Blossom Menstrual Cup (Large, Blue)

Excellent quality product. This is my second time ordering from BlossomCup. My first cup lasted, and was easy to use and clean. The delivery was fast and easy. It also saved me a lot of money on menstruation products. Would recommend this company!

Insertion, Removal, Cleaning Instructions below... and 2 year update!I have menorrhagia (abnormally heavy flows). I have heavy 7-day cycles. I've always used the thickest, longest pads available and super size tampons. My sister told me about the menstrual cup and I thought it sounded gross. But I finally got tired of my panties and bedsheets looking like murder scenes because of leakage, (and really, how sanitary is it to sit in a bloody pad?).I've totally converted. Menstrual cups are freedom!! You insert it and forget about it for 8-12 hours. You can sleep without any leaks at all!! How amazing is that?? You can shower, swim, and exercise with them inserted.If you have menorrhagia or a very heavy bleeder-- as in, you must take iron supplements during periods to prevent anemia-- you may have to empty your cup every 4 hours on your heaviest days. **This does not apply to most people. Most people only have full cups after 8 hours.** On my light flow days, I only have to change every 8-10 hours. I keep a small pad on just in case. When my cup gets full it will spot on my pad (not gush or anything). Still, I have such peace of mind during daily activities and sleeping at night. No leaks, no ruined panties!! I wish I'd switched over to the cup years ago.I bought the Blossom cup because it was less expensive and less harder than the Diva. I'd read the harder the cup walls, the harder it is to insert but the easier it is to get suction. I'm very pleased with Blossom. The construction is great-- durable medical-grade silicone. It should last me for years. There are grips on the outside of the cup rim and stem so it won't slip when wet. The inside has measurement lines: 75 mL until full, then 15 mL until full.Insertion much easier than I thought. It pops open easily so you have to apply pressure when folding. I guess I use the C fold, holding it closed at the top rim so it won't pop open, and insert into the vagina. Yes, insertion requires you putting 2 fingers inside your vagina. The vagina stretches, and blood washes off. It's your body; don't be afraid of it. You'll be fine. If you've used tampons, it'll probably be easier for you. If not, you can practice inserting the cup into an upside down champagne or wine glass if it makes you feel more prepared.INSERTION:For me, the best way to insert is when sitting on the TOILET with one foot propped up on a kids' footstool or squatty potty (also a gamechanger). Insert the cup NOT upwards, but **toward your spine.** This works best because the vagina is not anatomically straight up but tilted. Once inserted, use your forefinger to feel around the cup rim to make sure it's open. If it doesn't get suction, twist it a bit until it pops open. Pull on the stem to see if it holds. If the cup doesn't move, you're good to go. I rarely hear an audible pop sound when inserting but the cup finds suction much more easily than I thought it would. Just tug on the stem and if the cup stays in place, it will hold. The cup sits lower than a tampon and the stem/tip is mostly outside the vagina. I doubted the cup sometimes but this is a surprisingly easy insertion method and worked great for me. It's also comfortable.Learn how to insert the cup while on the toilet so you can empty your cup in public restrooms as needed. Prop a foot up on the stall's trashcan, stand up and put one foot on the toilet, or just learn to do it, regardless. If I can do it, you can too, I promise!REMOVAL:Relax; the cup will not "get lost" in the vagina. To remove, put your thumb and forefinger into your vagina around the cup. Press in the cup wall with your thumb, which will break your suction. Then remove. Easy.I didn't cut the tip/stem off my cup because it helps me grab it securely when removing it. The cup is otherwise wet and a little slippery. Just dump the cup in the toilet, clean the outside if desired, refold and reinsert. You don't even have to look at the contents-- just dump and reinsert.I keep baby wipes in my purse and recommend doing that all the time but obviously especially when you're on your period to take care of those dirty fingers until you can get to the sink.I'm prone to yeast infections so before using the cup I put my cup in boiling water for 5 minutes. This will weaken the walls over time, but I've not had any leaks or cracks or problems.I remove my cup before pooping so I can poop with peace of mind. But you can certainly leave it in and see if suction holds for you.I'm so glad I switched. Periods are a breeze now, not a nightmare!!! For heavy bleeders who want to skip the bloody mess, this is for you!!**2 year update** I've been using my menstrual cup now for almost 2 years. The stem eventually did break off after a year or so, but the cup still works fine... I just make sure the cup has fully opened inside my vagina... if it has, then I know it has suction. Since it's been so long, it's probably time for a new one. I'll be buying a replacement soon.

