My Menstrual Cup Makes Me Feel Like Peeing!!!! (And Other Concerns)

If trying a menstrual cup for the first time wasn’t daunting enough already, wearing a menstrual cup can often give rise to some major concerns and questions. With the internet divided and not much direct information available (not to mention the SCORE of misinformation out there!) Here’s a small guide to all the questions you might’ve had as menstrual cup users but were too embarrassed (or frankly didn’t know whom) to ask!

My menstrual cup makes me feel like peeing.

Have you ever inserted a cup, just after peeing and felt the urge to go again? Or are frequent visits to the bathroom making you feel discouraged to use the cup? The solution is as simple as cup placement. 

Because the urethra runs parallel to the vagina and sits right in front of it, which means that your cup can put pressure on it to make you feel like you constantly have to pee. I have discovered that the issue resolves if I try to keep my cup leaning towards my back during insertion. It might sound tricky, but just imagine instead of simply inserting the cup up straight inside the vagina, you’re pushing it ever so slightly towards your back. 

My menstrual cup is making my Vagina looser!

Menstrual cups are incapable of making your vagina ‘looser’ In simple terms, the vagina is made up of stretchy muscles. When you insert a cup, the muscles have to barely stretch to accommodate the rim. Once the cup is removed, the muscles go back to their original state. 

If you feel like it has gotten easier for you to insert and wear a cup, it is more to do with an improvement in your insertion technique, than your vagina becoming loose.

I can’t get my menstrual cup out.

If you’re reading this in desperation, thinking your menstrual cup is stuck inside you and won’t ever get out, take a deep breath and let it out. Menstrual cups can’t get stuck inside the Vagina. There can be many reasons why you’re unable to get the menstrual cup out. Here are a few steps you can follow: 

1. The first thing to do is relax. Take a few deep breaths and sit down in a squatting position. The more tense you are mentally, the more you’ll tense up the muscles of your Vagina, making it difficult to slide the cup out. 
2. Once you’re relaxed and in the squatting position, reach up and try to grab hold of the cup. Once you’ve gotten a grip on the cup, gently run your finger around the rim to break the seal and pull the cup out. 
3. In case you’re unable to reach the cup, there’s a chance that the cup slid a little more up, especially if you have a high cervix. This also means that you’re not as relaxed as you think you are and are still clenching your vaginal muscles. Unclench and let your muscles fall as loose as possible. The cup should automatically slide down and hang lower. 
4. If you’re facing difficulty getting a good grip on the cup, it could be because of excess lubrication. Either there was a leak in the cup and now the menstrual blood is making the outside of the cup too slippery, or your body produced a little too much mucus and that is making the cup slippery. Wash your hands and try making them as dry as possible. Once your fingers are dry, try reaching in for the cup. If it is still difficult to get a grip, try wiping the excess body fluids around the cup with your finger and try the process again. 
5. If you’re facing difficulty pulling the cup out due to dryness or a lack of lubrication, just put a few drops of lube or coconut oil on your fingers, run it around the vagina and try again. This trick works well to insert cups as well. 

The key is to stay relaxed. Try taking a break and then getting back to the task in a few minutes as getting stressed will only make your job harder. 

I am experiencing leaks in my menstrual cup.

If your menstrual cup is leaking frequently, there could be a few reasons:

1. Size: A wrong size menstrual cup, especially a smaller one, could mean that your heavy flow fills up the cup too quickly or the rim is unable to create a proper vacuum seal. Your cervix could also be sitting too low and causing the cup to tilt or shift. Studying your body and understanding your flow is important to get the right size menstrual cup. Avni cups come in three sizes to ensure versatility in size and fit. 
2. Placement: A seal is vital for the cup to stay in place and ensure no leakage. Improper insertion and placement of the cup can lead to the cup not forming a seal and leading to leaks. You can try different types of folds to insert the cup and once its up there, run a finger around the edge to ensure a seal has been formed. 
3. After pooping: Cups often get displaced slightly if you wear them while pooping, which leads to leaks. A simple solution is to try pooping with your cup out, or take out the cup and re-insert it after you’re done with your business.

I always spill when I pull out my cup.

Unfortunately, this is 90% technique and 10% luck. I say people who can pull their cups out without spilling should be surgeons or artists. The best advice here is to embrace the blood and not be grossed out by it. 

My cup is losing its shape.

Over time, Menstrual Cups made of low quality and less sturdy materials can lose their shape and become more elliptical because of the pressure of the pubic bones. One solution would be to make sure you’re not always inserting the cup the same way, i.e. the same points of the cup aren’t being pressed. However, the best solution would be using a cup made with sturdy medical grade silicone that can last for upto 10 years

My cup is getting discoloured.

This is once again more so a quality issue than a technique issue. The vagina’s pH is enough to bleach cloth (hence the weird white patch in your underwear) and can cause similar discoloration of your cup also. Discolouration doesn’t always mean a deterioration in the menstrual cup and it is generally safe to keep using the cup even if it is discoloured. Medical grade silicone is a relatively non-reactive material. However, if you’re noticing any tear or thinning out of the cup’s material and or have reason to believe that the cup is not made of medical grade silicone or that the discolouration is due to some other reason, stop using the cup. 

I forgot to take out my cup

Luckily most cups can be used for longer than the average tampon or pad. Avni cups can be used for up to 8-10 hours. However, if you realize you’ve kept a cup in longer than the recommended time, don’t panic. Remove and empty the cup and sterilize it using the boiling method or with Avni’s Menstrual Cup wash before reusing it. DO NOT under any circumstance douche or attempt to ‘wash out’ your vagina. Even if a product is specifically marketed as a genitalia cleanse, DO NOT use it without a doctor’s recommendation. Your vagina has a natural pH balance system that keeps it healthy, Products you might use to ‘clean’ or ‘disinfect’ your vagina may cause its pH to change leading to infections. 

Always keep a close eye on your vagina and make notes of any unusual smells or discharge. Remember, your vagina is supposed to smell like a vagina, not a bed of roses.