The menstrual cup scores in many ways: It is more sustainable and collects more blood than tampons and pads. But the handling is unfamiliar to many women at the beginning. Removing the menstrual cup can be difficult. Learn how to safely remove the cup if it has ridden up and is stuck.
In recent years, the menstrual cup or cup has become increasingly popular. More and more women are using pads instead of tamponsthe small cup made of medical-grade silicone that is inserted into the vagina and collects the period blood. The biggest advantage of the menstrual cup is its reusability. After each menstrual period, you have to boil the menstrual cup hot and can then use it again and again. This means that the menstrual cup is definitely cheaper and more sustainable than tampons and pads in the long term. With a capacity of 25 ml to 50 ml, the capacity also exceeds that of conventional hygiene products. Since tampons not only absorb period blood but also vaginal fluid, the vagina can dry out faster and is more susceptible to infections. The medical silicone of the cup hardly absorbs the vaginal fluid.
Table of Contents
Difficulty removing the menstrual cup
Even if there are many good reasons for the menstrual cup, there are some counter-arguments that prevent women from using the cup. One of these is menstrual cup removal, which doesn’t always go so smoothly. For example, the YouTuber and influencer Silvi Carlsson reported in a video about her experiences with the menstrual cup and the difficulties in removing it. The end of the story was that the woman from Cologne ended up in the emergency room to have the cup removed – pretty uncomfortable!
Menstrual cup stuck? These 4 tips will help
But what to do if the child has already fallen into the well and the cup that has slid up is out of reach with your fingers? The good news first: Even if the menstrual cup gets stuck, it cannot continue to move up or “get lost” somewhere in the body. With these 4 tips you can get the menstrual cup out again:
- Keep calm and try to relax — even if that’s easier said than done. But when you’re stressed, you cramp up even more underneath.
- A crucial tip if you can’t get the cup out is squeezing . It’s easiest if you squat down. This is where your pelvic floor muscles come into action, pushing the cup down bit by bit.
- wait ! As the cup gets fuller and heavier over time, it will gradually slip down on its own.
- Do not pull the cup stem to remove it. Because the cup is held in place with a vacuum , you’ll need to press the side slightly to loosen it and remove the cup.
Find the right menstrual cup
A mistake that Silvi Carlsson made, and one that I’m sure many other women make, is using a menstrual cup that doesn’t fit , which can potentially move up. Whether the cup fits properly depends on many different factors:
- Age,
- the seat of the cervix (very important),
- the bleeding strength,
- previous pregnancies,
- and the texture of the pelvic floor
must be taken into account when choosing the cup. The cup usually moves up when the cervix is high. In this case, particularly long cups are helpful. It is best to consult your gynecologist about the right model and size.
