I have wanted a menstrual cup for a couple of years now, but I kept putting off the purchase. Sweet Bottoms Baby Boutique gave me the opportunity to test out the Lunette Menstrual Cup, and I was so excited. I can honestly say that I have never been more excited to get a visit from Aunt Flo (not counting that one time in high school, lol). Lunette comes in a variety of colors and styles, something fun for everyone.

These cups come in two different sizes. Size 1 is recommended for teens, virgins and/or smaller women and size 2 is recommended for women who have been pregnant or have had a child, have heavy periods or are a bit older. The time came for me to pick my size, and after reading that, I opted for size 3, HAHA. I am a 27 year old mother of 6, who had heavy periods, until I switched to cloth menstrual pads from the mainstream paper disposables, and now has a light, cramp-free cycle. One of the awesome women in charge of Sweet Bottoms assured me that I would not have any issues with slippage of a size 2, yet I was skeptical.

I had to wait a few weeks after receiving my new cup to get a chance to try it out, so I made sure to read the instructions that came with the cup, which were very clear and easy to figure out. The day arrived, you know…Mother Nature gave me a present, and this time I welcomed her. I folded the cup as the instructions indicated and placed it in the appropriate area, but it didn’t feel right. It actually hurt a little, a very little, like cramps. I was pretty sure, after reading the instructions, that I must have inserted it incorrectly, so I removed it and rinsed it under warm water to attempt another try.

This time I folded it a little tighter and kept it folded like that while inserting, just a little longer than I did the first time. I felt an odd suctioning going on, then…nothing. I had it in the right spot on the second try. Nothing, as it seems, is good. Unlike tampons, which usually dry me out to the points of irritation, the Lunette cup allowed my body to breathe as it does naturally, while collecting the contents of menstruation without any leaks or messes. There was no need to carry around panti-liners, since the Lunette can safely be worn for 12 hours without being emptied. When I say safely, I mean, no messes. If you want to talk health hazards, you might be able to wear it even longer with light periods, since there has been ZERO cases of TSS with a menstrual cup, since it was first invented over 70 years ago!

Not only is the risk pretty much non-existent, but you will be helping the environment and your body by using a Lunette cup. It doesn’t absorb moisture like tampons or cause sweating like pads, and it is made of soft medical grade silicone, which naturally discourages the growth of bacteria. It is good for the environment because there are no cardboard, cotton, plastic or wrappers to be thrown away. It is also wallet friendly since it is a one time purchase, instead of an every month (or couple of packs each month) purchase.

Now, on top of the medical, environmental, financial and comfort advantages, there is also the fact that you can do anything you normally do; exercise, swim, play sports, you name it. Also, there have been many reports of lighter, shorter periods, with less to no cramps after switching from traditional disposable menstrual items. With all of the positives and none of the negatives, don’t you think it’s time for you to switch?

UPDATE: The original post was written on October 8th, 2011, and it is now August 13th, 2013. I want to say that even after all this time, my Lunette has held up perfectly and is still very easy to use. It cleans up with no issues, and even though it has been almost 2 years since I got it, there haven’t been any rips or tears that would cause the cup to malfunction. I highly recommend the Lunette, and I would buy it again if I had to….but I don’t think I will have to for quite a while.