It's amazing😊

I bought this because I'm so tired of using tampons. With my heavy flow, I had to change my tampons every 2.5 hours (thank goodness my body wakes me up at night), and there was always leakage. It was awful. I tried out the blossom cup this period cycle -- I've never tried any other brand - I chose this because it was cheap and I wanted to see what would happen. I ordered the large because I have a heavy flow... initially I thought I messed up because I struggled to get it in, and I thought it was because I was using a large. But really, the difference between the large and small isn't the opening, but how a heavy your flow is. So, if you have a heavy flow, you need to get a large, and if you have light flow all the time, you should get a small.Okay. So the first few times, I REALLY struggled to get the blossom in. I wet it like they told me to, I folded it into the little C like they told me to, and I tried, but just like when I first learned to use tampons so many moons ago, I struggled. But I kept trying. It wasn't the most comfortable the first couple times I got it in there, so I watched some reviews for pointers. I found that snipping off the little tail end of it makes it much more comfortable to wear; it only goes so far in, and the tail DOES NOT need to be sticking out. To remove the blossom, you're supposed to pinch it and lightly pull, making that tail thingy obsolete. So I snipped it, and it felt so much better. But anyway, it was difficult to put in the first couple times, and I have noticed for me that I cannot get it in if I'm on a time crunch. So, if I'm running late in the mornings, when I go to put it in, I just struggle too much and end up grabbing a tampon. But, if I am relaxed and at my leisure, I can get the blossom in no problem the first time, almost every single time. And I do really like it. With my heavy flow, I can keep this in 4 to 5 hours without any leakage, unlike the tampons that only lasted 2.5 hours. I still always wear a pad, because I know that there's a potential for leakage no matter what I'm using, but overall, the blossom has been really nice, because it's reusable and I'm not overfilling landfills or spending a ton of money on tampons anymore.I'm still really new to the blossom cup, but I have found that on my heaviest days, this slides in much easier than on my less heavy days. Definitely wet it down before insertion, and I suggest that you put it in when in a private bathroom... If you have to change this in a public restroom, things can get really dicey. If you end up ABSOLUTELY NEEDING to empty and reinsert in a public restroom, take a bottle of water with you to rinse it and your hands... you won't be able to walk out to the faucets to do this, so bottled water is a godsend. And I know this is kind of bad, but try to get the handicapped stall. The other stalls are really small, and trying to insert in a tiny stall is difficult. Also, I have found that when you pull out the blossom, there will probably be some tiny spilling onto the floor... what I literally do is take off my pants, socks, and my shoes so that I don't get blood on anything (spilled on my pants day one and never kept them on after that). The space in the handicapped stall really helps with removing clothes, removing and reinserting, and getting everything cleaned up again quickly. But of course, if you can do this in a private bathroom, all the better, and doing it in the shower is the best option, at least in the mornings.Overall, my advice is to stick with it, keep a pad on, and keep some tampons with you just in case (if you can't get it back in when you're out and about, you'll want a backup tampon). Once you get the hang of this, you'll never want to go back.

Background:I'm a smallish female that has pretty normal flow periods, except for my 2nd day is usually the heaviest. I only had to change out tampons once every six hours or so for the most part. I'm on birth control to regulate my hormones, PMS, cramping, etc. because if I didn't I'd be a complete emotional monster. Moving on...First Impression:Holy crap, how does this thing fit inside? It's smaller than the diva cup (Maybe) very flexible, I like the blue color. There are holes at the very top underneath the lip, but i'm pretty sure that's for help with suction and when taking it out, releasing the seal as well. I thought I would fill the whole cup in like 5 hours or so thinking, you know when you pull out a tampon that's FULLY used and think "wow, I bleed so much!". That's only from the expansion of the cotton, you don't actually bleed buckets a day! hahaha. So i'm very skeptical but am keeping strong for the health of my body, lower maintenance, the environment, and the ever encouraging reviews I read for 3 days before finally deciding to buy this thing.Test Run:The packaging and some people say not to test it when you're dry (aka not bleeding), but I'm kind of grossed out by all that stuff about touching even my own menstrual blood and mucus, all that nastiness. So nope, I did this on a dry run. They say it's better to use a water based lube ( the cup can only handle water based) or just rinse it without drying it. I tried the C Fold and tried to put it in. My fear was like the first time of putting in a tampon, I ended up freaking out a little. C fold doesn't work let me tell you. It's a nightmare trying to use and get in there with peace of mind. I looked up a famous youtuber who's an expert on this subject of menstrual cups and what not, so I used the punch down fold. That worked. It went in with some difficulty, but it takes practice and patience. It's interesting to learn about your body down there and which way it naturally tilts to. Don't be scared, just breathe, relax, bear down with your muscles while you push against it, so when it's in and high enough, your muscles will relax and naturally go back up where they were, bringing the cup with it.Real Test:Using the punch down fold is my favorite and I was so grossed out to do this while on my cycle, but I sucked it up. For the environment! For my Septic tank! For my wallet! (yes I found out you don't actually flush tampons, you're supposed to throw them away, which to me is gross to deal with and feel bad for the person taking care of the trash in public restrooms). It went in swell because of the natural lubrication of the mucusy membrane inside. I used a liner, just in case, anything horrible were to happen or that I actually bleed as much as I thought I did. It was my second day and had to go to work. I had backup tampons in my purse I knew I could rely on for a quick change if needed. I put it in, in the morning and... felt normal. Like nothing. Walking around like nothing was going on with my body at all! There was some spotting, but don't worry, you're body naturally takes care of it and positions the cup where it needs to be once you start moving around. ( I usually like to squat after inserting to know that my body will naturally position it higher where the cervix is) But you'll get used to putting it in! Practice makes perfect after all. No spotting all day. I took it out on my heavy day and after having it in for around 12 hours it was quite full, but not as full as I thought it'd be. I even used it at night, on the night I KNOW I need something for bleeding while sleeping, since I end up with quite a lot while I sleep. Nothing. I woke up a couple times worrying about maybe changing it, but I think that's old habit from the tampons.Conclusion:I LOVE THIS THING. It's amazing, it's a life changer, it's everything everyone says it is. It's basically a Disney happily ever after ending for your cervix and cycle. Go for it, buy this it's amazing. I bought this one instead of the Diva cup knowing it's more flexible and therefore, easier to insert. I bought the small and it's perfect. You're saving your health, the environment, and septic/sewer systems all across the world. One less waste. No more worrying about changing tampons every 4-5 hrs or TSS or Monsanto chemicals used on the cotton harming your body.You can do it!! :)

