In a nutshell:
1) Find your cervix on your period (it moves higher at other times). Notice how far in your finger is in and use that as a basis to choose a cup length, important for comfortable removal.
2)Generally speaking, strong vaginal muscles need a firmer cup. If that is your case, you can find (subjective) cup firmness comparisons on menstrual cup blogs and choose that way. YT videos also help somewhat, where people squish their cups against each other to compare.
3)Get a larger capacity (at least 25 ml, preferably 30 ml) *to the holes* for your heavy flow. Good size charts will distinguish capacity to the holes and total capacity of the cup.
4) Clotty flow - go for larger holes. Fluid flow - smaller holes should be ok (and can be enlarged if need be).
5) Shape/colour - here just go with your personal taste!
6) Take into account any ethical concerns or allergies you have: Keeper is biodegradable and latex, some brands are vegan, etc.

Leaks are common at first because we are learning to get our cups to unfold properly inside us, or because we are getting a feel for their capacity and how long we can go without emptying them.

For a beginner I can recommend the large Fleurcup, which seems to be "one size fits most" and is soft yet springy and with good grip rings for removal. I also love my first cup, the small Organi, or for a high cervix, the small Gaiacup, also soft yet springy and just plain pretty :)

Also I am unsure about the leakage it seems like everyone has.
You may or may not have any. Keep in mind that we rarely hear from people who luck out when they buy their first cup, find insertion and removal a breeze and have no problems at all. Yet, those people do exist! They just have no reason to post here.

Still, it's a good idea to start using the cup at home, not at work, and wear a pad until you feel you can trust the cup.

The large Fleurcup that's been recommended to you happens to be a great cup for me.

I had tons of leakage with Instead when I first discovered them over a decade a go. I switched to a Diva and went about 7 years without leakage (I only recommend Diva if you have a high cervix). I joined this community to find out why the heck I was having leakage all of a sudden. I have bought a different cup and now I don't have any leakage. I just needed a higher capacity after the birth of my second child.

There is a learning curve to these cups and it's wise to wear some sort of pad or liner as back-up until you figure out how to work them. After that, you might still have what we (ahem) affectionately call "residual slobber" and after that, if it's full, it's full.

There are size/capacity charts at http://sizecharts.livejournal.com/ and also at the Community FAQ. Use actual dimensions --not sales hype-- to figure out what you think will fit you best then narrow down your choices by capacity, shape, stiffness and other features that are important to you. Also read the MYTHS post at the Community FAQ because there's a lot of misinformation in the instructions that come with every brand.

I also love the large fleurcup. And like Kuradi said, if it's full, it's full, and it's going to leak/overflow. If you have a heavy flow you probably won't be able to wear a cup for 12 hours without it being full. Just sayin'. We all wish that was true, but when it's full, it's full. Get used to inserting/removing a cup at home, and you'll be able to do it at work in a flash. Most hospitals have those 1 person restrooms which are perfect--the sink is right there. If you have to use the restroom, use the restroom. Don't try and tough it out and hold it your whole shift, you'll just end up with problems later on.

There is a learning curve! I am purchasing a couple Sckoon Organic pads as I am adjusting. I don't have leaking that bad, but there's one day of my period each month where it's just messy it's so heavy (sorry tmi). The organic pads just make me feel better knowing there's some backup on that really heavy day.

I think it's a very smart choice to try a menstrual cup as a nurse. Now you just have to find the right one(s). I use 2 sizes of the same cup. My first experience was with Instead in 2002. I tried Divacup many years later, but it didn't fit right. I have a lower cervix on my heavy days and then the last day or two my cervix travels back up high. I find that both SckoonCups work for me.

Not everyone experiences leakage. I am kind of lucky in that pretty much every cup I've tried, worked, but I did tons of reasearch before even buying the first cup. I steer away from cups that are gorgeous but not suitable for me, as much as I regret it. Knowing how high your cervix is, is the very first step.

If you can fit a high enough capacity cup, you may be able to get away with just emptying it out in the shower, so you won't have any residual slobber, and no leakage. I'd definitely wear panty liners the first few times you try it.

I second the cup recommendations you already got, and would add the Si-bell to the cups that fit most. The stem is very long and very very soft, so it would not poke you if you need to leave it on the cup, but it can easily be shortened or completely cut off if you don't need it. It opens without fail every single time, because of its design. A similar cup is the Natu. The old style looks identical, it's just a teeeeenie tiny bit softer even.

Good luck!!!


Edited at 2014-03-19 03:14 am (UTC)