Blossom Menstrual Cup, Say No to Tampons | Get Blossom Cups for Menstrual Days | Period Cup, Reusable Menstrual Cup, Silicone Cup (Large Menstrual Cup, Black)

If you're reading reviews considering switching to a cup, then you've doubtless already seen thousands of women telling you how great they are. I agree with them, but I wanted to offer my experience and hopefully helpful tips to do my part to spread the Gospel of the Cup.First, I'm a maxipad girl. I've used tampons very reluctantly because they always seem to press on my bladder so I constantly feel the need to pee. And as I've gotten older, my period has gotten heavier and more unpredictable (possible uterine fibroid), so I've been using a LOT of pads. In fact, I had gone so far as to place an order for a pair of Thinx (period panties) when I saw that someone suggested a cup instead on some online forum. I canceled the Thinx and ordered the Blossom (at half the price, I should mention).It arrived right on the first day of my next period so I got no chance for a "dry run" (which many people advise against anyway). Talk about being thrown in at the deep end.I'm now on day three and have spent a lot of time interacting with the cup. It "frees you from your period"? I don't think I've ever spent so much time up in my business than I have in the past three days.Before I waste anyone's time, my biggest warning is this product isn't for the squeamish. You WILL get blood on you, at least at first. My bathroom looks like an amateur horror movie set every time I try to change it. For this reason, I can't imagine having to change it in a public restroom just yet. But the good thing about blood is it washes off, and if you keep reading, you'll see a little mess is well worth it.(Speaking of mess, I got to experience my worst fear almost immediately. Had to change it in the middle of the night the first night. Between being half asleep and having inserted the cup too far, when I pulled it out it was coated with blood and very slippery. Straight into the toilet it fell. I instantly regretted buying pale yellow (so pick a more vibrant color if you can). I had to fish it out barehanded. It wasn't the end of the world, and I've handled worse. I did clean it up and leave it to air out the rest of the night for hygiene purposes. I had been using it about 8 hours, and going back to just a pad already reminded me how much I hate them, especially while sleeping.)So far the hardest thing about using the cup is inserting it properly. It's not an exact science and every woman has to work out the method best for her through trial and error (fortunately there are a bunch of YouTube videos and online forums to walk you through). To be more specific, for me inserting wasn't the problem as much as making sure the cup opened up once in. I had a devil of a time (so much so that I started to wonder if I chose the wrong size or firmness; I've never had a baby but I'm over 40 so I went with large) until yesterday I think I finally hit upon my method. For me, the "punch down" fold works best (makes the point of entry about the size of a tampon), but even more crucially is position. Sitting on the toilet required multiple attempts and much frustration (at one point I had to pull up YouTube on my phone while sitting there, I was so defeated). Then I tried one leg on the tub and squatting as deeply as I could, and that made all the difference. Went straight in and opened much easier. Not the most graceful of postures, but nothing about our periods is a beauty contest.Another important factor is position inside you. At first I pushed it as far in as I could which, while it made me feel secure about leakage, pressed against my bladder like a tampon so I felt the constant need to pee (as well as led to the very unfortunate incident described above). After a day of that I tried the exact opposite, so low it was practically protruding from my opening (the instructions say that the stem is supposed to be "completely outside your body.") I also had no leaks this way, but it made any kind of sitting a very delicate and uncomfortable affair.Obviously, the correct answer is somewhere in the middle. In fact, the technique that works for me is pushing it all the way in, then pulling down again to help open it up, then when it's down low enough to ascertain it's open push it back in about half that distance (don't forget twisting it in a circle to get the seal). The stem is technically outside my body (I have very large lips) but doesn't feel like I'm birthing a child all day, and no pressure on my bladder at all. I finally can't even feel it anymore. (Also I change it about 30 minutes before leaving the house or going to bed, so I can ensure there's no leaking while there's time to fix it.)Pulling it out at first was a little painful