Period.

Seriously, this is a post about your menstrual cycle, so for everyone who doesn't want to read this, please don't lol I just wanted to keep this blog random af and helpful. So let's get into this...

So for forever, we have been using pads and then tampons and risking our lives with toxic shock (I mean it's not super common, but it's always been in the back of your mind if you're a hypochondriac, like myself). I remember seeing a natural wellness influencer I follow, post about using this cup thing and thinking "Wth, how does that even work?" But like, I was not going to try it because I was unsure and it just seemed... weird. Like I have basically always used tampons, I didn't want to explore. Mind you, this was like years ago, before I was super, super into my natural lifestyle, so I hadn't even switched to organic tampons at this point, why would it make sense to switch to a cup?

I remember when I had my first period, I didn't even know how to use a tampon, I thought it was some awful device that if you used, you were basically doing some forbidden sexual act, like I'd be a little slut for using a tampon (wtf bro). Needless to say here, my mother didn't have "the talk" with me and was never really one to discuss womanly health topics (no shame mom, I love you so much and you are still the best mom ever!). Literally, when my period first happened, I had this little mini glittery purple locker that I stored on a shelf in my bedroom and I hid things in it like dollar bills and knick knacks like mood rings and cool gel pens. One time there was this basket of period goods in the school health counselors office so I took some pads and a tampon from the basket and took them home to hide them in that purple glitter locker. I didn't know what they were for exactly, but I knew one day I'd need them because "big girls used them" and that was so cool. What a little fool.

So the day comes, right, I ridiculously stuff one of these stolen pads in my underwear and hope for the best. I grabbed a Girls Life magazine and opened it to an Always Sport ad, you guys remember those? Yeah, so I take this magazine to my mom and lay it in front of her as she's working on a lesson plan for her preschool class (she's a teacher obvi), and she just looks at me and goes "what's this for?" So I walked away embarrassed and annoyed and didn't say anything else. My mom wasn't buying these necessities for herself because she had been on the depot shot for years and literally didn't have a period. So the next time we went to Walmart, she just threw some pads in the cart for me and that was that. We never discussed it again and the cabinet stayed stocked.

So here I am, a 14 year old, super active in extracurriculars, going to dance class in leotards with a bulky fucking pad in between my legs. Mortifying. But anyway, we're getting way off track here. So I decide to try one of those tampons from my purple locker stash. After wasting a couple because I was scared to stick something inside me, I finally get it right. Then I would go around getting tampons from friends when I needed them, and just using the excuse of "I don't have one with me," since my mom wasn't buying them, all I had at home were pads. Finally, I just put a box of tampons in the cart one day and hoped my mom wouldn't go crazy and think I'm out having sex already because I was using tampons. She was a little confused but I was like dude, I can't wear pads in my leotard or softball pants, it's stupid. And that was that.

Anyway, I blindly stuck with tampons and then was livid when I found out I was putting bleached cotton inside of my body, but I didn't want to switch back to pads. So I made the switch to organic tampons and had been using them for about two years. I was still super intrigued by the cup but not brave enough to try it. Fast forward to the beginning of quarantine and I was standing in Target about to grab my organic tampons and see the cute packaging of a cup. It was so cute and I was like "Well now's a better time than any to try this since I'm not going anywhere."

I bought the cup. And here are my honest thoughts... First of all, how tf are you supposed to switch it out? Like if you're on vacation and you have to use a public restroom or the sink is far from the toilet, how the hell do you clean it? Like basically you have to stick your fingers in your bleeding body and pinch the thing out and dump the blood, then what? You're just sitting on a random toilet with a bloody cup that needs to be rinsed off, and put back in. Like in theory this thing is awesome, but what bothers me is how messy it is and how inconvenient it is if you're not at home and don't have a safe space near you to change it out. So like if anyone else has made this switch to a cup, please let me know your advice on this, or if you have the same concerns?

Other than the messiness, I do really love it. I have noticed that because I'm not stopping myself up, my periods feel quicker and less spotting/light days after my heavy ones. Like everything flows out in a couple days and that's that. Plus the cup works great, like it's weird at first, but you don't have any leakage or anything as long as you change it when you feel like it's time. Usually it will last about 8-10 hours before it needs to be cleaned. Beside this functioning great, I also love that by using a cup, I'm saving money on monthly supplies and I'm cutting my waste footprint down significantly! So yeah, I like it and I'm going to stick with it and definitely recommend trying it for yourself. Just be aware that it's a messy situation. lol Thanks for coming to my period talk. Let me know if you try a cup and love it or hate it, and if you want to know the brand I chose, I can let you know, because this is not sponsored so I don't want to @ them here, giving them free ad space to my thousands of readers (LMAO yeah, okay). lol I hope this helps if you've been thinking about trying one!