How To Stop Cup LeaksUpdated a year ago

Leaks are no fun! Leaking can be caused by a few different factors and it is common to experience leaking when first learning to use a cup. It can take some time and practice to find that leak-free fit, but you have come to the right place for help! First, it's important to remember that when your cup is full, it will leak. Part of the learning curve when making the switch to a cup is knowing how long you can wear it on your heaviest day before needing to empty it. While this is 12 hours for some people, others must empty their cup more often on their heavy days. 

Quick Leaking: Leaking that occurs within an hour after insertion is generally caused by the cup not sitting properly underneath the cervix. Before inserting your cup, try locating your cervix so you have a good idea of where to position your cup. After insertion, insert your finger alongside the cup to the rim and run your finger 360 degrees around the rim of the cup. If you feel your cervix sitting outside of the cup, adjust the cup lower until it is sitting directly under the cervix and fully open. If your cup has not fully opened, you can gently press against the vaginal wall where the dent is to help the cup open fully. Sometimes gently bearing down, like releasing gas, will help relax your pelvic floor and vaginal walls to allow your cup to fully open. 

Delayed Leaking: If you find a leak-free position for your cup but then experience leaking after a few hours, this can be caused by the cup reaching capacity. If that's the case, we recommend emptying your cup more frequently to avoid leaks. If you are consistently leak-free for your first few hours wearing the cup and then experience leaking a few hours after insertion only to find your cup partially full when you remove it - this likely means that your cervix is sitting inside of your cup. When this occurs, the cervix uses up some of the cup's capacity and will cause the cup to overflow. This can be prevented by sealing the cup lower in the vaginal canal, but you also may need to either empty it more often on heavy days or use a higher-capacity cup if your cervix rests within your cup. 

For additional information and tips, check out this video!