Like most women, I can remember the day I started my first period, I was in grade 8 (14 Years old), why the day stands out in my memory is because it was my mother’s birthday. I went to an all-girls school (all-girls school teach you many things, women’s autonomy, not so much), it was break time, and I was enjoying myself with my friends, having no idea I had a scene from SAW between my legs. One of my friends, Jami (who I am still friends with today and a proud owner of a menstrual cup as well!) was telling me there was something happening in the school bathroom, so being a nosey bugger, I headed for the bathroom. When I arrived, I saw nothing dramatic but was confused as Jami ushered me into a stall and indicated with her hand to look down, as I pulled my panties down, I saw my entire underwear was covered in blood. I was numb for a few seconds from fear and uncertainty before I realised it was my first period. Embarrassment flooded my face as I worried who may have seen it, if I had left any marks and if anyone else knew. Jami handed me a pad. She had seen what happened and thankfully knew the best way to handle it, thank goodness she had a spare pad or else I would have had to use toilet paper on already drenched panties! From there my journey with menstrual self-discovery started. I told my mom who insisted that I use pads in order to “maintain my virginity”, (common misconception) which I did for a few months but in all honestly it made me queasy and uncomfortable. The feeling of always having a mushy mess between my legs is really not something I looked forward to every month. I remember getting “gatvol” and I started pinching one or two of my mom’s tampons as I was too shy to go and buy tampons on my own. Keep in mind I was only 14 and uneducated about tampons, flows and cycles. Eventually I managed to convince my mom that I wanted to switch to tampons when I started swimming for my school and a pad just wasn’t going to work anymore… My ENTIRE high school career I believed I had a heavy flow and carried on buying that same pink super-sized tampon box because it was what my mom used, and I knew no better. My relationship with tampons carried on into my early 20’s, by about 23 I realised I didn’t actually have a heavy flow, so I started buying regular sized tampons. While the experience was better, it wasn’t pleasant. I always found that tampons DRIED my vjayjay out, sometimes to the point that it was difficult to remove, and it actually hurt. I first came across menstrual cups while I was online looking for ideas on ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle and there it was – Menstrual cups! I thought exactly what most people think when they first hear menstrual cup, “What the hell is that...?” I did a great deal of research into cups and decided to take the plunge and order one. I won’t lie, there were so many things I was worried about: Will it fit? It looks big Doesn’t it leak? How do you insert it? Isn’t it messy to remove? My first time using a menstrual cup had it hiccups, but by my third cycle it was like I had been using a cup forever and wondered where it had been my whole life! To answer the questions, I asked myself the first time: Will it fit? Yes, the menstrual cup is made from soft medical grade silicone which moulds with your body. If you are comfortable using a tampon you can use a cup. It looks big. Once the cup is inserted correctly, you will not even know it’s there! Doesn’t it leak? Not if the cup is inserted correctly & changed accordingly How do you insert it? The best way to educate yourself is to google the different folding methods and find one which works for you. I found it best to insert and remove the cup in the shower, doing the classic “Captain Morgan” pose. Put your best foot forward for the best insertion & removal. Isn’t it messy to remove? It may be messy the first couple of times, until you get the technique right, certainly cleaner than the accidents that happen with tampons or pads. Now several years into my menstrual cup experience this is what I can tell you: You actually don’t bleed as much as you think you do, the constant changing of tampons and pads leads you to believe that there is much more blood involved than there actually is. (you may not be as heavy as you think you are). If you are as heavy as you think you are, a menstrual cup holds more liquid in 12 hours than a single tampon does in 4 hours. I’m not going to say the transition from tampons or pads to a menstrual cup is going to be easy, it will be a new challenge for you, but once you learn how to use the cup it makes the transition worthwhile! My routine is to insert the cup in the morning while I shower and to remove, clean and insert the cup again at night. This gives me the go-ahead for a great day and a comfy night sleep. Towards the end of your cycle there may be times that you find yourself forgetting that you even have a cup inside! TSS – Toxic shock syndrome is a major concern that is solved with a menstrual cup. You will learn so much more about your body and cycle and be able to keep track of your menstrual health. Blood absorbed by a tampon / pad looks very different from the blood gathered naturally in a cup. Far less shocking and looks more natural. The freedom and confidence it gives you to go about your day without being worried about leaks and funny scents is priceless. The stigma and silence regarding a woman’s cycle makes many of us ignorant and more young girls unsure of themselves and their blooming womanhood. We need to take away the “gross” factor and put in the “growth” factor, when we are honest and communicate with each other on our reproductive health journey we grow a generation of confident, healthy and proud women. One cup lasts 10 years, imagine the time, energy and money saved in a decade of not buying tampons / pads not to mention the positive impact it has on the planet. Good for your wallet and good for your conscience. It easily fits into a pocket, purse or handbag for easy travel. There is no need to pack the jumbo pack of tampons for a trip away. You can insert the cup before your cycle starts, to avoid any accidents that may happen when you are caught off-guard. Your partner/ family/ co-workers/ school mates don’t have to be a witness to used tampons / pads tucked away in the trash. Tampons should never be flushed down the toilet, but yet so many women do it due to circumstances beyond their control and bad habit. Spare yourself the embarrassment of any pets successfully getting into the trash attracted to the scent. Due to cups collecting the flow instead of absorbing the flow you will no longer have a dry vjayvjay! Hallelujah! In the end we are all experiencing a similar journey and I hope my story will show you a simpler, easier and more sustainable path. Cheers to healthy periods Kayleigh - Owner Baobabesa
