reusable menstrual cups (diva cup)
 

I just bought a reusable menstrual cup to give to a friend for her birthday, and it occurred to me to check if any ladies here at the TFP had heard of them. I did a search but only found the one thread where I had mentioned them myself.

I've been using a reusable menstrual cup for about two years now. I started with the Keeper, which is a natural gum rubber kind, and then when I heard about the Divacup (about a year later), I switched to that to give it a try (there was nothing wrong with my Keeper). Both are great. I can say without hesitation that switching to a cup was a good decision all around. You can read the websites about them for official information, but here's a little summary of why they rock:

1) You can leave them in for up to 12 hours (depending on how heavy your flow is) with no fear of TSS because they aren't full of chemicals the way tampons are.

2) They don't mess with your natural chemistry by sucking up all your moisture the way tampons do because they don't absorb - they just catch.

3) They save you lots of $ money $ because they cost about $35 each (I think the Divacup is slightly cheaper than the Keeper) and are reusable for up to 10 years. I imagine the Keeper might need to be replaced slightly more often than the Divacup because of color/odor changes since it's natural rubber, but the one I've had for two years is still in pretty much the same condition.

4) They're eco-friendly because you never throw anything away. You just flush your blood away and rinse the cup out with soapy water - that doesn't take any longer than washing your hands, and I've never had to clean mine out in a public restroom because it stays in up to 12 hours. Imagine how many pads and tampons you can prevent from going into landfills every month.

5) You don't have to carry stuff around with you the whole time you have your period and you never have to borrow supplies from friends and strangers. Once it's in you, you already have it and you never have to experience the embarrassment of asking your boss' wife for a tampon at that fancy business dinner ever again.

6) You don't even have to take them out and clean them every time you use the bathroom; you only take them one when it's time to empty. They're also very comfortable - I pretty much forget I have mine in during the hours between emptying it.

I can't really emphasize enough how much my life has changed since I started using one. So has anybody here used one before? Any questions?

how do they stay in? and do they catch EVERYTHING? I've never been able to figure that out.

I could have sworn we had a similar topic here, but i'll be darned if i can't find it...

One of the bonuses with these things is that you can have sex witht hem in..

From what I've seen of them, they look like diaphrams...

Interesting. Tell us more:)

You can have sex with them in??? :thumbsup: DEFINITELY tell us more!

Do they ever come unattached when least expected, with a corresponding mess?

I've never put a diaphragm in, so I haven't the least idea of how to insert one of these things properly.

Mal, the thread you're thinking of is the one about Instead menstrual cups. Those are a different kind; those are disposable so and work a different way. The Keeper and the Divacup are much bigger (they hold about an ounce of fluid and the top is about 1"-1.5" in diameter) and they sit at the base of your vagina instead of up over your cervix. You sort of fold it in half over itself to make it more the size of a tampon to slip it in, and then it just pops open and sits there. So it catches everything and it never accidentally pops out. (I even tried once and could only get it partly out, but it didn't fall out or leak.) The only time I've ever had leaks were when I left them in for WAY too long on my heavy days. If there's more than an ounce or so and you wiggle around too much, they can sort of slide up in your stuff and leak a little. But even then, I've never leaked enough to soak all the way through my panties AND my pants. It's usually just like spotting when that happens. I didn't have a leak for the first year and a half of using one. I only started having leaks recently because I became careless about emptying the cup since I trust it so much... I really do forget I have my period once it's in there!

The important thing to remember about all of these menstrual cups is that they are not meant to be used for contraception. None of them are. But I guess one downside to the reusable kind is that you can't have them in at all while you're having sex (that would probably hurt a lot since their hard rubbery things), so they're like tampons and pads in that respect - you have to take them out and deal with all the blood if you want to have sex. I don't really know much about Instead, but that other thread says that you can at least leave it in if not trust it as contraception. Either way, I find that to be a very minor downside. I used to have to run to the bathroom before sex to throw away my pad or tampon anyway. I just take the cup out, rinse it and wrap it in toilet paper or tissue until it's time to put it back in.

As for inserting it, it did take me about 3 months to become really comfortable with the process. It's kind of like learning to use a tampon all over again. (Except without your mom/sister/best friend sitting on the other side of the door giving you tips while you cry in the bathroom. It's a little easier than that.) Still, in my opinion, totally worth the effort.

I've never used the Divacup or the Keeper, but I have used the Instead cup and had sex with it in. On the website, it talks about how sex and the Instead cup work. It didn't feel any different to me and dirtyrascal7 couldn't tell I had anything inside me either. I like them, they are a lot more comfortable and convenient than tampons or pads.

That's really interesting information, Supple Cow. I hate using tampons because, for some reason, they seem to make my cramps worse (I already suffer from agonzing cramps, even on bc) and I have really heavy periods. Do the reusable cups still work well with heavy flow? If you do have cramps, do they make any difference as to the intensity? I'd be interested to find out.

Looked at all the websites, and just ordered the little $2.99 sample kit of Instead. The reusable cups looked really cool too, but I want to see how the sex goes first with these giant donut thingies. Will report back in... 3 weeks. :)

Snowy, it's pretty possible that your cramps are worse with tampons because of all that absorbing and the chemicals. My cramps aren't any worse with the Divacup or Keeper, but I guess sometimes taking it out and putting it back in is less pleasant if I'm already having really bad cramps. Then again, I never even thought about it until you asked; I'd say that kind of discomfort is negligible. If anything, my periods have gotten more pleasant in general since I've started using a reusable cup.

Instead sounds like a good thing to use for period sex... maybe I'll try that when I start having sex again. They're expensive, but that's pretty much offset by the fact that I already use the Divacup for when I'm not having sex. Thanks for the tip, greeneyes.

