Put A Cup In It

Troubleshooting Menstrual Cup Leaks

Your menstrual cup leaking can be incredibly frustrating and finding yourself with a ruined pair of underwear… or worse, is never a fun surprise. Equally frustrating is not knowing why the cup is leaking and how to fix it. We receive a staggering number of messages asking for help troubleshooting leaks. The thing about leaking cups is that the cause can be hard to pinpoint or be from multiple causes, making this particular issue impossible to address succinctly. This video embedded below will address different leaks and possible solutions. 

General Menstrual Cup Leak Tips

If you’re just getting started with your menstrual cup leaks are sometimes part of the learning curve. This video is for those who have been trying for more than a few cycles and still can’t stop the leaks. If you’re new to the cup and having leaks our best advice is to try other menstrual cup folds and different positions of insertion and give yourself time to work the kinks out. We also have a Troubleshooting Menstrual Cup Leaks Quiz that will walk through a variety of questions specific to the fit of your cup and the leaks you are experiencing. Keep in mind that leaks aren’t uncommon in the first 2-3 cycles as you get to know your cup and your body. As you’re learning it’s best to use backup protection like period underwear or liners. We promise– for most these annoying leaks are fixed with practice!

Text drawing that reads "practice makes perfect" with a menstrual cup with a red heart inside

Cause 1: The cup isn’t open all the way

Since you fold the cup to insert it stands to reason that if the cup doesn’t open fully, there will be leaks. Since you can’t see what’s happening inside the best way to figure out if the cup is open is to run a finger around the cup to feel for any dents, but even this isn’t always a good indicator. If you’re finding that your cup isn’t opening you can try these options:

Illustration of a menstrual cup inside the vagina. The cup is not fully open, allowing blood to leak past the cup.

Try the punchdown or labia fold and push the base up while inserting.

Insert a finger and push against the vaginal wall to give the rim space to unfold

If neither option works, you may just need a firmer cup or a smaller diameter cup. Firmer cups have an easier time opening inside without as much digital assistance as some softer cups. If you believe it’s an issue of the cup being too wide, then you will want to look into a narrower diameter cup.

Image of a person holding a clear cube with a cup in it and pressing a finger alongside the cup as if in a vaginal canal.

Cause 2: The cup isn’t sitting under the cervix

Because every body is different the angle that you insert your cup can make or break how leak free your experience is, especially for those with a tilted cervix. In some cases the cup angle and the cervix don’t play well, meaning some or none of the flow is collected by the cup. Extremely tilted cervixes can be bypassed completely so if your cup is empty when you remove it and you experience huge leaks this is a likely culprit.

To solve this first locate your cervix if you can reach it, then when inserting your cup be sure you keep the placement in mind and the cup is sealed to the vaginal walls and below the cervix (or if you have a lower cervix, be sure that it’s dipping inside the cup.)

Related: How to Find and Measure Your Cervix

Illustration of a menstrual cup inside the vagina. The cup slides up to the side of the cervix, showing how leaking is possible from incorrect placement.

Cause 3: Overflowing your cup

If you have a very heavy flow there is a possibility your leaks are caused by your cup running over… once the cup is full the blood will find a way to bypass the seal. Even though the ads for cups show liquid building inside a tube above the rim, this isn’t how to really works in a squishy vagina and also, the idea of that space filling infinitely and backflowing does make us giggle a bit (and the idea sparked a very time consuming gag, seen below). If you find your cup can’t keep up with your heavy flow there are brands that make what are considered “high capacity.” Average cups hold about 30 ml but there are cups that can hold 40-50 ml and this can make all the difference for someone racing to dump their cup before springing a leak.

Related: High Capacity Menstrual Cups 

Funny illustration of a female outline filling with blood from an overflowing cup (this cannot happen!)

Cause 4: Low Cervix Capacity

If you have a low cervix that dips into your cup it can mean you have less capacity, and if so, may overfill and leak. Same ideas apply to our last tip except you also have to work around having a low cervix which reduces your options of cups significantly. The Merula One Size is the highest capacity cup for a low cervix, and the hard to find new higher capacity Formoonsa may be an option. Otherwise, depending on how low your cervix is, a higher capacity reusable disc could also be used. A heavy flow and a low cervix is the worst possible combo for cup users. It just plain sucks but there are some who have found a way to make it work.

Illustration of a menstrual cup inside the vagina. The cup overfills and leaks.

