Just tried Lunette.....HELP!!

[Amy Lachney]

I just tried Lunette yesterday. I ordered a size 2 because I have had 2 kids in the past three years. That thing is HUGE! I put it in, several times, and I could totally feel it. It was very uncomfortable. I ended up  calling it quits and putting in a tampon for bed because I didn't think I'd be able to sleep with it in. When I put in my tampon, my vaginal wall felt VERY sore. :-( 

Is this normal? Is it something you just get used to? Or should I try to smaller size? 

Do you ALWAYS feel a Lunette since it is supposed to sit lower? It seems like it doesn't make sense to have it all low...the pictures on the website show it just sitting at the opening and that just looks awful to me...I need a pep talk. Or some advice, or something!

[TracyGladRags]

Can you describe what you mean by uncomfortable? Was it pressure? Pain? Where was the discomfort located -- near the labia, or internally? That might help me troubleshoot.

I'd say definitely avoid using internal options until you're feeling less sore! Sorry to hear that your first run with the cup was so unpleasant.  It definitely shouldn't be painful or extremely uncomfortable. Some slight discomfort while you get used to it is common, but it shouldn't be like what you're describing!

Menstrual cups shouldn't touch your cervix, but for many women they sit up higher rather than lower, and are much more comfortable if they're not down near the vaginal opening.

I'd give your cup one more try (maybe wait til next cycle). Try using a water-based lube (or even just some water) to help the cup slide in better. You might want to try inserting the cup deeper as well.

And just one caveat -- I'm not qualified to give medical advice, and if you are ever experiencing significant pain you should discontinue use of the item and seek medical attention!

[Amy Lachney]

It definitely was not "call your doctor!" type pain, more like....my hoo-ha was too narrow, so the rim of the cup expanding to its full size inside pushed onto the wall and caused soreness. Kind of like how you can be sore after you have sex for the first time in a long time. 

Overall, it just felt like it was much to wide to ever be comfortable. I didn't have any trouble getting it in, it just didn't feel good in the spot it wound up in. I like how tampons go up into a place where you don't feel them, and I don't think I could ever NOT feel something that sits right at the opening :-/ I tried a couple times to put it in as deep as I could, to that "magic" tampon spot, but it opened before I could push it much farther, and then it was hard to push up when it was opened all the way. 

I think I might try to order the size 1 next month and see if that works any better. 

[larablue]

Are you still nursing your little one? Sometimes nursing causes the walls of the vagina to dry out due to lack of estrogen.

This will be better, wenn your baby weans (it lessens usually as soon as you start to wean).

[LunetteCup]

Tracy gave you GREAT advice! It may also help to trim the stem on your cup too! There is a bit of a learning curve with the cup- but once you get the hang of it (as I'm sure other cup users will agree to) it becomes super quick and unnoticeable! 

Sending you some "relaxing vibes"-

CC

[Ola_]

One thing I've heard recommended is to run the cup under some warm (not too hot!) water first. It will warm and be a bit more squishy and not feel so strange in there. It could also be that you need the smaller size, I believe the Lunette is a fairly wide cup as far as cups go. There is a great menstrual cup support group on livejournal, they have side-by-side comparison pictures of many different cups and list their dimensions too, perhaps that can help you find a better fit?

I would recommend giving it a few more tries before giving up as it can be a learning curve for sure! The first 2 or 3 times I used my Diva cup it felt like it was pinching me every time I moved! We found our groove though. Also, make sure you're not putting it up too high like a tampon cause you can totally irritate your cervix, especially since it tends to sit lower during your period. I jabbed mine once when inserting my cup in the middle of the night and it gave me awful cramps and made me feel so nauseous I couldn't get back to sleep! Awful.

Another thing that I found through trial and error is that wiping right before inserting the cup makes things too dry down there for me to put it in easily (a gentle dab is okay). I need that extra moisture for it to slide into place well. Otherwise I have to do some kegels and wiggle around a bit to get things to flow down more so I can slide it in. Also when it's too dry not only is it uncomfortable for me but the darn cup tends to not sit properly and then I get leaking. So yeah, moisture. Sorry if that's TMI!