Lena Menstrual Cups 2-Pack

Fellow women!! So I am pretty sure alot of you are interested in switching to menstural cups versus the regular pads and tampons. I can tell you that making this switch has made me feel so free and comfortable during my period, I can do anything! I did alot a research before purchasing my lena cup and am very pleased with it so far. First of all it is a decently priced, unlike other mentstural cups, especially if you are just planning on trying it out. It is also one of the best priced bell shaped cups out there. It is made out of soft 100% medical-grade silicone that is easy to bend, but holds it's structure enough to spring back to it's orginal form after inserting it in. For first timers I would recommend trying to practice putting it in a few times before your first time used during a period; RELAX and give yourself some time- swatting on the floor was the easiest way I found, but after a while you get used to it! After putting it in just make sure it did spring back and nothing is preventing it from making a complete sucction; low vs. high hanging cervix. It is a little scary at first and don't worry it won't get stuck up there, just use your kegel muscles to push it back down (If you aren't sure how to use your kegel muscles don't worry you will figure it out!). I have learned so much about my body ever since using the lena cup - I know heavy days vs. light days. No there isn't any period smell! Sure other people may not be able to smell it, but you, yourself sure can. Be careful when breaking the seal and pulling it out; don't pull to fast or you may spill it over yourself. Keep a good grip on the grip rings and slowing pull it out; without letting it slip out of your grip. Read the directions that come with it; very helpful! My experience! I guess I was lucky, because after practicing a few times when I wasn't on my period I was able to put it in correctly and didn't have any leaks! I still wore a panty liner just in case. After I put it in I literally couldn't feel it; I was shocked. I when through my day very concous of it so a few times I thought I felt it, but after a little while I completely forgot about it. I did start spotting a little bit on my first day, but it was due to a heavy flow kind of day- I took out the Lena cup poured the blood out, rinsed it with warm water and a little bit of soap and then put it back in - Volia no spotting. On my heavy day I took it out a total of 3 times, regular and light days 2 times. When I started spotting on my heavy day I thought I bought the wrong size - so don't fret you might be having a heavy day.Sleeping at night was one of the things I was really worried about; Make sure you empty the cup at the lastest before you go to sleep and really check to make sure that it is one correctly - I didn't make sure the first night, because I got cocky and I ended up leaking big time, the next night I made sure to check and empty it out right before I went to sleep and it was perfect! I was worried about the air holes at first, but in the end it didn't cause an leakage. I was very active during my period and saw no leaks, the last few day I was daring enough to go without panty liners (I ran out and saw no rush to run to the store). If it helps I have fairly regular periods that last 5 days - It is usually heavy during the first few days and lightens up. I feel bloated and sometimes experience cramps - the Lena cup did not cause any of these symptoms to worst. I am truly impressed with this product and will continue to use it for a long time. Tips: If you are wondering about soft vs. hard silicone - I would go with soft, because it is more versitle - When I was figuring out how to put it in and want something a little harder I would run the cup under cold water and it would cause it to get a little bit firmer for insertion and then soften up within the body!

