My Advice on Returning to a Menstrual Cup after Pregnancy

I’m telling you after I had my son, my lady bits were completely foreign. It was like I didn’t even know my body anymore. Things just didn’t feel the same – I mean – how could they. I had just pushed a watermelon through it. It took many months for me to finally feel like I wasn’t going to pee myself when I sneezed or worse. I know you other moms know what I’m talking about….I hope.

 

Luckily for me, I didn’t have to worry about my menstrual cycle for nearly a year after I’d given birth due to the wonderful effects of breastfeeding. Of course, when it finally decided to start its reunion tour, I wasn’t nearly as prepared as I thought I’d be. I did what all of us do when it comes, I groaned, begrudgingly, and reached for my Diva Cup. But there was a problem. It would NOT go in. And when I tried, it had felt like I was giving birth again. Ok, maybe not that painful and dramatic but it wasn’t too comfortable.

 

I realized I was going to have to teach myself how to use one all over again. And boy was I frustrated. At least I had gotten myself familiar and used to using cloth pads since that was my go-to right after having Ollie. I wasn’t about to use diapers or the world’s largest disposable pad. Cloth pads worked great and were much more comfortable.

 

I struggled for months trying to teach myself how to use a cup again but finally got it figured out. I thought I’d put together a little “How-To” so you don’t experience the same frustration as I did.

 

Don’t Panic

The most important step. Of course, I’m probably a little overdramatic about these sorts of things. Your Hoo-Ha is VERY different from its original state. And by different I primarily mean tight. Birth has this effect on the vagina in weird ways one of them being that your elasticity may be utterly (isn’t that punny?!) different. Mine was. The process of using a cup again may take some time and that’s ok.

Don’t Rush Things

Seriously, take your time. Practice a little bit each cycle or even just wear it for 1 day and then fall back to cloth pads. Don’t overdo it. The elasticity will come back. At the very beginning, “down there” was like Fort Knox. I’m sure you read about vaginal elasticity when you were preparing for your first baby so I’d recommend doing those same exercises. It’s super important.

Don’t Buy a “Post-Birth” Cup Just Yet

I know some companies suggest getting another cup if you’ve had a baby but to be honest, that’s not always true. I didn’t have to buy the “size 2” and am still able to wear the pre-birth cup. Just give your old one a good try before you shell out another $30. But it’s ok if you need to get another size because again, all of our vaginas are different.

Don’t Give Up

You will get it, I promise. It may take 1 month or 6 months but I assure you will get back into your regular menstrual cup routine very soon. Be open to try new folds and make sure you are relaxed.

My experience may be very different than yours. I just wanted to write this in case there were any of you who did have the same panic attack I did when I tried to get into my cup routine again. Be gentle with yourself. <3

For a more detailed post on how to use a Menstrual Cup, check out my post 5 Reasons to Switch to a Menstrual Cup.

13 thoughts on “My Advice on Returning to a Menstrual Cup after Pregnancy”

  1. Thanks for sharing your story. It will help not feeling alone when my period decide to came back and i will have to return to use the menstrual cup. 🙂

    Reply

    • Good luck! Just be gentle and patient with yourself – postpartum hormones are the worst when it comes to us being overly critical of ourselves. 🙂

      Reply

  2. Thanks for writing this. I’ve struggled to use my Diva cup post-baby. I haven’t been very patient but they are so great to use, I’m encouraged to try again.

    Reply

    • Good luck, Anne! I think it was more difficult to use the cup after having a baby than when I first learned to use one, honestly.

      Reply

  4. Beautiful article and wonderful message! Thank you for your honesty. I love using the menstrual cup! It is so liberating! I think it is so important to share the message as often as we can in a positive and approachable way. Thank you for getting the message out there. Looking forward to reading more on your lovely blog! Love, Ina <3

    Reply

    • Thank you so much, Ina! You are so very kind! I will forever try to normalize cups – I just love them. But I understand that they are not for everyone and that’s perfectly fine, too. 🙂

      Reply

  5. Thank you for this article. I am 11 months postpartum and just got my first cycle. I was nearly in tears fumbling with my previously (pre-baby) perfect menstrual cup, and was about to give up and return to icky pads/tampons. Even though there is plenty of information in the mommy forums, this article really gave me the reassurance I needed. Thank you!

    Reply

  6. Thank you for writing this! This was the most helpful read in my search. I have the added issue of having had an unplanned vacuum extraction after 6 hours of pushing. I can’t find anything on this specific topic besides websites on what it is (my baby and I already lived it, don’t want to read about the horrors). I will keep trying to use my cup (and/or the new one I bought that doesn’t fit either) and keep using pads til then. Thanks for the encouragement!

    Reply

  7. My period came back 15.5 months post baby. My experience is the complete opposite! My cup is so uncomfortable and I’m completely discouraged bc it feels like it’s falling out.

    Reply

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