that's pretty self explanatory tbh)

•drugs to get rid of the pain (legal of course, FBI dont come for me)

•blood soaking/collecting supplies...obviously

•soaps and nice smelling things because periods are stinky

•Cold compress

•a bath (showers will obviously do but baths are nice and you can s u b m e r g e)

•many snacks

•spare laundry because it happens to the best of us

How to deal with specific period bull shit

☆Blood

•Tampon and pad let's go my dudes or a menstrual cup, anything that collects blood is a win whatever works for you boo

•vaginal safe soaps, you don't want to irritate your intimate areas because I promise you it's NOT FUCKING WORTH IT

•clean/spare bedding, even grown ass adults will leak if it's heavier than expected that's just part of the fun of having blood uncontrollably flood out of your body every month

•spare underwear once again just incase

•If it gets SUPER bad and I mean holy shit I'm bleeding a waterfall for 7 days straight maybe go to your doctor about that one

☆Stomach Cramps

•pain killers (Ibroprufen, paracetamol, horse tranquilizers, ect...)

•Hot water bottle (or any other warm object like a microwavable Christmas penguin named pingu you got for Christmas) one on your back helps if you have 2

•extension on the hot water bottle. Lie flat on your back or stomach...you choose idc...No pillows with one hot water bottle underneath you and one on top of you. Pretend you're being arrested for having a uterus and put your hands above your head. Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Good luck...may the odds be ever in your favour

•bath (make it bubbles and bath bombs and nice smells)

• if you are of legal age and have a partner see how brave said partner is and have some good old fashioned sexy time (Please dont accidentally make a baby, unless you want to get pregnant, and use protection despite popular belief you can in fact get pregnant while on your period)

•excersise is helpful and makes pain more bearable but it's a lot of effort and idk if I can commit to that

•praying to every god even if you're not religious because it just won't end

•chocolate...trust me I'm a scientist...

•Once again real talk here if you feel like you're giving birth every month, you're throwing up because of the pain and you're close to passing out go see a doctor because that's shit aint okay

☆Back pain

•pain killers (horse tranq you know the drill)

•hot water bottle as mentioned before

•light stretches/exercises (look I know the last thing you wanna do is move but for back pain it helps you literal slug)

•water (a lot of this is repeated)

•tea again, for once I'm advising you to NOT spill it

•Lie on flat surface with hot water bottle under back and over think your past mistakes

•bath but only if bath is big, small baths are shit and I and up wanting to die (TM)

☆Boob pain

•nothing helps

•Just fucking suffer

•dont wear a bra I guess

•fuck you boobs

☆Head ache

•pain killers yeah yeah we get it

•a cold compress (or a wet paper towel, if you're a primary school nurse fuck you)

•good ol' ice cold H20

•take a walk... you know... in the outside place

•uuuuh...have a nap????

☆Emotions

•Try not to kill anyone

•Meditate /exercise if you can be fucked because it does help but uuuuuuugh

•scream in to the void

•silently curse people who don't have a uterus but feel like they know EVERYTHING there IS to know because it CaNt bE thAt BAd

•verbally curse the aformetioned people but only if you're ready for a FUCKING FIGHT YOU SON OF A BI...

•astral project on to another plane

☆Cravings

•for the short term keep a decent amount of the foods you crave because even though chocolate is bad chocolate is good you feel me

•keep cupboards stocked with healthier (ew) foods that's will help stop cravings of junk food (there's a load of lists on line and shit) for example if you ant crisps it's probably salt you're craving so go for something healthier that's slightly salty. It will ultimately make you feel better but in the long term (chocolate is healthy right...)

•DRINK WATER....SO....MUCH...WATER...STAY HYDRATED

•Ice cream is a good friend

K that's it, feel free to add if you think of something ive forgotten or if you think I've gotten anything completely wrong which is possible with me, and thanks again to satan for the monthly gift we luv ya<3

#period #periods #menstrual cycle #menstration #period hacks #life hacks #how to deal with periods #bad periods #lgbt #health #sanitation #health class #health education

[sarahjewell-blog1]

Its been 5 months..