I think maybe in a couple years I would be comfortable enough to use these...But they definitely sound like a nice idea...12 hours, and they last for 10 years. Good point about saving land fills. That's really nice.
I've actually seen one, I believe, and they look almost like mesh? Maybe that was a diaphram. :p
Hmm, I'll have to ask my mom what she's heard about them. I'm sure she's got a lot of patients that would like that, and she works across from a high school.

I ordered some of these a while back, but I can't bring myself to use them. they look really really intimidating straight out of the package. I keep hearing only positive things about them tho, so maybe someday.

:hmm: what the hell...?

never even heard of them...they look scary...that HUGE thing inside me all day? I can't stand even tampons, only for swimming...nope, don't think I'll be trying them! :eek:

also, don't they leak? and sex with them in? sounds like a recipe for disaster...

I can't stand the sight of my own blood... I can't imagine collecting it for 12 hours or so....

In my experience, there really hasn't been that much blood in there, even on my heavy days.

I know they look huge, but they are really flexible. To insert, you just squeeze the sides together and it slims down to the size of small tampon. On the inside, it conforms to your shape so it's never just the huge circle inside of you.

Thanks for all the interesting info! I had NO idea that tampons contributed to the dryness, etc. And I really don't mind the idea of having to remove the reusable one before the booty - I've been with Quadro so damned long, he's willing to wait a couple minutes. :) I've never even heard of them - and before this new birth control I'm on, I would never have imagined using them!!
I'm on the Nuva Ring - just started a week ago. Thoughts? It's a flexible ring that you leave internally, never feel it, for 3 weeks at a time, and you're off the 4th week to get your cycle.

I've been thinking about getting a reusable catcher, but I didn't know which to get.

Supple_Cow, you reccomend the Diva Cup over the Keeper, right? Does anyone think otherwise?

Another question - where the heck do you get them????

Yup, I recommend the Diva Cup over the Keeper... mostly because it's a couple of bucks cheaper and you don't have to trim down the little nub that helps you pull it out - it's usable the way it comes. Also, the Keeper sort of has a smell because it's natural gum rubber. It's not necessarily bad, but the Diva Cup is mostly odorless. You can get them online from the sites I linked in my first post, but I also think that www.keeper.com has links to both the Diva Cup and Keeper websites. If you want to get them at a store, there's a locater on the websites as well.

Yay for progressive menstrual contraptions! :)

IIRC, there's also one called the moon cup.

I have never heard of these. Might be something worth looking into. Of course, I'd rather just not get my period at all, but that won't happen for quite some time.

Thanks flamingpeach, I didn't know about the Mooncup. I just looked it up and it looks a lot like the Divacup (same material) but with the longer stem that needs to be trimmed down (like the Keeper). It's also in the UK (the Divacup and Keeper are both in Canada and the US), so that's probably a better choice for women closer to the UK than the US/Canada. I'm not up on my exchange rates so I don't know how much 17.99 (18.99 for outside the UK) pounds compares to the ~35 USD.

Oh. my. God. Supple Cow (and TFP, too, since I'm a newbie!), you have just totally made my day with this information. I *have* to try these products. How come I've never heard of these before??? I must be totally out of it... My period is going to start any time now. I'll have to go to their websites to see if they can FedEx delivery! ;)

YAY! You didn't already know about them because they are still too icky for the mainstream. My older sisters just make a "yuck" face and call me a tree hugger when I suggest they get a Divacup. *sigh*

Anyway, more reason for me to spread the gospel through every channel available...

Well, SC, per my other thread about my climbing trip, my climbing trip was cancelled today but I did go get a diva cup and yup, I love it! Little bit wierd figuring it out, but I've had no problems inserting it and taking it out. I think it's just about the best thing ever- tho when I pulled it out the first time I was kinda like "yuk!" but hey, blood is blood. Martel said that I make better faces putting the Diva Cup in than I do putting in a tampon! Thanks for pointing me to this great thing! :)

ps- I loved the fact you got a lapel pin with your purchase!

WOOHOO!!!! Another certified Diva with a lapel pin to prove it. :D

Supple Cow, I PM'd you with a question about the Divacup. Reply when you have a chance! Thanks!

Toxic shock syndrome is not caused by chemicals in tampons.
Toxic shock syndrome is caused by Staphylococcus bacteria (TSS).

I just thought I'd mention that. Although no-one has yet contracted TSS from menstrual cups, realize that TSS in itself is very rare, and the menstrual cup is used by a far lesser extent than tampon users. There have been studies done that show because of the silicone & latex used, there is far less staphyloccus growth than with a tampon.
Although the risk is far less than with tampon use, I don't want anyone thinking this product is completely safe. If you develop TSS symptoms, please seek medical help immediatley.
And once again, don't fret, TSS is extremely rare.

On a further note, I've been doing research on these products, and I'm pondering getting one myself.

ho boy, am I EVER a convert to this thing! I LOVE it!

*you WILL go get one!*

I cant do that Im super heavy and I cant see myself going any longer than I do with tampons.

and I hate blood...... Id faint.

but they sound sooooooooooo good for those of you that can use them. Im jealous.

You can take it out and clean it any time you want. Plus, it's just normal blood- not "holy cow I've sliced off my arm" blood. I like the way it makes me more in tune with what my body is doing- I can see what's coming out of me. It's kinda gross, but I like knowing what it's supposed to look like and how much I normally bleed.

I normally use pads because tampons give me cramps. When I first read this I just kind of went "blech" and disregarded the idea. I'm a little set in my ways I guess, and after 20+ years of using pads, I've developed an aversion to the idea of keeping menstrual blood blocked up inside me rather than letting it flow out. But now that I read the whole thread, I'm thinking it might be worth trying out. The pads make me irritated from chafing and after about three days I'm usually pretty uncomfortable. Do the cups keep the blood away from your cervix and out of contact with your body? My flow is generally pretty light.

