How stop your menstrual cup from leaking (heavy period tips)

How to fix cup leaks with a heavy flow

Learning how to get your menstrual cup to stop leaking can be frustrating. Here are some tips on how to stop your menstrual cup from leaking, especially if you have a heavy period. Great tips and trick for how to use a menstrual cup for beginners.

How stop your menstrual cup from leaking

We’re going to get right to the point because I know how frustrating using a menstrual cup can be in the beginning.

I will go into further detail, but here is the outline of getting your cup to not leak, especially if you have a heavy period:

#1 You need to have a cup that fits you right

#2 The cup needs to open all of the way

#3 The cup needs to sit low in the vagina so that the lip of the cup sits right above the pubic bone notch. The cup will leak if it’s up too high. The cervix opening may miss the cup completely if it’s too high.

#4 After getting the cup to open all the way, you need to get it to create a seal (more on this in a minute)

#5 If you have a heavy period, you need to change your cup every 2-3 hours on your heavy days and wear menstrual underwear over night.

#6 Don’t expect perfection. It’s normal to sometimes have spotting with menstrual cups. This depends on a few things that I’ll touch on later.

#1 Get a cup that fits you right. Be prepared to try a few before you find your perfect cup.

After reading this post, head on over to Put A Cup In It and take their quiz. This quiz will help you to find your perfect cup.

They also offer discount codes for some of the cups.

Try various softnesses and firmnesses for your cup.

After trying 4 different firmer cups, I finally stopped leaking when I tried a softer cup. I’ve found soft average cups to be the best for me since they are more comfortable and create a better seal.

You may be the opposite and softer cups always leak for you. Try a firmer one instead.

My favorite cup I’ve tried so far (after trying about 5) is the Super Jennie - Affiliate link

I also wear period underwear on my heavy days and especially overnight. It’s inevitable that you will get leaks overnight because you can’t change the cup for 8 hours. I absolutely love Knix underwear https://prf.hn/click/camref:1101l9wWs - affiliate link

#2 The cup needs to open all the way and sit low in the vagina.

This is probably the hardest part about a menstrual cup. I have a video below on how to insert and get your cup to open, if you’re more of a visual learner. Here is the summary:

Try the punch down fold
Relax the vaginal muscles COMPLETELY and Insert the cup back toward the tailbone
The vaginal canal is narrow, and then it opens up into more space once it passes the pubic bone notch
Once the lip of the cup passes the pubic bone notch, pinch the base of the cup, push it up, and then twist it as you pull it down so that the lip of the cup sits right above the pubic bone notch
Repeat this motion until it opens. That may mean 8-12 times. Pinch, push up, twist as you pull down and let it catch right above the pubic bone notch. You will know it’s open by feeling the base of the cup and making sure you don’t feel any dents or folds.
To know if the lip of the cup is resting above the pubic bone, push the cup up one more time (after getting it to open) and gently pull the cup down by the stem or very end of the cup without squeezing the body of the cup. It will be easy to pull down until the lip catches on something. Once the lip of the cup catches on something, that is your pubic bone shelf.

#3 After the cup is fully open, it needs to create a seal.

This is the part that no one talks about. Your cup will leak if it doesn’t create a seal after opening.

Creating a seal is the result of getting the air out of the cup. To create a seal I either do 10 kegals - squeeze the inner vaginal walls.

Or, I put my thumb and the base of the cup, and my index finger on the side of the cup. I then push the side of the cup with my index finger until I hear a suction sound. This is letting the air out of the cup. To get a little graphic, it sounds like a qweef (when air gets trapped and then comes out of the vagina during penetrative sex)

#4 Change your cup every two hours on your heavy days and wear backup over night.

The only days I can wear my cup for 12 hours without leaking are the last few days of my cycle.

If you have a heavy period, you need to change your cup every 2-3 hours on your heavy days.

At night time, all bets are off because you can’t empty your cup. Wear period underwear or cloth pads in addition to the cup so that you have some back up.

#5 Don’t expect perfection. It’s normal to sometimes have spotting with cups.

Every cycle, your vagina is different. Some cycles are harder than others. It is totally normal for there to be a little spotting for some cycles.

Sometimes there is blood on the walls of the vagina below where the cup sits and it gets pushed down into our underwear. This will create light spotting.

Also, we don’t always put the cup in perfectly every time. It takes time to learn. The cervix position changes every day of your cycle starting at its lowest the first day and slowly rising up every day after. This will create different space in your vagina each day.

Be patient and keep trying. Once you master the menstrual cup, you will never want to go back!

<br />

To sum it all up:

Try various softnesses or firmnesses. Soft cups tend to not leak as much in my opinion. Soft cups take a little longer to open, but I think they create a better seal.
Measure your cervix length with your finger and make sure you get a cup that isn’t too long if you have a lower cervix.
DON’T PUT THE CUP IN TOO HIGH, especially if you have a tilted cervix. Place it right past your pubic bone, so the lip of the cup sits right over your pubic bone.
Change it every 2 hours on your heavy days.
Fold the cup in your favorite insertion fold, Relax your vagina and insert the cup back and up.
Pinch the cup, push it up and twist as you pull it down slightly, all while keeping it just above the pubic bone.
After getting the cup to open, push the cup up one more time, gently pull it down by the stem until the stem catches on the pubic bone.
Do 5-10 kegels to get a seal on the cup once it’s in
Wear some menstrual underwear or cloth pads over-night as a safe guard.
Insert and change it during a shower if you can. The moisture and warmth from the water will help ease it in. The squatting position helps as well.

I hope these tips help! Let me know if you finally had some success after trying these. Also let me know if you have any questions below!