I am very excited to hear that a "Parent's Guide to Cups" may be in the works.
Here's one for the other side of the spectrum: My Tale of Peri-Menopause and Cups.
I was 12-13 years old in 1970-71 when I found my mother's Tassaway http://mum.org/TassAd.htm in the medicine chest.
Me: "What's this?"
Mom: "It's for periods. Do you want one?"
Me: "Eeeewwww!"
And I regretted having said it even as it flew out of my mouth. :o/
Fast forward nearly 4 decades to my 50th birthday. I was shopping for herbal hair dye online when I spotted an ad for a Diva in the SALE column of a web site. "Is that what I think it is? YES!" And I ordered it on the spot.
Due to age-related (and it could be worse if I'd had children) prolapse, the Diva turned out to be much too long for me. Thanks to this list, I learned that flipping it inside out would shorten it. More thanks to this list, I also learned that enlarging the anti-suction holes around the rim would make it easier to pop open. Afterward, I bought other shorter cups that have worked even better. 50-52mm length happens to be ideal for me.
And then peri-menopausal symptoms started to strike. Of course, everyone knows of the hot flashes. Tofu or soy tablets help fend those off. But why are the nightmares kept secret? They usually come hand in hand with night sweats. And they seem to come in clusters -- 4-5 nights, then OK for a few weeks. Black Cohosh supplements are good for them once they arrive.
Next came unpredictable spotting and irregular periods. If I hadn't had my cup(s) I would have been afraid to leave the house for fear of having disaster strike. Unlike tampons that shouldn't be worn in anticipation or for peace of mind, it's OK to pop in a cup if you think you might spot or flood later. And if it turns out that you just spotted a little, that's OK. It's not like you're "wasting" a tinged tampon instead of filling it to capacity each time you check it.
Lemme tell ya, my cups have been a godsend throughout this very unpredictable time of life!
Though it's not a common symptom of peri-menopause, to add to my woes, I developed a profuse bleeding issue. Oh, joy. Using the measuring lines on my cups, I tracked and wrote down my blood loss on a paper calendar. When I brought the information to my Gyno, she asked, "How did you measure this?" I showed her my cups and directed her to the size charts. She had never heard of cups before and now thinks that they are (her emphasis) "WONDERFUL!" On subsequent visits, the several nurses asked, "Do you have your cup with you? Can I see it? What was that web site again?"
I'm 54 now. And I still have an occasional period out of the blue. Sometimes, I get some very light spotting for a few days. Will it become anything? It doesn't matter. I pop in a cup. If it does, I'm covered. If not, I didn't have to deal with a bulky pad or liner or wear a tampon "dangerously."
(Edited to fix clumsy wording.)
So TELL YOUR MOTHERS!!! With your experience, help her pick out a cup. Don't let her tell you that it's too late -- especially if she's not fully menopausal yet. Getting through "The Last Chapter" is so much easier and more convenient with a cup than with traditional period products. You already know that she will wish she had gotten one years ago.
Here's one for the other side of the spectrum: My Tale of Peri-Menopause and Cups.
I was 12-13 years old in 1970-71 when I found my mother's Tassaway http://mum.org/TassAd.htm in the medicine chest.
Me: "What's this?"
Mom: "It's for periods. Do you want one?"
Me: "Eeeewwww!"
And I regretted having said it even as it flew out of my mouth. :o/
Fast forward nearly 4 decades to my 50th birthday. I was shopping for herbal hair dye online when I spotted an ad for a Diva in the SALE column of a web site. "Is that what I think it is? YES!" And I ordered it on the spot.
Due to age-related (and it could be worse if I'd had children) prolapse, the Diva turned out to be much too long for me. Thanks to this list, I learned that flipping it inside out would shorten it. More thanks to this list, I also learned that enlarging the anti-suction holes around the rim would make it easier to pop open. Afterward, I bought other shorter cups that have worked even better. 50-52mm length happens to be ideal for me.
And then peri-menopausal symptoms started to strike. Of course, everyone knows of the hot flashes. Tofu or soy tablets help fend those off. But why are the nightmares kept secret? They usually come hand in hand with night sweats. And they seem to come in clusters -- 4-5 nights, then OK for a few weeks. Black Cohosh supplements are good for them once they arrive.
Next came unpredictable spotting and irregular periods. If I hadn't had my cup(s) I would have been afraid to leave the house for fear of having disaster strike. Unlike tampons that shouldn't be worn in anticipation or for peace of mind, it's OK to pop in a cup if you think you might spot or flood later. And if it turns out that you just spotted a little, that's OK. It's not like you're "wasting" a tinged tampon instead of filling it to capacity each time you check it.
Lemme tell ya, my cups have been a godsend throughout this very unpredictable time of life!
Though it's not a common symptom of peri-menopause, to add to my woes, I developed a profuse bleeding issue. Oh, joy. Using the measuring lines on my cups, I tracked and wrote down my blood loss on a paper calendar. When I brought the information to my Gyno, she asked, "How did you measure this?" I showed her my cups and directed her to the size charts. She had never heard of cups before and now thinks that they are (her emphasis) "WONDERFUL!" On subsequent visits, the several nurses asked, "Do you have your cup with you? Can I see it? What was that web site again?"
I'm 54 now. And I still have an occasional period out of the blue. Sometimes, I get some very light spotting for a few days. Will it become anything? It doesn't matter. I pop in a cup. If it does, I'm covered. If not, I didn't have to deal with a bulky pad or liner or wear a tampon "dangerously."
(Edited to fix clumsy wording.)
So TELL YOUR MOTHERS!!! With your experience, help her pick out a cup. Don't let her tell you that it's too late -- especially if she's not fully menopausal yet. Getting through "The Last Chapter" is so much easier and more convenient with a cup than with traditional period products. You already know that she will wish she had gotten one years ago.