I first learned about menstrual cups when I saw that the period subscription box I was using offered Softcups. I was intrigued by the concept, so I gave them a try...and I loved them! This led me to look into reusable cups. Softcups are shaped and function very differently than reusable cups, so I did quite a bit of research before settling on this Lena cup. The main cup that comes to mind when people mention menstrual cups is the Diva cup; however, I learned that Diva cups are some of the largest menstrual cups available, and that they're not a great fit for everyone. The cup has to be small enough to properly expand and lightly suction to the walls of your vagina. If it's too large, it won't seal and can collapse, which causes leaks and is also uncomfortable. Since I wasn't really sure how to measure myself, I didn't want to risk wasting a good bit of money on a cup that might be too big. So, I spent hours researching for some of the smallest cups I could find. I compared the width of the rim and the length of the body (not including the stem) of so many brands. It was actually a lot harder than I thought it would be since many brands don't list the measurements. It's great that most brands have a large and a small option, but one brand's small can be larger than another brand's large, which is maddening! For example, the small Diva is 43mm wide and 53mm long, while the large Lena cup is smaller at 45mm wide and 50.7mm long. This small Lena is 41mm wide and 46mm long, so it is significantly smaller than the small Diva. I believe the small Lena is a much better size for first-time users, unless you are absolutely certain that your cervix sits high during menstruation and can use a longer cup. Other things to consider when choosing a cup are what it's made of, where it was made, and what safety standards it meets. Lena cups are made of medical grade silicone, are made in the USA, and are FDA-registered, so I was confident that it was safe to use. Now, for what I love about my Lena cup: • No more leaks!!! I've never had a leak during the day or even overnight, and I can actually wear nice underwear with confidence knowing that they won't be ruined. It holds so much more than the tampons I was using. When I first starting using this cup, I emptied it every few hours (like I did with tampons), and it was nowhere close to being full. I can safely go all day without having to empty the cup. • No more dealing with my period in a public restroom! I only have to empty it when I wake up and right before bed, which is the best thing ever! I can't even express how much I love not having to deal with it during the day. Public bathrooms are already not ideal, so not having to worry about changing a tampon is a huge plus! On heavy days (which are rare), I might have to empty it once during the day, but I literally have never needed to empty it in a public restroom in the 15 months that I've been using this cup...compared to changing tampons every few hours. If I do need to empty it in a public restroom, it's nice that I don't need to carry anything with me, and it's no messier than changing a tampon. • Better for my vagina! Tampons don't discriminate when they're absorbing, so they can really dry you out (and anyone who has ever pulled out a dry tampon knows how freaking painful that it is!). That messes with pretty much everything up there, especially the good bacteria and your pH level. They also increase your risk of developing toxic shock syndrome (TSS) because they absorb and trap any bad bacteria. Cups don't mess with any of that. Since they don't absorb anything, your vagina remains unchanged, so there's no bounce-back time after your period where it needs to rebuild the supply of good bacteria and get back to a healthy pH level. Your risk of developing TSS is also much, much lower, so menstrual cups are safer to use over longer periods of time. • Better for the environment and my wallet! I love that there's no trash (wrapper, applicator, the tampon itself) each time I use my cup. When you think about the thousands of tampons you'd use throughout your life, that's a lot of waste that won't end up in a landfill. And for the price of a few boxes of tampons, you'll get years of use out of a cup (as long as you take care of it). I'm saving a ton of money by not buying tampons every month, and I'm reducing the amount of waste I produce, so that's a win-win. I really don't have any negatives for this cup. It has some minor staining after 15 months of use, which is completely normal and will happen with any cup you buy. I'm sure a dilute hydrogen peroxide soak will make it look brand new again. I recently bought some backup Lena cups, so I've included pictures of the new ones (a small pink compared to a large clear). I was curious to try the large, since the small works so well. It did fully open, but it was harder to remove because there was more suction and it was just a bigger cup to remove. I will continue to use my smalls, and I will keep the large for after I have children. I also showed what the rim of the small looks like for two different folds (the C/U fold and the origami fold). There are many different ways to fold a cup, and it's completely up to personal preference. If you've read through this mini-essay of a review, I hope it helped! The condensed version is that I cannot recommend this cup enough! It has truly changed everything about my period experience, and I no longer dread when it arrives. Do your research, look up tips, watch YouTube videos, and give it a try!!

