Don’t pull on the stem!
The purpose of the stem is to help you locate the base of the cup!
Find the stem and then move your fingers upward until you reach the base of the cup. Grab the base, squeeze it with your fingers to release the vacuum, and by slowly squiggling and pulling, remove the cup from the vagina.
Pulling the stem makes it more difficult to remove the cup – it intensifies the vacuum inside the cup and makes the cup stay more tightly in its place.
So, pulling from the stem is not a good idea!
If you find removing the cup difficult, grab the stem lightly (but do not pull!) and simultaneously push the cup downward with your pelvic floor muscles as you would when doing your business on the toilet. This allows the cup to move lower in the vagina, making it easier to remove it! ?
Remember never to grab the stem with your nails. The stem endures pulling very well, but a fracture will impair the stem’s pull-out strength and the stem might break off.