Peace Abounding: Menstruation

Showing posts with label Menstruation. Show all posts

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Bella Cup Review

The Bella Cup is made in Korea of clear 100% Medical grade silicone. It comes with a grey suede pouch and an instruction booklet. The name Bella means Beautiful.

The Bella Cup comes in two sizes - Small & Large.

The Small is 41mm in diameter and capacity is 20ml. The length of the stem is 23.8mm and length of cup body is 48.1mm.

The Large is 45.5mm is diameter and capacity is 30ml. The length of the stem is 20.3mm and length of cup body is 53.1mm.

The small is for women under 30 who have not given birth vaginally and the large is for women over 30 or who have given birth vaginally.

Small Bella Cup

The Bella cup has a pretty rigid bubble like stem. it reminds me of a caterpillar. If the stem is too long for you, you may trim it as it may be uncomfortable if it's too long. I might trim mine a couple notches. The Bella Cup has two different textured rings around the base of the cup. For me, these weren't helpful grip rings in aiding in removal. The smooth silicone can get slippery, but it isn't really difficult to remove.

The Bella Cup is a pretty soft cup, it's very comfortable. It has 4 air/suction holes right under the rim. It also has 'Bella' stamped into the silicone on the inside rim. The Bella Cup is extremely easy to clean. The silicone is very smooth and glossy.

The Bella Cup website has a very nice User Guide.

Bella Cup can be worn up to 12 hours before being emptied depending on your flow.

The Bella Cup costs 21.99 Euro or about $30. Bella cup will last you years if cared for, so it's very affordable!

You can purchase the Bella Cup on their website or on Feminine Wear.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

LuvUr Body Cup Review

The LuvUr Body menstrual cup is quite a unique cup. It has raised flowers all around the outside of the cup, but not so raised that it is hard to clean. This menstrual cup comes in 3 colors - Dark Green, Red, and White and 2 sizes - Medium and Large.

The Medium is 45mm in diameter, 61.7mm in total length, stem is 20.3mm and capacity is 31ml.
The Large is 48mm in diameter, 56.7mm in total length, stem is 20.3mm and capacity is 34.5ml.

I think the LuvUr Body cup is one of the longest and highest capacity cups in the market. LuvUr Body is a Nigerian company with excellent customer service. Their cups are manufactured in Malaysia of 100% Medical Grade Silicone.

From the LuvUr Body site:

In deciding to make both our menstrual cup sizes ample in terms of volume, we realized that alot of women suffer from simply very heavy menstrual flow or such medical conditions such as hormonal imbalance, polyps, fibroids, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease which all cause heavy menstrual periods. For such women obviously, the smaller cup brands will not adequately cater for their needs. A much larger menstrual cup is actually what they need.

In some ethnic communities in Africa where multiple births is the norm ie: having between 4-12 kids most times by natural birth with or without episiotomies larger sized cups will provide the much needed "better grip" against the vaginal muscle slackness that occurs over time. In some African countries where more advanced methods of contraception such as Nuva Rings, Diaphragms, Cervical caps, spermicides, birth control pills, Arm Implants, are not known or readily available the IUD and birth control injections are the primary form of contraception administered to women, it is also good to bear in mind that the IUD characteristically causes VERY HEAVY menstrual flow as a side effect. Most women that use them due to heavy flow may have to double pads or use 2-3 doubled pads to back-up a Super or Super plus tampon. Women that have fibroids and use IUD's will experience particularly very heavy menstrual flow.

Lovely cotton bag that comes with the Dark Green LuvUr Body cup

The LuvUr Body cup has 4 suction/air holes up under the rim. On the inside of the cup, there are little air vents around the holes. "LuvUr Body" is stamped on the inside rim of the cup. There are also measuring lines at 7.5ml and 15ml on the inside of the cup. If you find that the stem is a bit too long, you can trim it up to the ball part of the stem. The stem is a tad long for me, but it's too pretty for me to cut so i just left it. :)

Close up of stem and flower grips on the bottom of cup.

Inside - You can see the air vents and LuvUr Body.

Measurement lines.

You can wear the LuvUr Body menstrual cup for up to 12 hours before emptying. I found on my heavy day that i could wear this cup for about 9.5 hours before emptying which is great for when you're out and about or at work/school! It is easy to insert and take out & very comfortable. I did have a little trouble with getting it to open - my cervix kept getting in the way - but i found that if i gave the cup a little turn, it opened easily. I like using the punchdown fold with this cup. This is a good cup if your cervix gets lower while on your period as you still have ample capacity even when your cervix goes into the cup.

Firmness

LuvUr Body cup. There is a gentle swell under the rim for extra capacity.

Punchdown fold

7 Fold

C Fold

The LuvUr Body Menstrual Cup costs about $32 and comes with a storage pouch and an instruction sheet in 18 different languages! You can purchase on the LuvUr Body site linked above or on Feminine Wear.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Femmecup & Femmewash Review

I recently received a Femmecup and a bottle of Femmewash for review. Femmecup is made in the UK of clear FDA approved medical grade silicone and is BPA and phthalate free. It comes in one size. It is 45mm in diameter, 50mm in length and can hold 30ml to the rim and about 18ml to the air/suction holes. Femmecup can be worn for up to 12 hours before removing and cleaning.