Wow....this sounds rather interesting. Might have to go pick me up some and give it a try!

I can only Kotex tampons, my body pushes all the rest out. Why this happens, I have no clue. Does this happen with the Diva? I'd be interested in trying it.

I can relate with you Squishor... I feel the same about pads and I do find them uncomfortable after a couple of days.. this thread is great! I am certainly going to keep my eye out and investigate the cups :)

the idea of the keeper/dive cup is awesome in so many ways! a few friends of mine have advocated it for a while now, and tell everyone to make the switch. it's not so much the idea of tampons that i personally dislike...for me its the shameless promotion of the tampon companies out there, who solicite the idea that to be a strong lady with independance and free will, she must buy tampax at 15 bucks a box each month in order to feel that. the only reason why i haven't invested yet is the convenience of already having a huge stock of tampons and pads at home, but i on getting one soon enough. apparently it creates a vacuum seal 'up there', and if directions are followed, it is quite easy to remove afterward. yay for the period underdog!

I never knew anything like this existed. I am very interested to learn more. I so HATE using tampons. For me, the dry me out so badly that when I remove it, its like running your fingernails down a chalkboard. My mouth goes dry, I cringe and... its just a bad experience. I dont like using pads because of how messy they are. For me anyways. I have very light flows, and it never really absorbs into the pad much.

So needless to say, I am quite tempted to try this.

But I do have a few questions and concerns. From the way they are shaped, it looks like there is a little stem on the end that you pull on the remove it. Do you ever have a problem gettinga grip on it, if it were moist or too far in? How do you know how far to put it in, or does it just do it naturally? If you can have sex with it in, how does it work so that your partner doesnt feel the stem?

I just tried the Divacup, after reading about it in Supple Cow's posts. I am really, really excited about it, although I was having a little difficulty. I was fine with inserting it, but I wasn't able to get it to pop open completely. I got some tips from Supple Cow (which I haven't acted on yet), so I *know* I can get it after some more practice.

Since I didn't have it in correctly, I had some discomfort (it was pressing against me in a noticeable way, making me feel like I had to pee, and I also could feel the stem). But the cup caught my blood--I was incredibly thrilled about this and grinning from ear to ear (I am so sick of pads, never used tampons)! Woo hoo!!

Pulling it out wasn't bad at all. Getting a hold of the bottom of the cup and the tip was pretty easy--just make sure your fingers are clean and dry. The suction and vaginal muscle power are strong, but it helps to just relax before pulling. I could sense how to guide the cup as I was pulling it out. After removing it, you just empty it, wash/rinse it with warm water and soap, then re-insert it or pat it dry and put it away. It really only takes a couple of minutes!

I know I will get the Divacup to work with some fiddling and practice, and I'm just so excited about this thing. I wholeheartedly encourage you guys to give it a try! :thumbsup:

tiger4053--the Divacup shouldn't be used during intercourse. Yep, that stem will get in the way! There's one or more other products that are OK to use during sex (Instead Softcup is one, I think?).

Putting it in and taking it out was a little challenging at first, but this last period I had it nailed and didn't feel it or have any issues. If you aren't 100% comfortable with it the first period you use it, try it again the next month. Your fingers may get a little blood on them when you re-insert it after taking it out, but that's no biggie. I LOVE my Diva cup and STRONGLY suggest it to anyone who is fed up with tampons and/or pads.

Kinda like the cup called insted, huh? I have used insted,the ring is really big though putting it in made me feel like I was going to be loose afterwards. Reusable menstrual cups Yuckkkkkkkk
Just the name makes my skin feel funny.
It would save you money though, but kinda gross.

What a GREAT idea! What about the "Friendship Code"?
 

I've never heard of something like this before, but I'm definitely interested in giving it a try. I just went out to their website at http://www.keeper.com and looked at the order form. It asks for a "Friendship Code". Supple Cow - since you are the presenter of this concept to many of us in the forum, is there a code we can use so that you get credit for spreading the word? I didn't know if this "friendship code" was something that might get you free stuff or something - i couldn't find any info. I think if so, you should definitely get credit for enlightening all of us!

Thanks for a great post!

Hmm, I don't know anything about the Friendship Code, but it would make my heart warm if all y'all who were buying one just said a friend had referred you. :) No other credit is necessary, really. I'm just happy enough to spread the relief. Also, I don't know if I (or anybody else) had addressed this yet, but it's pretty impossible to push them out with your muscles. I do my Kegel's religiously and the best I can do is to push it down a little bit so I can get a better grip. I've never been able to push it all the way out sans hands... and I've tried!

So, I am reviving this thread to announce my new purchase!

I finally got the Diva Cup. It's in right now, but not correctly. (It can't be, it hurts a bit) I'm going to see if it works (got a pantsu liner just incase) Or if I need to try again.

Just thought I'd share ladies!

I've never heard of something like this! Fascinating. I'll have to try it out one of these days.

Man, I *LOVE* mine! A few weeks ago I had some spotting issues (I think stress combined with the IUD) and I needed to wear something for about three weeks straight- the Diva cup paid for itself five times over in those three weeks, considering how many tampons I would have had to wear!

Resuable Menstural Cups forever!

Okay, I want to try. But, I think I will go with the disposable Instead before I make a serious committment. Wish me luck!

Oooooh, these look fun! Has anyone tried running with one of these in? I'm curious to know if I would be able to use these without them leaking or falling out mid-jog.

*bump*

Earlier today, I was trying to tell my roommates about a fight I had with a guy who is period-phobic and I talked both of them into getting Diva Cups. Sweet!

