How to use your DUSK Menstrual Cup
We have put together a few tips to help you get the best results when using your cup for the first time.
It is important to remember that every womxn is different, in cycle length and flow, in cervix position, in pelvic floor strength, and the list goes on. However, following the below suggestions, should help prevent or resolve any issues you may be experiencing.
But first: don’t expect to be able to insert and then remove your cup perfectly the first time and then proceed with life as normal with no further issues.
1. Be hygienic
When preparing to insert your menstrual cup, it's important to ensure that you are being hygienic when doing so. Wash your cup with hot water and soap, and place it in boiling water to fully sanitize it before you're getting startet. Place your cup inside of a metal whisk and leave it in a pot of boiling water for only one to two minutes. It’s a quick way to sanitize your cup.
2. Relax
It's normal to feel nervous when using a menstrual cup for the first time. Inserting a menstrual cup will be easier when you are relaxed. Take a deep breath and trust your body.
3. Wet the cup
It is easier to insert a cup when it is wet. For this reason you may want to dampen the entrance to your vagina with water or a water-based lubricant as well as the rim of the cup. Many find it helpful to learn how to insert their cup while in the shower.
4. Get the correct angle
Do not insert a menstrual cup in a straight up (vertical) angle. For correct insertion, it needs to inserted at a horizontal 45 degree angle. Aim towards the base of your spine. Squatting down with knees spread open is often a good way to first insert your menstrual cup. You should stop inserting the cup as soon as the cup and end of the stem can no longer be seen.
5. Wait for the ‘pop’
To ensure the cup doesn’t leak, it needs to achieve a good suction seal around the vaginal wall. Once you insert the cup, it needs to ‘pop’ open to form the seal. Some people feel this pop, others do not. Gently run your finger around the base of the cup. If it feels flat or scrunched at any spot, it probably hasn’t popped open properly. Grip the base of the cup and try rotating it 360 degrees. If that doesn’t work, remove the cup and try again.
6. Keep it low
Many make the mistake of placing the cup too high in their vagina. It should sit low in the vagina (lower than a tampon), and ideally, not over the opening of your cervix. The end of the stem should be sitting no more than 1cm from the vaginal opening. Nothing should be sticking out, but it should be only just inside you.
In some cases the menstrual cup may rise up higher and then settle in its own position. Do not be alarmed by this, it just means you may have to reach a little further in to remove it. If the cup is sitting right against your cervix, you may experience some discomfort. Try re-inserting the cup again.
7. Partially insert then open
Another tip is to only insert the first part of the cup and then try opening it just inside the vaginal canal. Once it has opened, you can gently push it up into the correct position.
8. Trim the stem
The stem of the menstrual cup should not be protruding outside your vagina, or irritating your labia. Some women who have a low cervix, may find that this happens. To combat this, simply trim the end to a length where it will not be a problem.
9. Remove correctly
Do not pull on the stem! Use the stem simply as a guide to find the base of the cup. If the cup is hard to reach, try bearing down so as to push the cup down your vaginal canal. If the cup is slippery and hard to grasp when you try to remove it, you can use a tissue to wipe the base before pulling it out.
10. Get the right size
Often leaking issues or discomfort may be due to a cup that is the wrong size for your needs and stage of life.
Enjoy <3