I am often asked about using menstrual cups with heavy periods. Being able to trust your period protection is so important and I completely get it. So, can you use a menstrual cup with a heavy flow? The short answer is yes, but it may not be quite as simple as grabbing any random cup if you hope to maximize wear time and minimize leaks.
Know Your Flow
Though many who are cup-curious feel they have a heavy period most say they soon learned they don’t bleed as much as their tampons or pads may have implied. Part of this is because of the way that tampons and pads soak up blood (think spilled milk). The average menstrual fluid released each cycle is only around 30-60 ml (or 2-4 tablespoons) — shocking, we know. Keep in mind that this is an average and by no means a rule. There are those who bleed much less and much, much more.
Heavy menstrual bleeding can impact your quality of life in a way that most can never fully understand, myself included. In order to do this justice, we decided to go head-to-head… or vag-to-vag… with our heavy bleeding pal, Jen, and find out how much menstrual blood we really lose.
We each used a menstrual cup to measure our flow for one full cycle. Both I and Kim came in around 18 ml (a bit more than a tablespoon) while Jen poured out 225 ml (or nearly a cup). That’s 4-8x the “average” amount of blood loss!
It’s hard to imagine keeping up with day-to-day activities with such a heavy menstrual flow — and it was. That is until Jen finally found her perfect period care combination to make her periods livable. We’ve also teamed up with the maker of the best menstrual cup for Jen (spoiler: Super Jennie is her favorite) and period underwear brand EvaWear to make this video possible.
Using Menstrual Cups With Heavy Periods
As you may have seen, Jen made the switch from a Diva Cup (30 ml capacity) and cloth pads to the high capacity cup from Super Jennie (41 ml capacity) after taking our menstrual cup quiz. She also uses period underwear for added protection and comfortable, worry-free backup.
If you experience heavy periods I suggest looking at our Menstrual Cup Comparison Chart to find cups with the highest capacity. Even though the Super Jennie is what Jen uses, it may not be the right cup for you. There are cups with higher capacities, different shapes, firmness, size, and other features that may provide you with a better fit and comfort.
We understand it can be extremely difficult to manage periods of this magnitude but if anything is capable of aiding it — it’s a menstrual cup! Most cups hold at least 25 ml (which is still a lot more than a super tampon) but there are many cups on the market now that hold 40+ and even some as high as 50 ml.
Jen has finally reached the cherished status of #periodnirvanaThat’s when you forget you’re on your period thanks to a cup!
Will A Menstrual Cup Work For Clots?
Clots are essentially bits of the lining of the uterus and blood that come out as a normal part of your period. They may look sort of like a blog of jelly-like material and vary in size. Menstrual cups can catch clots and continue to work as intended. That said, if you notice that you are overflowing a high capacity cup in a short period of time or notice clots that are very large or unusual for you, please check in with your doctor. Menorrhagia (abnormally heavy menstrual bleeding) can have other health impacts, so it’s important to communicate what you’re experiencing with a healthcare provider that you trust to listen to you.
What About Using Menstrual Discs With Heavy Periods?
Reusable menstrual discs weren’t really a thing when this was made (way back in 2017), so the absence of them in the video is an honest byproduct, I swear! But the answer is that, yes, discs are a great option, too! Some people find that they work very well for a low cervix (smaller discs) but also for a high cervix (larger discs — which will also have a higher capacity.) Insertion of a disc is a little bit different than a cup since they sit in the vagin* little bit differently, but overall they function similarly.
Two of my favorites are the discs from Cora and Saalt. They are a great size for most people, but you can always take The Disc Quiz to see what works best for your needs, and also compare all of the options on our Menstrual Disc Comparison Chart.
Last But Not Least
I’d like to thank Super Jennie and EvaWear for helping us make this video possible. When we decided to make a video about heavy periods it only made sense to partner with Super Jennie. We even filmed the video before they signed on to sponsor so all brand mentions are 100% organic. We didn’t know they have a sister brand that makes affordable period underwear so check those out of you need something for back up or just want to wear them in anticipation of your period!
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62 Responses
I am a heavy bleeder as well. My first three days always overflow pads and now the cup all day and night. It’s a mess and annoying. Previously, tampons would simply overflow and come out. Using the cup in a public restroom on my first three days is always equal amounts gross, slightly horrifying, and hilarious. I do love the cup and my last four days are always great and easy with the cup. My first three days I just have to wear a pad with the cup and take extra time in the bathroom.. It took a while to get used to the cup, but then it has taken 20 years to get used to my period!