I think that in general menstrual cups are difficult to review meaningfully because personal anatomy quirks are such a factor, so I'm going to try to give some information that hopefully will make it easier to evaluate whether or not my experience will match up with yours. I'm also going to do my best to avoid TMI whenever possible, but let's be realistic: this is a review of a menstrual cup. There is some amount of TMI that is just part of the process. I am a long-time menstrual cup user (both the Diva Cup and the Lunette), but I have always preferred to sometimes use other feminine hygiene products under some circumstances - sometimes it's just easier to use tampons, and I prefer to not use anything internal at night if I can get away with it. I prefer menstrual cups specifically (1) when I wake up with cramps but haven't actually gotten my period yet, and (2) on my one or two really heavy flow days, when I would have to change a super absorbency tampon every hour or so but could get away with four to six hours on a menstrual cup. I have always had to trim the stem of menstrual cups (the little piece that sticks out below the cup) because I find them uncomfortable and I don't think they make removing them any easier. In terms of which brands I've used, I started with the Diva Cup, switched to the Lunette because I had some discomfort with the Diva Cup (the smaller one), but found the Diva Cup a lot easier to pop open than the Lunette, so I switched back. I am in my thirties, but because the smaller Diva Cup was already a little uncomfortable (I am a delicate flower), I didn't ever switch to the larger one. I haven't ever been pregnant. Given that context... I chose to try the larger Lena Cup specifically because of the shape. I'd had some problems with leaks on the smaller Diva Cup, but I was pretty sure it was because of the heaviness of my flow and not the diameter of the cup, so I didn't want to switch to the larger one (as I'd mentioned, the smaller one was already a little uncomfortable). The Diva Cup gets wider when you go to the larger cup. The Lena Cup gets taller. The Lena Cup is also less flared - from pictures, I could tell that it was a more consistent width from top to bottom, which just seemed like it'd work better for me, since I felt like it was really a width issue with the Diva Cup that was causing my discomfort. As it turns out, the Lena Cup is a LOT more comfortable than the Diva Cup for me, personally - as in, the larger Lena Cup is more comfortable than the smaller Diva Cup. Because it's less flared, the pressure (all three of the menstrual cups I have tried exert some outward pressure) is more distributed, and that makes it a lot less uncomfortable for me. It's not totally unnoticeable, but it's more like wearing a tampon than having something pushing at me in a really localized area and in a really intrusive way. (It is, however, more noticeable than a tampon, and it seems to sort of... take up valuable bladder space, so I do have to pee more frequently. See? TMI.) I'm not sure if it's the shape or what, but something about the design of the Lena Cup also makes it a lot easier than either the Diva Cup or the Lunette to change tidily, particularly in public restrooms. The blood collects at the bottom, not on the sides (which was a HUGE problem for me with the Diva Cup), and it seems like it's easier to remove it without spilling. [My feeling on the public restrooms is that if you can't change it in a public restroom it's a total nonstarter as a feminine hygiene product, so here's a tip about emptying menstrual cups in public restrooms in general: wash your hands and wet down a paper towel before you go into the stall, empty the cup into the toilet, wipe it out with toilet paper, and then use the wet paper towel to wipe the sides and inside of the cup before reinserting it. Paper towel gets folded up and goes in the trash receptacle (NOT the toilet), like a tampon or a pad. Everything else gets flushed. This requires a few tries before you get the hang of doing it without setting that wet but clean paper towel down on the knee of your jeans and no, it's not ideal, obviously, or a long-term solution, but it'll get the job done in a pinch.] The real place where the Lena Cup excels for me, though, is that I have had absolutely no problems with leaks. None. Not even overnight on my really heavy flow days on a weekend when I'm sleeping in. None. It's a real godsend, not to have to wear a pantiliner or backup pad or get up in the night to empty it, and to know that I can actually get some work done during the day without setting an alarm to interrupt me every couple of hours just to make sure everything is still copacetic. I haven't gone longer than ten hours without changing it, even when I do sleep with it in, or longer than about six hours during the day, but emptying it three or four times a day without incident is a vast, *vast* improvement over either the Diva Cup (which was fine as long as I was wearing a pantiliner to deal with leaks but still kind of nerve-wracking) or tampons (which I had to change literally every hour, and woe unto me if I forgot). A few other notes. The material on the Lena Cup is very firm and it pops open easily after being folded for insertion: I can't do a tri-fold with it (which I had to do with the Lunette and didn't like), but a bifold works just fine (it was sort of hit or miss on the Diva Cup). The air holes are really easy to keep clean (this was really, *really* not true on the Diva Cup). The downside (and isn't there always one) is that I do think it's a little bit harder to remove than the Diva Cup. I did trim the stem, as I mentioned before, and I always remove menstrual cups by pinching the base, but it seemed like the Lena Cup was just a lot more firmly seated, the first couple times I tried. This is possibly related to why it doesn't leak, so I'll take it. I've used it a fair few times now and I've got the hang of it at this point, so we're good. I still do not use it exclusively in preference to tampons or pads.