Rubyee, how has Insted treated you? I was going to suggest that you go on ahead and just get a Diva Cup even for a trial since Instead is so expensive (per use anyway) and not really comparable in feel during insertion. You can always come back to it later if you don't like it at first -- it will still be perfectly useable.

Hedwig, you can run with them, swim with them, horseback ride... just think of those old tampon commercials and all those things we could do! The point is that these are like tampons but much better for you, not to mention the lack of Mr. Hangy String. I've done everything but have sex with my Diva Cup inside. Even getting kicked in the gut and thrown around in karate class hasn't caused a leak -- and nothing I do can make that sucker come out except for my reaching in and grabbing it with my fingers.

How is everybody else doing with their Diva Cups or Diva Cup purchase anxieties?

I came across a description of the mooncup on some vegan site a while ago and thought it was an excellent idea, but never got round to ordering one. But I'm sick of other menstrual products and it does make a lot more sense than throwing away all those used tampons and pads that aren't even good for you- I should be able to get mine just in time for next month.

I read about these before but it's perfect that the subject comes up again now. I finally quit using my BC pills. For good. So far so good - no migrane yet but had to take some Imitrex to stave one off when I noticed the aura beginning. So - instead of having a period 4 times a year, now I have one every month again. Or at least that's what I'm expecting. I haven't had a monthly period for almost 6 years. Pregnancy, breastfeeding and no period for 2 years then, and finally Seasonale or the equivalant for the past 3 years. Who knows what things will be like now. If it ends up going to what it was before (exactly 27 days each cycle) then I will be purchasing myself one of these within the next year. Thanks for the heads up at least.

I have a day that goes from 7:30AM to 9:40PM. This thing is awkward on these days.

I need to empty it, but only have access to public washrooms. The "shhhquelllsshh" noise it made as I took it out to empty it was horrifying.

Perhaps it was my own insecurities that caused the "horrifying" bit though.

^

I never even thought of that. When I was in high school, I used to be very conscious of the krrrrrrrrrrrrrrip! sound my pad would make as I tore it off my panties. I wonder if I actually manage to pull my Diva Cup sans noise or if I just stopped noticing it.

Sometimes my vagina gets sore from all the in and out. I think the pain I sometimes experience and the sound you hear come from the same thing: tugging on the seal of a vacuum. I usually am able to suck my abdomen up in such as way as to pull air into my vagina and that breaks the seal more efficiently than squeezing the bottom of the cup. (Not quite sure how to describe exactly how that works, but maybe you know what I'm talking about.) I imagine that wiggling it out with the vacuum seal already broken probably makes less noise, too.

Well apparently this thing WAS a little more widely known back in the day. MIL told me today they had them back when she was a teen/young adult. She'd never used one though since she's always been fairly Latex allergic and they didn't have the silocone kind back then.

From the way it's hardly talked about, you'd think they invented it last week, which is infuriating. When I think back to the dozens of times I've tried to recommend it and was met with steely, unapproving glares... *&%@!

Those women were always the ones who thought it was just "a little too--yuck" (most definitely their words, not mine) to even give it a chance. It's just unfortunate because for every three of the women who got the yuckies, there was another whose eyes widened hopefully upon learning of such a prospect. I wonder how popular it might have been back then if they did have the silicone kind... or if it would just be the same story all over again. :\

At the end of the day, I'm just glad I have one.

I get around the vaccum thing by sticking a finger in there and kinda pressing on a side- disrupts the vaccum and so no pain! I'm doubly sensitive to that because of my IUD- for some reason the vaccum on my cervix causes pain akin to the cramping I had after they put the IUD in.

Diva Cups forever!

So, I thought I'd share the humiliation that I actually suffered due to this noise.

As I was taking the cup thing out, someone walked into the bathroom. I assume that the person heard the "squelching" noise, that is similar to the sound of wanking when you're really really wet, as they snort-laughed and left.

*sigh* And all of this for Mother Earth. I wonder if she'd mind if I still used tampons on Mondays...

Okay, now that I'm actually putting it to good use, I see what you're saying about the sound. I guess I just missed it before. I'm going to have to question just how closely it resembles the sound of wanking when extremely wet, though. I think it sounds just like what it is: a plunger's airtight seal being broken in a wet place. If anything, I would guess that the person who walked in and laughed thought you were farting while dropping a wet load. Heck, I'd probably turn around and leave if I thought that was happening, too. That shit smells! (I'm just ribbing you, of course. ;))

I'm sorry to hear that you go to school (or work?) with a bunch of immature people who would laugh at you in a public place.

/me shakes fist at the world

Man, I get the jitters when I'm in public restrooms when I have to pee! I totally understand how you feel Deity... perhaps this will be a good way to get over embarassment of public restrooms for me... :)

/seconds the fist shaking

Diva Cup
 

I recently found out about the Diva Cup. I perused their site and the Q&A's but I'd like some honest opinions from women that use it or have used it. From everything the site says and a few other women I've talked to it's the best thing there is. Their competition "The Keeper" I've heard leaks and many women have problems using it because of the latex. I'm not even going to attempt to try the keeper as I know I have a latex allergy.
I do have a few specific questions if anyone feels like answering and enlightening me I'd be very greatful.

Is it comfortable like the site says? Messy?

If anyone also has endometrosis and heavy flow, does the diva cup leak?

The site says that athletes and swimmers use it and don't have a problem but would I be able to take a soak in the bath without issue?

I know this can be a touchy subject for some but I'd really like to know before I spend the money on it. Thanks

I have never used it but I have a friend who does. Worth its weight in gold she says.

