I have been using a Lena cup for 1 year now; and like all things there are pros and cons to it.
My favorite things about it are: not needing to buy or carry tampons with me, being more environmentally friendly and sustainable by having less to create and recycle (tampons, string, cardboard, boxes, transport to stores, etc.), not having to care or behave differently because someone's pipes might clog, not getting physically dry/more dehydrated from using a cotton wad, the ease of cleaning and reinserting it when I'm at home or in a 1 room restroom facility; and have time.
The things that are still cons about this (or all) menstrual cup(s) are: always feeling the need to wear a pad with it in case it leaks and for when it does, not being able to wear it out in public due to the difficulty of and inability to empty and reinsert it in a public restroom, port-a-potty, or outdoors hiking, while having completely sanitary hands and not making a mess on my clothes or the bathroom, the extra time and efforts it can sometimes take to reinsert (especially when my body feels achy, heavy, or just plain crappy and doesn’t want to be touched or meddled with at all).
Overall, the device works as advertised. It holds an amount of menstrualness for a period of time and it’s easy to clean each day and sanitize after your menses ends. Mine is still a clear color after a year and proper cleaning (use cold water first, then warm if you will reinsert. I boil it after each menses cycle as directed). It’s flexible and firm, and once I got the hang of it, it became easier to insert and take out. I am comfortable using the Lena cup now; and it can still be a bit time consuming. Tampons are definitely quicker, easier, and more convenient (especially depending on the type of employment you have), but the Lena cup can be quick, is not always time consuming, is reusable pretty much indefinitely, and is reasonably priced at $20-25. When I first began using Lena cup it was a nightmare. After 5-6 cycles of practice with it, I adjusted and learned how to make it work for me. Now it is another option and tool in my menstrual journey. My secret to preventing it from leaking is to literally maneuver the cup around the tip of my cervix/put my cervix tip inside the cup. This ensures it won’t leak until the cup is full; and it gives me peace of mind to operate/exercise “normally”. I still have a full bloated feeling as the cup fills up, same as I did with tampon use. I still have cramps like I did when using tampons and the severity still depends on the cycle, my stress level, etc. (the cramps do seem less while the cup is first in and has not filled up all the way). Honestly, I usually can’t feel the cup fill up, so will only know it’s full when it starts overflowing onto the pad. The customer service at Lena was good. I received responses and a follow-up to my email inquiries and challenges with the cup in the beginning. They were kind and respectful people; though at the time, I wished I could have spoken to someone on the phone for help. There is only email support with Lena.
A resource I appreciated and learned much from prior to purchasing my Lena cup (which BTW is my first and only cup) was: putacupinit.com. I am a 5’2” tall woman in her late 30s with a petite athletic build. I hope my experience and explanation are helpful to you on your journey. All the best.
~ In Peace and Joy ~
