Those of you who are still following the comments on the Mooncup Review I wrote over five years ago (otherwise known as “The post that will not die” … 287 comments and rising even after all this time! Who’d a thunk it), will know that I recently purchased two mooncup pouches from Lovealittle on Etsy.com. I promised to write a little review of them once received – and this is it.
If you’re currently looking blankly and wondering what a mooncup is, then I suggest you read the original post (although I should warn you, if you’re uncomfortable talking or reading about menstruation products, you may prefer not to).
On the surface, a specially designed pouch for the mooncup seems a great idea. The little drawstring bags that come with them get tatty rather quickly and never seem to really protect them from collecting all the fluff you normally find in most chaotic bedside drawers (or is that just mine?). Also, to have a pretty patterned little bag rather than a plain cream one with the mooncup logo plastered across it at least allows you to retain a small sense of feminine mystique en route to the loo.
But do they live up to expectation? The short answer is yes.
Delivery was prompt after purchase and packaged well with a promotional bookmark and a personal post-it to say thank you, which was a nice touch.
This attention to detail in presentation was carried into the actual product – they’re beautifully made, sturdily put together but at the same time feeling delicate and pretty. They’re sort of a pyramid-shape cotton pouch with a zip along one edge. This opens smoothly to reveal a red cotton lining interior which (as you would expect) a mooncup fits in perfectly. In fact, you could probably fit two mooncups in one pouch if you slid one inside the other before putting it in the pouch, but I prefer to give them a little more freedom in a pouch of their own.
There are several designs to choose from; my favourite of the two I chose is the ladybird design – the little glass ladybird bead at the end of the zip is really sweet. I was also pleased to see that they can be hand-washed or put into a gentle machine wash.
The price? A very reasonable $10 US with $2 US shipping for UK orders and $4 US shipping to anywhere else. Every mooncup owner should have at least one.
You can purchase your own from the Lovealittle shop at Etsy.com. Alternatively, Jane at Lovealittle has kindly offered to donate one of these lovely little pouches in a Prattle giveaway!
All you have to do is come up with the most unusual use for a mooncup pouch (other than keeping your mooncup in, of course) and leave it in the comments for this post.
The one that makes Jane laugh the loudest gets the prize!
Entries should be submitted by the 30th September.
Good luck!
18 responses so far ↓
1 Sylvia // 5th Sep 2008 at 1:26 am
Mine arrived today and it has daisies! I’m similarly impressed.
2 Spinky // 5th Sep 2008 at 8:59 am
To keep together my husbands cufflinks – he always seems to lose one of a pair. OR
An on the move condom holder; for those couples who like to travel safely!
3 Jane Lloyd // 5th Sep 2008 at 12:24 pm
Hi Spinky, I’m sure that 2 comments are the way to go!
Condoms on the move made me smile :-)
4 Anna YG // 5th Sep 2008 at 1:05 pm
given the lovely patterns available, I KNOW my girls would want them to keep their crazy bones in. Much better than the boring plain ones you can buy in the shops with a crazy bone logo on.
5 Jane Lloyd // 5th Sep 2008 at 1:48 pm
I’m gad you like the patterns, Anna. I shll have to google to find out what crazy bones are :-)
6 Blue Witch // 5th Sep 2008 at 3:44 pm
I’m struggling to understand why anyone would need one of these! After I’ve sterilised mine after use each month it gets wrapped in a small piece of clingwrap 9to keep it sterile until next use) and put inside its original bag which looks good as new after 3 years (and a couple of washes).
I’ll never make a Girlie Witch ;)
7 Jane Lloyd // 5th Sep 2008 at 4:02 pm
I’d be a bit concerned re the clingfilm as mooncups need to breathe. I had a disaster with mooncup storage in a sealed tupperware pot so devised a cotton home for mine.
My original bag had unfinished edges and frayed fluffy bits :-(
8 Blue Witch // 5th Sep 2008 at 4:13 pm
My GP specifically told me to keep it sterile in this way – he’s seen 3 ladies who have suffered from pelvic infections by inserting stored-in-a-cloth-bag after sterilisation at the end of last period mooncup.
As I said, mine’s 3, and I have had absolutely no problems.
9 Jane Lloyd // 5th Sep 2008 at 4:19 pm
Mine showed signs of mould when airtight.
I think people would always wash their mooncups before using at the start of a period however “sterile” it might be. Easier to insert and more hygienic in my opinion.
A funny use for a tetra pouch?
10 Blue Witch // 5th Sep 2008 at 4:29 pm
If it showed signs of mould, then either it, or the box it was stored in, weren’t sterile (or were damp) when you put the Mooncup in.
