On one of the first Fridays after starting my internship, I was working at the GladRags HQ when I started my period.
It came as a surprise because I hadn’t had a period in about six months because of the birth control I was using. The timing could not have been better because I was able to choose from all of the GladRags my perfect reusable product (perks of being an intern).
My very first Moon Cup!
I decided on the Moon Cup. It took about twenty minutes of me in an awkward position on the toilet to get it right. The hardest part was keeping the cup folded long enough to have it sit high enough in me. It was a little frustrating in the beginning, but I reminded myself to just take a few breaths and relax and the process got a lot easier.
I left the bathroom with a strange feeling, and that feeling was nothing. I couldn’t feel the cup in me in the slightest, which was new for me because I always had issues with tampons.
It was like my first period all over again! I was so excited about being able to use the product for the first time. I texted my friends and my mom probably with way too much information. But I was feeling good. I was saving the environment. I was experiencing period positivity.
And then about two hours into it, the cramps set in and I was not-so-gently reminded of what it felt like to have a period.
But with the cup, having my period again just wasn’t that bad.
First, I had no leaks. I wore a GladRags pantyliner just in case, but even when I went on a big hike out to the beach and couldn’t get to a bathroom for about six hours, nothing ever left the cup.
Second, the whole process felt a lot cleaner than it did with tampons. Now I’m a little disgusted by tampons, thinking about what they do to my body and where they end up when I’m done with them.
The Moon Cup and I have been through three cycles now, and there have been no problems. I had to trim the stem because the cup doesn’t tend to fit high in me. I’ve told all my friends about it, and they’re excited to try the cup too. I’m positive that I will never go back to disposable products again.
I had a pretty great first experience with GladRags and the Moon Cup, but what about you? What was your first experience with reusable menstrual products like?
About the author of this post:
Bronte Dod is the summer intern at GladRags and attends Willamette University, studying politics, history, and women’s and gender studies. She is passionate about education, dance, and hiking with her dog.