Experience as a first time cup user: Due to environmental reasons and not wanting to pollute the Earth or myself, I have used reusable cloth pads for over five years. My coworker really talked up the cups which I was on the fence about for ages, so finally bit the bullet. I did quite a bit of research on menstrual cups before choosing the Lena based on several factors like customer service (quite impressive) and the quality and care that went into designing the product. Originally I purchased the small on Amazon and didn't see the option for the two pack until after my order shipped, and contacted the company to see if I could purchase a discounted single large so I had both sizes to experiment with. Their amazing customer service team sent me a complimentary large, was so not expecting that! Just the fact that a real person got back to me in a short amount of time is noteworthy in this day and age. The experiments: March, Month 1: I watched videos of several different folds to prepare myself and eagerly awaited for the blood bath to start for the test drive. The first month I was amazed how much more sanitary it was to use a cup. One would think blood nestled in my woman cave would smell putrid after pooling in a petri dish for hours on end, but it actually smelled clean and my innards weren't robbed of all their natural moisture from cotton tampons. It was a strange feeling to run to the bathroom and keep checking for leaks in my pants (you can "feel" the blood collecting) but it worked wonderfully after some playing around with suction/folds and several times I got a good seal without looking like a murder scene, so thrilling! Never had pain with it going in, a slight feeling that something is inside of you, but for the small not even bladder pain. I used to have Interstitial Cystitis so I have no tolerance for a cup that will cause discomfort in that way but this was great. April, Month 2: Tested out the large Lena cup, ouch! I felt so much pain in my bladder, and had difficulty urinating with it in. Definitely way too big for my innards after all the moving around I did, just could not get it comfortable. Had wanted larger capacity, but just wouldn't work. Went back to small Lena, but somehow it seemed like the magic I had the first month of getting a good seal wasn't there, and I could not for the life of me stop it from mild leaking. It wasn't like pools of blood loss, almost like the natural female juices cleansing my insides and it was a very watery tiny bit of pink/reddish that was coming off when I would wipe after bathroom usage. Try as I might, my fingers do not physically reach in to spelunk inside my body while keeping my cup folded at the same time. The best fit for me is when I put in at night and it naturally is "digested" by my lady bits, then I have no leaks. But I can't reach it, and I too felt the panic for about five minutes of trying to take it out. I bought some THINX pad panties to wear with them while I test out folds to avoid any stains and to compensate for leaks I was still getting. About this time I was thinking I need to find out if my troubles are from internal tilt and discover my cervix height. May, Month 3: Way too much traveling with questionable access and sketchy bathrooms, so I opted for organic cotton tampons. Didn't like using the tampons after my cup experience, but had to make due. Note to self, REMEMBER TO MEASURE CERVIX. June, Month 4: Very determined to make it work, I wore it the entire conference (6 days) that I was traveling out of town. Was not too hard to deal with since handicap bathroom at the site had sink in it. However, I did have some very light leaking (that watery pink/reddish) so I had to wash some of my undergarments to avoid stains in my hotel sink. Still have not gotten around to measuring certix height or figure out how to examine myself to find out any pelvic floor tilting going on. That kind of feedback would even be helpful to manufacturers of cups to make some for ladies with different needs, which I could potentially be one of. All in all, I love this cup, the small feels good when the seal works, and I believe its made by people who genuinely have our health in mind. Going to keep trying the Lena and do more research on my lady privates layout and report