In answer to your questions: Yes, No, No, Yes. :)

Atropos - I know the search function is a little funky on this site, so you probably weren't able to find the old thread on this, but here it is:

LINK

I would suggest reading it to get the full range of opinions.

To answer your questions directly, yes it is comfortable just like the site says. Once I have it in, I completely forget about it for hours unlike when I used to wear pads or tampons and I could always *feel* them there no matter how comfortable they were.

I don't have endometriosis, but I'm of the opinion that if you have a heavy flow, just about anything will leak. You can take care of this by emptying it more frequently. Sometimes when I know I won't be able to empty it in time, I'll bite the bullet and wear a pantiliner (or a pad if it's going to be a really long time) just to catch the over flow.

Soak in the bath, swim, and do sports? Absolutely.

I've noticed it's touchy for a lot of people too. My sisters and my three childhood friends were all too icked out by it to even want to try it. I personally started using the Keeper before the Divacup existed and I think both are a great idea though I personally prefer the Divacup. I like the little ribbed pull-tab at the bottom better than the Keeper which is just a long one that you trim (taking the scissors to mine left a kind of sharp edge on it). This is my 5th year using a reusable menstrual cup and I can't imagine doing it any other way. Just for a little perspective, I'll even do a little calculation for you.

A 20-pack of brand-name tampons is about $5. Let's say I would have used one pack per period. In the 4 years I've been using the Keeper then the Divacup (a conservative estimate) I would have used (12 mos. x 4 yrs.) 48 packs. That's $240 plus another $5 per month that follows. In reality, I bought one Keeper and one Divacup (not even out of necessity - just a desired upgrade) and spent a combined total of less than $70. That's $170 I've saved so far and I know that my Divacup has at least another 5 years in her. They're supposed to last about 10 years but I haven't even seen any significant wear. I'm sure the material might degrade eventually, but it honestly seems a long way off at this point.

I could go on and on about this, but you can read the other thread to hear about the environmental and health benefits as well.

(Mods - maybe you could merge the two threads?)

I did do a search but didn't find your thread. :)

I've read it now and I am thoroughly impressed. What really seals the deal with me is that I find it amazing I could take a bath while on my monthly. It would help my endo cramps so much to be able to soak.
Seems consistant that it takes women around three months to get accustomed to using the cup.
Another thing that is sort of personal, I jumped at the chance to learn more of this because of the problems my endo seems to be causing lately. I LOATH pads with a passion. So I use tampons, but lately the endo has gotten worse and it is becoming painful to use tampons. I hope that I would be able to use the cup.

Is the pain from insertion and removal or from something being *in there* at all?

Insertian and removal...Once it's there it doesn't seem to bother me. I've only heard from one gal who has endo and she bought a divacup but only used it once because it was too painful.

But I don't know if maybe it's just more painful because tampons seem to be so drying.

Well, in that case, I would suggest giving it a try. Like I've said before, it's only slightly larger around than a tampon, but it's also not such a compressible material - you can only squish it so much to make it so small. I'm not sure if your endometriosis pain comes in waves or not, but you could try transitioning slowly until you get better at inserting it. Try it only on a good day when the pain isn't too great.

I noticed that when I first started, putting it in was most painful and yanking it out was easy peasy. Now, I'm an expert at putting it in, but sometimes I yank it out too quickly or don't put enough effort into pulling it out carefully and it's actually more uncomfortable on the way out than the way in. I think the bottom line is how carefully you treat it when you have to insert or remove it. If you don't traumatize yourself by switching cold turkey, you'll give yourself a chance to learn how to do it better at your own pace.

The other nice thing is that if it IS the dryness that hurts with the tampons, you won't have that problem at all! And if it isn't the dryness, then you just don't have to take it out as often as a tampon because it doesn't absorb all your natural juices and it isn't bleached or full of other chemicals. It's still a risk for TSS, but not nearly as high as with tampons. On my slow days near the end of a period, I've been able to leave it in all day, only emptying it when I woke up and again before bed.

Not dead yet. :)


If you go ahead and take the plunge, keep us updated! I'll be glad to coach you through the learning stages.

Some cycles are more painful than others. I like the idea of transitioning slowly.
I think I will order it online tonight and will deffinately keep you updated on my thoughts and questions.

From the site I was under the impression there was no risk of TSS? As it does not absorb all the natural cleansers in the body?

Good for you. I'm glad you're giving it a try - I think you'll find it to be a welcome change once you get the hang of it.

Oh. Cool!

Back when I bought mine, they still considered TSS a risk even though it was a smaller risk than with tampons. I guess there have been more studies (or just more TSS-free users) over the years. The old risks were supposedly about trapping the bacteria in for too long. You can leave the cleansers alone, but if you don't let any of it go anywhere, cleansers and bacteria alike, you're in trouble! :lol: Guess that's not as likely as they once thought.

I am so intrigued by this. I had no idea that these menstrual cup things existed. I think I'm definitely going to have to try one out and see what it's like. I feel like I need to tell all my friends about them too, like we've all been missing out on something. Hehe. Thank you sooo much, Supple Cow!!

Has anyone ordered one from the site itself? I ordered but it wasn't like a usual order page in my opinion. They didn't even tell me how long it would be till it arrived. Unless I over looked it.

It's been awhile since I got mine, but it did take 2-3 weeks if I recall correctly. I got an email confirmation when it shipped. It's not the most high tech website there is.

Thanks The lack of the "high tech" kind of worried me a little.

