Please remember to wash your hands thoroughly before handling the Mooncup
The Mooncup should sit as low as is comfortably possible in the vagina. The correct position is illustrated in the Usage Guide (entitled ‘the Mooncup sits lower than a tampon’). The base of the Mooncup (or the stem if any is still attached) should sit just inside the vagina, about the depth of a whole finger nail. Vaginal length varies from woman to woman, so the stem is designed to be trimmed as required.
Find a time when you are not in a hurry, you have some privacy and will not be interrupted
- Stay relaxed. If you begin to feel tense your muscles will also become tense, so just wait until you feel more relaxed – there is no rush, many women take up to three periods to become confident about inserting a Mooncup
- For practice you may want to insert a clean finger into the vagina and feel how your vagina is angled, up/down and side to side and think about the angle you can then insert your Mooncup. You may want to try to find your cervix by inserting your finger deeper into the vagina, the cervix often feels like the tip of your nose! Some women have a longer vagina and may not be able to reach up to their cervix, don’t worry this is normal, we all have different length vaginas
- If your hymen is ‘intact’ and you have strong personal or cultural feelings about keeping it intact, we would not advise that you use any internal sanitary protection as, although you can use a Mooncup with an intact hymen, inserting it will stretch or tear it. This may cause a very small amount of bleeding, which you may notice if you are practising to insert your Mooncup for the first time when you are not on your period
- You can practice inserting your Mooncup before your period has started as the Mooncup does not absorb anything. If you decide this is a good time for you, you may choose to use some extra lubrication, warm water or water based lubricant. Remember to lubricate your vagina and not the Mooncup which would become very slippery!
- Some women prefer to try inserting their Mooncup on the lighter days of their period, when there is a smaller amount of menstrual blood
- If you feel yourself beginning to get tense, take some deep breaths and relax. There is research to show that if your jaw is relaxed then so is your vagina, so keeping your jaw relaxed throughout insertion can really help
- Many women find insertion easier after having a bath or shower
- Try different positions. Some women find squatting to be the easiest way of insertion. Bend your knees, squat right down to the floor and relax, or try sitting with your legs wide apart on the toilet, or standing with one leg up on a chair/toilet seat
- Experiment with different folding techniques (see below)
- The Mooncup should sit as low as is comfortable in the vagina and the stem trimmed gradually as you grow more confident with removal if it is causing any soreness or discomfort. The base of the Mooncup (or the stem if any is still attached) should sit just inside the vagina, about the depth of a whole finger nail.
Once the Mooncup is inserted it is important to have a seal between it and the vaginal wall. If this seal is not formed properly, your Mooncup may move around and cause leakage.
The following tips can help get a good seal:
- When you insert the Mooncup, tense around your Mooncup with your vaginal muscles a few times, this will encourage it to stay in place and to form a seal
- Alternatively, you could place the Mooncup higher than ideal, and bring it down whilst tensing your muscles again
- Run your finger around the rim when inserted; check that it’s fully open, that the rim sits well into the vaginal wall
- Another option is to try twisting the Mooncup a few times once you think you have the correct position
Has this information helped answer your Mooncup insertion questions? If not, or you would like clarification on any of the above recommendations, please contact us >>
