Lyla Mae—August 4, 2024✓ Verified purchase
I've been working as a nurse in Women's Healthcare for the past 12 years and I have made it a goal to try all different kinds of menstrual products on the market to better advise my patients based on personal experience. I have tried just about everything, but I dragged my feet on trying the disc because it honestly seemed like the least appealing option. I feared that the removal would be difficult. I finally ended up trying a Flex Disposal Disc that came with the Flex Cup I bought a while back and I loved it SO MUCH that I ended up buying more! (I also bought the Flex Reusable Disc). These are a pretty decent price considering that each one lasts a full 12 hours for me with moderate flow. The material is a flexible, plastic that folds/bends for easy insertion. As the manufacturer claims, the benefit is that its less likely to alter your normal pH and bacteria growth than tampon material so it is a good option from a vaginal health standpoint. Also, the studies show that TSS is extremely rare with proper use (I couldn't find any data that a menstrual disc has ever lead to TSS, just a few rare cases from the cup). The dome part of the disc is like a durable plastic bag and it collapses to make insertion easier. The disposable discs don't have a notch like the reusable one, but I don't think the notch makes any difference for me personally and they are super easy to insert. INSERTION: the instructions that come with it are very detailed and helpful. No need to wash the reusable ones. Just open the package, bend the disc like a little taco and insert it like a tampon (through trial and error, I've found that a downward angle towards the tail bone places it properly without leaking). I have to use 2 hands to help keep it from opening while inserting, but even when it opens too early it doesn't hurt or impact anything. Just pinch it back closed and keep at it. Once it's in, I take my thumb on my left hand to push it up behind my pubic bone (the landmark is easy to find by doing it this way). WEAR: I wear these for my whole 12 hour busy/active shift, regardless of whether my flow is light or heavy, and I have NEVER experienced any leaks! If you bear down when you use the bathroom, just push it back behind your pubic bone after because it can move, but mostly this shouldn't be an issue. I don't feel the disc at all and I don't even think about my period for the whole 12 hours. REMOVAL: This was my biggest fear since I had A LOT of trouble with removing menstrual cups (not the Flex Cup). Just insert an index finger, hook it around the rim, and pull. So easy! I have also personally never had any mess. It is all contained in the disc. Then just discard it. CUP VS DISC: I loved my Flex Cup.. it definitely had a learning curve at first but the 12 hour wear and easy removal tab made it convenient, environmentally friendly, and comfortable. After I had my baby, it just never worked the same regardless of the cup size. It would leak and I ended up wearing a pad all day just in case which defeated the environmentally friendly part. The disc has all the same advantages as the cup, except there is no pull tab to worry about so it's more comfortable, insertion is more comfortable for me because of the discs flexibility and thin plastic, and I don't experience leaks anymore. REUSABLE VS DISPOSABLE: I'm not sure why, but the disposable discs are less likely to leak for me. Maybe it's because the plastic is more rigid than the silicone but I prefer these disposable ones when I know I NEED to have a leak free day (like when I work 12 hour shifts and am not guaranteed a bathroom break!). I know this is a long review, but if anyone is like me and dragging their feet about buying a disc, I want to be an advocate! This thing has changed the game for me, and I have tried it all. I wish I had tried it sooner because I can't imagine using anything else now. Hope this helps! Read more
mm—November 9, 2023✓ Verified purchase
FYI- this will be a descriptive review and may be TMI for some people... I have been curious about the period cups, but have been too nervous to try them. I've also read that the dyes that make them blue, purple, or pink are artificial and unsafe. The color used in these is from charcoal, so it's safe, and the reusable ones are colorless, if you want to go that route. In addition, I don't want to have to clean period blood out of a cup in a public restroom and boil it at home (yuck). Flex disposable disks are a different story. Take all of the upsides of tampons (versus pads or the ick factors of reusable menstrual cups) and multiply that by 100. To be honest, I have not tried reusable cups or discs, nor do I plan on it. Evidently, one must be aware of how high or low their cervix is, and other factors that I, personally, don't know how to determine. They are pricey and you don't know how they'll fit you, especially the cups, from what I've heard in reviews, such as Period Nirvana reviews on youtube. The suction aspect of cups seems complicated and the upkeep is more than I want to deal with. Enter flex disposable discs! Imagine that you could safely use a tampon for 12 hours at a time, whilst being able to use the bathroom without having to change your tampon. For those who hate the feel of pads or hate using overnight pads and STILL having leaks on undies, clothes, or sheets, I wholeheartedly suggest discs. I hate using pads overnight and have tried using incontinence underwear overnight because I somehow always leaked using extra long overnight pads. So I preferred using tampons, but due to the risk of TSS, I used to set an alarm for 4 am to change my tampon. This cycle, I started using the flex disposable discs and periods couldn't be easier. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY LEAKS and I'm a complete beginner in this kind of thing. As I mentioned, they self empty when you pee, or go #2. From reviews, I heard that if you didn't check your disc after using that bathroom, or even if you sneezed, leaks could happen and could be scary and intense. Since this is my first time using these, I've worn period underwear or pantyliners to be safe, but have not had any messy or gross problems. To be safe, I wash my hands after using the bathroom and use a clean finger (or thumb) to push the rim up behind my public bone to make sure it's in place and I won't leak. Period Nirvana suggests removing your disc in the shower if you're new to this alternative and to mentally prepare for the sight of blood, but I haven't had any problems; in fact, my period seems to be lighter than ever (I don't know if that's related to the disc or not). In terms of cramps, I read some amazing stories about debilitating cramps getting better with discs, and I'm happy to report that in my case, I only had one day of the most minimal cramps ever. Growing up, my school knew that I'd need to be absent at least one day every month because I'd be doubled over in pain. In summation, if you can use tampons (especially tampons with no applicator or the painful cardboard applicators) you can use disposable discs- I really believe you can do it! I've had times with Tampax pearl where the string comes off or the string is in backwards and I've completely panicked, but with a disc, you don't even need to put your entire finger in the find the rim. As for inserting, there's no complicated way of folding (like you do with a menstrual cup). I believe the flex reusable has a notch that needs to go in the front or the back in order to be leak proof, but with the disposable, simply pinch it in half (to make it like a tampon) and slide it in! It may even be smaller than some tampon applicators, but it's more comfortable that the best gliding tampons I've ever used. My favorite part is that before bed, I can put in a disc and not have to worry about Toxic Shock Syndrome. In a 24 hour day where I'd normally use AT LEAST 6 tampons (I use a new one every time I pee or take a shower, and use 2 during the night), I use 3 discs- in my early 30s, my flow can be heavy on day 2 or 3, I've been changing my disc during the day since I'm new to this, but I could probably just use 1 every 12 hours. I literally never thought I'd say this, but I'm never going back to tampons. Read more