I was just reading this thread and am amazed! I had no idea there was such a thing! I also found a website on google that they are cheaper through another company, but like it was said before, if it lasts 10 years or more, then $35 isn't bad at all! Wow, I just registered on this forum and look at all I am learning! LOL thanks!

i got one recently and tried it once before my last period ended, but i don't think i had it in right. you know how you fold it and then it's meant to pop unfolded? i think mine somehow stayed sort of folked. anyways, i want to give it a try when i'm at home for a bit, so that if i wanted to fiddle with it i could, and right now i'm in the middle of a practicum that doesn't really allow that. also, i'm not on my period. haha. i suppose i should wait for that. i'm excited to make it work, though.
i'm in canada, and i bought my divacup at venus envy in halifax (venuseny.ca- they ship and there's a store in halifax too. super cool to check out anyways). the storekeep actually told me that she wanted me to take it home and try it for at least a few cycles to get used to it, but that if i didn't like it after that, i could return it (i think that offer is good for up to a year...?). i don't think i would bother to take them up on the offer, but i thought it was awesome that it's there. i paid about 50 after taxes and all for the cup, but i will easily get my money's worth, and have an offer to return it for a full refund. how can i argue with that?!
oh, and i tried the instead cups, and found them awesome until i had to poo. grossly descriptive, perhaps. but i tried it during a time when i had some, um, digestional problems. and i went to poo and pushed out the cup, so it wasn't a very productive time.

I have heard of these devices. I came across it seaching for vegan desert recipes (i am not a vegan, but we sometimes like to eat vegan deserts, yum) and i got linked to the keeper. I was intrigued. I always wanted to know what people used before tampons/pads they sell in the store and alternatives. They seem very wasteful. Since It is too painful for me to wear tampons, I always wondered if these cups would be painful also. Thanks you this thread, I know a lot more about this and may even check into it more.

Thanks you guys so much for all the information about these, you all basically already answered most of the questions I had.

Venusinfurs: I have endometriosis so tampons are rather painful for me also. So far though the diva cup doesn't seem to bother me.


Although, I don't know if I just don't have the hang of how to position it or what but something about sitting makes it want to leak. Or it could be that because of my endo I've noticed I cannot leave it in as long as 12 hours as the site says. Because if it does get to full it leaks. Hopefully after a couple cycles I'll be used to how often I have to empty it and I can forgo the pad as backup.
Also it was irritating me a bit so I trimmed the little nub thing and it seems to have helped. Don't know how much I can safely trim and it still be ok.

I've told a few gals at work about it and I know one of them for sure is going to try it out. She has endo also and is tired of the cost of tampons and pads for herself.

I haven't trimmed the stem of mine at all because it's not a bother to me, but I know some of the women at the the menstrual_cups community on LJ have completely removed their stems with no negative side-effects. I guess it all depends on how easily you can get a grip on the bottom of the cup.

One of the women strongly suggests a bevel edge. I don't trust myself with an exacto knife enough to try, but she swears that it's much more comfortable. glapaloopscap's illustration:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...vatrimcopy.jpg

I've also found that the 'figure 4' method of insertion, where it's sort of punched down into a '4' shape is much more effective and comfortable for me when inserting. The memories section is a pretty good place to start accessing specific information.

Oo Thanks for the link to that lj community. I'm checking it out. I'm somewhat of an lj whore so this is perfect for me. :D

Ew I dunno I just find the idea of reusing a period object is not right...my opinion though

Well, I kind of see it just like reusing a toothbrush or contact lenses or deodorant (which actually seem more and more unsanitary the more I think about it). I wonder of that feeling of reusing = dirty just comes from the fact that all of the period products that are ever marketed widely to women are disposable absorbent things. I mean, these cups aren't absorbent in any way - it's no more gross than the fact that you reuse flatware that different people eat off of all the time with all kinds of different (and sometimes nasty) food products.

Or maybe we're just conditioned to think of our periods as something that's "not right"... an unsettling idea to be sure, but I don't think it's too far off the mark.

Hmm... never had a problem with tampons.. Slight problem with getting together my own personal cup structure to collect blood in all day everyday... Just my opinion, not that tampons aren't gross.. but there's jut somethign significantly.. ick about the thought of pulling out a rubber barrier, and putting it back in and just.. i dunno.

Not buying anytime soon. But that doesnt mean never, who knows.

How do you take it out without getting the contents all over the place? I've been on Depo for so long (just on a break right now so I can see how my bones are doing) that I haven't had a normal period in a looong time. I just started getting my period back and it's been so light I have only used liners. I have never had a problem with tampons, although I am one of those people that am completely disgusted by the whole period thing. I can't imagine have to put it in, take it out, wash it up, do it again. I really like the fact that it is very environmentally conscious. I can't picture myself using something like that, but I think it's great there are more options and that it works well for you guys! Oh and I don't think that periods are gross because sociatal opinions, I just hate having it and dealing with it and it's just my own personal opinion. I don't think it's any more gross than other bodily functions, I just am disgusted by things that hassle me haha.

I've only used mine one cycle so far but I didn't have a problem with messes when removing it. I thought I would but because I was worried I was extra careful and I didn't. I'm a clean freak when it comes to this kind of thing and this is honestly so much cleaner than pads or tampons have ever been. No smell, mess, leaking....it's great

I still don't understand how it's so much less gross to sit on a diaper full of blood than it is to use this much healthier, cleaner, cheaper and environmentally friendly substitute. Every time I think back to high school and wearing pads, I shudder. To each her own, I guess. But until you've tried it, you can't really speak to how gross or messy it is (which it isn't, really). I'm not convinced it's anything other than a social perception or personal misconception.

I just wanted to make sure it was clear that I never said using one of those cups is "gross". I also do not use pads, only have lately due to such a light flow (and then it was just liners). I use tampons, and think it's just disgusting because the whole thing disgusts me! I'm an equal opportunity hater when it comes to ones menstrual cycle believe me. I don't understand though how you are offended when someone doesn't neceissarily think that a cup would be for them, and yet you say people who wear pads are sitting in diapers of blood and basically doing something unhealty, unclean, more expensive, and environmentally irresponsible?! Like I said, I'm in the middle ground here, I don't use the cup or pads, so I don't really care. I just think it's odd to make comments like that about someone who does chose to wear pads?