Since I started this blog. Whuut! I figured it was time for a review... lots of positive things have happened since and I would like to share not only whats changed in my home, but my mindset, those around me, and so on!

What have I managed? 

1. My shopping habits and choices have changed.

I don’t clothes shop constantly any more! As old home/bathroom/kitchen items wear out/break I replace them with eco alternatives. By the way this means my home is slowly becoming beautiful - because wood, rice hull, bamboo, glass and stainless steel are all BEAUTIFUL materials. bonus! I also, by way of researching the credentials of my purchases scrupulously, have started to choose ‘happy’ products - which are fairtrade, made locally/by artists, or giving people better quality of life/pay etc. 

2. I feel happier

This sounds weird! But this lifestyle change is also somehow a hobby?! I cant explain it, but because I feel passionately about it (moreso as time goes on) I get great happiness from acting on my knowledge, sharing what I know, and living in it. Buying period products and toothbrushes now makes me happy. You dont get that from a plastic brush!

3. People I know take interest

Most people I know have taken anything between passing interest and total fascination with my journey. You know the people not to bother instantly and thats fine, but most people think its cool, and a fair amount will be inspired to make an eco decision of their own. This bit is SO amazing, and I love it. Especially seeing them happy too! EVERY little helps. My other half, who I have to mention here, has been amazing for this. He has taken interest, makes eco decisions all the time, is happy to join me, and always supportive and that has been GOLDEN. Hes my partner in crime! (he also keeps telling me to open up a zero packaging store...#vicariousliving !)

4. My health

Everything is related, and lots of the sites/blogs I have looked at are big on healthy eating and 50 kilo kilners of chickpeas they turn into fancy stuff! I am certainly not at this stage yet, but my food choices have been affected. I try and eat less biscuits, crisps, and have just started removing palm oil from my diet because OH MY GOODNESS its the devil. I have more pre/probiotics (hello ACV!) and have removed dairy milk and honey from my diet. Now I am trying to cut as much refined sugar out as possible. Some of these things are hard and a slow process, but it makes the little victories even better :)

5. It isn’t always plain sailing!

I’ve had a couple of problems along the way, mainly with bathroom products. Soap shampoo has been a battle I have had to admit defeat with. I have tried 4 different types, all of which did horrible things to my hair. ACV makes your hair lovely and shiny but using it every day became tedious and stinky, so I only use it as an extra boost now. Natural conditioners dont work, and even my Faith in Nature doesnt really do the job. I also found out that a lot of face care uses ingredients that has palm oil derivatives in, at which point I decided to stop and remember that going green is a gradual process and that this was a big issue I needed to attack at a different time! So I’m currently in the market for a conditioner that works on dry, flyaway hair. 

I am still getting my head around natural deodourant. I shower in the evenings so a crystal stick wont keep me stink free all next day, but spray ones are SO expensive. I may just have to start showering in the morning!

Another problem Im still dealing with is finding the right menstrual cup. I feel bad about using tampons, but as with the hair care - you can find a middle ground that makes you eco-happy and body-happy. TOTM have deffo done that for me. 

6. It IS more expensive.

My OH and I did one entirely organic shop and basically decided never again. We’re now picky about what we get - things I find ethically/morally necessary to purchase organic/fairtrade, and things that we can afford. The stuff we can’t afford/is evil I dont buy.. which I am totally okay with. Going Green isnt about Going Bankrupt. It mostly balances out - buying more expensive shampoo goes with a WAY cheaper bar of body/hand soap. Wooden/glass/stainless steel stuff lasts longer and can be cared for better than plastic. 4 plastic dish sponges vs one wooden scrubber with replacable brush head. One metal drink bottle vs buying a single use plastic one every time you leave the house. You get the picture. The main equaliser: buy your clothes and furniture from charity shops you are saving an absolute s**t ton of money. Laughing all the way to the bank ;)

