This One’s For the Ladies

Hey men. You’re welcome to read this post and, in fact, maybe you should (at least the struggle)! It may help you be more supportive of your female co-workers.  However, if you’re uncomfortable with talk of menstruation, you should probably read a different post.

Hey women. This post is for you! I’m going to share the best way I’ve found to practically manage having a period and being a teacher with limited access to a bathroom.  That being said, if you’re uncomfortable with open talk of menstruation, you should probably read a different post. 

Are you still reading? Great! Let’s start with why I’m writing this.

The Struggle is Real

Let me set the scene:  A first year teacher in a 100 year old building on the 3rd floor.  The bathroom is down three flights of stairs and shared with preschool through 6th grade students.  She teaches eight 50 minute blocks a day with 3 minute passing periods.  IF she attempts to make it to the bathroom during passing period she will pass every one of her students as they head up the stairs to her room.  She will leave 10-20 students completely unsupervised on the third floor of a building with no other adult around.  Not a great scenario.

Here’s another scenario: Teacher in a trailer satellite classroom. The bathroom is outside around the back of her room in another trailer portable building. There is no other adult in her room/building.  It’s 10* outside or pouring down rain.  You can’t exactly leave students waiting outside in those conditions.  Your choices are leave students unsupervised in your room or outside in the elements.  You also get to walk by all your students as your come and go to the bathroom which can just be a bit awkward (I know, I should get over that).

And finally: 20 minute lunch breaks.  I have 20 minutes from bell to bell.  Again, the bathroom is in another building, as is the cafeteria if I go inside to eat. That “commute” eats into my precious lunch time.

Time is a challenge as a teacher.  I always joke that it takes me awhile to get my “teacher bladder” back in August.  You know, only going to the bathroom at 7:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and 4 p.m.  When you have your period, sometimes you HAVE to go to the bathroom and the circumstances in which you find yourself aren’t conducive to that.  I don’t want to leave students unsupervised.  Hello liability! I also don’t want to carry tampons, pads, etc past students.  (Whoever decided women’s pants shouldn’t have usable pockets is an idiot.  That’s a post for a different day.)

My Solution

Two words: menstrual cup.  Yep, menstrual cups.  They are The Best in my opinion.  Don’t know what a menstrual cup is?  It’s a silicone cup you insert in your vagina that collects menstrual fluid during the day and is emptied at the end of the day or as needed.  I call it the crock pot of menstrual products.  I set it in the morning, forget about it all day, and clean it at night.  That’s it. 

I put my cup in at 6:30 in the morning, wear a cloth pad with it just in case (I also did this with tampons), don’t think about it all day, then take it out and empty it before I go to bed.  That’s right. During the day, I don’t even think about it.  No worrying about when I’ll be able to change my tampon or if my desk stash has run out.  No worrying about awkward encounters with students.  No risk of leaving students unattended to manage my period.  It’s fantastic.  

There are lots of different products on the market.  I have a Diva Cup and have been happy it it.  I’ve had the same one for years. Lena, Lunette, MeLuna are other popular brands.  They are all basically the same thing.  The differences come in the circumference, length, and tip style of the cup. Some are also softer or more flexible than others.  How do you know which one to buy? There’s a quiz for that! Seriously, there is! AND…..it’s available in SIX different languages! *Spanish teacher swoon* The good women over at Put a Cup in It have compiled a mountain of research and information about menstrual cups.  It’s a great place to start if you want to learn more.

The Benefits

There are so many benefits to menstrual cups. 

1. Convenience Like I said, I don’t think about my period anymore.  Teachers have enough on their minds.  We don’t need to worry about when we’re going to manage our periods. Outside of school it’s great too.  My husband and I went to Glacier National Park in Montana a few summers ago and of course my period started the first day.  Dealing with disposable menstrual products and not leaving any trash behind while hiking in the park isn’t the most fun.  With my cup, I put it in before we left for the day and was good to go all day!
2. Environmental Impact Stop and think about how much waste is generated with disposable products.  From packaging and wrappers to the products themselves, that’s a lot of plastic sitting around.  Then think of the carbon cost of shipping all those products to stores.  It adds up.  I’ve had the same cup for years and I also use cloth pads.  I generate zero trash with my period.  It feels good.  
3. Financial Benefits My Diva cup retails for around $25.  I’ve had it for years.  It has more than paid for itself compared to what I would have spent on tampons and disposable pads. I also use cloth pads. They are a bit more of an investment but will pay for themselves within the year. And, I prefer them to disposables.  I find them to be more comfortable and more effective than the disposable products I used in the past.  I love Glad Rags.
4. Shorter Periods You read that right. My period is shorter with a cup than with tampons.  I mentioned to my gynecologist that my periods seemed shorter since I started using a cup and she said they probably were.  The cup creates a tiny bit of a vacuum which helps to draw the menstrual fluid out faster. Score!

Questions…

1. Is it comfortable? Yes. If you can use tampons, you can use a cup.  I’ve also read lots of comments from women who found tampons uncomfortable or whose bodies didn’t react well to tampons who found success with cups.  When placed correctly, you can’t feel it.
2. Is it difficult to use? Honestly, there is a bit of a learning curve.  It took me 4-5 cycles to get really comfortable inserting and removing my cup. Now I have no problems and it’s just as easy as inserting a tampon. Pro-tips: When starting out, get totally naked and insert/remove it in the shower or bathtub.  When you’re first learning, you don’t need to stress about your shirt falling in the way or dropping it in the toilet or dripping menstrual fluid on your pants. Once you get the hang of it, none of this is an issue but starting out, it’s nice to not have to worry about. Also, to quote a helpful Amazon review I read, “Cut your damn fingernails.” VERY solid advice when you’re first learning.  Trust me.
3. Isn’t it gross? Not to me.  Everyone has their own level of comfort but it’s no big deal to me. One Amazon review said removing her cup looked like a “murder scene.” It doesn’t.  I was prepared for it to be gross and have fluid everywhere.  That never happened. It’s no worse than anything I experienced pre-cup.

No, I’m Not Getting Paid. Menstrual Cups Just Changed My Life!

Lastly, none of these links are affiliate links.  No one is paying me to write this.  I just love to preach about menstrual cups.  It has seriously changed my life and simplified my period.  As with anything pertaining to your body, you know you best.  Do what works for you.  Discuss changes with your doctor if you have unique menstrual health needs.  If you feel a cup would be a good option for you or you’re curious. Go for it! Find one that works for you.  You won’t be disappointed. Questions? Let me know! I’ll talk menstrual products all day long!