An "Inside" Look at Menstrual Cups

menstrual cup

So... Let's get started and talk all about anatomy. Our lovely cervix.

How that plays into using a menstrual cup and how other things come into play - like the bladder and the rectum and just how to put this thing in.

So, let's just get right to it.

Now, this is a representation of what's inside your body and this is a cup.

And the cup is going to go inside of your vagina.

Let’s meet some of the parts and discuss how they kind of all interplay.

This is your uterus and you have ovaries on either side - of course, the cervix is at the bottom.

We have the bladder above, leading to your urethra, and the urethra is right above your vaginal opening.

So this is, of course, not quite the same because we have that attachment but it should be a little bit closer.

The rectum is below.

Next, we’re going to show an insertion using our pretend vulva.

For demonstration purposes today I’m going to use a Lily Cup standard, size 2.

This is a really nice and long cup, very smooth to the touch and without a rim.

It’s very good for people with a high cervix.

I’m also going to be demonstrating using my pretend vulva.

These are the outer lips and then this is the inner lip.

You can kind of see how we’re going to be doing things here.

Most people are intimidated because these cups look so large, but because you’re going to be folding them it’s not quite as big.

Now it is probably still going to be a larger diameter, on entry, than a tampon but not by too much.

It definitely can fold down.

This is the "punch down fold" here.

And various folds, if one doesn’t work, please try another.

There are many folds that you can try.

For the purposes of this demonstration, because she is not naturally lubricated like a real woman would be, I’m going to use a lubricant on the cup itself.

The lubricant is silicone safe.

It is a water-based formula.

Menstrual Cups

So, if you’re ever using a cup on a dry run I do recommend using a lubricant on the cup just to make things go a little bit smoother

and you may even need it on your cycle. So when you apply the lube just apply it around the rim, and if you feel like you need extra help to apply it around the walls. The lower you apply it, the messier it's going to be.
I'm using the "U fold" which is a really simple, easy, fast fold that seems to open up very nicely once inside. So just open the lips with your other hand and then just really gently wiggle it in and just push slowly. You don't have to ram it inside. Just push it nice and slow. Let it do its thing.

Now, because I have this attachment it's quite long. It's definitely longer than the average vaginal canal, which is why I've used this cup. So as I push you can see it's going inside but it's not open yet. Once it's up there and ready to open it will pop. And this looks pretty scary that my fingers are going in deep, but it's actually just way deeper than a normal vaginal canal because of this attachment. Now that you have the menstrual cup inside it's really easy to see with this model how it sits inside your vaginal canal in relation to your outside lips and also the cervix. Being that this is a longer cup it might need to be trimmed or you might need another shorter cup. You can trim the stem if you need to. But this is really just for demonstration purposes So let's go ahead and notice that the cup does sit below the cervix. This one is long is quite close. If it is not possible to get it any higher and the cup hangs out, then, of course, you need a shorter cup. So now we can look and see that the cup is below the bladder and the urethra and because sometimes the cup can put pressure upon your bladder, if you experience that, just know that it is normal for some women. If it is painful you need to try a different cup. Maybe a softer cup.

menstrual cup

It can also decrease the amount of urine flow. So your urine stream may be weaker, and it might take you longer to pee - but that's okay. The cup also sits above your rectums, so if you're having a bowel movement it's only natural that the cup may be pushed out a little bit. If you've had a bowel movement and the cup has moved down and it's poking out a little bit it's actually okay to take clean fingers, after washing your hands, and just push the cup back to a comfortable position for you.

And this is why a cup with a nice firm base,

like a Lily Cup,
Diva Cup,
Lunette Cup,
Lena Cup

is so great for newbies. Because you can always use that to push it up higher. If you're using a cup without a rigid base, it makes these maneuvers harder. Either repositioning after going to the bathroom or repositioning once you've inserted it. And the convenient part of being able to bear down and move the cup down is that it can make removal of the cup must cleaner and easier. If you bear down your muscles and move the cup down the vaginal canal to a place where you can reach it, depending on your short your cup is, just kind of pull it down. Walk it down, if you can't bear down. Or bear it down. So either one of these. Press, break the seal and then remove. We're doing this upright so it doesn't spill, but my model is sideways so I just want to remind you of that.

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Along with all of our other online resources and articles and a little bit of humor too because we like to have fun.

Thanks for watching! Get to know your anatomy and how the pelvic region it pertains to using a menstrual cup. After watching this video you'll understand how your menstrual cups relate to all that surrounds them including your cervix, bladder, and yes...

even your rectum.

Also shown is how to insert a menstrual cup with a real (clear) vulva for those who just have to understand how a menstrual cup fits inside the vaginal opening.

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