Hi! I have been using a cup for almost 2 years now and it’s honestly the best. I have tried a few and am currently using the June cup, which is super affordable right now due to them selling it at cost for those struggling financially with Covid! I suggest starting out with a smaller size. A lot of companies will size you by if you’ve given birth or not, which I don’t really find to be true. You can always size up after you’ve had some experience, and sometimes is kind of nice to have two options on hand.
It definitely takes some time getting used to working with it, but once you do, I actually forget I’m on my period sometimes (now if I could get rid of the other symptoms đ). I rinse and wash it with a gentle soap (I use Dr. Bronner’s but there are other specific cup washes out there) between uses and boil it between periods. I will also occasionally use This Is L pantyliners with it if I feel I haven’t secured it properly which adds another layer of protection. They can stay in there for up to 12 hours, so it’s a great option if you are on the go kinda gal, and for overnight!
TBH tampons really dried me out and I would feel discomfort for up to a week after my period ended but that doesn’t happen with the cup. I switched to the cup to be more eco-friendly, but I have found the overall happiness of my vaheen to be sooo much better.
Related: I have a copper IUD/paraguard and have heard horror stories about people dislodging theirs with a cup, so I am extra careful when I take it out. Instead of pulling it out by the “thread” (not sure what to call it), I pinch the bottom of the cup so the suction breaks before I even move it. It doesn’t interfere with the strings at all, either.
I hope this helps!