Alice Child - A completely nude photoshoot on day two of my cycle, completely stress free. Here's how...
Alice Child - Somatic Sexologist & Counsellor
Yes, this might look quite scary—it’s a menstrual disc—but here is my experience of trying it for the first time, and I was actually blown away.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: I’m a sexologist. I talk about vaginas and bodies every day for work. Why on Earth would I be a bit intimidated by trying a menstrual disc myself? But actually, I was strangely intimidated. I was worried about the mess, I was worried about inserting it, and I was worried about my IUD insertion and whether this would be painful or uncomfortable with my IUD. I’d also heard rumors that you’re able to have sex with this in, and I was also very intrigued as to how this would be possible. So this is my experience of trying it, and I debunk all of those myths for you here.
The company is called my mimi, and they sent me this cute little care package: some dark chocolate and some water-based lube to make insertion really, really pain-free and easy, and then also the two different discs. Essentially, if you’re under 30 or you have a light bleed or you haven’t given birth, the smaller one is for you. But as I’m over 30 and I definitely have a heavy bleed, this one was for me.
My first fear with using a menstrual disc was putting it in, but honestly, it was so easy. All you do is squeeze it in half like that, and then at the entrance of your vagina, just push it in, and honestly, it’s as simple as that. Once it’s inside, it pops open and sits inside you like this. My second fear was, “Won’t you feel that? Won’t that be uncomfortable?” Literally not at all. In fact, it was so impossible to feel that.
My third fear was, “Surely this won’t work. Surely I’m about to bleed everywhere.” And I kid you not, it did not spill once. On day two, I went into expert difficulty mode and decided to give this a whirl. I actually had a nude photo shoot planned in the diary, and I told the photographer that I was going to be on my period and that I wanted to try this new product. So there I was, moving around this bright white studio on day two of my cycle with this brand new product in. It could have been a disaster, and I kid you not, not a drop. It was in for the whole eight hours that they recommend you can use this for, and I was completely naked on camera under bright lights, and it was perfect. Honestly, as someone who swears by period undies and does have quite a heavy flow, this felt like such a game-changer for me.
Personally, getting it out was probably the trickiest thing, but again, it really wasn’t that hard. It’s just about putting your finger inside and finding that handle, and it just takes a little bit of getting used to. It can’t get lost inside you, so don’t panic if it does feel a little bit hard to find. All I had to do was push down with my Kegel muscles and breathe deeply, and there it was. Again, I was surprised that it didn’t make this huge mess. I was really worried that my bathroom would turn into a scene out of Psycho, but again, it didn’t.
Summary of Key Points
- Intimidation: Alice Child was initially intimidated by trying a menstrual disc despite being a sexologist.
- Concerns: Alice Child was worried about the mess, insertion, and compatibility with her IUD.
- Product Information: There are two discs: one for under 30s with light flow and one for over 30s with heavier flow.
- Experience: The insertion was easy, it was comfortable to wear, and it didn’t leak.
- Special Challenge: Alice Child tested the disc during a nude photo shoot and was satisfied with its performance.
- Removal: Getting the disc out was tricky at first but manageable, and there was no mess.