Taking the Fear Out of Menstrual Cups with the Sckoon Cup

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There is something about using reusable menstrual products that has many women running for the hills. I get it, I was one of them once upon a time until about seven years ago I tried a menstrual cup. In fact, it was the menstrual cup that was my biggest gateway to a greener life, not cloth diapers. I am here to tell you that menstrual cups aren’t scary! 

I have tried several brands of menstrual cups so I was excited to finally try the Sckoon Cup. I became aware of this brand about a year or so ago and was intrigued by its different shape.

Why should I use a menstrual cup?

There are several reasons why I have been using menstrual cups for the past seven years and don’t have any intention of ever going back to tampons. They are:

• more environmentally friendly
• I don’t have to worry about introducing chemicals into my body
• I don’t have to worry about running out of tampons
• it’s much cheaper than buying tampons every month
• they leak far less than tampons do

Is it hard to insert?

No. There is a learning curve but within a few cycles, you should be more comfortable with how inserting the cup works for you. To insert, I fold the cup into a U shape with my pointer finger then insert it up and back a little. Once I can tell that it’s covering my cervix (yes, you can tell if it’s in correctly) I give it a 360-degree turn to form a seal and go about my day.

Are they messy?

I won’t sit here and tell you that you will never come in contact with your own menstrual fluid ever. The fact is, you might while inserting it on heavy days depending on your flow. You may with just about any method you choose to deal with your period, though. Some tips for keeping the mess factor to a minimum is to empty your cup more frequently on heavy days and make sure you hold the cup upright when you remove it since it will be full. 

How do you take it out?

Simply pinch the bottom of the cup around the stem to break the seal then pull it out. The nice thing about the Sckoon cup is that it is a softer material than any of my other cups so it makes pinching the bottom that much easier. Once the cup is removed just dump the contents into the toilet, rinse the cup off, re-insert. If you are in public you can just wipe it out with some toilet paper or purchase some wipes made specifically for menstrual cups and wash it when you get home. 

How do I clean it?

You can use a wipe, rinse it and wash it with a mild soap and water, or you can boil it for about 5 minutes. I only boil them once a month and use a mild soap during my cycle. Please be sure you don’t use soap with a lot of harsh chemicals and fragrances. Remember, this goes inside your body and you don’t want to introduce a bunch of artificial fragrances and such to that area of your body.

How is the Sckoon Cup different from other cups?

As you can see from the below photo the shape is quite a bit different from other cups. The bottom is more rounded which I like because it allows the cup to be inside higher so there is less chance of feeling it. The stem is also very different. It’s thinner and softer so more comfortable. I didn’t even feel it even though I hadn’t trimmed it at all. 

The material is softer so it allows for a very comfortable fit as well once it was inserted. However, I had a harder time inserting this one than my others because of the softness. I am so used to the other kind that I had a hard time telling whether it was in correctly or not. It didn’t pop open as obviously as the others though once I started to turn it I could feel it open. Toward the end of my cycle, I was much more comfortable with it. 

Lastly, I have a very heavy flow and found that on my heaviest day or  two I leaked quite a bit less than with the other cups. Without going into specifics, I leak with every cup I’ve ever tried and this is why I also use cloth pads as a backup. For someone with a more normal flow you probably won’t leak but you will get to know how long you can keep a cup in between changes for your individual cycle. 

Not all cups will work the same on every woman and you may have to try a couple before you find the one that’s right for you, but so far I am really liking the Sckoon Cup! Its shape works well for me and after another cycle or so I should be more used to the way it goes in compared to the others I’ve tried. I would definitely recommend giving this cup a try if you’re in the market for a menstrual cup. 

You can purchase a Sckoon Cup directly from their site for $39.99, currently on sale for $36.99. They sell mama cloth, too!  Also, be sure to check them out on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Google + 

If you liked this post, check out my other posts on natural feminine care.