4 Most Effective Menstrual Cup Folds – with GIFs!
You say potato, I say tomato. We all have our own unique ways of doing things – especially the way we use something as personal as a menstrual cup. Different things work for different bodies – and that fold you don’t like might just be your friend’s favorite. So sit tight, and let us guide you through our 3 favorite ways to fold a menstrual cup (with GIFS!) Need to take things back to basics? Check out our quick-start guide on how to insert and remove a Lily Cup.
Get into position!
When inserted correctly, a menstrual cup will sit fairly low down in the vaginal canal. The fold will keep the cup tightly rolled until it moves past the pubic bone, where it will then gently open, ready to collect your menstrual fluid. Here are 3 of our favorite folds, demonstrated with the help of the lovely Lily Cup and Lily Cup Compact.
Half V aka Punch Down Fold
This is possibly our favorite menstrual cup fold. It makes the cup especially small and a little more rigid so that it’s extra easy to insert. This fold also makes it easier to push your cup further into your vaginal canal before the rim pops open and forms that all-important seal. We generally recommend this fold to first-time cup users, as well as to anyone who is having trouble finding their groove.
How to fold
1. Push the front rim of the cup down and in
2. Hold the cup near the base so it stays folded
3. Gently insert the pointed tip into your vagina
C Fold
One of the most popular menstrual cup folds out there – the C fold. This technique is, quite simply, folding your cup to make it look like the letter C. This fold is great because it is just so simple! Some users find that the seal doesn’t form quite as easily with this fold as with the Punch Down fold, but every user is different, so why not give it a try!
How to fold
1. Flatten your cup and fold it in half so it looks like a letter
2. Keep it held tightly near the rim of the cup so it doesn’t lose its shape
3. Gently insert the rim into the vagina
Tampon Roll Fold
Bonus fold! This one is just for Lily Cup users, as it’s the only menstrual cup that can roll as thin as a tampon. This fold can work really well for a long time tampon users, as the insertion process is very similar.
How to fold
1. Flatten the cup by pressing on the shorter front rim
2. Roll from one side
3. Tightly grip the middle so it stays rolled & gently insert
Top Tip!
No matter which fold you favor, always make sure your cup opens fully and forms that seal! A proper seal is essential to you using your cup comfortably – without leaks. If you’re finding this a bit tricky, then try inserting your cup a bit higher than it needs to be at first, and use your finger near the rim to slide the cup further in (most women find the half-v fold easiest to insert higher).
Slide your finger up to the top of the cup to get it to pop open and form a seal. You can then use the base to pull it down to a comfortable position. Easy peasy!
These are just a few of our favorite folds – but don’t let this stop you from trying out any other fold you fancy! How you use your cup is unique to you, so try out some different options, and ultimately – do whatever works for your body. Now, go forth and fold! (Psst! Need help removing your cup?
Check out our handy guide.)
A collective group of “lady experts” at Intimina who love sharing our personal experiences, even when they are a little too personal. We believe it’s time to start breaking down the taboos around menstruation, motherhood, and menopause, and start owning our female health.
I’m a first time menstual cup user and have had the Lily cup for 2 months. The problem is that I am still finding this hard to insert. I’ve tried all 3 methods abs it sits uncomfortably inside. I’ve cut the tip as instructed but I can still feel it. Is it possible to have a very detailed description on how to use this properly please?
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that you’ve experiencing discomfort – let’s see what we can do about that! First, I would recommend this video. It has a lot of handy tips and tricks for using your Lily Cup, but there are a lot of different videos on YouTube that may be able to help. Next, I would suggest that if you’re experiencing discomfort when inserting, you may try a water-based feminine moisturizer to easy any friction. Finally, if you’re feeling the bottom of your cup poking our of your vagina, even after trying the different fold techniques, it may be that a shorter cup would be better suited to your cervix height. You can see more about measuring your cervix height and the different cup sizes we have here. Good luck and let me know if these help!
I purchased one of your bundles which came with a feminine moisturiser which I was wondering if I could use this to aid insertion, but the package says only for external use.
Can I use this to aid insertion?
I’m struggling so much this cycle. I’m honestly wondering if this continues to leak because I got the bigger size? I’m a small person but I’ve carried a human child and delivered by csection. I switched to Lily because my other cup was leaking and this worked better. I was talking to a friend who said they never have leaks and now I’m convinced I’m doing this wrong. I’ve tried all three folds, the cup is up there as far as humanly possible and it is not folded up—it’s expanded in there completely. Please help. This is awful! It leaked at the poll yesterday and I had to try to fix it in a public restroom with no supplies. I’m in tears.
Hi Katie,
our customer care will contact you via e-mail. They will help you to solve this problem.
