Let’s talk about your menstrual health!

The menstrual cycle/monthly period is such an important aspect of every woman’s life. Let’s face it, menstruation is a pain, period! Which makes it crucial for you to find convenient ways to manage your menstrual flow and hygiene so that it does not interrupt your daily life. Ultimately, when it comes down to dealing with the monthly visitor, it is best to ensure that the choices you make do not leave you financially strained, vulnerable to health hazards or in embarrassing situations that make you feel less confident about yourself and body. If you're looking for a safe, comfortable and affordable alternative, you should be thinking about Luv Ur Body Menstrual Cups!

From pads to tampons, finding the right medium to manage your periods can be such a hassle. Health, finances and various other factors largely influence the choices we make as women when it comes to managing menstrual health and you might want to consider a lifestyle change to the more convenient alternative such as the Luv Ur Body Menstrual cup. Menstrual cups in comparison to pads and tampons present a safer, long lasting, cost and environmentally friendly alternative to managing your periods.

What is a Menstrual Cup?

Not sure what they are? Menstrual cups are an alternative to pads and tampons for menstruation. Unlike the usual pads, tampons or panty liners, the Menstrual cup collects the menstrual flow inside the vagina rather than absorbing it, which allows you the chance of re-using it once you empty or flush away the content(s) and clean the cup by rinsing it with water. I am sure you are thinking to yourself, ‘Why would I ever use a menstrual cup?’ Stay with me here and let me introduce you to Luv Ur Body Menstrual Cups. Truth is, the Luv Ur Body Menstrual cup is a surprisingly awesome alternative that is reusable and cost effective with an ideal life span of about 3 years. Luv Ur Body Menstrual Cups are 100% biocompatible and hypoallergenic because they are made of Class VI medical grade silicone approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) of the USA. They are also the first and only menstrual cup approved in Nigeria by National Agency For Food & Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation Of Nigeria (SON). The NAFDAC number is 03-2616 and the SON number is BA00768. Medical grade silicone is the same silicone used to make most medical devices that are FDA approved and implantable in the human body for decades such as artificial hearts, artificial knee and hip joints, all medical tubings and drains, heart pacemakers, condoms, sex toys, respiratory masks, scar treatment sheets and catheters to name a few. Medical grade silicone is non-porous which means the surface cannot harbor bacteria or residue. S‎o once you buy one Luv Ur Body menstrual cup, you will never need to buy another pad or tampon ever again in your life.

Once you get the hang of it, Luv Ur Body Menstrual cups are super comfortable and can be used for up to 12 hours and hold three (3) times the volume of pads and tampons. You cannot feel it inside you just the same way a tampon cannot be felt if correctly inserted. There is no pain or discomfort and it will not widen the vagina because the vagina is a muscle and can expand to accommodate anything inserted into it up to the size of a baby's head or a man’s sexual organ, which are both much larger than a Luv Ur Body Menstrual cup. This means less money and waste over time as they can hold three times the volume of pads and tampons. Luv Ur Body Menstrual cups are also great for exercising, long journeys or long work days (so that you don’t have to “change” on the way or while at work) and for other rigorous activities. What's more? They can also be used to swim! Yes, you read that right. Swimming or maintaining an active lifestyle is very comfortable with a cup. It will not soak up and draw in the dirty chlorine filled water into your vagina the way the tampon does. A Menstrual Cup will keep the water out.

Luv Ur Body Menstrual cups are incredibly safe, contain no toxins or bleaches, chemicals or carcinogenic materials frequently found in pads and tampons that can cause a lot of health risks inside the vagina. Bleach is used during production to make pads and tampons extreme white. Carcinogens are defined as any substance that is capable of causing cancer in humans or living tissue. Some of the ones found in these pads and tampons include Styrene (used to make car tyres), Chloromethane (used in petroleum refining), Acetone (used to make nail polish remover, Chloroethane (used to make styroform) and pesticide and fertilizer residue. These last 2 stem from the fact that some of the materials used to make them are plant based/crops such as cotton. Synthetic materials such as Rayon is also frequently used to make tampons and pads. In fact, medical experts rate Menstrual Cups safer than a tampon as there is a lower risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) or bacterial infections when you use a Luv Ur Body menstrual cup because they do not absorb. TSS is caused by many factors one of which is the absorptive capacity of tampons. As regards personal hygiene, the cups are airtight and it's "leak proof suction‎" provides a fit that prevents leakage, odour and dampness. We are frequently asked if the Luv Ur Body Menstrual Cup needs to be removed in order to urinate. You do not need to take a menstrual cup out when urinating because urine does not exit the body from the vaginal opening. Urine exits from a very tiny opening or a different opening called the Urethra. The Urethra is under your clitoris. The vaginal opening is for menstruation, sex and giving birth. Ensure you do not buy menstrual cups in Nigeria not approved by the 3 regulators mentioned here (NAFDAC, SON & FDA) because you could be buying China made plastic which can harm your vaginal area.

