First thing’s first, what is a menstrual cup?
Menstrual cups are reusable period products designed to be worn internally and to collect menstrual blood instead of absorbing it like traditional, single-use period products. They’re usually made of high quality silicone, or medical-grade TPE like the Hello Cup. Check out our blog here for a break-down of the key differences.
Using a menstrual cup for your period has a whole bunch of benefits. They’re safe to wear for 8-12 hours, and won’t dry out your vagina or absorb bacteria like tampons or menstrual pads.
Making a one time investment in a reusable period product is not only sustainable and keep trash out of landfills, but also saves you money. No more purchasing pads and tampons every month just to have them end up in the garbage 🤯.
Using A Hello Menstrual Cup For The First Time
Switching to a menstrual cup can take some practice at first. So to start learning on how to use a menstrual cup, first be patient with yourself, relax, and take your time. If you’re nervous or tense your vaginal muscles may react, making it difficult to insert your cup successfully.
Get comfortable with yourself! Practice somewhere comfortable at first, like at home or in the bathtub. You can practice during your period, when menstrual blood provides a natural lubricant and the vagina is more flexible, or try doing a ‘dry’ run with your menstrual cup before your period arrives. You can use water as a lubricant to test inserting and removing without the mess initially. Our Hello Lube is also fantastic as a lubricant for inserting menstrual cups and menstrual discs.
Check out our handy reel here for some more of our favourite tips for getting started.
Sterilizing Your Menstrual Cup Before Use
There are a couple of ways to sterilize your menstrual cup:
- Bring water to a rapid boil and submerge your cup for at least three minutes. Check out our whisk hack here!
- Use ¼ of a sterilising tablet like Milton brand and soak your menstrual cup in a glass of cold water with it for 15 minutes. Don’t soak for longer than 30 minutes which can risk damaging your cup!
Make sure your menstrual cup is totally dry before storing it. Keep it anywhere as long as it’s also dry and away from direct sunlight. Your Hello cotton bag is a great place for storing your cup!
Inserting Your Menstrual Cup
There’s more than one method for inserting a menstrual cup, and it depends what type of cup you’re using. You may have heard of the traditional ‘C’ fold. Since the Hello Cup has an internal rim for optimum comfort and is made from slightly firmer TPE, the best fold for inserting is called “the shallow punchdown fold.” This means you push down one side of the cup slightly, making sure the punch doesn’t go below the ‘Hello’ lettering on the side of the cup. It can feel like the fold is elusive and hard to master, but hang in there because practice will help you to get it right every time!
Removing Your Menstrual Cup
To remove your Hello Cup, release your pelvic floor muscles and insert a finger into your vagina and feel for the base of the cup. Squeeze at the base of the cup using the tip and grip rings to release suction and slowly pull your cup down.The more relaxed your muscles are, the better!
Emptying and Reinserting Your Menstrual Cup
Once you’ve removed your menstrual cup, simply empty the contents into the toilet, rinse it out with cold water or you can also wipe your cup with toilet paper if you don’t have private access to a sink, like in a public restroom. Reinsert, and you’re ready to go! Cleaning your cup with Hello Wash™ can be done once a day.
Cleaning Your Menstrual Cup
A fool-proof way to clean your menstrual cup is by using the Hello Wash, unscented and perfect for washing all your sustainable menstrual products—menstrual cups, menstrual discs, period underwear, and washable pads / liners.
Need an on-the-go cleaning method? Hello Go Spray will be your new best friend when it comes to keeping your hands and cup clean. Water-based, non-toxic, and alcohol-free, Hello Go Spray will provide bacteria protection for up to 24 hours.
To use Hello Go Spray, spray on your hands and allow to try. Your hands will be protected even through washing! Use the spray the same way to sterilize your menstrual cup after wiping it clean, and allowing it to dry completely before inserting.
When you choose to use a menstrual cup, you’re going to have to get intimate with yourself. Make sure you cut yourself some slack as well, and don’t get frustrated if it takes a few period cycles to get the hang of it. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Leaks can happen, but you’ll get a feel for your body the more you use a menstrual cup, and be on your way to a happier period!
View our bloody amazing, award-winning Hello Cup range here.
