Menstrual cup

[Rena-san]

Strange random question, but after surgery can you wear a menstrual cup to both dilate and collect blood?

[JennX]

Menstrual WTF?!? I've never heard of or seen one of those in my life. I had to google it. IMHE you should not need such a thing. If you are bleeding enough to even partially fill one of those postop or after dilation, something is seriously wrong. After 5 weeks postop, Im down to maybe 2 pads per day... the ultra-thin kind. During dilation there shouldn't be bleeding, maybe some lube dripping out mixed with plasma or dead skin cells, but that should be all.

[Jenna Marie]

It won't work as a dilator, because it's not going to extend all along the length of the vaginal canal. It *probably* isn't a great idea to collect the blood either, because (unlike in menstruation) the blood is coming from the whole vaginal walls and not from the cervix (which the cup fits over and trans women don't have as such...). Not to mention that, again unlike menstruation, this is blood mixed with tissue and other surgical shedding, and is part of a healing surgical site - I'd be seriously worried about infection.

[Vicky]

You don't want ANYTHING in the vaginal area the doctor has not told you specifically to use.  I cannot imagine my surgeon recommending anything like that.  (Yeah, I had to look it up too, and I have two GG daughters that I single parented during their puberty.)

[NJade]

I'm going to agree with the others and say this is probably a bad plan. You need dilators to dilate and as for the discharge, spend a few months using panty liners. They're really not that big a thing.

[Shantel]

I've never heard of or seen a menstrual cup, it seems like a bad idea even for cis women. Recalling the spate of toxic shock syndrome deaths when women forgot they had a tampon in and it started to rot in place, I would think that something that would retain that which the body is disposing of is a bad idea.

[NJade]

I've never heard of or seen a menstrual cup, it seems like a bad idea even for cis women. Recalling the spate of toxic shock syndrome deaths when women forgot they had a tampon in and it started to rot in place, I would think that something that would retain that which the body is disposing of is a bad idea.

It's actually called a Diva Cup and a good number of women swear by them. But as we don't have menses and our fluid discharge is of a different nature entirely, it's just not a good plan to consider one. Look it up, though.

[Padma]

Agreed - they're actually fine for cis women (the point of them isn't to leave them up there for ages anyway, it's just an alternative way of choosing when you dispose of blood, that doesn't involve needing any disposables), it's just not appropriate for neovaginas.

[Julo]

Many of my friends use them (for what they are meant for) and completely swear by them. They say it´s the absolutely best thing and has made their life so much better and everybody (who menstruate) should try them.
But they will not work in a neovagina.

J

[Faun]

I've never heard of or seen a menstrual cup, it seems like a bad idea even for cis women. Recalling the spate of toxic shock syndrome deaths when women forgot they had a tampon in and it started to rot in place, I would think that something that would retain that which the body is disposing of is a bad idea.

Well, a diva cup wont really rot, the blood will just coagulate inside of it. Its actually a lot safer than tampons, and a lot more hygienic too. Even if you forget it inside.
Plus its environmental friendly :3

But, I doubt it would work for a neovagina. And I wouldn't try it either.