How to use a Luv Ur Body Menstrual Cup?

Follow these simple steps for inserting and removing the Luv Ur Body menstrual cup easily and comfortably.
 

To insert the Menstrual cup
1. First wash your hands thoroughly then fold the Luv Ur Body Menstrual cup into a C or U shape, holding it firmly in that shape.

2. Gently insert the folded cup into your vagina, with the rounded bottom of the “U” pointing towards the anal opening, sliding it in gently, aiming horizontally towards your tailbone instead of straight up as you would insert a tampon.

3. Continue to gently push it in all the way until the cup has reached your cervix, then allow it to pop open inside you. There is a chance that you may feel a slight suction as it unfolds.

4. Check that the menstrual cup has been inserted properly by inserting your forefinger to feel that the cup rim is rounded out and open and feels similar to a balloon. If it has not popped open your forefinger will feel a dent along the rim, to correct this, the cup needs to suck in some air, so gently pull the cup out slightly and slowly turn 360 degrees for a slight adjustment, then push it back in fully. The air it sucks in during this adjustment will help it pop open fully.

Watch this video on how to use and care for a Luv Ur Body Menstrual Cup HERE 

To Remove the cup

5. Again, wash hands thoroughly then squeeze slightly on the base of the cup. This will break the leak proof suction that was necessary to trap the fluid. The cup will release its grip once seal is broken when the base is squeezed. Do not squeeze to hard so as not to cause contents to spill out.
6. Grip the base or the stem of the cup and gently pull downward and out of the vagina.
7. Deposit the contents in the toilet and simply flush away.
8. Rinse the cup thoroughly with warm water. Re-insert and re-use if your period is still on.

How To Sterilize/Disinfect & Store the Menstrual Cup

The best way we recommend to sterilize our cups is to simply soak the Luv Ur Body menstrual cup in 3 cups of cold water and one Milton tablet. Milton is used to sterilize baby feeding bottles and vegetables. It does not need to be rinsed off the cup. Milton is found in most stores globally because it is used for babies. As a last resort, in the absence of Milton, boil a small kettle or pot of water, after it starts to boil, put in the menstrual cup and allow it to boil for 10 mins. Take it out and let it cool. Store it away till next month in the free storage pouch it comes with. If you purchase a clear colored cup and blood stains discolor it, soak overnight in Milton to brighten it again. Blood tends to stain the clear cups because blood hemoglobin is a protein and thus a very strong dye.

Choose your size

Always choose a menstrual cup size in accordance with how heavy your flow is.

• Large Size - Heavy to very heavy flow (women who change pads/tampons every 1- 4hrs).
• Medium Size - Moderate to heavy flow or women who have high or low cervix issues during menstruation.
• Small Size - Light flow and for Teenagers.

See the Size Guide below;Want to get a Luv Ur Body Menstrual Cup?

Menstrual cups are the modern alternative owing to the fact that they are environmentally conscious and super healthy. They are the future of feminine hygiene. Switching from any menstrual product to the Luv Ur Body Menstrual Cup is more convenient and safer than you think. You have tried tampons and pads, and maybe you’ve heard about menstrual cups but always wondered where you can get one? If you’re looking to make that switch your body will thank you for, check out Luv Ur Body Menstrual Cups and say Goodbye to Pads and tampons forever! The Luv Ur Body brand of menstrual cups are economical, healthy and reliable. They come in three sizes per menstrual flow intensity (Small, Medium & Large) and various colours, so you can choose the one  that’s perfect for you paired with a pouch to help keep your privacy!

Still not convinced about using a Luv Ur Body Menstrual cup to manage your menstrual hygiene needs? How does using a cotton vagina plug (i.e Tampon) or adult diaper (i.e Sanitary pad) that you have to frequently look over your shoulder when you get up to ‎check if your skirt is stained sound? If you have extremely heavy flow, do you not want to try a better solution that can handle 3 times what a pad/tampon can? Are you not tired of having to burn your pads every month to dispose of them? As is sometimes the morbid story in Nigeria, are you not tired of being fearful that someone can pick your used bloody pads from the dustbins and use for illicit purposes? Decide to make the more lady-friendly switch to “go green” with a Luv Ur Body menstrual cup and do your bit to preserve the Earth while saving money on disposable feminine hygiene products today!

This article is brought to you by Luv Ur Boby, the brand of menstrual cups that allows women to experience a higher quality of menstrual protection than any other feminine hygiene product.

In Nigeria L‎uv Ur Body Menstrual Cups are available on KONGA or can be ordered directly from Luv Ur Body Ltd in Lekki, Lagos by calling 08186839494 or by emailing [email protected]. Also globally available on Amazon & Ebay. To find out more about Luv Ur Body Menstrual Cups visit www.luvur-body.com. Or Like us on Facebook and Instagram @Luv Ur Body Menstrual Cups.