Disclosure: I received this product free for review. All opinions and lovely, TMI anecdotes remain my own!
If you want to find out how I would rate the Luv Ur Body Menstrual Cup compared to other cups on the market, this is not the review for you. If you want to know the truth about using a menstrual cup since you’ve always been curious but apprehensive, then you’re in the right place. If you’re my best friend’s Dad, whom I recently invited to check out my blog, then Chris— please choose a different post to read!
If you’re stalking my menstrual cycle, you’ll know that last month was my first period since getting pregnant with Cub. (That’s right, it took 21 months post partum to get back Aunt Flo!) That cycle was my first time using cloth menstrual pads, and I was a huge fan. For my next cycle, I promised to try my first menstrual cup, and, as luck would have it, The Luv Ur Body company offered to send me one to review. Although I can’t compare this cup to others since it’s the first one I’ve tried, I think that the most ringing endorsement I can give it is that as a complete Cup Neophyte, I had absolutely no issues figuring out how to use it, and there’s no doubt that I’ll use it again next month. If you still need convincing to jump on the Cup Train, I recommend this adorable video. It’s in French, but there are subtitles! (Plus, periods are so much prettier en français.) [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmJPm6zjouw?rel=0] If you too are a Cup Noob, you might be wondering how one goes about putting in a cup. I remember, as a teenager, studying the diagrams that came with my box of Tampax (and also panicking about the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome, which is non-existent when using a cup). I didn’t get the whole tampon insertion thing perfect right away, it took a bit of practice. The bright side of having to practice a bit with a cup is that if you put it in incorrectly, you don’t have to start with a whole new one like you usually do with tampons! You basically fold the cup in half before inserting it: 
The instructions in the box were easy to follow (although you might need a magnifying glass) and I was able to insert the cup without much trouble. The first couple of times I had a bit of leakage (luckily, I was wearing my awesome Oko liners as a back up), but on the second day, I got the hang of it and away we went! I completely forgot I was wearing it and didn’t really even think about having my period for the entire day. That, my friends, is awesome. So, let’s get down to the real fine details here. Firstly, I don’t know that I would’ve been able to use a menstrual cup prior to having my son. To be frank, it wasn’t until pregnancy and childbirth that I truly felt comfortable with my vagina and all of its lovely parts and processes. This is not the case for every woman, nor am I proud of my previous inhibition, but, while the suggestion of using my finger to get a feel for my cervix was just another day at the office this week, I don’t think I would’ve taken it so lightly in my pre-motherhood days. I think I would’ve just been like, “No… no thank you!” Perhaps I’d have eventually gotten up the courage to do it, but knowing no one in my entourage who used a cup I don’t think it would’ve even occurred to me to try. When properly inserted, you don’t really know it’s there. Inserting it is not all that different that inserting a tampon, especially if you have used tampons without an applicator. I confess that at first I was so curious about it that I removed it more often than necessary because I was so surprised to see no leaks and figured the cup must have been empty. It was never empty, and it was never gross, either, to dump it out. (Again, I am speaking from a post-childbirth head space… this may have been something that would have grossed me out as a teenager.) Now you don’t want to be taking your cup out every time you pee just for curiosity’s sake, especially if you’re not at home. Obviously there needs to be a bit more planning involved if you need to empty or adjust your cup in a public restroom where the bathroom stall and sink are separate. In theory, however, you can get 12 hours out of your cup, which, for most women working outside the home should mean they can remove it in the comfort of their own bathroom. Taking out the cup is the least pleasant part of the experience, as it is held in place with a bit of suction and the release of that suction (which you want, since it’s what prevents leaks) doesn’t feel that great. However, I found that the stem on the cup made it easy to remove the cup (the stem can actually be cut off if you find it uncomfortable, which I didn’t. I found the best routine for me was to insert the cup in the morning and remove it, empty it and rinse it that evening in the shower. The only reason I didn’t use the cup overnight was because I’m also testing some washable overnight menstrual pads! Since, as I mentioned in the beginning, this is my first cup, I can’t speak to how it performs compared to others. That will come in the future, though, since I have a Diva Cup to try and will be curious to get my hands on other brands that may have slightly different shapes or features. What sets apart the Luv Ur Body Cup is that it has textured designs along its exterior, which apparently provide the necessary friction to help the cup stay in place. 
I hemmed and hawed about sharing this tidbit of information about my Cup experience… but finally decided my willingness to overshare is part of my appeal, right? So… what happens when you poop? I discussed this with my Mom to make sure I wasn’t the only one… but generally if it was time drop a deuce I would also have to change my tampon since it never stayed in place. (Which helped prepare me for the fact that I was going to be pooping during birth…) So ya, the cup doesn’t stay put for me when I have to do a number two… I rinse it out and reinsert once things are done. This would be a bit tricky if I had the misfortune of having to poop in a public restroom with stalls (versus an individual washroom where the toilet and sink are in the same space). I haven’t quite figured out what I’d do in that case since I’d want to wash my hands at least before reinserting. Is there anything I’d change about this cup? Honestly, it drives me crazy when companies or musicians or advertisers purposely misspell words to be trendy. Don’t get me started on Kompanies that Kut out the “Cs” in words in favour of “Ks.” So do I luv the name “Luv Ur Body”? No. Do I have to wear a t-shirt emblazoned with their logo and name every time I have my period? No. So it’s not a big deal in the long run. (My Mom wants me to point out that her Diva Cup came with a little pin that she can wear on her lapel to announce her menstruation to the world, but she chooses not to.) The Luv Ur Body Menstrual Cup was designed by Nwadiuto Onuoha, a Nigerian law professional with ties to the United States and the UK, upon realizing that menstrual cups were not available in her country of origin. If you still want to learn more about menstrual cups before trying one yourself, I love this video by Kim from Dirty Diaper Laundry, who was recently recognized at a blogging conference as “that lady in the menstrual cup video.”
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