too. It's not enough to pinch the bottom to break the seal, you have to get your fingers past the rim and fold it down again to REALLY break the seal. Again, all trial and error learning curve.Now for the good stuff. Trust me, learning how to use the cup is a challenge WELL WORTH overcoming. The only leakage I've had was from the cup not opening properly, the rest of the time it's been as if I didn't even have my period. If you had told me the cup would let me go road biking on day one of my period and keep my shorts bone dry, even without underwear (except sweat, which isn't nearly as upsetting); would let me sleep through the night without suddenly waking up two or three times with that unpleasant oozing sensation, worried I would stain the sheets; would let me get through my whole cycle with just pantyliners (and hopefully nothing at all when I become a real pro); would mean not having to plan travel and major events around my cycle; would mean no more cramps (seriously, I've had none. Do maxipads cause cramps??); to say nothing of the saving money and reducing waste -- I would have bought one DECADES AGO.It DOES free you from your period. It IS worth it. Join us!Three-month update: This month I switched to the small Blossom (again, I'm 46 but never had children). This has been much, much easier to use so I guess size matters. I've uploaded photos (blue is the small), and you can see the difference looks negligible but it really isn't. The small opens much easier, in fact on the first try every time so far. This is good, because the bad is the capacity really is less and I need to change it more frequently (in fact, on the first night I soaked through all my clothes because I sleep so soundly with the cup). I went back to the large once, where I had leakage because I still have trouble opening it properly. So it's a trade-off. I prefer the small because trying to open the large is so incredibly frustrating for me. Fortunately the Blossom is so affordable it shouldn't be a hardship for you to try both to figure out what works best for you.

First Purchase - Large Cup - Black:I'm very impressed with this cup. I ordered the Black Size Large because I LOVE that it offers the dark color since eventual staining is inevitable and you always want one that you can travel with and not be hugely embarrassed if your friends or significant other saw it (and saw gross stains that stay on lighter colored version no matter how clean they are). I had previously purchased the "The Green Cup" of Maine and it was fabulous and a locally-based, eco-friendly cup that I felt was perfect for *me* because it held up to 2 ounces and normally my periods are very severe, long, and heavy (PPMD & PCOS). But although I liked that cup....it would eventually slide down after 9 hours or so, move, occasionally slip into an uncomfortable position, and leak a bit.Right now I'm using cups non-stop because I switched from "no periods ever" birth control to mini-pills that will eventually give me my severe, heavy periods back. And basically I have either spotting or "kind of/almost" periods randomly. So I have to wear a cup everyday since I never know when I'm going to spot, have a short period, or sudden heavy flow. And after wearing this cup day in and day out for a full month....it's perfect.It's about medium flexibility and smoothness vs other brands. Not too hard and not too soft, but has the velvety texture most women prefer. It NEVER leaks. NEVER. And the design of this cup is vastly superior in fit to the "Green Cup" that is great....but is about $45.00 and has flaws that this cheaper, better cup doesn't have. Once this thing is inserted....it's practically like glue. The suction/fit is excellent. It doesn't slide or move. And the grip tip is just long enough to grab....but not long enough to feel it or cause discomfort. I've never experienced needing to "trim the tips" like some women here have as I have a high cervix....but even when I put this in too fast or wrong...it's designed to slide itself into position somehow and I have NEVER felt the tip or any discomfort. I don't feel the cup at all.With others, I sometimes cannot even pee without taking it out because *I think* the larger diameter of the other cup would press against my bladder if it wasn't positioned just right. I don't have that with this cup. Occasionally, I'd even have the other cup slide down when I was "pushing" to pee and I don't have that problem with this one, either. I forget I have it in since I wear it daily and if I'm just spotting or bleeding a little....I check it every 12 hours mostly just for a rinse, though I wouldn't need to check or reposition it.I've had no leaks despite wearing a pantyliner in case it's finally time for my heavy periods to return, but I've yet to need them. This