Femmecup has 4 large suction holes under the rim that slant horizontally. It has measuring lines at 5ml and 10ml. The Femmecup's body is super soft while the rim is firm. The Femmecup has a short stem with a raised spiral to help with gripping it. The bottom of the cup also has a spiral for gripping. The cost is £17.99 or about $29.71.

Customs form - Silicone menstrual cup & wash. Packaging is also recyclable!

Slanted air/suction holes

I like the Femmecup, it is great for my moderate/light days. I used the punchdown fold with this cup, it opens straight away. This cup had absolutely no trouble opening due to the firm, springy rim. Its body under the rim is super soft, the softest i've felt! I did have a bit of trouble with removal because of the firm rim.

Punchdown fold

C-fold

7 fold

The Femmewash is a gentle, all natural feminine wash that is certified vegan and not tested on animals. It is pH balanced and hypoallergenic which makes it perfect for sensitive areas. You can use it as an everyday feminine wash and/or use it to wash your hands and menstrual cup. The fragrance is quite pleasant, a bit like roses. It comes in a 200ml size which will last quite a while. I find just 2 drops to be sufficient to wash both my hands and menstrual cup. I definitely recommend getting a bottle. The cost is £5.49 or about $9.06.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Diva Cup Review & GIVEAWAY (CLOSED)

I recently tried out the model 1 Diva Cup! After my review, you will be able to enter to win a Diva Cup (you pick the size) FREE of charge!

The Diva Cup is made in Canada of 100% Medical grade silicone and is FDA approved. It is latex, plastic, BPA & chlorine free.

The Diva Cup comes in 2 sizes:

Model 1 - for women under 30 who have never had children. 43mm diameter. Total Length is 67mm. Stem is 10mm. Capacity 30ml.

and

Model 2 - for women over 30 and/or who have had children. 46mm diameter. Total length is 67mm. Stem is 10mm. Capacity is 30ml.

The diva cup has 4 suction/air holes near the rim of the cup. It has a hollow stem with grip rings and grip rings around the bottom of the cup to help with removal. The Diva Cup has measuring lines on the inside of the cup at the 7.5ml (1/4oz) & 15ml (1/2oz) mark. There is a gentle, slight rim at the 15ml mark before the upper rim. "Made in Canada", "The Diva Cup" & the number indicating size (1 or 2) is stamped into the silicone on the inside of the rim. The Diva Cup is shaped a bit like an ice cream cone. :)

The Diva Cup comes with a cotton pouch and a flower pin that says Diva. The instruction sheet is printed in 4 languages: English, Spanish, French & German. The Diva Cup was founded in 2003 by a mother/daughter team.

I really like The Diva Cup. It's not too firm and is smooth and silky feeling. The Diva Cup is easy to insert and remove and pops open easily. When inserted you can't even feel it! I like using the 7-fold with this cup. The grip rings at the bottom of the cup are nice and helpful in aiding in removal. I do wish the stem was a bit longer though. (That is my only complaint). Unless you have a higher cervix, you will find the stem length is fine for you or may even trim it off completely. The Diva Cup is easy to clean too. Just a bit of mild soap (or DivaWash) and water and you're good to go! This cup is good for going out and about or just lounging at home. You may even forget you're on your period!

Discreet customs form.

Made in Canada

The Diva Cup & Measuring lines.

Stem and grip rings.

Firmness.

C fold.

Punchdown fold.

7 fold.

The Diva Cup runs around $39.99. You can find it in a store near you or online.

You can find The Diva cup on Facebook and Twitter.

I was not paid for this review or endorsement.

Now time for the GIVEAWAY! Please fill out the form below and a winner will be randomly selected on Monday, December 9th, 2013. This giveaway is open to the USA and Canada!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ruby Cup Review


Ruby Cup in its pouch.

This past month i tried out the Ruby Cup. Ruby Cup was designed in Denmark and is made of 100% Medical grade silicone. The Ruby Cup is FDA approved. The Ruby Cup comes in a nice cotton bag, seen above. This is a one-size cup. Its diameter is 45mm, length with stem is 68mm, length without stem is 51mm, and its capacity is 34ml. This cup has 4 suction holes near the rim of the cup. On the inside rim, Ruby Cup is stamped into the silicone. There are measuring lines in the inside of the body at 5ml, 10ml & 15ml.

Ruby Cup


Firmness of the Ruby Cup. It's very similar in firmness to the small Lunette.

The Ruby Cup comes with a double sided instruction sheet.

The packaging of the Ruby Cup is discreet when going through customs. It just states that it is a silicone cup.

Customs form on packaging.

Ruby Cup is a great company! For every cup purchased, they donate one cup to a school girl in Kenya helping her to stay in school. Often times the girls will miss school while on their periods because they don't have adequate protection. Ruby Cup helps them to stay in school so they can get a good education.

I love this cup! It is easy to insert and it pops open nicely. It has a bit of a hollow stem with fabulous grippy bumps on it! I have to say, out of all of the cups i have tried, i think Ruby Cup has the best stem! I love it. The grip bumps are very helpful in wiggling the cup down. The silicone of the Ruby Cup has a matte like finish and feels a bit silky. I liked using the 7-fold with this cup, but you can use whichever one you're most comfortable with. The Ruby Cup was easy to clean, i had no trouble cleaning out the air holes. Going back to the stem, i like the length of it as well. I didn't need to trim it and found it to be the perfect length. You can trim it if it's a bit long for you (being careful not to put a hole in your cup), but i didn't need to.