Thanks for that information, I was worried that it might spill over or something when one is taking it out! It might be something I will have to try if I stay off Depo and go back to having a heavier period. Thanks!

I'm not sure I remember taking offense anywhere around here, but it's not my opinion that the cups are healthier than tampons or that they are less expensive and more environmentally conscious than using any disposable menstrual product. The only opinion I stated was that they are cleaner, too. That is what I have found to be true for me. That pads are diaper-like is sort of beside the point, but I take your point. That is just how I view them.

I'm not condemning pad-users in general - I think they are a necessary evil for women who have painful conditions that don't allow them to use menstrual cups OR tampons. I guess I'm just calling out the tampon users on the ick factor. Besides size issues (my best friend can use tampons, but just barely, so she can't use the cup) and pain, I don't know why else someone would prefer a tampon. It makes a lot of trash, it costs more money, it funks up your natural chemistry and most popular versions are even bleached, which is probably more harmful than the innocuous piece of silicon-rubber I use. It seems silly to me that a grown woman wouldn't even give it a try (even all of the women in my family are silly that way, so don't think I'm trying to pick on internet strangers or anything).

Anyway, Atropos4 is right and you don't even have to be super duper careful. It only spills over if you make it spill over. And you'd have to be seriously flailing to really make a mess. I mean, the thing only really holds about an ounce. The most care you need to take is in making sure you empty it before it gets too full (i.e., more frequently during your heavy flow days). :thumbsup:

I don't think you're too far off the mark with this statement.

I think it's a combination of that and the fact that cups weren't one of the options they were originally presented with.... it is different, not everybody knows about it, and therefore it must be unsafe and wrong.

Nothing could be further from the truth, of course, but I think that's where some of the reaction comes from.

This is an old thread, but ?I wanted to make sure new members heard this stuff, Menstrual cups are fantastic, once you learn how to put them in and take them out the right way-just like tampons, there is a learning curve. I use a soft cup, and have sex it in, I have less cramping and less leaking than anything I have ever tried before.

I had horrific periods before switching to the cup, I mean, couldn't hardly walk I was in so much pain, going through tampons hourly and sometimes a tampon and pad in an hour. I am sold on these. I use one soft cup for a week, never have to worry about not having a tampon or pad on me if I go to someone's house, just take out rinse, reinsert. At the end of the week I throw it out. LESS MESS THAN TAMPONS AND PADS Cheaper and better for the environment. And does not effect my sex life-why do pads and tampons still exist.

Why don't they talk about these things everywhere?

This is an old thread, but ?I wanted to make sure new members heard this stuff, Menstrual cups are fantastic, once you learn how to put them in and take them out the right way-just like tampons, there is a learning curve. I use a soft cup, and have sex it in, I have less cramping and less leaking than anything I have ever tried before.

I had horrific periods before switching to the cup, I mean, couldn't hardly walk I was in so much pain, going through tampons hourly and sometimes a tampon and pad in an hour. I am sold on these. I use one soft cup for a week, never have to worry about not having a tampon or pad on me if I go to someone's house, just take out rinse, reinsert. At the end of the week I throw it out. LESS MESS THAN TAMPONS AND PADS Cheaper and better for the environment. And does not effect my sex life-why do pads and tampons still exist.

Why don't they talk about these things everywhere?

I don't know. I've used a Keeper and then a Diva cup for the last 8 years or so. I *love* it. No more cramps. No more running out of expensive supplies. No more irritation of sensitive tissues. Better for me, better for the environment, better for the pocketbook. :thumbsup:

I was so, so excited last year when I started reading about the various types of menstrual cups. I've never had any problems with tampons, but I hate the idea of wasting so much paper and creating such a volume of trash. So I ordered myself a Diva Cup and tried it out. It was unbelievably painful. I tried it for three months and by the end of that time, I was dreading having another period. I had to readjust the position of the cup constantly, and even though I did all sorts of research and tried all sorts of ways to make the cup more comfortable, nothing worked. I couldn't bring myself to keep using it, as much as I liked the idea. I have no idea why it didn't work for me - I'm not unusually tight, I bought the right size, I applied it correctly. I would still encourage ladies to try one out, but they can be really unpleasant.

Was it pain on insertion/removal or while it was in place?

Pain was while it was in place.

May I ask what the pain was from exactly? I just try to keep notes on other women's experiences. This is sort of my pet project to get every woman who can to use one of these things.

The problems I've been aware of are usually leak related - often from inserting it too far and letting it sit too "high" in the vagina so that it moves around and just lets the menstrual fluid flow around it. When I've had pain, it was from pushing it past the muscle at the opening (same during removal), being too dry (preemptive insertion worked best when I wet it first), and from having it sit at an odd angle so that it ground some very delicate outer vaginal tissue into a pulp whenever I sat down. I have never heard of anyone have any pain as though it were hitting their cervix or pushing "out" too much, but I'm wondering if that is what you are experiencing since I know that some women have shorter (more shallow?) vaginas. Again, not to pry to say you're doing it wrong or anything, but I'm just curious about the specifics. Thanks!

Hey Supple Cow, thanks for the information on the Divacup! I am thoroughly convinced I need to try it out now. It looks like they have gone down in price too.. I always use tampons and they do get to be expensive!

It doesn't seem yucky to me at all, I think you're right about people having misconceptions about reusing it which is a shame! I hope it works for me.......*fingers crossed*

Plummie, I really love you. I mean that. Please let us know how it goes!