back on cervix stats. Might try a different shape cup from another company to rotate with for frame of reference, but this is a solid choice if it works for your body. Edit: I am very sad to see so many low reviews, I feel like people should be leaving higher than one star based on customer service alone as they give full refunds, caring support to everyone who has posted if they need advice, and make a quality product regardless if it fits everyone's unique body. Updated 7/13/16 Tip 1- Measure cervix length! There are many how to guides online from cup sites, as well as great Facebook group called Cup Love that is supportive and has a lot of documents for members. In some women like myself who have higher cervix during menstruation, we may need a longer cup to reach properly. (Attempting the Lily Cup in July) Perhaps once there is more data on varying cervix height, that will become the next reiteration in menstrual cups and how companies will market them vs child/no child, and S/L, and it will make it much less of a hit or miss kind of thing. Tip 2- There are also buy sell trade cups groups (you boil cup to sanitize) it helps offset costs as some folks have to go through multiple cups from different brands to find what some in the community call their "goldilox cup". Lena is unusual in that they offer money back guarantee, most do not. <---- major props Tip 3- I want to note that so many users are getting freaked out that it takes a couple of minutes to coax it out using muscles down there. Yes it takes a little getting used to the method and technique for each person and their needs. (For example, I have bladder sensitivities, so wide bulby cups like the Super Jennie would not be good for me as it would press against bladder wall) Tip 4- This will not ever pull out like a tampon in three seconds flat for me, and if you want something like that either use organic cotton tampons or go with a reusable sea sponge if the few extra minutes to remove, potentially clean, and reinsert is a constraint. Tip 5- Cups do take a little more care, and you will get blood on your hands literally, so if you are too sqeamish about such things please don't knock the Lena company and get a product you would never feel comfortable using to begin with. I've heard great things about sea sponges from folks in my circle, so look into that if you want something more tampon-like but still reusable.

I bought my first Lena cup in May but wanted to give it a few months before I left a review, since I felt that way my review could be more helpful to others. This was my first time ever trying a menstrual cup - I have used tampons pretty much for the past 10-15 years. Based on the company's recommendation in the FAQ, I initially purchased a size small. I hesitated with the sizing at first because although they recommend the size small for women who haven't used a menstrual cup before or had children, I didn't think it would be big enough because I have a crazy heavy flow (sorry, TMI). Nonetheless, given their recommendation and the fact that I'm a pretty small person, I decided to start with the small. The very first period, I really had difficulty getting the cup into me. It would take me like 6 or 7 tries each time, so I pretty much gave up after the first two days because I got so sore. Also, I was having to pull it out and empty it every 2.5ish - 3 hours, which was really annoying because even with my heavy periods, ultra tampons usually give me 3-4 hours. So after switching over to tampons again mid-period, I figured I would give it another shot the next month. In the meantime, I had received an email from the company just checking in with me, so I responded with my two concerns- that I had a hard time inserting it and that I was having to change it too frequently. I then received a very nice response with some helpful tips and letting me know that I should follow up if I had any more concerns after trying them. So, June came around and I tried the cup again, keeping in mind the insertion tips they had sent. Lo and behold, the tips + the extra practice made it much, much easier to insert the second time around (taking an average of 2x per insertion - not perfect but much better than the first month). Unfortunately, I still could only go 2.5ish -3 hours