OMG. Did you say Menstral Cup? 🤨

A word of warning 🙃 this is not a blog for the faint hearted bloke. But this is certainly a blog for every single female out there who's over their period being that unwelcome guest every month. So if there's one thing you do today, you must let me school you on menstral cups today.
 

If you're like me, getting your period is like having that unwanted guest rock up just before you're about to go to something really fun. And she always comes when you're either going on a holiday, or have a tonne of work to do, or you're heading out for a girls night, or you're headed to the beach, or you're getting married or something rediculously important like that ... ha ha - seriously! 


So when I was getting ready for my trip around the world earlier this year one of the things I kept thinking about was how was I going to manage you know what. I knew travelling for a year and constantly moving was going to be both fun and challenging but what about that time of the month... urggh!


So my curiosity was sparked when I came across The Hello Cup... Its a menstral cup to be used instead of tampons that are not only reusable (hello environmentally friendly) but proudly made and designed in New Zealand using top notch German medical grade thermoplastic elastomer, a type of plastic commonly referred to as TPE.

I loved this because its fully recyclable at the end of its life, its comfortable and soft to the touch and it is hypoallergenic – making it perfect for women who have silicone sensitivities.


Ok so honestly, at first I thought 'ew'.
Then I went back a day later and thought 'Ok, wow'.
Then I couldn't stop thinking about it so I did some research and I got one. 
 

It took me about 2 months to gain the courage to try it, it sat in its pretty packaging for a while because like most other first time users, all I could think was...


"How is that going to fit up there", 
"What if it gets stuck up there", 
"I'm scared to put it up there" &
"I'll just try it next month until I run out of tampons" ... lol *procrastination at its finest*.

The truth is the more I researched how bad tampons & pads are for the environment and for our bodies too, the more I wanted to try it out.

Some facts about tamps & pads...

• They were personally costing me on average $110 a year. Thats expensive compared to your Hello Cup that you pay for once and lasts up to 5 years.
• They're actually really bad for the environment. Especially when naughty peeps flush them down the toilet.
• Most are chemically treated & bleached (which contains dioxin, an endocrine disruptor) with research showing links to endometriosis, irregular cervical cells & cancer. 
• The cotton (as in grown with pesticides) and synthetic rayon mix that’s used to make tampons and pads are whitened with chlorine and also might contain chemical fragrances or dyes.
• Random itching, burning & irritation down there can sometimes be caused by allergic reactions to the fragrances and chemicals too, but we never think of that we always think the worst.. right?
• They need to be changed regularly (annoying).
• The tampon strings stink if you wee on them – meaning you really need to change them each time you go to the loo (more annoying).
• Tampons come with a risk of TSS... Toxic Shock Sydrome. And nobody has time for that.
  
  
  And when I read up on The Hello cup I really liked the fact that:
  
   
• They are SO CUTE and the girls Mary & Robyn, founders of The Hello Cup really have gone next level with the packaging and making them easy to fall in love with. 
• They're reusable (YUUSS... lets start protecting this amazing planet!)
• They don’t smell, winning!
• One cup will last you several years.
• They hold three times more than tampons.
• Women of all ages can use them, they even have a teen cup for the young babes.
• They're perfect for physically active peeps who exercise and athletes.
• They're amazing for people travelling like me, they take up hardly any space in your luggage and you can go up to 12 hours before needing to change it.
• They recently launched a TEEN cup - which is softer and perfect for first time users. Girls can use cups from the get go - and they are fantastic for school (no more stuffing tampons up your sleeve to try to discretely go to the bathroom!). Because they hold more most girls find they can go a whole school day without having to change them.
• They're comfortable to wear and you cant even feel them.
• After much disbelief, they're actually way easier to use then I thought.
• AND... They don’t dry you out down there like tampons do 🙂
   

Ok so you're still grossed out and wondering if this is for you still. I get it because I was hesitant for so long. The best thing you can do is head over to their website and read up on everything they have to offer from: 

How to insert them?
How often do you change them?
Do they leak?
Can I sleep with it in? 
+ So much more... 
 

My Personal Experience //


ARE THEY EASY TO USE? 

Yes! So easy. Easier then I thought. Im going to be completely honest though the very first time I had a mini panick attack because it "was stuck up there" and for hours I wondered if I should tell someone or call for help (picture me sitting on the bathroom floor scratching my head feeling helpless... in hindsight it was pretty hilarious). I jumped on The Hello Cup website and went to their FAQ section and read "To remove the cup, locate the base and squeeze it gently. This will release the suction. Pull the cup out keeping it upright." And it worked! Biggest sigh of relief ever. So if that happens to you, its gonna be ok! 😅


CONS ABOUT THE HELLO CUP?

Everything comes with a niggly something I guess so if I had to name one fault, it would be this... I personally dont feel comfortable removing / inserting them in public toilets. When you remove them you want to wash it and I would freak out if I couldn't do this in my home. I mean... you could use a disabled toilet that comes with a sink too. But I would rather do it at home so I just plan around that. Easy!

Also, it takes some getting used to it and a few goes before you're a pro at it. Don't give up, you might suck at using them like me in the beginning 😂 It took me about 3 cycles to get the hang of it properly. The more you practice the better you'll get so hang in there gurlfrend, you'll be hello cupping like a boss in no time. I recommend users wear a liner while they are first getting used to using a cup. Some get the hang of it straight away and for others it can take a bit of practice. 


BUT IM SCARED! 😩

When I spoke with Robyn one of the co-founder she said: 

"Don’t be afraid! You’ll end up being like me and kicking yourself for procrastinating. While they might look daunting - you fold them before inserting. Once folded the are no bigger than a tampon to insert. We recommend the ‘punchdown’ fold with Hello Cups (you can see our website for the lowdown on how to do it). 
 

The other common question we get is ‘what size am I?’. Sizing can be a difficult thing to advise on. As a rule of thumb, under 35 or no kids we say small/medium (S/M) and over 35 with kids, large (L). To be honest we are all very different inside - and that is why we offer a discounted double box - it takes the frustration of picking a size. Many women find they can fit two sizes anyway and opt for the smaller one on light days and the larger on heavy days"

All in all, I think they're amazing. They get the thumbs up from me and if you're anything like me I was so embaressed about asking other women if they used them and what they thought so if you have any questions the girls at The Hello Cup are ready to answer any questions you have at hello@thehellocup.com . You can also swing me a DM on Instagram. 


Oh and ps... head to their super cute instagram page here.


I hope this has served you, 
All my love,

Chani x

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