Friends know that I am leaving no stone unturned in order to finally get rid of tampons. It sounds like trying to quit smoking, should be of no less importance to my health and my wallet, because as we should all know by now, menstrual products are usually not cheap and often even unhealthy in the long run. They destroy our natural vaginal flora, often lead to itching, dryness and, in the worst case, to toxic shock.

As we should all know by now, menstrual products are usually not cheap and often even unhealthy in the long run. They destroy our natural vaginal flora, often lead to itching, dryness and, in the worst case, to toxic shock.
So I not only tried using pads, as all beginners probably did with the first period, but also tried the advertised, natural, new tampon brands that did their job, but are also not more satisfactory, until I got to the menstrual cup landed.

From tampon to cup

Initially smiled at, only to later extol it to everyone who wanted to hear it. Yes, my cup and I were happy together, had it not been for my wish to change my contraception to end up with the copper IUD.

Yes, my cup and I were happy together, had it not been for my wish to change my contraception to end up with the copper IUD.

Hey guys, now you’ll soon know me inside out, how great!

Anyone who is not familiar with the use of Menocups, as they are also called, has no idea why the spiral and cup can be mutually exclusive. Well, on the one hand, the menstrual cup is very cumbersome to insert. Much more interesting is the unfavorable location and incorrect, i.e. jerky, removal of the product, the effect on the piece of happiness, which protects me from unwanted pregnancy for four years and has eased my bank balance by around 400 euros. Just my spiral.

Anyone who is not familiar with the use of Menocups, as they are also called, has no idea why the spiral and cup can be mutually exclusive.

The problem of sucking out something that should stay in place was described very impressively in many forums and due to the lack of experience of my gynaecologist, I went through the cost-benefit calculation for myself and came up with the result, the cup again to mothball.

It was really only about the great uncertainty in contraception and not the specter of not finding a suitable toilet with washbasin access. I had overcome this disgust when I read that some menstruating women simply emptied their cups under themselves and flushed remnants into the toilet with some sterile urine. Yes, periods are not for the weak.

But now the big question was again how I could bring relief to myself, my body and maybe even my sex life. Period products unfortunately tend to have many side effects, of which health-damaging ones are given priority, but other things should not be left unmentioned.

Who does not know the feeling after or during the period, pulling out all body fluids by a silk thread in order to feel like hot desert sand afterwards. Dry, unusable, full of danger.

Who does not know the feeling after or during the period, pulling out all body fluids by a silk thread in order to feel like hot desert sand afterwards. Dry, unusable, full of danger.

We not only prepare ourselves, but also our partners: inside the wonderful breeding ground for fungi, infections and sexual frustration, when suddenly nothing goes down below.

Alternatives for menstruating

So I pondered, looked for new opportunities online and was made aware of vaginal sponges by my competent, very gay favorite colleague of all people. “What kind of sponges?” I asked him incredulously when he mentioned her in passing.

Yes, vaginal sponges that would be very popular in the porn industry, among other things, because a menstruating actress can quickly become an unusable employee and with the help of this product the shoot can take place. Aha.

So I ordered the sponges. They looked natural – and with the use of vinegar and water they smelled so too. At least they turned out to be easy to insert and, with a little practice, quite practical during sex.

If it weren’t for the following problem: I’m a mother of two and yes, sometimes the rumors are true, after the birth something changes for some of us after all. For example, I have heavier bleeding and cannot just use a period product, no.

I’m a mother of two and yes, sometimes the rumors are true, after the birth something changes for some of us. For example, I have heavier bleeding and cannot just use a period product, no.

Sometimes I still need cotton wool (unhealthy and not particularly resource-saving), an insert (Lord, I feel like a baby) and period underpants at night (another invention!). So wrapped up all around, I feel safe, but also pretty silly. Like a wounded man, and not just because of the pain in my back and abdomen. I am often surprised that I can still walk and not make suspicious rustling noises with every step.

So the sponges were a nice idea, but also just extra money, well invested in some company that would then just fleece the seas for me.

Let it go! – Free bleeding

A few days ago, on my child’s thirteenth birthday, a few guests were talking about a method that I had never heard of before: free bleeding. Again I was amazed, again I grimaced, again I researched my way through the Internet.

Long instructions praised ease of use, with a lot of patience and a good amount of free time. I don’t have either, but I still wanted to try it out. How convenient, I thought, that my days would not be long in coming.

So I should concentrate calmly on my body and its needs. I should feel inside myself, if my cervix will open or if my underpants and sheets are safe. I should also initially plan to go to the toilet twice an hour, with about ten minutes of sitting time. Ui, I thought. I am a working woman and not in the home office, but in a daycare center. Well, breathe in, breathe out, don’t stress. The first two days I’m bleeding into the weekend anyway.

Initially, I should plan to go to the toilet twice an hour, with about ten minutes of sitting time. Ui, I thought. I am a working woman and not in the home office, but in a daycare center. Well, breathe in, breathe out, don’t stress.
What can I say? The idea of ​​free bleeding is to allow the body to bleed whenever there is time and rest and to forbid it whenever the opposite is the case. So with me. I strictly forbade my body to bleed with my index finger out while I was standing at the checkout in the supermarket.

The idea of ​​free bleeding is to allow the body to bleed whenever there is time and peace and to forbid it when the opposite is the case.

This reminded me of the time when I wanted to go shopping with tiny breast pads and a milk leak threatened to catapult me ​​into orbit. It didn’t work, it just shot out of me. Breast pads offer enough funny anecdotes to fill entire articles with. In short, my period did what it wanted, my cervix laughed at me.

At home I sat on the loo instead, looked past my thighs into the bowl and squeezed, squeezed gently, as recommended, and massaged my abdominal wall. Nothing. The insert gave me a little later to understand who is the boss here. In any case, my mental abilities are not.

Well, it’s just not supposed to be. My body is impractical and apparently a bit knotted. Nobody said it was easy to menstruate – it is not for nothing that in some countries menstruating men get two days off a month from their employer: inside. Unfortunately we don’t seem to be there yet, but if this is ever an issue, I promise to start again with the training.