Lena Menstrual Cup - Reusable Period Cup - Tampon and Pad Alternative - Regular Flow - Small - Pink

Fellow women!! So I am pretty sure alot of you are interested in switching to menstural cups versus the regular pads and tampons. I can tell you that making this switch has made me feel so free and comfortable during my period, I can do anything! I did alot a research before purchasing my lena cup and am very pleased with it so far. First of all it is a decently priced, unlike other mentstural cups, especially if you are just planning on trying it out. It is also one of the best priced bell shaped cups out there. It is made out of soft 100% medical-grade silicone that is easy to bend, but holds it's structure enough to spring back to it's orginal form after inserting it in. For first timers I would recommend trying to practice putting it in a few times before your first time used during a period; RELAX and give yourself some time- swatting on the floor was the easiest way I found, but after a while you get used to it! After putting it in just make sure it did spring back and nothing is preventing it from making a complete sucction; low vs. high hanging cervix. It is a little scary at first and don't worry it won't get stuck up there, just use your kegel muscles to push it back down (If you aren't sure how to use your kegel muscles don't worry you will figure it out!). I have learned so much about my body ever since using the lena cup - I know heavy days vs. light days. No there isn't any period smell! Sure other people may not be able to smell it, but you, yourself sure can. Be careful when breaking the seal and pulling it out; don't pull to fast or you may spill it over yourself. Keep a good grip on the grip rings and slowing pull it out; without letting it slip out of your grip. Read the directions that come with it; very helpful! My experience! I guess I was lucky, because after practicing a few times when I wasn't on my period I was able to put it in correctly and didn't have any leaks! I still wore a panty liner just in case. After I put it in I literally couldn't feel it; I was shocked. I when through my day very concous of it so a few times I thought I felt it, but after a little while I completely forgot about it. I did start spotting a little bit on my first day, but it was due to a heavy flow kind of day- I took out the Lena cup poured the blood out, rinsed it with warm water and a little bit of soap and then put it back in - Volia no spotting. On my heavy day I took it out a total of 3 times, regular and light days 2 times. When I started spotting on my heavy day I thought I bought the wrong size - so don't fret you might be having a heavy day.Sleeping at night was one of the things I was really worried about; Make sure you empty the cup at the lastest before you go to sleep and really check to make sure that it is one correctly - I didn't make sure the first night, because I got cocky and I ended up leaking big time, the next night I made sure to check and empty it out right before I went to sleep and it was perfect! I was worried about the air holes at first, but in the end it didn't cause an leakage. I was very active during my period and saw no leaks, the last few day I was daring enough to go without panty liners (I ran out and saw no rush to run to the store). If it helps I have fairly regular periods that last 5 days - It is usually heavy during the first few days and lightens up. I feel bloated and sometimes experience cramps - the Lena cup did not cause any of these symptoms to worst. I am truly impressed with this product and will continue to use it for a long time. Tips: If you are wondering about soft vs. hard silicone - I would go with soft, because it is more versitle - When I was figuring out how to put it in and want something a little harder I would run the cup under cold water and it would cause it to get a little bit firmer for insertion and then soften up within the body!