stays right in place, is so comfortable and natural feeling that I'm shocked....and when I have ovulation cramps or premenstrual cramps, I find them greatly reduced wearing this. And that's a real bonus for someone with severe periods and PPMD. I would recommend this cup to anyone of any size, flow, age, or issue. The cost is actually cheap considering how great and universal this cup is. And I recommend at least one Black cup so you never have to worry about staining. I plan to purchase a smaller size to see how it fits and for "spotting" days and then proceed to stock up on all different colors and see no reason why I'd even bother to try a different brand. This cup is literally perfect. There are No CONS after a month of daily use. I recommend this to everyone thinking about trying a cup or adding to their existing collection.***UPDATE FEBRUARY 2017******Second Purchase: Blue/Turquoise Cup - Small:I purchased a second cup from Blossom and am thrilled with my purchase yet again. This time I purchased a "small" in the Turquoise color despite being 36 and having had a child. I never bothered trying the smalls since all of the cup companies assume that you have a gigantic vagina *I guess* if you're older or have kids....but apparently that's just a "suggestion" because this cup also stays perfectly in place, doesn't slip out, and is perfect for my light days (since I'm still wearing a cup everyday). I've also switched to an IUD (since my original post and knew there would be 3 months of spotting, irregular periods, "fake" periods, and other nonsense....so I figured this is the time to try the other size.It's perfect for my body which pushed out a child nearly 13 years ago and I'm 36 years old. I really recommend that if you're unsure or new to cups that you buy one of each size and just try them both. And since I *do* wear them daily, I figured that I should wear a Larger one unless it's needed JUST because manufacturers assume I cannot wear the smaller size. At this price point and quality, buying 2 is still cheaper than buying 1 of the "other" higher end brands. And for other IUD users....YES, the Doctor confirmed that it's totally safe and OK to use menstrual cups daily OR just during periods with an IUD. While that's just MY Doctor....I know it's a worry that a lot of women with IUD's have and is sometimes debated. It's caused me no problems thus far even with a very "new" IUD in the early stages. But of course, check with your own Doctors, if you have that option!I added a couple of photos of the Black Large next to my new Turquoise Small and you can't tell much difference by looking, but the diameter as well as length is smaller.Insertion/Usage Tips: The way I have the cup folded in the pictures is exactly how I insert it. Don't bother spending hours online reading methods about crouching and double-folds and all that. It'll just stress you out and confuse you. Fold the cup using 1 finger to fold and the other to "hold" the fold. Insert it exactly as pictured. Then stay RELAXED (your muscles) and give just 1 gentle tug back downward and then right back upward again. This gets the "suction" action moving. Using those same 2 fingers, place them around the *outside* diameter of the cup (the bottom area is likely as much as you can reach if it's up high in place) and gently "spin" the cup around slowly. After a few spins, the cup will unfold and "puff" open. This means it's in place and suctioned properly. If you're worried, give it one more gentle downward & upward tug and push to make sure it's secure. Removal is easy. Pinch the bottom area of the cup (gently in case it's really full) and only use the stem to help "wiggle" it downward a bit for better grip. Don't yank it out by the stem. Just wiggle back and forth with it firmly pinched until you can slowly pull it out. If you have problems grabbing it, don't panic. Relax and give a "push" with your muscles while pulling on it like you would giving birth or *ahem* going to the bathroom. It will help it to come out a bit easier.That's it. Basically, the biggest thing is to stay relaxed because you don't even realize you're "squeezing" because you're concentrating. Honestly, I just throw it in there and do the "spinning" and then the gentle "push/pull" thing with more spinning and the total time is maybe 30 seconds. I only have problems when I'm distracted or rushing and realize I'm tightening up. Just remove and start again if you feel like you really screwed up the insertion rather than messing around and getting upset. I rinse each time with very hot water and either a touch of creamy hand-soap or menstrual cup wash, rinse again....reinsert. Easy-Peasy! Once you switch you'll never go back. Just be patient with yourself, relax, and try whatever sizes you think. Gymnastics are not required.