To make sure that your menstrual cup is watertight, the top ring must be correctly deployed.
This is what ensures contact with the walls of your vagina and therefore prevents leakage (although leakage can come from other causes as explained here).
Why won't my menstrual cup unfold?
The most common reason for this is that your perineum is very toned and keeps the cup pressed down.
It should be remembered that there is no such thing as a narrow vagina: the walls of the vagina are always touching, and they are the most elastic of human tissues.
In contrast, the perineum - a set of muscles that surround the vagina - can give this impression when it is very firm.
In reality, it is not exactly the tone of your perineum that is at fault, but that it prevents air from entering the cup so that it can regain its shape. When the air enters, your cup expands.
How do I get my cup to unfold?
Case 1: If you have a classic menstrual cup
In the case of conical menstrual cups, the body must be extended for the ring to be extended.
This is due to the fact that they are symmetrical and for a reason of the forces on the upper ring. This forces your vagina to adapt to the cup as the body of the cup has to press against the walls of your vagina.
To ensure that your cup is fully expanded, you should either rotate your cup on itself (but this is not always easy with these cups), or run a finger around the edge of your cup, which will allow air to enter and the cup to expand.
Case 2: If you have La Cup Luneale
The exclusive design of La Cup Luneale allows the ring to be deployed even if the body is crushed. This may be confusing for those who are used to the classic cup, but it is actually better for your body, because the cup adapts to your anatomy and not the other way around.
To ensure that La Cup Luneale is properly deployed, simply screw it on itself when inserting. The MoonPad is a great help as it provides a grip for the fingers. And if it turns, the ring is deployed, even if the body is crushed.
That said, if your perineum is very toned and your cup doesn't want to turn (in these cases, it twists), our tip is to let the air in as follows: use the 2-step insertion, hold the bottom of the cup with 1 finger so that it doesn't come out and push with your perineum as if you wanted to inflate it with your vagina. This will spread the walls of your vagina slightly and allow air to enter through the holes.
We hope you find this tip useful. Please feel free to send us your comments!