Just back to say I still love my diva cup! It took me some getting used to and the only pain I had was caused by the tip of it. i trimmed it but not straight across I sort of edged it rounded with scissors so there were no sharp edges. I actually find mine fits better if pushed up a little higher than what others describe. May be because I have a tipped uterus? Don't know if that would make a difference.

For those of you who think a cup is a radical idea, it's not. It's been around for decades. Also, just to squick out the Sensitive Sallies here even more, I use cloth reusable pads! Aggggh! THE HORROR!

What do you think our grandmothers used before Always made Dri-Weave? There is a HUGE community of cloth pad users, websites and manufacturers everywhere. I LOVE IT and will NEVER EVER go back to EVIL, BLEACHED, CRACKLY, EXPENSIVE disposable pads. Ugh. Using cloth has liberated me in so many ways, and has made my heavy flows every month so much less horrible.

How does it work?
You buy a supply of pads you like or make your own. Many of you might have heard of Lunapads, but I buy really fancy ones from a seller on Etsy named "County Cloth Creations." She makes super soft, super absorbent pads from high-quality materials that feature wings that snap into place.

During your flow, pack a supply and a small waterproof nylon 'wet bag' - I use a small LeSportSac makeup bag.

You soak 'em just like regular pads. When it's time to change: if you're out and about or at work, roll it up and stuff into your wet bag. Take home, dump into a bucket of cold water to soak (just like cloth diapers). If you're at home, just put the used ones right into the cold water soaking bucket. Let soak for a day or so. Dump bloody water into houseplants (my plants have NEVER grown so fast or looked so healthy) and wash pads in washing machine or by hand and dry them in the dryer or hang up to dry. They do not stain if you get them into the cold water to soak within a reasonable time. After soaking, I toss 'em right in with the rest of my laundry and call it a day.

EW! GROSS!
In fact, QUITE the opposite. Cloth pads BREATHE. Disposable pads DO NOT. Most disposables use plastic as a barrier, which traps the bacteria in the pad, along with your moisture and warmth, and that is what creates ODOR. Cloth pads breathe and are nice and cool. Also, disposables CHAFE like hell, and are LOUD in the bathroom! Cloth pads are soft on the lady bits and make no noise at all. Carrying a wet bag around in your purse isn't that bad. It's no one's business but your own, and it's no grosser than half the bacteria-encrusted makeup, tissues, money, keys, and cell phone you already have in there anyway. The pads I buy are innovatively constructed to roll up inside themselves and snap shut, bloody-side in. No one's the wiser, and it's never messy.

I am 100% against using internal protection, but that's just me. I don't think anything belongs up there but a weenie and a baby, but again, that's me. That's why I use cloth pads. I walk by the feminine products department now like it's some foreign land! Google 'cloth menstrual pads' and you'll be shocked at what a huge community there is. Consider trying it. It really makes my period much more personal and much more "my own." There is a very private, feminine sense of ritual involved in taking care of yourself and washing your pads that was lost when Kotex came along. Your period is not some gross thing you have to ball up into plastic and throw away like it's dirty.

And, just so you know, I'm not some hippy-dippy-nonsense chick. I'm pretty normal, active, and actually kinda conservative!

Oh this is a fantastic idea that I never knew existed! After using a diaphragm for many years (even for period sex which did work for light days) this may be the thing for me. I play in a band and some nights I have to hit the bathroom only to change a pad when I should be out talking to people. Now, I have heavy flow and terrible cramps for three days but other than that it's all good.

I'm so glad I joined this forum.

Mellu, thanks for chiming in with this. I'll admit that I've unfairly dismissed the cotton pads as yucky, but I could see using them if I ever had some physical condition preventing me from using the DivaCup. I'm right there with you on the ritual thing, and it's something that I've discovered going from disposables to reusable. I don't think it's unique to washable pads in that way.

This feels to me a bit like the arguments between luddites and the technocrats (or whatever you want to call them). I am all for progress, but like everything in life, I think people should be educated in the history of the technology we use and make efforts to maintain the more valuable things associated with the old way of doing things. I am not sure what issues are involved with internal methods other than being absorbent or leaching chemicals into us (which are not issues with the cup), but I greatly appreciate being able to wear the tight pants or skirt I might wear on any other day, or to be able to go running or cycling or to karate class without the insecurity of a cloth pad pressed against me by my underwear. Those old tampon commercials had the right idea on that front at least... you can go swimming and horse-back riding, etc. Living an active lifestyle is difficult worrying about that pad and the odor that makes its way out if you move in such a way as to break contact with the pad for a moment and let air hit it.

I'm just curious, you say "I don't think anything belongs up there but a weenie and a baby, but again, that's me." Do you mean that in the way that some people simply don't like seafood ('I don't eat anything that's been in the ocean') or is there some other negative consequence that I haven't heard of?

I'm glad this thread has resurfaced again. I'd been using the gum rubber Keeper since 2003 and just recently switched to the silicone Keeper MoonCup. It took some getting used to at first, both for comfort and general use (emptying, etc.), but I love it. My partner still uses tampons and I can't seem to convince her to give reusable cups a try, but I haven't given up yet.

I was curious to know of the cup users here, how many have trimmed the tip since starting out with it? If you have, did you trim it immediately after getting it or after using it for some time?

Viva la Diva!

I trimmed my stem early on.

Someone earlier was talking about pain inserting it. Fold it to fit it inside you, then push it in pretty far while it's still folded. Let go, then gently start pulling it out again until it unpuckers all the way. This will prevent leaks. Circle around the outside of the cup with your finger to make sure there are no puckers. Push it back in about finger's length.

The Live Journal menstrual cup message board rocks! Tons of questions and conflicts with menstrual cups has been addressed and resolved there.