Before you go to the ER... tips for a stuck menstrual cup from a medical professional
Help! My menstrual cup is stuck! You’re probably wondering if you should rush to the emergency room… but wait! Before you go, take a moment to read this blog post, because today we are sharing an interview with a medical professional to help you walk through the process of removing your cup simply… no panic included!
The truth is, there is a lot of information out there on the internet, and sometimes it’s hard to find advice that is reliable and based on fact, not opinions. This interview today is completely 100% based on the experienced advice of a family medicine doctor, Dr. Nicholas Goetsch, DO from Iowa, who shared his honest feedback on menstrual cups, methods to avoid the “stuck cup” issue altogether, and some tips to avoid ER visits due to a stuck menstrual cup.
My cup is stuck right now… what can I do?
“Patients need to understand how or why cups could get stuck and learn to break the seal by pinching the base during removal. Knowing you should press on the side of the cup to break the suction with a clean finger and not just keep pulling and pulling or sticking foreign objects up there is important. We advise patients to lie on their back with knees up to insert a clean finger to the border of the cup and break the seal there, by pressing on the tissue or the side of the cup and sliding a finger in and around the border, using extreme caution with fingernails.”
Why is my cup stuck?
“The most common reason for cups that stick, we think, is women are placing them on the cervix (diaphragm placement) and not lower near the vaginal opening. Also, the muscles can cause the cup to move up.”
Which cups are most likely to get stuck?
“We have removed a wide variety of brands from patients and have only recently started to track this to look for trends. From our initial observations, it appears that more of these problems seem to happen with the softer menstrual cups being manufactured. The introduction of softer silicone cups and companies trying to out-market each other has led to misinformation. It also spread with bloggers making recommendations without verifying their information and women not questioning the facts.
From what patients are telling us and what we are seeing it seems that a lot of women are just following what they see on the internet. Women are recommending this cup or that because it is softer and easier to insert, etc, etc. Then patients end up purchasing blindly, using the wrong size, and not reading the directions. Additionally, some directions are not written in a way (or in a language) they can read.”
How can I make sure my cup never gets stuck?
“Our main advice is to prevent cups from sticking in the first place by proper placement. Take the time to learn from reputable sources (companies and medical providers) to get the right product, the right size, and learn what makes a good fit from the start, then take the time to read the directions before use, or go over use with a medical provider. Having accurate directions for placement is of the utmost importance. Simply placing it lower in the vaginal canal can prevent most of the cases we are seeing in addition to selecting the right sized cup.”
What if I still can’t get it out?
“If unsuccessful, medical intervention is recommended as soon as possible as the risk of TSS does exist and increases with time.”
How do medical professionals feel about menstrual cups?
“There are daily challenges of providing sound medical care, products, and advice to the self-proclaimed “internet experts” and influencers of today. After years of removing “neglected” tampons, we are encouraged by increased cup use for the decreased risk of TSS and infection. However, I believe that more education and guidance on cup selection and use would benefit all.”
In short… if you have any questions about your menstrual cup removal do not hesitate to message us or check out this blog post that will walk you through removal, step by step. Give Google a break and just ask us! We are here for you, and we want you to be able to use your Pixie Cup with ease of mind because you deserve a chance to live in freedom EVERY day of the month!
