I know there have been some other threads on this topic, but I haven’t seen one in a while so I thought I’d make a new one. I have a specific problem that I’m trying to troubleshoot, and maybe other people do too! So I made a new place for that.
My specific problem is this. I have been a menstrual cup user for 7 years maybe? I am 42 years old. So things are maybe starting to get a little wonky. And lately the last few cycles, my menstrual cup has gone from being sometimes uncomfortable to being sometimes debilitatingly painful. I almost cried trying to put it in and then almost immediately remove it today.
But if I do not wear it, then sometimes I bleed through my Thinx surprisingly quickly.
Target now has the cheap line of the super absorbency Thinx so I might just get some of those. Mine are all just regular. But I wanted to see if anyone has any other suggestions or insights. Have other people have their menstrual cup suddenly turn on them after several years together?
After babies I couldn’t use my cup anymore. Like you stated, extreme pain. I tried a bunch of brands and had the same problem with all of them and spent a fortune. Then I tried a disc and it was so much better!! This is the reusable one I ended up buying. It has a big one and a small one so you can use whichever one feels better for you. I’ve had these for over 2 years and switch them out based upon how heavy of a day it is.
Reusable Period Disc - Soft Period Disc for Women (Small/Large (Teal & Magenta)) Amazon.com
You can also try it out with disposable ones. I tried the disposable before buying the silicone one. The disposable one is a lot bigger but the cup part is thin plastic instead of silicone so it’s a little different. Softdisc Menstrual Discs | Disposable Period Discs | Tampon, Pad, and Cup Alternative | Capacity of 5 Super Tampons | HSA or FSA Eligible | 14 Count Amazon.com
I also just discovered that the marketing is correct and you can have mess free period sex with the disc in, as long as you clean it out right before you start! That was a pleasant surprise!
Period brand are cheap, thick/high absorbency, and have a larger area than Thinx. But, on the cotton ones I got, the stitching was awful and the waist elastic would rip off in places (Not all around). The polyester ones are fine except for being polyester (the pad/liner is still cotton). Also by virtue of being thick they feel a little classic maxi/diaper but I don’t mind on heavy days, it feels secure.
I’ve enjoyed using Bambody ones more lately, but I don’t think they are more absorbent than regular Thinx.
I went to Target and am feeling much better. I got some of the new $17 Thinx in super absorbency to try out and also some disposable SoftDiscs to try. My first impression of the disc is favorable and I no longer feel vaguely under siege (eg, worrying about bleeding through at Target).
I think I prefer period panties any time the flow is light enough that I don’t have to take off my pants in the middle of the day to change them
Related question: How much do people rinse their period underwear? All the way until the water runs clear, or more perfunctorily? I take more baths than showers so I can’t do the shower rinsing method and I find sink rinsing kinda onerous.
I rinse until water is clear or almost clear. It is onerous (although it takes max 2 mins). It’s easier than getting out smells once they have set, though.
I have on a few cycles had a bucket with water/detergent/vinegar and just threw things in to soak for an arbitrary duration on the order of a day. Maybe after a 10 sec rinse. It felt more gross to me to have It Sitting There and we don’t have a good place for a bucket except in the shower. So I went back to rinsing.
Generally until clear, but it’s just me here so I’ve also got a small bucket in the tub that I toss them into afterwards until I’m ready to do a load of laundry (generally once a week).
I have knix
Heavy duty dream short x 5
Bikini x 3
Thinx for all heavy x2?
The dream shorts are my best, but I sometimes need to change them every 2h. Which would be a pad per half hour. That is not great. Otherwise 2-3 times a day and then just morning and night.
The thinx for all are next, but still more leaks.
The bikini is for light.
When I’m going out I often do a reusable pad and then the underwear so I can do a quick change. If I’m out all day my system fails. I also sometimes do tampon plus undies. If I find the disposable discs anywhere I’ll try them to see if they are a good fit then look at reusables. At home if things are dire, you can shove a padfold or microfiber diaper insert (the black ones all have menstruation reviews) in your undies. Especially for sleep.
I don’t rinse. I used to rinse my reusable pads and actually found they ran more, unless I full on washed them. So I throw things in a wetbag till I need more. Then I do the machine washer with a dark towel. At the laundromat I used to make sure my darks were really dark and wash them together.
Hand washing in a sink sucks, but what I do is dump them in a plugged sink and while it fills scrub with soap. Then push down plungy rinse wash till the water is nasty. Then repeat. Then quit when they are 95% clean, and either throw them on the shower floor for a last rinse or hang dry. Then reuse. I do not miss being poor. I used to do that in reverse (shower stomp forever, wash my body over them, soap and rinse them again, but it actually was less effective. So was soaking. Even with old school cotton luna pads.
hello non mensturating humans who have regrets! Be glad I didn’t describe smells, stains or running, like anyone else who has been a period hippie for over 20 years Is familiar with.
Should also probably have added that I’m not prone to particularly heavy periods. I use bambody briefs and typically wear one pair in the morning and then another overnight…there might be one day I change in the middle of the day depending on what I’m doing, but it doesn’t tend to be a requirement.
This happened to me too. But I got a different brand and now it’s fine again. They don’t seem to be wildly different in shape or size, but bodies be weird.
Oh interesting! If I decide the disc is no good maybe I will try another brand, then. So far I like the disc a lot but I am worried about sneezing. I hear sometimes they dump themselves out into your underpants when you sneeze.
Oooh, maybe I will look at those dream shorts next time I am making a splurge. The boxer style ones from Thinx don’t come in their highest absorption. And word on the street is that periods get heavier into the mid and late 40s so going forward I don’t buy anything more in the “moderate” range!
The other problem I have with period panties is they take FOREVER to dry in my house. We are over 24 hours and they are still really wet. Ever since we got the heat pump water heater in the laundry room next to the drying rack, everything just takes longer. So I need the whole cycle worth, I can’t count on being able to wash and re-wear!
I sometimes use a fan to get clothes to try a bit faster.
I have been happy with my cheap reusable pads, but I cheat and put them through the dryer. I assume the undies are a lot more expensive and not worth the risk!
Oooh, I might have to try one that says it can go in the dryer.
But these new Target Thinx- I really like the cut of them. They are comfier than regular Thinx and are a better shape. The regular hi waist comes up too high but the high waist brief is under the belly button.
Psst I’ve thrown Thinx in the dryer by accident and they were also fine as far as I could tell. I’m sure it’s just a “wears out faster” issue on the leak proof layer…
hello non mensturating humans who have regrets! Be glad I didn’t describe smells, stains or running, like anyone else who has been a period hippie for over 20 years Is familiar with.