[Review] First cycle with the Sinaya Cup (menstrual cup)

Not gonna do an intro about menstrual cups. I figured those who'd wind up here are at least partially aware and considering switching to menstrual cups already hehe, so I'm just gonna jump right to the experience. Spoiler Alert: I'm making the switch, and I'm encouraging you too!

Here you'll find pros and cons, product price and details, and my day to day experience during my first cycle using the cup.

When I got the package, I wanted to try it already so I read the instructions and went ahead and sterilized it in boiling water. It's not my period yet but I wanted to try how it works so as advised, I used a lubricant to help myself shoot the thing up my coochie.

The cup comes in 2 sizes, small and large. Small is ideal for women below 35 years old who have never given birth. Large is recommended for women who experience heavy flows (3 napkins a day type of flow), those who have given birth, or those aged 35 and above. Here's a size guide from Sinaya Cup.

Even though I think I have a heavy flow, I still got the small one because I'm scared I won't be able to fit a large cup in my vagina lol. Well, good call.

First impressions. Cute packaging! Looks eco-friendly too.

All the info you need is on the box.

I thought the cup is not gonna hold enough blood. But hey, I realized that I don't really have a heavy flow. Wearing a napkin has fooled me into thinking I'm a heavy bleeder. Guess that's what super absorbent cottony fiber does to you. It leaves you feeling like you have an unstoppable flow, and that you're perpetually bleeding.

Pros

• No itch
• Environment friendly
• Saves money
• No leaks
• Less rashes
• Feels comfortable
• You can swim in it (ie. be active)!

Cons

• Learning curve
• Hassle to drain and clean
• Uncomfortable at first

Pricing and availability

I got the product online from Sinaya Cup for ₱1,199. It's the most recommended brand among peers (aka the girls in my Facebook group). The cup is made from medical grade silicon, so it says in the website, so uhm I trust that's it's safe inside hehe.

Anyway. Here's how my day to day went on my first cycle using a menstrual cup:

6 day diary

Day 1

• Inserted the cup using tulip fold.
• Spent a couple of minutes in the shower trying to make it pop
• My Day 1 flow feels unusually weak
• I was afraid the cup might be stopping the flow instead of catching it lol
• Thank God one of my friends told me it's normal, that there's really not much blood, it just looks a lot when absorbed by a napkin. I was relieved.
• It's very uncomfortable moving around with the cup, I can feel the stem poking my vagina
• I wore a napkin to bed just to be sure

Day 2

• Woke up to no leaks!
• Removed the cup in the shower and found there's almost no discharge, just brown drops
• I was scared, again, that the cup might be breaking my cycle and stopping the flow lol
• Nonetheless, still went ahead and used it
• Inserted using the C fold this time
• Can't decide what fold is best, as long as it pops and seals I'm good
• After 3 hours it leaked, damn
• Drained it and found the cup is halfway full
• Trimmed the stem 1 notch
• Re-inserted and forgot about it
• After 4 hours I drained it again, this time no leaks, but the cup is halfway full again
• Trimmed the stem 2 notches this time
• Feels better but I still feel a slight poking
• Having drained it twice, all my doubts that it's ruining my cycle is now out of the window
• Drained it again before going to bed

Day 3

• Woke up to a tiny bit of leak on my panty liner
• Thank God the leaks are usually at the front of the liner and not at the back so our sheets are still safe
• I thought the cup was super full because it leaked
• But when I drained it at the shower it's only 1/5 full
• Contemplating on snipping another notch off the stem because it's still poking on my coochie
• I'm starting to think I have a low hanging cervix, whatever that means
• I wonder if I should've bought a cup that has a small ring at the end instead of a stem
• Drained 3x throughout this day
• Aaand, I trimmed it again. For the last time. Cos there's nothing left to cut off anymore lol
• Huge difference, I can't feel a thing now, wow

Day 4

• Woke up to zero leaks! I love it!
• Took if off in the shower, it's only around 1/5 full
• Inserting it is becoming easier now
• Drained twice today, first when I took a bath, then before going to bed

Day 5 and 6

• I'm getting a steady state with this one
• Again, no leaks
• Drained twice today, after shower, then before going to bed
• Since my period is ending, flow is lighter
• Discharge has gone from bloody red to light brown
• It's easier move around with it now that the stem's been cut off

Alright.

Overall I feel very pleased with this cup's performance. I'll definitely continue using it again. It feels liberating not having to feel a bulky pad on your crotch area for a week. And it's amazing how's there little no leakage when using it. Now I can stop worrying about staining out sheets. I was worried still about getting rashes but they never came, I wasn't itchy anywhere. I frkn love it.

My entire first cycle with the cup is a learning curve. I have to learn how to put it in, explore which insertion fold works best, and struggle to make the thing pop and seal. In my case, I use the punch-down fold (aka lotus fold) more often because the tip is smaller compared to the C-fold so it doesn't stress my opening too much.

I still have a long way to go to say I've totally gotten used to it. I've been thinking how to manage with the cup when we finally go back to working at the office. I don't want to end up hogging the only cubicle with a faucet and tabo for more than 10 minutes, so I need to practice working faster with it hahaha.

It feels totally different, switching from pads to cups, but it's definitely a more comfortable experience. ♥