6. In conclusion!

I love the journey I am going on - my OH has been great, my friends take an interest and even send me links to articles(!), I get pleasure from the usually mundane choices we make, I have to research and hunt and think, and it always pays off, and that feels GREAT. Actually, it all feels great. You guys should definitely give it a bash. I will give you some starter tips in my next post ;)

#diary #knowledge #organic #wardrobe #food #kitchen #toiletries

[my-nameless-bliss]

about menstrual cups, im just trying to figure out which one to buy! there are so many. there are different shaped ones; some smaller, bell shaped and some are longer. some are made of a stiffer silicone, some are more flexible. i just dont know what i should get

To be honest, I don’t know if there’s any possible way to figure out which type of cup is best for you until you get one and see if there are any adjustments that need to be made. I know it sucks, but no amount of poking around up there will tell you which brand has the best size or silicone for you until you have a cup to use as a starting point. It’s one of the few downsides of getting a cup, since no one wants to spend $40 on something and realize they’d prefer a different brand after the fact.

For me, I just bought the Diva cup since it was the easiest for me to get (it’s even stocked on shelves in CVS and Walgreens these days!). And I got lucky because it happens to fit just fine. Though admittedly, when the time eventually comes for me to replace it, I’ll want to try a brand that’s a bit smaller with stiffer silicone (Diva cup is one of the biggest/softest, as far as I’m aware). 

I’m sure there are professional opinions on how to choose your first cup somewhere on the internet. But my completely unprofessional opinion as someone who’s used a cup for a few years would be to try a smaller, stiffer cup first. Smaller cups usually come with long stems that you can trim to whatever length you need, so there’s no worry about it being too small to work with, and it’s less likely that it’ll be too big to fit (for me, the Diva cup is just barely small enough). Also, stiffer silicone makes it easier for the cup to pop open correctly without having to fiddle with it, which I imagine would be particularly helpful for someone using it for the first time. This is purely anecdotal evidence, but I’ve spoken to quite a number of people who use cups, and while a few of them have said they’d want a stiffer cup, only one of them has said that her cup was too stiff to be comfortable. Between my experience and the experiences of people I’ve talked to, more issues seem to come with having too big or too soft of a cup, so I think small and stiff would be the best starting point!

That being said, be sure to note any of the size specifications on the brands themselves. I can’t say for sure about other brands, but Diva cup makes two sizes, labeled as being for people who’ve given birth vaginally, and people who haven’t. I don’t personally know anyone who’s needed to buy the larger size if they haven’t given birth, so I’m inclined to trust those sizes at face value.

Again, this is all just based on my personal experience and the handful of experiences I’ve heard from other users over the years. There might be a more technical, ‘official’ way of figuring out what type of cup you need before buying, but this is what’s worked for me! 

#bigger softer cups still work for me #but it sometimes takes more than one try to put it in correctly #even after years of experience #though if your cup is too soft #run it under some very cold water before inserting it! #makes it stiffer #maybe an obgyn would have an opinion on what cup you'd need???? #but i think small and stiff is the least likely to cause problems #i don't know anyone whose cup was too small to use at all #and again feel free to ask me any more questions!!! #nykeigh answers #anon #period stuff

[infernumequinomin]

Hi there... I’m sorry if this is too personal, but I saw your recent post mentioning that menstrual cups are such a lifesaver, and for the most part I agree, but it seems like I can never get the position right and it still leaks often... do you have any advice beyond the directions that come with the cup? Again, I’m sorry if this is too invasive to ask, you don’t have to respond if you’re uncomfortable with it. ;;;;

Yeah absolutely not a problem my friend menstrual cups can have kind of a learning curve!My tips and such are gonna be geared pretty primarily towards reusable menstrual cups and not the disposable kind because I just havent ever used them. Also pardon the lack of ref images or anything am on mobile.

