• Wash hands, pinch the disc into a figure 8, insert down and back toward your tailbone, then tuck the front rim up behind your pubic bone
• A menstrual disc sits in the vaginal fornix (the wider space below your cervix), not in the vaginal canal. Once it's in correctly, you shouldn't feel it
• Sanitize your menstrual disc by boiling it for five to seven minutes before first use and between cycles
• Cora's Perfect Fit Disc has a patented finger groove for easy insertion and removal

To insert a menstrual disc, wash your hands first, then pinch the disc in the middle so it looks like a figure 8. Pick a comfortable position (sitting on the toilet, squatting, or one foot up on the seat all work), and angle the back rim down and back toward your tailbone, not straight up.

Push it as far back as it'll comfortably go, then use your index finger to tuck the front rim up and behind your pubic bone. That tuck is what holds the whole thing in place. A properly placed disc sits in the vaginal fornix, the wider space just below the cervix, instead of the canal, which is why once it's in, you shouldn't really feel it.

At Cora, our Perfect Fit Disc features a patented finger groove on the front rim, giving you something to actually hook onto when you're ready to take it out.

A few common first-timer hiccups and how to handle them:

• Is it leaking right away? The front rim probably isn't tucked up far enough. Re-tuck behind your pubic bone and try again.
• Can you still feel it? It's likely sitting too low. Push it back a bit farther.
• Does your menstrual disc insertion feel awkward? Relax your pelvic floor, take a few deep breaths, and try squatting in the shower. A lot of first-timers find that position easiest.
• Having trouble reaching your menstrual disc for removal? Stand up and walk around for a few minutes so gravity helps. Bear down gently (like you're having a bowel movement), then hook a finger under the rim and tip it out slowly.

Most people get the hang of a menstrual disc or cup within two or three cycles. The learning curve is real, but typically short.

• Wash your hands, pinch your menstrual disc into a figure 8 shape, insert it toward your tailbone, and tuck the front rim behind your pubic bone.
• Discs sit in the vaginal fornix, not the canal, so a properly placed disc shouldn't be noticeable.
• Cora's Perfect Fit Disc has a finger groove that makes removal way less of a fight.

Sources:

Vagina: Anatomy, Function, Conditions & What's Normal | Cleveland Clinic

Menstrual Cup Use, Leakage, Acceptability, Safety, and Availability: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | The Lancet Public Health