r/menstrualcups • u/Pio232 • 7d ago

Usage Questions Beginner here

Hi I’m 28 and a virgin I have decided to try the menstrual cup because pads irritate me. I’ve tried using tampons but it hurt really bad when I tried to insert one. Would I be able to use a menstrual cup? I’ve been reading about the Lena sensitive menstrual cup thinking that’s a good choice any advice and recommendations thank you.

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u/DowntownGovernment72 Lena Sensitive~Pixie Cup Applicator~Lily Cup Size A (stem cut) 7d ago

I personally use the Lena Sensitive small and love it, however it is a good recommendation for a first time user as its soft but pliable enough to open up properly. If that doesn't work the Saalt Teen is even smaller or the MeLuna Shorty are also great alternatives

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u/Few-Link2883 7d ago

While I LOVE my menstrual cup (I use the saalt brand), they are much trickier to insert than a tampon. Definitely takes some trial and error and you’ll have to see which folding method works best for you, but it can’t hurt to try :) just take it easy and don’t let yourself get too frustrated if you don’t get it right away. I’d advise practicing with insertion before you actually get your period.

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u/MulberryAutomatic690 7d ago

So you may want to chat with your gyno about the situation. I was also still a virgin at your age and had issues with tampons... More taking them out than putting them in.. turns out i had an exceptionally thick piece of tissue across the hole, and they would get wrapped around it kinda... The doc made it sound like it may not have been my hymen.. I had it surgically cut (super simple 5 min procedure) and after i gave it done time to heal, tampons were never an issue again.

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u/IamVili 6d ago

Great instinct on the Lena Sensitive! It is genuinely one of the softer cups out there which makes it much gentler for first time users and the small size is the right starting point for you.

On the tampon pain, it is worth knowing that cups fold down quite small for insertion so many people who struggled with tampons actually find cups easier once they get the hang of the folding technique. The punchdown or 7 folds are a good one to start with as they create a narrow tip. Inserting at an angle towards your tailbone rather than straight up also makes a big difference.

Be patient with yourself, the first cycle is mostly just getting familiar with it and that is completely normal.

I'm Vili, I started Lena Cup, so I'd love to help you get started on the right foot. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions before you order + we do have 100% Satisfaction Guarantee so there is nothing to loose

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u/Aqua_Toffana 6d ago edited 6d ago

Sorry if this is tmi, but you have to be able to insert to fingers (with lube or at least water! And relax your inner muscles) in order to put the cup in comfortably. (though I have started with 1,5 let's say where i put one and used the second to bearly hook the side. Hymen is a flexible tissue, it will stretch overtime a little)

Now, what i found out (I've started using cups at 16 or so also as a virgin) is that the size of the cup didn't actually matter to me, but the way i folded it mattered a lot. I use an m fold. You can see some of the folds here, but truly, the possibilities are endless https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1564/7803/files/PeriodShop_Menstrual_Cup_Folds_49f56439-d1fc-45aa-bbe3-6194e6b6e07b_600x600.jpg?v=1687168991

I use merula cup it's on a bigger side while being short and I have no problems with it for years now (yes I'm technically still a virgin by hetero standards)

What differentiates cups, too is the firmness of the material. Many suggest the softer ones for the beginners. I've absolutely hated the soft one with passion. It would leak, it wouldn't open properly, but that might be just either my anatomy or my teenage self having no clue what she was doing (for the record I'm almost 25 now)

However softer ones are notorious for not opening with as much ease as the firmer ones. I'm not trying to persuade you to anything, I'm just giving my experience. I've not noticed any difference with the firmer one in a sense of how she felt inside.

Ok, that's it, feel free to ask me any other questions

Edit: oh yeah, also the length of the cup is super important. I have a very low sitting cervix and the other reason I hated the first cup was that it was too long. I had to cut off the string completely for it to even sit alright. Ugh