Cup Hacks:

If you are having consistent leaks you maybe don’t have a big enough cup, this was my first issue because I used to use the much smaller tampons when I used them then was leaking like nuts, no fun. Get a bigger sized cup (Diva Cup does a small-medium and a large, I used to use a slim tampon and heavy duty pad and need to use the large cup, MoonCups I have been told are slightly larger, so your sizing may vary) If the leaks are kind of sporadic then you may be having some issues getting the cup seating and sealed properly.

Inserting tips, a lot of the guides say to insert the cup kind of folded in half on itself, this can sometimes keep the cup from springing back into shape in the way you need it to upon insertion. I tend to dip the edge into the rounded portion of the cup in a sort of U shape rather than a folded over sandwich shape (I literally can't think of another way to describe this pardon my brain) because it retains its shape on insertion better. When you insert the guide is like “hey shove that bad boy allllll the way up to your cervix” its actually easier to get a solid seal by getting the cup into yourself and then gently pushing up and tilting the opening of the cup towards your bellybutton region. This allows the cup to settle out into being open again and pressing it up after prevents weird suction directly on your cervix which can cause cramps to worsen, can be concerning for folx with IUDs, and is generally not super comfy overall, do not recommend.So simple layman’s instruction: dip one edge of the cup into the center of the cup and squeeze it to hold in place. Insert into your vagina until just the edge of the cup is sitting in your opening, twist and adjust as needed to get the cup to open back up if releasing it did not already. Push the cup into yourself in a sort of parallel to your vagina angle, aiming the opening of the cup up towards your cervix. Wipe any excess blood from your parts, there may be light spotting on heavier days just from blood that was shed while cleaning/emptying your cup so maybe also wear a light pantiliner. If youre noticing more than like a teaspoon of blood on your pantiliner in a few hours, you may not have seated the cup correctly, or you’re bleeding more than the cup can handle and should empty it. A good sign youve not got the suction youre looking for is If you empty the cup and its only slightly full but you've been spotting, the seal isnt good and ya need to adjust. ALSO, sometimes specific strenuous activity like running, riding roller coasters or horses, and swimming can mess up your seal a bit, and you should adjust accordingly.

Removing/cleaning your menstrual cup:Hey that things WAY up there now, how ya gonna get it out? Sittin on a toilet with some leg spread is generally enough for the cup to lower itself towards your entrance, you shouldn’t really have to go fishing for it unless it is way too small for your bod. I’ve had to reach maybe a half inch at most but generally a soft push like youre trying to make yourself pee is enough to force it lower and make it easier to grab. (FUN TIP: PEE BEFORE TRYING THIS SO YOU DONT PEE ON YOUR DANG HAND) Use a bit of toilet paper to reduce grossness factor a bit, grab the ridges or tail on the cup and GENTLY lower it out. Pulling too fast makes one hell of a mess and I defo made that mistake of pulling it out like a tampon at first and had to frantically wipe down the toilet cause I got blood all over and honestly friends… It just isn't worth it. Be gentle. Cradle it and empty it backwards towards your butt to avoid potential UTI issues and then pull it out of your crotch/toilet area. (I’m not actually sure what the rate of UTIs among folx who use a cup are but I know I havent had one since I started using mine but be safe either way!)

In any given bathroom, public or private, ya got a couple options for cleaning the thing out. If you have a sink close enough to where your toilet is, a little rinse in generally fine if you’re reinserting it immediately, and you can use soap if you want it to be a little more sanitary (I recommend this unless youre getting rushed out the door by your girlfriend to go get burgers). You can also, if sinks are out of reach or just gonna cause you to hobble your way over with your pants around your ankle (don’t do this, its not worth the potential for drippage since you just opened the floodgates so to speak), do a wipe down with some tp or a damp paper towel if you remember to do that when you walk into the bathroom like a person better than me would. I generally ball up a little bit of tp, slide it inside, give everything a good wipe down, and then flush the evidence away (don’t flush that paper towel though, rude). This is honestly not preferred for me, I’d rather rinse it every time, but you really never know if youre gonna have to empty your cup in a public stall bathroom so, ces la vie, gotta live your life.