 

Cause 5: No reason for leaking leaks

The leaks that happen despite all of your best efforts and troubleshooting are by far the most frustrating leaks. You’ve checked everything and still you find yourself needing back up.

These mystery leaks are hard to pinpoint but here are a few ideas for addressing the invisible problem.

Try beating your period. Insert your cup before your period begins. If you track your cycles and have a regular period this is pretty easy. If you’re like me and guess when you’re going to start you may have mixed success. By inserting the cup before your period ever begins you catch every drop and never allow the vaginal walls to get coated with menstrual blood. For some reason this has helped prevent leaks.

Try “bearing down” with your vaginal muscles while inserting the cup. Once the cup is placed comfortably as high as it can go, release your muscles and this can help the cup stay in place and seal for a better result. This tip also helps it stay in place for those who find the cup slips down during wear. It’s a two-fer.

Try another cup or product. While this isn’t our favorite advice to give sometimes you can troubleshoot your cup to perfection and it’s not working for a mysterious reason even when all signs indicate it should be working for you. Some people just aren’t made to work with cups no matter what they try. Reusable Menstrual Discs are a possible solution, I happen to have a leak free and comfortable experience with the Nixit and Lumma Unique discs. You can also try cups with a more unique shape- the Femmycycle has a unique rim that has been a lifesaver for some cup users who had no success with bullet shaped cups. Investing in multiple products can be frustrating- we do have a Buy/Sell/Trade for our group members if you’re comfortable with that concept which allows you to try other reusable products for less than retail or trade.

You can use our many resources, such as our comparison chart, to help find a cup that fits you perfectly. Our menstrual cup quiz is helpful but if your result isn’t perfect those resources can help narrow your options down even further.

We also encourage those struggling with menstrual cup leaks to seek help in our private group, this is precisely what it was designed for since we can’t address each and every message we get asking for help. Click this link and answer all three questions to join or search Put A Cup In It Community on Facebook.

17 Responses

  1. I only seem to get get leaks overnight, never during the day. I empty before bed, and reinsert, I know its popped because I can feel it and I do everything the same as I would for during the day time. I cant figure it out. Help 😅

    1. I’ve been recommended the lily cup but I’m not sure whether to get ‘a’ or ‘b’. I thought ‘a’ as I haven’t given birth but I have a heavy flow, so I’m thinking ‘b’. Confused.

  2. I just started using cups again after dropping my old lily cup in the toilet. I have i have the saalt soft cup, and I had no leaking today but when I took it out there was blood on the outside and barely any inside… Maybe when releasing the suction and removing it some spilled out? I guess we shall see if I have the same issue in the morning. Really hoping I like the Saalt Soft…

  3. Mine worked perfectly for the first day, then all of a sudden… Leaks… I’ve been told practice makes perfect though ..

  4. I love your video. Very, very informative. I am not a cup user but I am thinking about trying it. I think it is very important for every woman to get to know her body and be familiar with all the issues regarding the menstrual cycles. I was thinking to get Lily Cup by Intimina. I saw you had a Ziggy cup, which is actually a disk. I might try the both at the end 🙂

  5. I have a question has anyone had a problem with their cup fitting weird toward the end of their period?? The first couple days it seemed to fit perfectly then BAM I’m at work and I felt like it was going to pop out the whole day.

    1. Your cervix moves according to your menstrual cycle. Maybe it gets lower during the last days of your period?

  6. I only get leaks on the second day, consistently no matter how it goes in and feels sealed. How can i combat that? I feel like ive tried everything and every month the second day of my period is a hell of battling with my cup.

  7. Hi , It’ been quite a time since i use a menstrual cup . I am sure the cup opens properly and a vaccum is created . But even after that i experience leakage after wearing the cup for around 5 hours even if the cup is half filled . I am irritated with this problem. Please help .

    1. Hey, I experienced the same. It might be because your cervix is dipping inside the cup and the cup capacity decreases. This might cause overflow.

  8. I have the saalt cup in the larger size and i dont have any leaking at the beginning and end of my cycle but when my flow is heavy during the middle of my cycle I always have leaking. I have been using this cup for a 4 months now and I cant seem to stop the leaking. Please help.

  9. Hi. I have average cervix, but my cervix is dipping inside my menstrual cup. Medium size cups fits perfectly, but the capacity becomes less and it overflow easily. Should I use a cup with bigger diameter? What should I do?

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