To be honest, I didn't know that I'd fall in love with a menstrual cup. So I suppose this title is deceptive in that the entire love affair with my XO Flo menstrual cup was unexpected. But these are the five things that keep coming up in my mind over and over again, month after month, as to why I love my menstrual cup so dang much.

  1. TWELVE HOURS! I can wear this for up to 12 hours! And I have! I do! An XO Flo menstrual cup is made of 100% medical grade silicone, which is safer than tampons, and can be worn for a lot longer. Besides being body safe, there's simply far more capacity compared to tampons. XO Flo holds up to 38 ml and XO Flo Mini holds up to 31 ml. Tampons absorb between 3 - 12 ml.
  2. No string. No irritation. More comfort. There's no way to appreciate this until you've actually experienced it. The feeling of going through your day and then it dawning on you sometime after lunch, "Oh! That's right. I'm on my period." Instead of having the frequent reminder with a damp or errant tampon string, or the chafing of fibers against sensitive skin. 😒
  3. I know my flow! I hadn't really appreciated this aspect of my cup until my previous cycle, which was heavier and longer than normal (yay for the unpredictabilities of perimenopause!). This seems extra important to me these days, just another way to monitor and notice my own body. Kind of like a breast self exam, just a good tool for noticing. I notice volume, color, viscosity ... information that was far less accessible when I used tampons.
  4. Trip planning and travel! Backpacking, camping, international travel. My XO Flo menstrual cup has been on so many adventures with me! And when I travel with other menstruators I just want to give each and every one of them their own menstrual cups so that they can enjoy the same bliss. No worries about running out of supplies, or having to pack a bunch of supplies, or trying to figure out where to dispose of used tampons or disposable pads. My cup has rafted the Grand Canyon with me and trekked through the Himalayas. I could go for hours and hours in between emptying it, and I adhered to the principles of leave no trace by having zero period products to throw away. My menstrual cup is the best travel partner I've ever had.
  5. Cervical awareness. This was truly unexpected, and I'm gonna be super real here: I didn't really know my cervix until I started using a menstrual cup. Fact. I got to know my cervix in my 30s, after I had given birth (twice). I knew I had a cervix, of course, but it was like knowing I have an engine in my car, but never popping the hood to check it out. Being able to find where my cervix is situated during my cycle is so helpful in getting the right fit with my menstrual cup, and knowing which cup is best for me. I know that my cervix is low, so I find the XO Flo Mini is more comfortable for me, even though I've given birth. And for new menstrual cup users, don't be shy with getting to know your anatomy. Because after all, your cup is there to be at your cervix. 😉

There's more reasons I love my menstrual cup. There's something about the ritual aspect of it, of the care I give my cup because my cup cares for me back. There's also the cost savings. And the no-garbage factor. And the design even! Menstrual cups are an intelligent solution to the period care question, and I couldn't love mine more.

Also, I'm pretty sure no one ever wrote a love letter to a tampon. It's always just a bunch of trash talk ...

A pair of hands with long silver nails forms the shape of a heart and holds up a clear menstrual cup.