on my heaviest days before emptying - otherwise the cup would get too full and I would leak. So, I followed up with the company, just letting them know, and they responded back right away saying that they thought I might be happier with a larg cup and would send one out to me free of charge! Having just finished my July (and third) period using the large cup, I can finally feel comfortable in saying that this is an awesome product and an awesome company. I ended up using the large the entire period because I was too lazy to switch to the small, and unlike tampons, it's not dangerous to use a larger size even when your flow is lighter. It was harder inserting the larger cup, but it still only took about 2-3 tries per time (and I expect that to get easier as I continue to use it in the future). This might be TMI but I find that the easiest way to insert it is by folding it into the 7-fold and then kind of just feeding it into my vagina. I can't push it in too hard or quickly because that hurts, but by inserting slowly and gently, it doesn't hurt at all. I have had zero problems with it sealing over my cervix, but it's easier to stick your finger around the edges to make sure it has formed the seal. Time wise with the large cup - on heavy days, I can go about 4 hours before having to empty, and on lighter days, I can go forever before remembering to empty. So while the heavy days are pretty similar to ultra tampons, the lighter days are SO much better because I don't feel nervous if it sits in me for longer than 8 hours ( the max for tampons)! Plus, this cup doesn't dry me out like tampons do. It's also wayyyy cheaper - I've already saved money by just using it for 3 cycles. It's also better for the environment (if you care about things like that) plus you don't have to worry about having accessible trash cans (not always easy when you're a guest at someone else's house). I will say this - I like to wash it off in between taking it out and inserting again, and to wash my hands as well. So, I am most comfortable using this when I know I can use a private bathroom with a sink right by me. I would not feel comfortable emptying and changing in a public restroom. Besides for the mess on my hands (TMI but I haven't perfected emptying/inserting without getting anything on my fingers), I wouldn't want my fingers that close/inside my vagina after having to touch public surfaces (such as the stall door). That's just me though - I'm a germaphobe. It's definitely easy and possible to use in any bathroom, I personally just wouldn't do it yet in public ones. I hope this review can help anyone else out there contemplating switching to a cup from tampons. This review is totally honest and not biased, even though they did send me the large cup for free after the small cup (which I had paid full price for) wasn't working for me on my heavy days. At no point did they ask me to write a review when they gave me the large cup for free. And that's the main reason I'm happy to write such a good review - I can't stand the companies that now pay people or give people free things in exchange for biased reviews. This company just wants its consumers to be happy and to be able to use their products, which is so awesome and which makes me much more likely to recommend to friends.

Was loving this at first. A few months out and it’s not sealing as well. I am not sure why. I am doing everything as indicated and it’s had leaks when cup is not full. If I have to replace it every 4-6 months at this cost then tampons are more cost effective. Do the walls loosen resistance after a few months? I love the fact it’s better for the landfills and that’s a main selling point with me. But I’m on a tight budget and a box of tampons will last a few months and significantly cheaper. I want to get away from the trash. But spending that much every 4-6 months is not saving me money. You have to buy the wash & I bought accessories too. It’s only cost effective if it works long term. Make them cheaper. It’s not a one and done product. If you want to spare the environment do not charge me $40 when I’ll have to replace it in a few months. It’s a silicone cup, I can get a silicone measuring cup for $5-6. This has less silicone. Great product but only if it makes sense financially.

