The Mooncup Conundrum

There was something else not touched on in the hospital's literature on the Suburethral Sling (TVT) procedure .

The Mooncup question.

After a TVT procedure you have to embrace abstinence and, additionally, are not allowed to use tampons for 4-6 weeks. But what about a Mooncup?

A Mooncup - or Divacup for all those 100s of US readers I have now I am on my 3rd post - is a woman/environment friendly alternative to traditional disposable sanitary products. It is a silicone cup that sits just inside you and collects that fluid which in TV commercials is always a nice, non-threatening, pale blue colour. Now because it does sit so low in the body I wondered if I would still be ok to use mine. I haven't worn an external pad since I was a teenager and did not relish the prospect, not even for just one month, not one little bit. 

So.... I asked the nurse. Correction I asked the Gynaecology nurse. 

Me: "I don't use tampons, I use a Mooncup, would I be alright using that?"

Her: "What's that?"

Me: "It is a silicone cup, it is an alternative...." - you get the picture...see above...

Her: "Never heard of one, are they new?"

Me: "No, the idea has been about since the 1930's, though then they were made of rubber."

Her: "Oh, you learn something new every day."

Outcome? The Gynae nurse learned something new and hopefully went away and did a bit of research. The patient didn't and had to use pads.

Is it unreasonable to expect a healthcare professional, working in the Department of Female Plumbing, to au fait with all the types of sanitary protection on the market? - Discuss.