LOOK AT ALL THE MONEY I'M NOT SPENDING   http://mamamia-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/...ds-380x285.jpg    I've been hesitant to post about this because I feel it's TMI, but we're all anonymous anyway...    Disclaimer: if it's against your religion to touch your genitals in even a medical, objective way, or if you believe in zero penetration by any object at all until your marriage is consummated, this post may be offensive.    So, menstrual cups are a rather new way of dealing with periods. They're made from silicone and are completely reusable. IMO, they're better than tampons by miles.    Why did I ever decide to get one?  I think it was because I hate changing tampons but I also want to be hygienic. Tampons should be changed every 4 hours at the most, but a menstrual cup can be changed every 12 because the blood is not exposed to air and therefore does not grow germs. Tampons are also expensive; at $9 a box per cycle, times 12, that's over $100 a year - or more for some women. At around $30-$40, it pays for itself in 3-4 cycles can be used until it wears out {up to 10 years} or no longer fits.    Pros  Menstrual products are highly unregulated and can contain chemicals or particles that can cause cancer or birth defects, like fragrances, pesticides, bleaches, dioxins, etc. Cups are made from medical grade silicone and are much less harmful.  I've found even on heavy days, I need to change it less than I would a tampon  It's also hygienic in pools and hot tubs because it's sealed unless it's full and needs emptied  It's more hygienic all around. No more bathroom bin full of bloody tampons. While I treated my tampons like biohazard, unsullied menstrual blood doesn't feel dirty at all  The menstrual blood that is emptied from a cup doesn't have the same offensive odor as that from a tampon or pad  If you're Odinist or Asatru, you can make your own rune set the old-fashioned way  It might be more child-friendly, because there aren't boxes and wrappers and waste, or new tampons that Junior can't launch like scud missiles  I've found my cramps and flow aren't as bad, but your mileage may vary  The cup can be taken out for sex without worry of wasting a new tampon  Once your cycle starts and you put your cup in, you don't have to worry about having enough tampons in your purse  Unless you have a very heavy cycle, your choice in underwear isn't restricted  I've heard of people TTC putting a cup in after intercourse, but I have no idea if that works or not  If you have access to fire and water, you can survive a zombie apocalypse without compromising your menstrual hygiene    Cons  It might be difficult or off-putting if you're not comfortable touching your body but keep in mind it is in an objective and medical way  There is a learning curve. You may have to use a mirror.  Cups must be boiled for 5 minutes or more before and after use. My suggestion is to keep track of your cycle and plan ahead  There is a chance of under- or over-estimating the size you need or ending up having to try different ones  If you drop it in a toilet, you may have to boil it before reinserting it {your own toilet} or buy a new one {public toilet}    There are different brands including Mooncup, Divacup, the Keeper, Sckoon, and also many off-brands and each can come in different sizes with a capacity more or less than a shot glass. Each brand varies in sizes, and I shall link size charts below. Most brands have a size for a nulliparous woman {never had vaginal birth} and a size for a multiparous woman {had at least one vaginal birth}. These sizes are not hard-and-fast. For example, I know that my anatomy is not as petite as my nulliparous status might suggest, and I have a heavy flow, so I bought a post-partum DivaCup.    My recommendation is such: if you can fit 3 fingers in your body and couldn't touch your cervix if your life depended on it, order a post-partum cup. Another thing to take into consideration is the stemor the part you use to pull the cup out by: some are short, some are long, but the longer ones can be trimmed. It's better to have a bit outside your body than to panic because you have to do acrobatics in order to reach it. On the contrary, if your anatomy is small and you order too big a cup, you may have discomfort or leakage because the cup's rim can't expand all the way.    If you want to go a step further: reusable pantiliners. Yes, they seem very granola and hippie-dippie, but these can save you hundreds in the long run. After experiencing the improvement in hygiene between tampon + pad and menstrual cup, I've been tempted to buy or make reusable pantiliners. Buy 3-4 and toss them in with the wash every month and you've probably just saved another $50 a year.     Cup Size Comparison Charts « Menstrual Cups   https://badgerpeak.com/uploads/image...upertampon.JPG   Toxic Tampons? Report Exposes Chemicals Linked to Cancer