When you mention cloth pads for use as menstrual cup backup you're often met with questions as to why?
- Why do you need backup when you use a menstrual cup?
- Do menstrual cups leak? Should I be worried?
- I switched to a menstrual cup because I used tampons, not pads, so why do I need now need cloth pads?
- Which pads are best for backup and why?
Why and when do menstrual cups leak?
There are a few occasions in which I would recommend cloth pads or cloth pantyliners for use with a reusable menstrual cup. The truth is that all menstrual cups will leak eventually if left in long enough. You might not get the drip, drip, drip type of leakage you would when your tampon is saturated, but you can get overflow that works it's way past the rim of your cup and into your panties.
Learning to use a cup involves a trial and error phase. On the first day of your cycle, depending on your flow, you might need to expect to have to empty your cup every 4-6 hours while on the 2nd or 3rd day you may be able to go the full 12 hours without checking or emptying it. Cloth pantyliners are great for those days when you're getting to know how to use a menstrual cup for the first time or you're giving a new brand or size of cup a try. Leaks may not happen but there will certainly be days you'll want coverage for those just-in-case scenarios.
Cups can also leak when you unexpectedly can't get to a restroom to empty or check your cup. Maybe you're stuck in a meeting, planning a day-trip with the family or traveling and you're worried you won't be near a restroom when you need it o might forget. Cloth pantyliners to the rescue! You won't have to worry about whether or not you're leaking when you are wearing backup.
The idea of backup cloth pads or pantyliners for use with a menstrual cup should not scare you off from using a menstrual cup. Once you figure out what to expect and on which days you'll get the hang of using a cup and might never experience a leak so this post is not to say that if you use a cup you must also wear a pad, because duh, who wants to have to use both all the time. Kind of defeats the whole purpose of a cup to begin with am I right?
Ready to purchase backup cloth pads or pantyliners?
Pink Lemonade Shop offers various size cloth pads and shapes. If you prefer thong underwear then you can choose from an assortment of thong shaped cloth pads here. If you don't wear thong underwear and prefer the comfort of a regular, contour shaped pantyliner then you can shop our cloth pantyliners here.