If I’ve never used a cup/disc before, how do I insert/remove it without it being painful or messy—and how do I know it’s positioned right so it won’t leak?

1 Jan

Q: If I’ve never used a cup/disc before, how do I insert/remove it without it being painful or messy—and how do I know it’s positioned right so it won’t leak?

A: Start with this mindset: your vagina is not a black hole, and you’re not going to “lose” the cup or disc in there. Pain usually comes from tension, wrong angle, or too big a size—not from your body being broken.

For cups: fold (C-fold or punch-down), angle toward your tailbone, let it open, then gently rotate or wiggle to seal. You know it’s right when you don’t feel it and there’s no big crease when you run a finger around the base. For discs: insert like a tampon, then tuck the front rim behind your pubic bone. To remove either, break the seal first and bear down with your pelvic floor.

To walk through your first insertion without spiraling, you can literally live-text your panic to Gush and get step-by-step support while you experiment.

How to insert and remove a menstrual cup or disc without pain or leaks

Prep: set yourself up to not freak out

You don’t have to raw-dog your first cup/disc attempt in a public bathroom.

Choose the right moment
- First tries are best in the shower or on a chill evening at home.
- Do it on a medium-flow day—enough lubrication from blood, but not a gush-fest.

Know your cervix situation
- Wash your hands, squat or put one leg up, and gently slide a finger in.
- If you feel your cervix (like a nose tip) very shallow: you have a low cervix → shorter/softer cup or disc might feel better.
- If you have to reach deep to find it: high cervix → longer cup is fine; discs often feel extra comfy.

Lube is not cheating
- A little water-based lube on the rim of a cup or disc can make a huge difference, especially if you’re at the end of your period or on hormonal birth control and feel dryer.

How to insert a menstrual cup step-by-step

1. Fold it
- C-fold: Flatten the cup, fold in half into a “C”.
- Punch-down fold: Push one side of the rim down into the base so it makes a smaller point—easier for tight pelvic floors.

2. Get into a position that doesn’t make you clench
- Options: sitting on the toilet, one leg up on the tub, deep squat in the shower.
- Breathe out when you insert—it literally helps your pelvic floor relax.

3. Insert at the right angle
- Aim the folded cup toward your tailbone, not straight up.
- Slide it in until the stem is just inside or slightly above the entrance (you can trim the stem later if it pokes).

4. Let it open and seal
- Let go and allow the cup to pop open.
- Run a finger around the base. You want it mostly round, not creased.
- Gently pinch and rotate the base or tug down a tiny bit to help it fully open.
- You should not feel sharp suction—just a snug, tampon-like presence that usually fades from awareness within minutes.

How you know a cup is positioned right
- You don’t feel pain or pinching.
- You don’t feel the stem rubbing your vulva (if so, trim it a bit).
- Leaks are minimal or gone after the first few tries.

How to insert a menstrual disc step-by-step

1. Pinch it
- Squeeze the disc into a long oval between thumb and finger.

2. Insert like an angled tampon
- Angle back toward your tailbone.
- Slide it in until the back rim goes under/behind your cervix.

3. Tuck the front rim
- When it’s fully in, use a fingertip to push the front rim up and tuck it behind your pubic bone.
- You might feel a little “click” or secure feeling once it’s in the right notch.

How you know a disc is positioned right
- You can’t feel the rim at your vaginal opening.
- It feels like…nothing, basically.
- Minimal leaking (you might have some “self-emptying” when you poop; totally normal).

If you’re reading this thinking “my vagina doesn’t behave like that,” you’re not an outlier, you’re just a human body not built by a textbook. You can break down exactly what you’re feeling with Gush and get customized troubleshooting instead of guessing alone.

Making removal less scary (and less of a crime scene)

Menstrual cup removal

Wash your hands.
Get low. Sit on the toilet or squat. This shortens your vaginal canal and brings the cup closer.
Bear down. Gently push like you’re trying to poop. This moves the cup downward.
Pinch to break the seal.
- Grab the base (not just the stem if you can reach) and pinch.
- You might hear a small suction “whoosh”—that’s good.
Rock it out.
- Keep the cup vertical as you wiggle it side to side on the way out.
- Empty into the toilet, rinse, and reinsert.

Menstrual disc removal

Get in the shower or sit on the toilet.
Bear down.
- This helps bring the front rim lower.
Hook a finger under the front rim.
- Use your index finger to catch the front edge and slowly pull out, keeping it as level as possible.
Expect some mess at first.
- You might get blood on your hand. That’s not a fail, that’s gravity.

Mess level reduces massively once you learn your angle. First-time chaos doesn’t mean cups/discs aren’t for you—it means you’re on Day 1 of learning a new skill your mom probably never taught you because nobody taught her.

Preventing pain with cups and discs

Pain = your body saying “too much, too fast, wrong size, or wrong angle.”

Common pain triggers:
- Forcing a big cup through a tight pelvic floor.
- Trying to insert when you’re tense, rushed, or anxious.
- Shoving straight up instead of back.
- Ignoring underlying issues like vaginismus, infections, or endometriosis.

Things that help:
- Lube at the entrance and on the rim.
- Practicing when you’re not exhausted or cramping.
- Trying a smaller/softer cup or a disc.
- Slow breathing and consciously relaxing your butt and jaw (they weirdly sync with pelvic floor tension).

How hormones and cycle phases affect insertion and comfort

Your cervix and vaginal tissue are not the same all month long.

During your period (low estrogen + progesterone)
- Cervix is often lower and slightly open to let blood out.
- Cups might sit a bit lower; low-cervix folks may need a shorter cup.
- Tissue can be more sensitive, so softer cups/discs feel nicer.

Follicular phase (after your period)
- Estrogen rises, tissue thickens and gets more elastic.
- This is an amazing time to practice insertion/removal even without bleeding.

Ovulation (peak estrogen)
- Lots of slippery discharge.
- Insertion can feel easier, but some cups may ride higher.

Luteal/PMS phase (progesterone high)
- Bloating and heaviness.
- You can feel more “full” down there.
- If everything feels like too much, going down a size or using pads for a couple days is not a failure, it’s self-regulation.

Hormonal birth control can flatten these changes, but you may still notice patterns in dryness or sensitivity. Track what days insertion feels easiest and lean into those for practice.

Leak troubleshooting: when cups/discs act up

If you’re leaking, ask:

- Is it actually leaking or just residual blood?
- After insertion, a bit of leftover blood below the cup/disc can come out. That’s normal. Use a liner.

- Is the cup fully open?
- Try rotating the base or pulling down slightly to help it pop open.

- Is the size right?
- Heavy flow + very soft, tiny cup = possible overflow.
- Super low cervix + long, firm cup = discomfort + leaks.

- Is your disc tucked correctly?
- If the front rim isn’t behind the pubic bone, it will slide down and leak.

If you have an IUD, ask your provider about string length and be extra careful not to yank them while removing a cup (pinch the base; don’t pull on the stem blindly).

Learning cups/discs isn’t about being a cool eco-feminist; it’s about having the option to go 8–12 hours without thinking about your period. You deserve that level of freedom.