Okay, I am going to get into the nitty-gritty with this review. If you get grossed out easily, then turn back. You shouldn't even be looking at this product if you are easily grossed out.FYI, I am currently on my second period with the cup.I remember when period cups were in the back of magazines back in the '90's. I noticed them on the shelf at Walmart recently and thought, "Wow. Really?" And then I read an article about them. You know...one of those articles that is really an advertisement disguised as some young woman's real experience. But what I read in the article interested me enough to read some reviews at Amazon and I ended up buying this one.The first and most important thing that you should know about these cups - and this will obviously apply to all brands - is that there is definitely mess involved. The thing that I like most about tampons is that they keep the mess up inside my body until I want to take it out and dispose of it. Well, I guess that applies to the cup, but taking it out is not as clean as removing a tampon. The vagina produces lubricant to help clean your period blood out of your body. This lubricant is produced throughout the vaginal canal...so that means anything that is produced below the cup is not being trapped. It isn't enough to get on my underwear, but when it is time to retrieve the cup you will at least end up with some of this lubricant on your fingers.Removing the cup itself is not a clean process. When I remove the cup a long string of blood and lubricant is attached to the cup. So, blood is going to get on the outside of your body and possibly your fingers. The bathrooms in my house are tiny, so I can reach the sink while sitting on the toilet and clean the cup and my hands. However, I am currently visiting my mother. I have to shuffle over to the sink with my pants down around my ankles and my thighs pressed tight while I worry about dripping blood on her rugs or my clothing. So far nothing has ever dripped out and I am beginning to think that that will never happen, but I can't be sure.Once the cup is cleaned my fingers get messy with lubricant and blood again when I reinsert the cup. So, that is two hand washings every time I change the cup. This might be an issue for someone who struggles with dry skin.I am currently a stay at home mom, so I feel like I can deal with this mess just fine. I have only emptied the cup once in a public restroom and I made sure it was the type of restroom that only had one toilet and a sink rather than stalls. I read somewhere - maybe in the description of this product - that if you are in a stall you can just empty the cup and reinsert it. Which sounds fine as far as the cup goes, but what about the mess on your hand? And, if you can't clean the cup then there is going to be even more of a mess when you reinsert it. I am sure that all of this can be cleaned well enough with toilet paper and you can wash your hands when you get out of the stall. As long as you are careful, there probably isn't much chance that anything will get on your clothes. However, I if I had to use stalled restrooms on a regular basis I probably would not want to use the cup. So far, I have never come close to filling the cup up. So, it is likely that if I were working an 8 hour shift I could insert the cup before work and not have to take it out until after I got home from work. If the same applies to you, that might take care of the restroom stall problem.There is also the issue of dragging my pants around my ankles when I go to the sink - this is obviously not acceptable in a public restroom. And I can't think of a way around it. You could wipe yourself up and pull your pants up before you go to the sink...but where do you put the icky cup while you do that? And if you wipe up before you reinsert the cup then you will clean away some of the lubricant that makes it easier to reinsert the cup.My first period with the cup felt like one long learning curve. The first thing that I learned is that fingernails are a real issue - and my nails aren't long at all. I am not sure how this would work if you have long/fake nails. You have to be very careful so that you do not accidentally pinch the inside of your vagina with your nails.The only other concern that I have is that I can see a few small lines in the cup. I have pulled on them and they do not appear to be cracks...at least not surface cracks. However, if the cup cracks I will have to throw it away since cracks would harbor germs. If this happens I will add an update to this review.