Experience as a first time cup user: Due to environmental reasons and not wanting to pollute the Earth or myself, I have used reusable cloth pads for over five years. My coworker really talked up the cups which I was on the fence about for ages, so finally bit the bullet. I did quite a bit of research on menstrual cups before choosing the Lena based on several factors like customer service (quite impressive) and the quality and care that went into designing the product. Originally I purchased the small on Amazon and didn't see the option for the two pack until after my order shipped, and contacted the company to see if I could purchase a discounted single large so I had both sizes to experiment with. Their amazing customer service team sent me a complimentary large, was so not expecting that! Just the fact that a real person got back to me in a short amount of time is noteworthy in this day and age. The experiments: March, Month 1: I watched videos of several different folds to prepare myself and eagerly awaited for the blood bath to start for the test drive. The first month I was amazed how much more sanitary it was to use a cup. One would think blood nestled in my woman cave would smell putrid after pooling in a petri dish for hours on end, but it actually smelled clean and my innards weren't robbed of all their natural moisture from cotton tampons. It was a strange feeling to run to the bathroom and keep checking for leaks in my pants (you can "feel" the blood collecting) but it worked wonderfully after some playing around with suction/folds and several times I got a good seal without looking like a murder scene, so thrilling! Never had pain with it going in, a slight feeling that something is inside of you, but for the small not even bladder pain. I used to have Interstitial Cystitis so I have no tolerance for a cup that will cause discomfort in that way but this was great. April, Month 2: Tested out the large Lena cup, ouch! I felt so much pain in my bladder, and had difficulty urinating with it in. Definitely way too big for my innards after all the moving around I did, just could not get it comfortable. Had wanted larger capacity, but just wouldn't work. Went back to small Lena, but somehow it seemed like the magic I had the first month of getting a good seal wasn't there, and I could not for the life of me stop it from mild leaking. It wasn't like pools of blood loss, almost like the natural female juices cleansing my insides and it was a very watery tiny bit of pink/reddish that was coming off when I would wipe after bathroom usage. Try as I might, my fingers do not physically reach in to spelunk inside my body while keeping my cup folded at the same time. The best fit for me is when I put in at night and it naturally is "digested" by my lady bits, then I have no leaks. But I can't reach it, and I too felt the panic for about five minutes of trying to take it out. I bought some THINX pad panties to wear with them while I test out folds to avoid any stains and to compensate for leaks I was still getting. About this time I was thinking I need to find out if my troubles are from internal tilt and discover my cervix height. May, Month 3: Way too much traveling with questionable access and sketchy bathrooms, so I opted for organic cotton tampons. Didn't like using the tampons after my cup experience, but had to make due. Note to self, REMEMBER TO MEASURE CERVIX. June, Month 4: Very determined to make it work, I wore it the entire conference (6 days) that I was traveling out of town. Was not too hard to deal with since handicap bathroom at the site had sink in it. However, I did have some very light leaking (that watery pink/reddish) so I had to wash some of my undergarments to avoid stains in my hotel sink. Still have not gotten around to measuring certix height or figure out how to examine myself to find out any pelvic floor tilting going on. That kind of feedback would even be helpful to manufacturers of cups to make some for ladies with different needs, which I could potentially be one of. All in all, I love this cup, the small feels good when the seal works, and I believe its made by people who genuinely have our health in mind. Going to keep trying the Lena and do more research on my lady privates layout and report back on cervix stats. Might try a different shape cup from another company to rotate with for frame of reference, but this is a solid choice if it works for your body. Edit: I am very sad to see so many low reviews, I feel like people should be leaving higher than one star based on customer service alone as they give full refunds, caring support to everyone who has posted if they need advice, and make a quality product regardless if it fits everyone's unique body. Updated 7/13/16 Tip 1- Measure cervix length! There are many how to guides online from cup sites, as well as great Facebook group called Cup Love that is supportive and has a lot of documents for members. In some women like myself who have higher cervix during menstruation, we may need a longer cup to reach properly. (Attempting the Lily Cup in July) Perhaps once there is more data on varying cervix height, that will become the next reiteration in menstrual cups and how companies will market them vs child/no child, and S/L, and it will make it much less of a hit or miss kind of thing. Tip 2- There are also buy sell trade cups groups (you boil cup to sanitize) it helps offset costs as some folks have to go through multiple cups from different brands to find what some in the community call their "goldilox cup". Lena is unusual in that they offer money back guarantee, most do not. <---- major props Tip 3- I want to note that so many users are getting freaked out that it takes a couple of minutes to coax it out using muscles down there. Yes it takes a little getting used to the method and technique for each person and their needs. (For example, I have bladder sensitivities, so wide bulby cups like the Super Jennie would not be good for me as it would press against bladder wall) Tip 4- This will not ever pull out like a tampon in three seconds flat for me, and if you want something like that either use organic cotton tampons or go with a reusable sea sponge if the few extra minutes to remove, potentially clean, and reinsert is a constraint. Tip 5- Cups do take a little more care, and you will get blood on your hands literally, so if you are too sqeamish about such things please don't knock the Lena company and get a product you would never feel comfortable using to begin with. I've heard great things about sea sponges from folks in my circle, so look into that if you want something more tampon-like but still reusable.

Bought this to try and do my bit for sustainability however, its been amazing for changing how I manage my period!! This product is amazing once you've learnt how to get it to seal but it does take a little bit of getting used to which for me took a couple of days/tries. At the beginning its very scary & you think it's going to be lost forever however just relaxing makes life so easy. It means you can go out, move, swim, dance, whatever you want, without fear and you can do that all day realistically without having to fill your bag with supplies and always be thinking of what time it is. Fantastic product. I've only used it one cycle so far and already think I've mastered it, however from my experience it can be a little messy & you just need to get used to the sight of blood and some on your hands etc. I wouldn't go back to any other product now. Feels amazing - almost like you don't even have your period.

