I have a 9-year old daughter going through puberty but he has not started periods yet. She is on a swimming team where many of the girls use menstrual cups and only a few use tampons.. She is keen to be like her older friends and be a cup user right away! I would like to start her with a menstrual cup right at the start and bypass the tampon stage. However, I am concerned that her first experiences could be difficult and even painful, even with KY Jelly. I know there are extra small versions available. There must be other mums who have faced this problem! What can you suggest, please?

Would it be sensible to suggest she tries insertion and removal, with KY, before her first period arrives. She does have occasional discharge, and she says she is keen to try.

Her swim coach strongly recommends menstrual cups for all female swimmers. .

Many thanks, Christine.

Hi, Chele! I’m so glad that you found this helpful. I haven’t had too many problems with it flipping upside down, though it has once or twice. I think the key is making sure you push it back as far as you can and not trying to force it to open all the way (it doesn’t need to!). I found that if I slightly tug on it after insertion, it helps to m ake sure it’s inserted properly). I’m actually not 100% sure of the rim opens all the way – i don’t think it actually does. So long as you have it covering the cervix, you should be okay if it remains folded. I use the fold that is recommended in the instructions that come with it (there’s a little notch in it that helps to remember where to fold 🙂

I appreciate your comment! It’s definitely an interesting concept. I never have liked tampons (they gave me bad cramps), and with a heavy cycle, I like this much more. It’s better on the wallet, too. I’d love you to share with your daughter and see what she thinks!