Which size of menstrual cup will be fit for you?
While each brand of menstrual cup may differ slightly when it comes to sizing your menstrual cup, there are some factors to consider:
1. Age
2. Have you had a vaginal birth
3. Cervix location
As we age, and after having a baby, our pelvic floor tone becomes weaker. If you have not had a baby but are over the age of 30, it is still recommended that you purchase the larger size menstrual cup.
This is due to the fact that as we age, our hips widen and our pelvic floor muscles begin to lose their elasticity. Since it is our pelvic muscles that hold the menstrual cup in position, you don’t want to use the smaller one, and then risk having it leak!
A. If you are over the age of 30 and have had a vaginal birth, go for elacup Large
B. If you are under 30 and have not had a vaginal birth, you will usually select the elacup small.
C. If you are under 30 years of age and have had a c-section, consider the smaller size cup.
D. If you are over 30 years of age and have had a c-section, consider the larger cup.
Occasionally, you may need to consider other factors before determining your correct cup size.
These include:
How strong is your pelvic floor muscles?
Perhaps you are one of those very dedicated women who heeded the advice of your care giver to ‘regularly do your kegel exercises’!
If so, or if you regularly undertake Yoga or Pilates routines, you may have developed particularly strong pelvic floor muscles.
In this case, many menstrual cup manufacturers will recommend you select the smaller size cup – regardless of whether you have delivered vaginally or not.
Where your cervix is located
Before using a menstrual cup, we recommend you check the position of your cervix.
Use a very basic knuckle method. After washing your hands, simply insert your finger into your vagina.
Depending on the height of your cervix, you may or may not need to use your longest finger to locate it. If your cervix is higher, squatting can help you find it.If you have a low cervix (short vaginal canal), then you may find that the smaller cup model provides a better fit. Conversely, if you have a high cervix (long vaginal canal), then you will most likely find the larger model more suitable.
Are you a virgin or teenager?
Most brands will recommend the smaller size menstrual cup for virgins or younger menstruating women.
This is due to having tighter vaginal and pelvic floor muscles. The smaller cup is also better for young women wanting to reduce the risk of breaking their hymen.
In this instance, it is worth mentioning that the hymen can also sometimes be broken while participating in various forms of sport such as cycling etc, when using tampons, and in some instances a woman may in fact be born without a one.
Flow
While even the small size menstrual cups will usually hold a substantial amount of menstrual fluid, women with exceptionally high period flows, may wish to use the larger cup.
So, if you are under 30 years of age, have not had a vaginal birth, but do have a very high level of menstrual flow you may wish to select a larger model cup.