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I have a diva cup. I tried it didn’t really like it that much put it way for a while. I am now 14 months postpartum. After this baby my flows have been even heavier, I didnt know this was possible. I don’t want to leave my house because its gushy and messy. I decided to try the diva again. It instantly gave me cramps. I gave it 2.5 hours, and couldn’t take it and more so I went to take it out and it was completely full and over flowing. I definitely bleed more then a tbsp in the whole 8 days I’m blessed😒
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When I read that an average period was 2 -4 tablespoons for a full cycle my jaw hit the floor. The first two days of my period or incredibly chunky and plentiful, I pretty much have to change a heavy flow pad every hour and a half or I bleed right through it. Wow.
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I’ve noticed since I started using the diva cup 1 that my periods are getting longer and longer is this normal I went from three four days to now thirteen it can’t be the cup right
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I have a super heavy flow just like Jen. On average I leak from 220 ml to 250 ml. My first cup was Yukki L Soft (I bought it 9 months ago), but it doesn’t seem to work for me. It seems I have a dangly cervix (medium-high), so it leaks when it’s half full…and it’s so annoying! Also, I think it might be too soft for my pelvic floor muscles.
Now I’m considering buying another one, different shape and firmness, possibly larger.
Merula XL is probably the best choice for me.
Please, let me know if you have a similar problem and I would be grateful for any advice regarding solving this issue of mine.Reply
Toward the end of perimenopause, I picked up one of the largest cups I could find because I was still having trouble filling them too rapidly, having spillage, ruining upholstery…that issue trebled when I got a pulmonary embolism as a result of being put on a certain type of birth control to help control the menorrhagia…and the drs put me on blood thinners! Super Jennie filled up rapidly, and I was to the point where I was having trouble leaving the house.
All that said, at some point, the drs acknowledged unusually heavy flow and I got to explore options. Due to fibroids, ablation was out, and the hysterectomy was life-threatening…so I got an IUD. It was meant to be a stopgap, but all of a sudden, things got very manageable.
That said, Super Jennie helped me in that in between gap–but if you’re filling that up more than once a day, please get checked out!
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Oh, heavy flow people, you are my tribe! I’ve tried the Super Jennie (loved it but switched, read on) and Merula XL that is even larger but SO FIRM I can barely stand to take it out. At the moment, I’m enamored with the Pixie cup, which I found on Amazon after my Super Jennie miraculously disappeared. The Pixie is cheap and they donate one to a woman in need with every purchase, but that’s not why I’m singing its praises. It is COMFORTABLE and holds A LOT. I swear it holds more than the Super Jennie, which is weird because its capacity isn’t supposed to be larger. Maybe its the shape and how it works my body. I don’t know, but I seriously love that thing. The comfortable factor is HUGE, as I fill up 20 or more cups per cycle (even on Super Jennie) so the insertion/removal thing can actually get painful 8-10x/day if the cup isn’t comfortable. (I get iron infusions for the anemia.) I’m 48 and menopause can’t come soon enough, as I’m not a candidate for other solutions. Anyway, if you’re unhappy with your current cup I can’t recommend the Pixie cup highly enough!!!
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I got the Merula XL which has the highest capacity on the chart and I still overfill it within 4 hours on my heavy day.
I’ve started using Softcups and autodumping to avoid having to mess with a cup while at work but I have to do that so many times on those days.
My period is exhausting me.
I don’t know what else I can do.Reply
Just starting to look into trying menstrual cup. I have been taking tranexamic acid to control my bleeding (after a trip to ER from a depleting flow and discovery of a fibroid contributing), and it does wonders! Thought I would share in case anyone else could benefit from the info. Thanks for all of the tips and considerations shared in this forum.
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I’m at work, so I can’t watch videos. Unclear if these are disposable or reusable like the diva.
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I have fibroids, which contribute to the excessive bleeding.
Natural (non-synthetic) YARROW ROOT and Magnesium Glycinate has been the only combo that has reduced my extremely heavy flow. I used to go through an ultra tampon every hour, which was unreasonable.
It has to be the natural yarrow plant and organic (not inorganic/synthetic) version of the Magnesium Glycinate mineral though.
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I love the flexibility of Saalt cups, as on heavy days I was having to empty my cup every 20-30 minutes to avoid leaks. I lose about 800 mL every cycle. The downside of the Saalt flexibility is that I don’t find it super leakproof during high impact athletic activity (I’m sporty and just can’t make it work on heavy days).
I just want to repeat what was written by the author, that extreme bleeding can have other health impacts so management may not be all you should consider if you’re like me. I opted for an IUD because chronic anemia from years of excessive bleeding started damaging my bone marrow health. Now when I have to change my pad every four hours, I regret not improving my quality of life sooner. And not knowing that I didn’t have to stay home for three days a month because of my crazy flow that doctors said was no big deal. Grrr!
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