How do you fold a Menstrual Cup?

So you’ve finally taken that leap of faith and bought yourself a soft and silky BeYou Menstrual Cup, our wonderful reusable alternative to period products!

Now, you’ve done everything by the book: washed the cup, sanitised it, marvelled at the size of it and measured your cervix… and now it’s just you and your cup!

“No way is that going to fit inside of me!”

At this point, you may be looking at the cup in your hands and your fingers wondering: “How is that ever going to fit!?” It makes sense when you know that the average width of a vaginal canal is 48-63mm and the BeYou Cup is only 45mm in width (that’s before you fold it down).

The moment you touch your BeYou Cup, you will notice that it’s made of a soft medical-grade silicone. This material is highly flexible and adaptive, making it the perfect fit for anyone, especially first-timers!

Switching from menstrual pads to cups

Switching from pads to a menstrual cup may feel like a huge change at first, however it’s important to take comfort in the fact that you’ll be able to get to know your body in ways you never have before!

It can take up to 2-3 cycles to get used to your cup, but this is the same with any new period product. We’ve made sure to design our cups to be softer than any sanitary pad so that they won’t cause any friction or irritation to your skin.

Before your period is due, you may want to practice folding the cup and inserting it inside a few times. You can do this by using some lube or water to make everything a little smoother. 

Switching from tampons to cups

Many think that a menstrual cup is just like a tampon. While there are some similarities, a menstrual cup is still quite different to a tampon. Just like with a tampon, our menstrual cup slides inside of your vagina and sits comfortably between your vaginal canal. However, the material of both products are entirely different! A tampon is made of polycotton to absorb moisture, which can cause uncomfortable rubbing and chafing on your skin as well as vaginal infections. With a BeYou cup, you’ll quickly notice that the soft silicone doesn’t cause any friction and fits in perfectly with your natural shape to collect your period instead of absorbing it.

Different types of menstrual cup folds

Everyone has their own personal favourite fold. As you get more comfortable with using your menstrual cup, you’ll be able to try out new folds and fits that are faster and simpler for you!

Folds for beginners

If you’re still very new to the cup scene, then you’ll want to go for a fold that’s as simple as possible. Your main priorities might also be to prevent any leakages, nail-down the trick to the vacuum seal, and feel comfortable. If this sounds like you, these following folds will be best to start with: 

C-Fold

The C-Fold is one of the most popular and simple menstrual cup folds for you to get started with.

Directions: 

• Hold the cup in both hands, just beneath the rim and push the sides together - flattening the cup.
• Next, simply fold the cup in half, along the length, creating the ‘C’ or ‘U’ shape, depending on how you see it.
  

While this cup is one of the simplest folds to use, you may find that the cup is still too wide to insert. Luckily, we still have many options available for you to try! 

Punch-Down

The punch down fold creates one of the smallest insertion points. This makes it a lot easier to insert inside of your vagina, especially if you are still familiarising yourself with your new cup or you’re in a rush. 

Directions:

• Use your left hand to hold the cup at the base.
• Using your right hand, place your finger on top of the cup rim and push it down into the base.
• Then push the sides together and hold it firmly, with your left hand again.

Popular Menstrual Cup folds

7-Fold

The 7-Fold is smaller than a C-Fold and will unfold a lot easier once it has been inserted.

Directions:

• Use both hands to hold the cup beneath the rim.
• Squeeze the sides together to flatten the cup length-ways.
• Take the right corner of the cup and fold it down towards the stem.

Triangle

The triangle fold is similar to the punch down, but may require a little more practice at first! Once you’ve got this fold down, you will find that it’s a lot quicker and easier to do with your hands.

Directions:

• Squeeze the cup and make it flat length-ways.
• Take one corner and bring it down to the base of the cup, crossing the half-way point of the stem.
• You should end with a similar shape to a triangle.

Diamond

This is very similar to the 7 fold and requires some more practice! If you are confident with the above folds, then we recommend that you keep to them. 

Directions:

• Take a side from the top of the rim and fold it outwards so that it’s sitting half-way on the base of the cup.
• Then take the left and right side that is left, and roll them inwards until they’re touching.
• This should give the fold a flat diamond shape.

ADD ON

• To make the point of insertion smaller, fold it in half from the diamond shape.

All of these cup folds are some of the most common and simple folds that you will find when it comes to getting started with your BeYou Cup! 

It’s exciting to get to know what works best for you and your body. By remembering to practice with the cup and try each fold before the big day, you’ll soon be on your way to find your go-to fold!

If you have any further questions such as how to keep your cup clean or how to get started with inserting and removing your cup, please do not hesitate to drop us a message! Don’t be shy - we can assure you that there isn’t a single question we haven’t seen ;)