PRODUCT REVIEW: The Femmecup

I'm welll aware that I might be about to write the most 'TMI' post on hippyshopper ever, but in the spirit of investigative journalism, I'm going to give this a go, and to provide you with all the details you'll need if you're planning to try the latest incarnation of the menstrual cup.

Like the Mooncup (see our review here), Diva cup and various other 'cups' that probably didn't make it into ladies' loos common parlance, the Femmecup is a re-usable female hygeine product that is worn internally and obliterates the need for tampons or sanitary towels - along with the waste they produce. You can use the same Femmecup for many years, it can be worn during all manner of sporting activities and it poses a lower risk of the dreaded Toxic Shock Syndrome than tampons...

So how did I get on?

If you're offended by talk of menstruation, I suggest you don't follow the jump to find out!

The average woman uses 11,000 tampons and pads in her lifetime. Just think of that - it's a dizzying amount of waste, and equates to a sum of money that I don't even want to calculate, but is clearly significantly more than the £14.99 that the Femmecup costs. With this in mind, it's got to be worth a try.

I'm not particularly squeamish about 'body stuff', so when I first mentioned my trialling of a mooncup-type device I was surprised at some of the responses I got from other women. For starters, I had no idea that some grown-up ladies were still so 'squicked' by their own bodies that they had to use applicator tampons but I was also surprised by the number of women I would not expect to be 'cup' users who had switched to this method - and that their reports were overwhelmingly positive.

Good old reliable 'Aunt Flo' arrived just in time for me to conduct the review I had been planning to publish today so all was looking good. I should add that I have never tried a Mooncup, Diva cup or anything similar (much to my shame) due to a sudden meanness that invariably hits me at the checkout and pushes me towards own-brand tampons every time. At the ripe old age of 31 I felt I was quite worldly enough to get through the experience unscathed, so I headed for the ladies, confident of a trouble-free insertion ;)

Here comes the icky bit. For a moment I was right back in the school changing room toilets, staring with horror at a 'mini' Lil let and wondering how in God's name I was ever going to get that thing where the diagram told me to put it. Only there was nothing mini about this device, which looked more like something a chef might use. As then, I found myself internally shrieking 'if THIS scares me how the HELL am I ever going to have a baby?' before pulling myself together and remarking on how soft and pliable it was.

So I folded the cup according to instructions, gave up once or twice then on the third attempt, managed to place it roughly where it looked like it was meant to go. The leaflet told me 'it can take one or two periods to perfect the correct insertion technique for you', but I found the Femmecup to be immediately comfortable (more so than a tampon) and did not appear to be plummeting back to earth so in less than five minutes, I decided I'd cracked it.

Walking back to my desk I was struck with a sudden fear that gravity was not going to keep this thing in place for long, but sitting down again I felt confident. And in the back of my mind I was cheering: "I'll never have to buy another over-priced pack of tampons again!"

And I'm pleased and somewhat relieved to report that it did the job admirably for the rest of the day. One of the great things about the cup is that it matters very little how heavy or light your flow is, so you don't need to worry about whether you've picked the right absorbancy, or waste money on multiple packs. It's also less hassle - you only need change the Femmecup a couple of times a day, even if you are having a heavy one.

All went happily and without incident until the removal part of the operation. Considering myself an unfazable, practical Femmecup user I had not counted on having any problems here, and was in no way prepared for the sudden wave of panic that came over me when I found I couldn't remove the thing. Images of smirking A&E doctors and nurses flashed through my mind for a good few minutes before I saw fit to re-read the leaflet which said:

Femmecup cannot get stuck

*phew*

When you first use Femmecup you may find it difficult to remove. This is usually due to muscles tensing up and holding the cup in place. Try to RELAX!

Sorted.

It occurred to me afterwards that the cause of this moment of mild panic would at least make me less concerned about leaks on future occasions: it's quite a tight fit, which does not allow for mishaps.

Am I a convert? I'll probably have to wait (as the leaflet said) 'one or two periods' to be sure that it's worth the mild inconvenience of perfecting the technique before I can say for sure, but in terms of comfort and peace of mind, I'd definitely rate the Femmecup. It seems to be better for cramps, it's more convenient to use over-all than disposable methods, and thinking of all the waste you're preventing by using it is enough to make you feel quite virtuous. If you'd like to know more about where you can get your own, check out their site;

Femmecup costs £14.99 and is available from the following retailers, and more:

www.femmecup.com
www.bodykind.com
www.salveo.co.uk
www.smefertility.com
www.luxurymoon.co.uk

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