Best regards
Thank you for the detailed advice! Very helpful & informative and was great to see the different folding techniques to help for my first time! Appreciate it! 🙂
I’ve been using cups for a few years now, and this one lasted 10 mins before it leaked. I cannot for the life of me to get this thing to seal. I feel like I wasted my money ?
Hi Jen,
our customer care will contact you to help with this. We are sure you can make it. 🙂
Best regards
Feeling uncomfortable ? and pain in left side. Please answer why it is happening?
Hi Jyolsna,
can you please tell us more?
Thank you
Hi,
I just started using menstrual cups and bought lily cup compact (the dark pink one which I think is size b although I haven’t been pregnant) and the ziggy cup to use when I’m more confident.
I am really loving it so far and the cup seems to fit fine, the silicone is so comfortable and so much better than tampons!
The first use was fine and I was pleasantly surprised with how smooth and easy it was, super excited and even easier than a tampon. I used the c-fold naturally and after reading a bit more I tried the v-fold which hurt a lot. Since then insertion has been more troublesome… I think as I’m using and rinsing the cup there is a little less lubrication on inserting. I am worried because as I insert it feels like it’s dragging the skin of my vagina until it pops open and is all the way in.
Is it possible to damage the vaginal wall with the cup? Should I be worried I have almost a burning sensation on insertion or is this normal? Maybe it’s just the muscle / hymen which used to hurt in a similar way with penetration of smaller objects. Its medical grade silicone but is still quite thick and the vaginal wall can be more sensitive. Maybe it will reduce as I get used to the cup? What do you think?
Is it also normal to experience any kind of irritation with the cup? Is only water-based lube recommended or is other lube fine too? One time I used some lube to help with insertion which burned a little.
Thanks so much for all this info !!
Hi Kerry,
we are sorry to hear that you’ve been experiencing this issue with your Lily Cup Compact B.
Our cups are made from ultra-soft silicone to prevent any kind of discomfort and pain while in use, so you should not be feeling pain if the cup is inserted correctly. I understand that your experience has been unpleasant and I would like to help you get the most out of your cup if you’re willing to give it another try.
Very often, this pain is caused by the positioning of the cup or the insertion method – it can take a few cycles to find the one that works best for you. I’m attaching a link to our How to use video at the bottom of my email, so you can take a look and find something you haven’t tried.
The pain could be caused by the cup being pressed against your cervix or a more sensitive part of your vaginal tissue, which can very often cause cramps or discomfort. If it’s up against the front wall of your vagina, it could be putting pressure on your urethra or your bladder and causing you a bit of pain. What you can do here is use a clean finger to feel around the cup once you start feeling a bit of pain. Then you can try out different positions/placements for the cup to ensure that it doesn’t rub up against that spot.
If the cup is pressing against your urethra, you can try pushing it up a bit higher to alleviate the pressure.
Another cause for this pain could be that there is not enough air above the cup as this would cause a stronger suction. With any menstrual cup, it’s very important to allow enough air to flow behind/above the cup in your vagina to make sure the suction is as gentle as possible. After you insert and get the cup positioned, you can insert your finger up along the side of the cup to the rim and press a bit on the rim to allow air to flow up.
We recommend using only water-based lubricants in case insertion is a bit difficult. Feminine moisturizers like Intimina, can be used for normal dryness to prevent discomfort and chafing. It can also be used with a menstrual cup to ease insertion.
We hope you’re still willing to give the cup another try. If you have any further questions, or the tips and suggestions we mentioned above don’t help, please let us know.
Best regards
Is it possible the cup is too wide if its the one recommended for post-birth women? If so is it fine for me to use or should I stop?
I’ve just purchased a Lily cup B (I’ve had 2 children) and it looks like it’ll take a bit of practice before I’m a pro.
You say you’ll feel it pop open, but I don’t and when I feel around the base to check there’s a dip, it’s not a smooth circle. But when I try and remove it there’s definitely a seal formed.
I’m guessing it just takes a bit more practice? Or maybe I’d be better with the compact.
Hi,
Thank you for reaching out to us and I’m sorry that you are having issues with your Lily Cup B. While the insertion of the Lily Cups does take some getting used to, it could also be that the Lily is simply not suitable for you. Lily Cups are better suited for people with a higher cervix due to the height of the cup. If the cup is too long for your anatomy, it could cause it to not open properly.
I would kindly suggest checking your cervix height first so that we know if this cup is a good fit for you or not. Here is a link that can help you with this: https://www.intimina.com/blog/check-cervix-height-menstrual-cup/
Once you have your cervix height, feel free to contact our Customer Care so we can give you all the necessary information and tips for using your cup, or recommend another one that would suit you better, if this one does not.
In case you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to get back.
Best!