What I Learned About My Body By Switching to a Menstrual Cup – Cora

I better understand my flow.

Before using a menstrual cup, I changed my tampon every four to five hours during my period. Over the first few days—when I tend to bleed more heavily—I would check or swap it more often, mostly out of fear of leaking through my underwear. On the other hand, with a cup, you see exactly how much blood you are menstruating each day with since it pools inside. Of course, you have to be extra careful when you remove it, so you don’t cause a crime-scene-like mess in your restroom, but seeing it yourself gives a clearer picture into your flow. 

This was an interesting discovery for me since I bleed far less than what I thought I did. While my period is very regular—almost to the hour—I always assumed I was on the heavier side of menstruation, since I always soaked tampons. Now, I know I have a healthy amount, without overflowing. I don’t have any feminine health issues, and I’m not currently using birth control, but if I did, seeing my blood levels would be helpful information for my OB-GYN, according to reproductive endocrine specialist, Dr. Lucky Sekhon. 

“Menstrual cups can allow for more accurate measurement of how much a woman is menstruating. This might be important for women who suffer from heavy periods due to gynecological conditions such as fibroids, endometriosis, and so on,” she continues. “This information is important to track, particularly when initiating treatments, such as medical therapies like birth control, to decrease the amount of blood lost, and determine whether the treatment is effective.”