This Suction-Free Menstrual Cup is My Post-IUD Period Ride or Die & I Won't Shut Up About It

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As a person graced with a monthly period, I’m fairly grateful to live in a time where there’s tons of options about how I want to approach this time of the month — with CBD tinctures, menstruation friendly teas and, of course, sustainable period products abound. I’m also bit of a period geek and love to check out and weigh the pros and cons of all kinds of products in this space and have a few favorites that easily usurped tampons as my favorites.

So when I first got clued in to the Nixit Menstrual Cup, I had a feeling it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. A cute, easy-to-insert reusable option that fits the needs of my body and my period? Sign me up. Add in that Nixit is a female-founded brand that’s passionate about vaginas, menstrual health education and our planet (hard same), it really felt like I’d met my match.

So, while we’re in this intimate setting, I’ll be upfront: I have an IUD (Liletta hive, rise up!) and one of the first things I learned early on was that a lot of menstrual cups on the market (particularly the bell-shaped ones) were no longer going to be a good fit for me, per my doctor — as the suction that’s necessary for the design of a lot of the more cup-shaped cups poses a higher risk of dislodging an IUD, due to the suction and pressure they can put on the area. That meant I had to part ways with a few of my previously well-loved cups and had me (temporarily) considering a return to tampons or pads — until I came across menstrual discs (the disc-shaped cups, like Nixit), which sit at the fornix generally and don’t use suction to stay in place and had my OBGYN’s seal of approval.

To go over product specs, the disc has a 70mm diameter but is made from a soft, body-safe silicone that lets it easily mold to your vagina’s unique dimensions. You simply fold it in half (it ends up being comparable to a regular tampon) and slide it in and back against your fornix (check Nixit’s cool visual on their site for assistance), often just getting it settled by pushing it with one finger. From there you can set it and forget it as it collects your menses for the next 12 hours. I’ve worn it to swim, have sex, go to the gym, lay around and barely notice it’s there and then clean up is as simple as rinsing it with water and mild soap (though their specifically designed wash or wipes are gentle and vulva-friendly options that I have my eye on) throughout your period and then giving it a nice sterilizing boil in between periods. It’s designed to be hardy enough to last years — so if you take good care of her, she’ll take care of you for a long, long time.

As your menstrual disc and period sex fairy godmother, I’ll also give you a heads up that it is totally normal to not be able to reach your menstrual disc after sex for about 15 to 30 minutes, just because the vaginal canal can nearly double in length and the cervix sits higher when a person with a vulva is aroused. Don’t be scared, you’re okay! Still remember to pee after sex though.

But with that knowledge, you very much might find that the Nixit cup fits perfectly into your lifestyle and your vagina — and I can’t recommend it enough.

Before you go, check out just a few of the other menstrual products we totally love: