Anyway, I had to wait for several months before the cup that I wanted was in stock (wow, so many ladies out there are switching as well). Of course it has to be purple because it’s my favorite colour 💜. Finally it arrived in this cute recycled packaging. The cup comes with a pouch to store it when not in use.
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| Unboxing Saalt menstrual cup package |
It just so happened that I was on my period when the cup arrived, so first thing first was to sterilize the cup by boiling it for several minutes. This is where I found it slightly inconvenient because it doesn’t come with a microwave sterilizer container. Alternatively you can also buy sanitizing tablets and soak the cup in it. For me, I just soak in diluted Dettol liquid followed by a quick rinse.
The first few attempts of trying to insert the cup was a steep learning curve for me. The first time it felt uncomfortable and it leaked. So I rinsed it and tried again. It took me 3 attempts before I figured out the correct angle and how far to insert before I got it right (Tips: Find your comfortable position, relax your pelvic muscle, take a deep breath and check it’s properly sealed by giving the tip a gentle tug).
The first few times of wearing it, my mind kept reminding me that I had a cup inside me every time I move about. After a while, I soon forgot about it and hardly felt anything at all. I can lie on my front, roll around, lie on my back and nope, it doesn’t feel a thing. That night, I had the most comfortable sleep knowing that I will no longer have accidental leaking! 😂
By the second month, I began to wish that I had bought the regular size because I experienced heavy period flow on the first 2 days. So instead of emptying the cup every 6-8 hours, I had to empty the cup every 3-4 hours. I also woke up in the middle of the night to empty my cup (I knew when the cup was full because the cup would be push lower and then I could feel it). The frequency of emptying the cup was reduced by day 3 to 8 hours and by day 4, I only needed to empty the cup once in the morning and once at night. There is no risk of infection from prolonged usage because the cup sits inside your body and not exposed to airborne germs and bacteria.
So, is it a worthy investment?
It’s a huge YES for me because of the 3Cs and 1 E = convenient (no more stocking up on sanitary pads, forgetting one when I am out and about, or not to forget the rush to put on panties right after taking a shower before it starts leaking 😝), comfortable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Not to mention how it is more hygienic and less messy compared to using a sanitary pad.
Is there any ‘But’ moment?
Yes. Despite its many advantages, I wouldn’t buy one for my teenage daughter. It’s fine if you are already married to switch to menstrual cup but it’s a whole other argument for unmarried ladies to use the cup. Anyway this is just my opinion, perhaps a trip to a gynecologist office can confirm whether it’s safe for unmarried ladies to use a menstrual cup.
If you are thinking to get one for yourself / family member, the cup that I bought retailed at RM180.90 (yes, a bit pricey but can be used for 10 years) on Shopee (click here for the Shopee link).
Definitely not going back to using sanitary pad if I could help it 😉