Washing (even in very hot water) is not sterilising, which my GP was very clear concerns him. Who has time to soak their Mooncup in Milton or boil it in a pan when they’ve started unexpectedly?!! I continue to believe that using a high quality, low migratory cling wrap is the best solution.
An amusing use for your product? A new Witch’s hat for me? It would need to be Blue of course :) Oh wait… my head’s not that small…
11 Pewari // 5th Sep 2008 at 4:36 pm
Interesting, BW. I’m curious as to whether he’s also concerned about tampons as they’re not sterile either?
12 Blue Witch // 5th Sep 2008 at 4:55 pm
No idea, the subject wasn’t discussed – although tampons may not be sterile (hence , I’ve always assumed, why one can get Toxic Shock syndrome using them), they *are* sealed in paper once manufactured, and as a dry, one-use product, don’t have the same potential to cause problems.
13 Pewari // 5th Sep 2008 at 5:05 pm
No, that’s fair enough – I had far more problems with tampons than I ever have had with a mooncup and I have seen hundreds of reports (huge threads on mumsnet) saying the same.
As long as you clean it extremely well at the end of the period, then keeping something which is made of medical-grade silicone in a cotton bag is no difference (that I can see) than a tampon (which is made of cotton and that cotton goes inside you) stored in breathable paper.
Problem with a GP is that they also only see the times that go wrong, not the vastly greater number of times when there’s no problem and there’s no way to determine where the contamination arises from (not thoroughly cleaning hands before insertion or not cleaning thoroughly at the end of the last period… I wouldn’t store out openly on a bathroom shelf, for example, in a cotton bag, just as I don’t store my toothbrush out on an open shelf in the bathroom and always shut the lid of the loo before flushing!)
One known problem with mooncups is if you use soap to wash it out with then this can cause increased incidences of thrush (reaction to the soap). I’ve heard this over and over again (and suffered it myself) and changed my cleaning routine to just rinsing out then boiling in plain water for 5 mins to counteract this. This is the first I’ve heard about increased risks of pelvic infection due to storage.
I’m not saying that he’s not right, just that I’m skeptical as it seems counterintuitive both to personal experience, users stories and the problems with non-breathable container that Jane mentions – but will keep an eye out for proper studies/other people’s experiences of this issue.
14 Pewari // 5th Sep 2008 at 5:07 pm
Oh, meant to add at the end: thanks for sharing it :)
15 Karen // 6th Sep 2008 at 1:22 pm
Hi Pewari and Blue Witch,
Slightly off-topic to the very nice looking pouches, but regarding storage and sterilisation, you might find the soother steriliser box from Mothercare helpful as well. They are meant for sterilising soothers in the microwave, but are also exactly the right size for a mooncup. So I sterilise mine in the little plastic box (which costs a couple of pounds) at the end of a period, no mess, no boiling, no soap required, tip any remaining water out and then keep the mooncup in the box for the rest of the month until it is needed again. No mould (box not airtight), no fluff, but sterile.
A tip from mumsnet which I found really helpful as my flatmates would not appreciate me boiling menstrual products on top of our shared stove…
Karen
16 Jane Lloyd // 6th Sep 2008 at 11:13 pm
Hi Karen,
That soother steriliser sounds perfect. I boil mine in the microwave.
Mooncup.co.uk maybe should manufacture one!
A funny pouch use?
17 Jane // 2nd Oct 2008 at 6:17 pm
An on the move condom holder; for those couples who like to travel safely
Spinky, many thanks you are my winner :-)
18 suz // 13th Nov 2008 at 11:28 am
This is my two cents worth for sterilizing the mooncup, I use Milton sterilizing solution for cold water. I have a jar that is dedicated for ‘just that’ and it says on the Milton bottle that everything is sterilized in 15 minutes. I sterilize it at the end of my period, AND again when my next period starts, when I am going to use it that is. I mostly use cloth towels and on my really heavy days, I use the mooncup and cloth towels as a back up. I don’t use it every period everyday or even all day when I use it – I can only stand using it until the evening and then it HAS to come out. Then I pop it back in my Milton jar and it’s sterile for the next morning. Everyone else can use it 24/7 when they are on, but I can’t. We’re all different, and I sure wish I could use it all the time when I’m on.
Oh yeah, I also use a special alcohol free soap that is for ‘down there’ and I wash it with that, in between insertions. I use the one that I have bought from Avon, but I’m sure the ones you get at Boots or anywhere else would work just fine. Seeing as that stuff is specially formulated for ‘down there’, I feel safe using it on my mooncup and I know I won’t have to use nappy rash cream or something to combat thrush.
The views expressed in these comments are not the views of the publisher. However, we believe in the rights of others to express their legitimate views and concerns. Any legitimate complaint emailed to pewari@may.be will be seriously considered and the post reviewed as desirable and necessary.
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