Thanks a lot to everyone who recommended me to check my cervix while on my period anyway although it's already quite low, well, i checked and it's like 1cm in! (I can reach like 5cm behind it so I suppose I'll be able to use a cup:)) As far as I understand, I should just insert the rim, open it and kegel it up. I'm a virgin, do you think the hymen could be a problem? i've stretched myself down there after reading tips here and I now can insert three fingers and move them there... but with such a low cervix it doesn't sound much different from inserting an open cup, ouch :( So, does anyone with a really low cervix have any tips? warnings, reccs?.. what cups work well for you and what don't? (unless there turns out to be an important aspect I missed despite weeks of lurking, i'll be getting a small Lunette - soft (esp. before i started kegels i had a sensitive bladder), small rim, size/capacity ratio, nothing written inside the cup...)
And since I don't want to be posting here in panic if I struggle with removing it - tips for removal as well? Because of my hymen I'd rather fold it a bit when it's inside, but won't I squeeze my poor cervix then?
Also, I'll remain on hbc (as treatment, been on it for two years after getting two periods a month for a while) for the following 3-4 months, with my period starting on saturdays so luckily i won't need to empty my cup at uni, but after that I will (if not for the flow then for pooping? i used to get almost constipated on my first day but several weeks of abs crunches have helped ^_^ but i feel i'd have to remove my cup for BM's). Anyway, at my uni there's no TP in the toilet stalls, I normally just put some tissues right in my bag and don't care about them not being sterile but I wouldn't want to use them with my cup, and in general I'd rather not have fibres of paper on it. How many of you just empty your cups in public toilets and insert them without rinsing? I'd be inclined to do that if I was sure that's safe.
(btw as for hbc - judging by the poll i've seen, most people get comfortable with their cups within three periods and there's considerable improvement already between the beginning and end of the first cycle, i hope having short periods (3 days) won't mean it'll take me longer to learn to use a cup?)
And also, my gyno doesn't know of cups, she said it sounded okay but first made sure I didn't mean cervical caps, according to her they have a high infection risk. But I've read here about cervical caps used as menstrual cups (and with my low cervix wouldn't it be similar to that anyway?), AFAIK cervical caps are often made of latex, are tighter-fitting and as a method of contraception have to be left in for extended periods of time? anything else that makes "real" cups better than them? this could be an issue in converting my mom, though first she wants to see me succeed in using my cup:)
(edited) while tagging the entry I remembered my gyno also said i have a tilted/retroverted uterus, but I can't really find info on whether this should affect my cup choice.
Thanks for your attention:)