I am a professional swimmer, and I have been into swimming since my childhood. It was all great till I reached adolescence and experienced my first period. For obvious reasons, it wasn’t something happening to me. After all, who enjoys menstrual cramps?
My mother introduced me to tampons. Tampons are basically menstrual products that absorb menstrual fluid. But there’s something more to it. It is supposed to be inserted into the vagina. Initially, I was quite scared about inserting it. I was also skeptical as to whether it would fit inside me or if I’ll be able to pull it out or not.
With proper guidance from my mother, I managed to insert it correctly. It was comfortable during my swimming practices which used to be for two hours a day. But then, I had a swimming competition, and the periods hampered me a lot. I faced difficulty in going to the washroom to change the tampon during the competitions because tampons are supposed to be changed after every 3 to 4 hours. Imagine you are wearing a swimsuit and have cleared a round, which means your outfit is all wet, and you have to undress to put on a tampon and wear it again. This is exactly what I had to do amidst the competition. I managed that day somehow, but it was really exhausting apart from the competition stress and activity.
Menstrual Cup, My Saviour!
When I shared this experience with my friend, she suggested that I try a menstrual cup. But I had never heard about it back then. I researched about its composition and benefits, and I won’t lie, I got convinced by the fact that I don’t have to change it frequently, and I don’t have to spend so much money for five years as it is a reusable product. It’s just like a one-time investment for five years. Also you don’t have to worry about the material as it is made up of medical-grade silicone which is BPA-free, and biocompatible (it means that it won’t have any harmful effect on your body).
Since I had been using tampons already, it was pretty easy for me to insert the menstrual cup. I cannot express enough how comfortable it was. I could participate in my competitions with no stress of leakage or changing it after regular intervals.
Then came the washing process
Initially, it was a bit overwhelming for me to see so much blood altogether. But then I got a hang of it. I even got an automatic sterilizer to make the process easier. Sterilizing the cup is very important to maintain hygiene and avoid the risk of getting an infection. If you don’t have the automatic sterilizer, you can simply put the cup in boiling water for 5 minutes and you are good to go.
Conclusion
I would highly recommend you to try a menstrual cup, especially if you are into sports. You won’t have to be stressed about changing your menstrual products after every 4 to 6 hours or getting your period blood leaked.
So, this is how I switched to a menstrual cup. I am so grateful to my friend for suggesting that I use a menstrual cup. It has made my life so much easier, especially during menstruation.
This blog is written by Komal Gupta