As soon as I heard that I could have 0 waste from my periods using a menstrual cup and washable pads, I ordered some immediately. I've been using this cup for about 3 months and here are my experiences as a person not used to and typically uncomfortable with insertion: I use this cup about a day after my period starts since I have a heavy flow for most of my cycle. Or at least I thought I did based on the amount of pads and tampons I would go through. I personally was never comfortable using tampons inserted since I could never get them in correctly and only used them on top of my pad like a sponge. These would get completely soaked and I would have to use at least two large ones a day. So, obviously I had a much higher learning curve than most since I had to learn how to insert anything properly. I insert mine while sitting on a toilet since I find this the most comfortable (and in case I have any drips). On some tries it slips out of my fingers too early, is uncomfortable, and I have to remove it and try again. It usually takes 1-2 tries each time for the first few days to insert it deep enough consistently. Sometimes I have to shift it around to get it to fully expand and seal. When it is in right, I sometimes feel a bit of pressure like something is stretching my vagina, but this goes away after an hour or so. After, I don't feel it and have zero issues with leaks, though I wear washable pads just in case. Removal is usually painless. I wiggle the stem, pinch the bottom, and try to fold it over like how I inserted it since otherwise it would be painful to remove. Some days its fine and others I just can't relax enough or can't get the right grip/fold and it hurts trying to remove it. This is just a technique I have to practice since I'm not used to insertion to begin with. I give my vagina a break if a removal was particularly uncomfortable since I don't want to get stressed about using it. Generally, I am fine and comfortable with using my cup for most of my period. Otherwise, the only issue I have is the stem is a little long, though I haven't trimmed it yet since it is very helpful for removal atm. When I have the cup too low I can feel the stem poking me, but when its inserted deep enough I don't. Cleaning between use is super easy. I just rinse with cold water, using my fingers to scrub, then hot. I dry with a towel, make sure there is no lint or debris. Between uses I boil as instructed while I'm cleaning the kitchen. All in all, I like using the cup since when it works, it works! Its simple to clean and I can just pop it in the little drawstring bag and into the bag with my washable pads for storage. Since using the cup, I've had zero issues with leaks and stained underwear. Its something I will definitely get more skilled at using with time and it will save on a lot of smelly trash and money spent on women's products.

TLDR at bottom of review Just a little instructional that might help a first time cup user 😌 Always wash your hands before touching your vagina, especially near your cervix. Relax your uterine muscles and locate your cervix so you know just how deep to insert the cup. Using 1 finger, fully insert it until you reach "the end" of your vagina, it will feel like a soft round sponge. My cervix is very high and I have a tilted uterus, I have no problems using this cup. There are several ways to fold the cup, play around with options until you find a comfortable fold. Insert the cup similar to how you would a tampon, aiming towards your tailbone rather than straight up. When you get the cup at least 3/4 in, gently allow the cup to unfold then slowly push the rest of the way in. All the way. Some pics will make it appear as if the cup is sitting right inside the vagina but if you actually have a vagina you'll know that isn't gonna stay put. You'll know it's in place because it will feel as if nothing is even there. If there's any discomfort you should remove it and try again. If it hurts to go to the bathroom, number 1 or 2, chances are you don't have the cup inserted properly. You should be able to comfortably pee and poo without even noticing your cup is in you. If your cup is leaking, chances are it's not inserted correctly or you need a larger size. Every vagina is different so don't base your needs off the manufactures suggestions. I am 30 years old and have given vaginal birth 4 times, I use a small cup. To remove the cup, you're supposed to pinch the base to release suction. But I find that I have to pinch much higher to release suction, almost to the lip. To clean my cup during use I simply rinse with warm water and wipe away the "uterine slime" with my fingers, using mild hand soap seemed to irritate my vagina. After my period was over I boiled it as explained in the instruction book, then stored it in the storage bag it came with. Once I became comfortable with inserting and removing, I cut stem all the way off, this is my preference. My flow ranges from light to heavy, or so I thought. I usually dump it as often as I would change a tampon, about every 6 hours (you can safely wear this cup for 12 hours). The amount of blood I see in the cup doesn't compare to my overly saturated tampons at all. My tampons would get so "full' the string would be covered in blood after 6 hours. Makes me think tampon absorbency is highly exaggerated. I would occasionally wear pads or pantie liners in combo with tampons during my heaviest days, so that when the string became saturated there was something more to protect my underwear. I've had zero leakage with my cup. To be disgustingly honest, I can't stand the smell of my period. But the entire time I have used this cup, I have had zero nasty period smell. My entire attitude about having periods has changed, I'm actually bummed my period is over and I have to wait another 3 weeks to use my cup. I will never buy tampons or pads again. So *TLDR* make the change, stop spending money month after month on pads, tampons, pantie liners. This thing will pay for itself and lasts for years.