I bought my first Lena cup in May but wanted to give it a few months before I left a review, since I felt that way my review could be more helpful to others. This was my first time ever trying a menstrual cup - I have used tampons pretty much for the past 10-15 years. Based on the company's recommendation in the FAQ, I initially purchased a size small. I hesitated with the sizing at first because although they recommend the size small for women who haven't used a menstrual cup before or had children, I didn't think it would be big enough because I have a crazy heavy flow (sorry, TMI). Nonetheless, given their recommendation and the fact that I'm a pretty small person, I decided to start with the small. The very first period, I really had difficulty getting the cup into me. It would take me like 6 or 7 tries each time, so I pretty much gave up after the first two days because I got so sore. Also, I was having to pull it out and empty it every 2.5ish - 3 hours, which was really annoying because even with my heavy periods, ultra tampons usually give me 3-4 hours. So after switching over to tampons again mid-period, I figured I would give it another shot the next month. In the meantime, I had received an email from the company just checking in with me, so I responded with my two concerns- that I had a hard time inserting it and that I was having to change it too frequently. I then received a very nice response with some helpful tips and letting me know that I should follow up if I had any more concerns after trying them. So, June came around and I tried the cup again, keeping in mind the insertion tips they had sent. Lo and behold, the tips + the extra practice made it much, much easier to insert the second time around (taking an average of 2x per insertion - not perfect but much better than the first month). Unfortunately, I still could only go 2.5ish -3 hours on my heaviest days before emptying - otherwise the cup would get too full and I would leak. So, I followed up with the company, just letting them know, and they responded back right away saying that they thought I might be happier with a larg cup and would send one out to me free of charge! Having just finished my July (and third) period using the large cup, I can finally feel comfortable in saying that this is an awesome product and an awesome company. I ended up using the large the entire period because I was too lazy to switch to the small, and unlike tampons, it's not dangerous to use a larger size even when your flow is lighter. It was harder inserting the larger cup, but it still only took about 2-3 tries per time (and I expect that to get easier as I continue to use it in the future). This might be TMI but I find that the easiest way to insert it is by folding it into the 7-fold and then kind of just feeding it into my vagina. I can't push it in too hard or quickly because that hurts, but by inserting slowly and gently, it doesn't hurt at all. I have had zero problems with it sealing over my cervix, but it's easier to stick your finger around the edges to make sure it has formed the seal. Time wise with the large cup - on heavy days, I can go about 4 hours before having to empty, and on lighter days, I can go forever before remembering to empty. So while the heavy days are pretty similar to ultra tampons, the lighter days are SO much better because I don't feel nervous if it sits in me for longer than 8 hours ( the max for tampons)! Plus, this cup doesn't dry me out like tampons do. It's also wayyyy cheaper - I've already saved money by just using it for 3 cycles. It's also better for the environment (if you care about things like that) plus you don't have to worry about having accessible trash cans (not always easy when you're a guest at someone else's house). I will say this - I like to wash it off in between taking it out and inserting again, and to wash my hands as well. So, I am most comfortable using this when I know I can use a private bathroom with a sink right by me. I would not feel comfortable emptying and changing in a public restroom. Besides for the mess on my hands (TMI but I haven't perfected emptying/inserting without getting anything on my fingers), I wouldn't want my fingers that close/inside my vagina after having to touch public surfaces (such as the stall door). That's just me though - I'm a germaphobe. It's definitely easy and possible to use in any bathroom, I personally just wouldn't do it yet in public ones. I hope this review can help anyone else out there contemplating switching to a cup from tampons. This review is totally honest and not biased, even though they did send me the large cup for free after the small cup (which I had paid full price for) wasn't working for me on my heavy days. At no point did they ask me to write a review when they gave me the large cup for free. And that's the main reason I'm happy to write such a good review - I can't stand the companies that now pay people or give people free things in exchange for biased reviews. This company just wants its consumers to be happy and to be able to use their products, which is so awesome and which makes me much more likely to recommend to friends.

As soon as I heard that I could have 0 waste from my periods using a menstrual cup and washable pads, I ordered some immediately. I've been using this cup for about 3 months and here are my experiences as a person not used to and typically uncomfortable with insertion: I use this cup about a day after my period starts since I have a heavy flow for most of my cycle. Or at least I thought I did based on the amount of pads and tampons I would go through. I personally was never comfortable using tampons inserted since I could never get them in correctly and only used them on top of my pad like a sponge. These would get completely soaked and I would have to use at least two large ones a day. So, obviously I had a much higher learning curve than most since I had to learn how to insert anything properly. I insert mine while sitting on a toilet since I find this the most comfortable (and in case I have any drips). On some tries it slips out of my fingers too early, is uncomfortable, and I have to remove it and try again. It usually takes 1-2 tries each time for the first few days to insert it deep enough consistently. Sometimes I have to shift it around to get it to fully expand and seal. When it is in right, I sometimes feel a bit of pressure like something is stretching my vagina, but this goes away after an hour or so. After, I don't feel it and have zero issues with leaks, though I wear washable pads just in case. Removal is usually painless. I wiggle the stem, pinch the bottom, and try to fold it over like how I inserted it since otherwise it would be painful to remove. Some days its fine and others I just can't relax enough or can't get the right grip/fold and it hurts trying to remove it. This is just a technique I have to practice since I'm not used to insertion to begin with. I give my vagina a break if a removal was particularly uncomfortable since I don't want to get stressed about using it. Generally, I am fine and comfortable with using my cup for most of my period. Otherwise, the only issue I have is the stem is a little long, though I haven't trimmed it yet since it is very helpful for removal atm. When I have the cup too low I can feel the stem poking me, but when its inserted deep enough I don't. Cleaning between use is super easy. I just rinse with cold water, using my fingers to scrub, then hot. I dry with a towel, make sure there is no lint or debris. Between uses I boil as instructed while I'm cleaning the kitchen. All in all, I like using the cup since when it works, it works! Its simple to clean and I can just pop it in the little drawstring bag and into the bag with my washable pads for storage. Since using the cup, I've had zero issues with leaks and stained underwear. Its something I will definitely get more skilled at using with time and it will save on a lot of smelly trash and money spent on women's products.