Cup comparisons:

I used to use 2-3 overnight or super pads a day for the heaviest days of my flow (which was generally the 3-4 days in the middle of my gottdang 7 day period). With my cup I generally use 1 or 2 pantiliners a day on heavy days, none at the beginning of my period or towards the end when I’m lighter, and maybe a regular pad overnight if I’m especially heavy, so I am still occasionally wearing a few disposable items but honestly, a pantiliner is a game changer from wearing big heavy overnight pads to WORK ugh. On average I personally wear my cup for 4-6 hours before emptying it, longer towards the beginning and end of my period, but usually don’t wear it for longer than 10 hours at a time. This is my experience and I honest to god dont know if TSS is a thing that can happen with a cup, but listen to your body and if you start feeling sick at all, definitely remove it and wear a pad for a bit. You can defo use a cup with reusable pads but I dont own any and haven’t really looked at the literature on whether they’re better/worse bacterial infection or whatever wise so I can’t give a good recommendation despite a few folx I know having good experiences with them.

Care and cleaning: I generally wash my cup with a mild vinegar and water solution right after my period ends, this cuts down a lot on bacteria growth and the general funk that a cup can get over time. Its medical grade silicone but its spending most of its time in a moist, nutrient rich environment for bacteria, and like, ngl, the thing is gonna just have a blood smell. It just is. Right after the first week you use it. Its gonna smell kinda weird. Faint, but kinda gross blood/general vagina smell. Nothing wrong with a little vagina smell. I soak my cup overnight after the initial wash in a combo of water and antibacterial soap, dry it, and put it away with my period junk. Once every few months you can do a boil out but you have to be careful not to let your cup melt on the bottom of the pot. Just a mix of water and vinegar (like ¼ cup vin to 2 to 3 cups water) boiled on the stove and drop the cup in there. Use a spoon to make sure it doesn’t touch the bottom and melt or warp, and stay with it. Maybe boil like 10 minutes or so and drain it out and set it somewhere to air dry that isn’t gonna freak out your roommates (don’t dry it with the dishes, big mistake) or have it sitting in water, the point is to let it dry out and breathe. Diva Cup says to replace your cup every year or something which I honestly think is a good way for them to make a crapton of money off people who are super scared of their hygiene being bad and gross or something. You should get rid of your cup around the time that the silicone starts to degrade or start looking rough. I kept my first Diva Cup for 3 years before it started to really show signs of wear and tear in the silicone. Signs your cup may need to hit the streets include: creases or crimps in the cup, persistent discoloration of the silicone (washing, soaking, boiling doesnt do anything and there’s just a grossness to the thing that washing it isn’t helping), a persistent musty sort of smell (this may imply you weren’t washing/caring for your cup as much as it needed and if you’re starting to get that a solid overnight to 2 day soak in a vinegar solution may help a lot. Do it as a 2 stage soak, soak, empty, soak again. Warm water works best and towel dry it off really really well after.) tearing in the silicone period! Its not gonna be effective if there’s a rip, especially on the rim cause that suction is what you want!, and if there are defects or scratches in the silicone overall. So bubbles, scratches, warping, ect.

Storing your cup in a clean, dry place is also important to keeping it from getting damaged or gross to the point you need to get rid of it.

Also, fun fact, you can have sex using a cup. It isn’t a replacement for birth control if that’s a thing you need, but it can make the uncomfortable oozing parts of period sex less… Oozy. PIV Intercourse can be a bit more of a challenge with a silicone cup because of the tail but is definitely possible. Other sex acts (outercourse, oral, frotting) are a lot easier (or even possible depending on your partners feelings on period sex at all) and due to the way self lubrication works in a vagina the cup wont prevent things from getting wet, just keep the blood from making everything a vaguely pink mess.

Anyway so that’s my essay on menstrual cups, I hope this helps ya out with loving your cup and makes it a lot easier to prevent leaks!

Go out and live your fullest life!