Hello Disc Review

Image description: The Hello Disc from three different angles

Background

I’ve been enthusiastic about menstrual cups since finally trying them for the first time eight cycles ago. They’ve changed the experience of my periods from being a scourge to something I, astonishingly, nearly anticipate. I’ve watched hours of videos (how to choose, troubleshooting, reviews, comedy #shorts), my friends and siblings know how I feel about them, and I joined forums to talk about them with strangers too. I wouldn’t normally graze the word ‘convert’ but it applies here 🙂

Addressing Cup Issues

My ardour has not been blunted by glitches, a blooper, and a literal bump.

Cervix Height

My cervix height is on the border of high and the typical cup shape doesn’t give me a grippable area when it has wandered up. One morning it kept slipping out of pinchable reach and I had to call my partner in for an unexpected scene combining stress tears and laughter. Switching from the Organicup to Luneale kept this from becoming a repeat issue despite the two cups being the same dimensions. The graspable bar at the bottom of the Luneale cup made the difference.

Sensitivities

I couldn’t get over the feeling of being stabbed by the stem of my cup and the nub of it after I trimmed it. Turning the Organicup inside out didn’t help either since it’s not firm enough to not deform when inside out. The stemless Luneale cup has been trouble-free in terms of having no protrusions and no outward pressure, although I have had one day so far where my cervix was possibly lower and I felt suction or contact cramping.

Suction Holes and Leaking

One issue with the Luneale cup is its miniscule suction holes which clog up more easily and may be the cause of occasional leaks. Even so many cycles later I still have off days.

Capacity

The disc has more than two times the capacity of my cup so it should be convenient to have potentially 8–10 hours before needing to empty it on a heavy day. I’m not entirely certain though that a full disc won’t be a key ingredient in catapulting a horror scene across my bathroom if I make a false move.

Disc Hopes

I’m hoping the Hello Disc will evade reach issues, poking and pressure discomfort, and the fussiness of suction-related deployment. The higher capacity will be welcome despite forecasting low-luck scenarios.

Image description: The Hello Disc next to the Luneale cup

Hello Disc Data

Cost	$49.95 NZD + international shipping $32.99 USD + U.S. shipping
Diameter	68mm
Capacity	50ml
Firmness	3/5

First Impressions or Surprises

The basin is shiny and delicate in material thickness, it folds easily, and it looks about 25% smaller in real life than it does in photos and videos 🙂

First Cycle with the Hello Disc

Insertion and Tab Positions

It took me four tries on the first day before I could figure out how to insert it one-handed. The first try, the flipped tab undid itself and became dropped, which was specifically not comfortable. The tab in its flipped position also has a distinct feeling and I ended up trimming one loop off on the second day. Keeping the tab tucked was the only position where it didn’t announce its presence. Even when pushing the disc as far back as possible in the vaginal fornix, I can’t seem to find an angle where it doesn’t feel too large a diameter with pressure against the rectum or so that there is not rim contact with my cervix, which gave me fatiguing cramps.

Auto-Dumping or Self-Emptying

I didn’t auto-dump while peeing but it did empty while I was having a bowel movement. The rim pressed against my rectum in a way that bordered on painful so I’ll remove the disc in the future before pooping. The disc popped back into place by itself afterwards. I don’t feel bladder pressure, but my urine flow is lightly constricted.

Removal

With the tab dropped, it was a cinch to remove. However, I’ll never wear the disc that way because of the constant sensation of it. Removing the disc with the tab flipped was also easy, pulling first from the lower loop and then hooking into the upper loop after it became reachable. Removing the disc with the tab tucked took some fiddling with to get a good angle to hook into. I basically had to reposition the tab to be dropped. On the second day, after a night of bleeding, and struggling to find the tucked tab which had rotated a bit, I experienced exactly my imagined disaster catapult and had to clean light splatter from the wall behind the toilet, the toilet lid, and the upper part of the ceramic bowl. I also need to figure out a slow removal angle so I don’t irritate my urethral opening which gave me a UTI feeling since the disc comes out large and unsqueezed.

Overview

I may need more practice with placement because the disc seems to be brushing my cervix or otherwise making its presence known with pressure against the rectum. I was uncertain about the one-size aspect of the disc and I do seem to fall out of the comfort zone of the ‘fits most’ range. I am glad that the basin is not as deep compared with other discs. A friend using the Lumma Medium said the disc painfully scraped her cervix on removal, so at least that worry was not realised. I incidentally wear my cup high, also in the vaginal fornix, where most of it sits above my pubic bone. I didn’t think the disc completely above my public bone would be taller than my cup, but without further adjustments the disc seems ever detectable.

Of the positives not already mentioned, there have been no leaks and I feel confident with each insertion that the disc is securely in place. It’s been a mixed experience and I am not yet certain if leak-free security will override the apparent size incompatibility.

I was excited to support the Hello Disc and I appreciate all the care and craft Kim Rosas and the Hello team put into it. I’d definitely be curious to try a smaller version (maybe 55mm) if one came out in the future.

Quicker Overview

🍀 Easy to remove if the tab is not tucked + untrimmed
💔 Occasional cervix contact
💔 Tab detectable if not tucked
💔 Possibly too big for me
🍀 Disc is easy to clean
🍀 No leaks
🍀 No need-to-pee feeling
🍀 High capacity
🍀 Easy to insert with confidence