who uses the diva cup?

[tigress]

tell me about it, pros and cons. i'm considering it...

[cheeseandcrackers]

I am also curious.

Right now I am using Instead Softcup (and love it), is it similar to the diva cup?

[papie]

Cons: learning curve
Pros: You can go longer between "changing", no need to buy tampons so you can never run out, you can sleep in it, you can wear it when you have a light day without worrying about TSS, it is greener, no need to fill your trash with bloody tampons (or clog your toilet, depending on your disposal method of choice).

I love it.

[broc]

This whole post is pretty gross, so maybe scroll past.

an additional con that may be psychosomatic and only me, but I have periods that are full of clots, and the slight suction seems to draw them out more quickly, which makes cramping worse.

however, the flip side to that gross coin is that I could never really use tampons because the clots just work their way past a tampon. They can't do that with the diva unless it is crazy overflowing.

I will say though that I typically have to at least use a pantiliner in addition because I'm chicken to use it all by itself.

[VillainV]

I've done softcup before, and it was awesome when I had really heavy periods because I had to change tampons really often (like, every two hours).

There is definitely a learning curve to using menstrual cups. It's easy enough to get in place, I think, but sometimes emptying them can be messy. But otherwise, I thought they were great. Not entirely sure why I stopped using them...but now my period is light enough that tampons aren't as big a deal.

[chickadee77]

I didn't have any trouble with a learning curve, but emptying it can be a pain sometimes - though you don't have to do it as often, so there's that. I refuse to empty in a public restroom, but doing it in the shower is super easy. I haven't found any other cons, yet. Love, love, love it! No more smell, no worry about leaking, no buying tampons, no feeling of ripping yourself inside out by pulling out a dry tampon...

[mamasaurus]

I really liked it. Not having to run out and buy pads (or wash them after I switched to cloth) was nice. The man con for me was that sometimes I'd get a little leakage at night. Nothing a panty liner couldn't handle, though.

[Deleted]

the whole idea really makes me squeamish.

[SKP82]

Con: There is a learning curve. For me, I figured out what worked after about 3 tries. You have to find the right fold that will work for you (there is a whole website with tons of info). That is pretty much the only con for me.

Pros: I change it in the morning when I wake up and before I go to bed. That's it. No leakage whatsoever. When I wore tampons, I always had some sort of leakage, even if I was changing my tampon every few hours. I haven't had any overflow and my first two cycles using it were pretty heavy. And Ash is right, there is no smell. I like that I don't have to think about whether or not I have extra tampons in my purse if I'm leaving the house. When your cycle is finished, just wash it, then boil it for 10 minutes and put it away until next month.

[SKP82]

Oh, and here's the website:
menstrual-cups.livejournal.com/

[mollz007]

I'm curious about this too. I've been thinking of trying it because I feel like I go through a lot of tampons because my period is so heavy, at least in the beginning. One of the downsides to getting my IUD. I'm afraid that it will overflow alot or that I wil have problems like Tamb described.

[sb]

I have one inside me right now!!!

(just kidding. My period ended yesterday)

I use the moon cup. And I agree that there's a learning curve. For me, it wasn't really leaks, it was getting the stem to the right length, figuring out how to empty it without getting blood all over my hand, just getting used to how it felt. I got my period on a trip recently and didn't have it with me, and I hated using tampons. It just feels better, almost like there's nothing in there.

[VillainV]

kevin, I'm not sure about an "ammonia" smell....but generally pads and tampons smell because they have come into contact with air. The blood that collects in the cup doesn't come in contact with air, so there is no smell.

[SKP82]

KA - I don't know how to describe the smell that was present when I was using tampons, but it wasn't ammonia-like. With the cup, I have no unusual smell when I'm on my cycle.

Mollz - My first few cycles using the cup were pretty heavy and I had no overflow. If you're concerned about overflow, I would just empty it once throughout the day instead of just upon waking and before going to bed.

ETA:  Oh, and whoever said that you don't feel it is right.  With a tampon, I was always a little uncomfortable and could feel it.  Sometimes if I coughed or sneezed, I could feel it slip down a little and it would feel like it was coming out.  With the cup, that doesn't happen.  I don't feel it at all.

[orangello]

OK, I never really thought of myself as having particularly heavy periods before this post - but yeah (thanks, fibroids!). I have to change the Diva every two hours or so on my heavy days. I have a hard time not getting a small amount of leakage, and sometimes getting it to "seal" is an issue for me. However, I sound not the norm. And FWIW, I've never noticed an odor.

In summary - not a lifechanger, but I still prefer vs. tampons. It's also awesome, awesome, awesome for beach vacations.

[mollz007]

I think you ladies might have convinced me to try it!

[Kore]

Pre-Mirena, I had to dump every 2 hours, too Sucked! But it was infinitely better than pads/tampons, which can't absorb clots.

I don't use my DC anymore since I don't really have periods, but I used it for years & loved it.

[mamasaurus]

Jan 23, 2013 13:37:41 GMT -5 @booby said:

WHUTTTTTTT

mamasaurus....cloth pads???

Yes, I'm a dirty hippie. Didn't you know?

[Kore]

KA: the size difference is tiny. The bigger holds a little more. I lost my first one & just ordered the bigger size, but haven't used it yet.

[lemondrop]

So, apparently there's a learning curve? LOL.

I'm glad this was asked. I'm trying to be more green, and with about 5 tampons left, this was next on my list of things to swap.

[LeggsBenedict]

My biggest pro: cramps significantly reduced. holla!

[pinkeggs]

Everyone covered the pros and cons, so I won't repeat. I just wanted to add another check to the number of people who use it and love it. I haven't used a tampon in over three years and I doubt I will go back.

[demofea01]

I use a Lunette cup and LOVE it. The only con was a small learning curve to getting it in correctly. Everything else is amazing. No smell. No uncomfortable tampons. I empty it twice a day. I got the larger size even though I haven't had children and it fits and works like a charm. From what I've read the smaller sizes are really for teens and women who haven't been sexually active.

There are a variety of cup brands out there. I'd take a look at all of them. I chose Lunette because, from the reviews I read, it's not as long as the Diva and people didn't seem to have to do as much fiddling with the stem and what not to get it to a comfortable fit.

[orangello]

OK, for all the newbies that are going to try it, I'm not gonna lie - when I first got it and pondered how it was going to go in, I was a little

The rubber is stiffer (yeeeeah!) than I was expecting, and it was harder to "fold". So, just prepare yourselves.

[SKP82]

Jan 23, 2013 14:00:22 GMT -5 demofea01 said:

I use a Lunette cup and LOVE it. The only con was a small learning curve to getting it in correctly. Everything else is amazing. No smell. No uncomfortable tampons. I empty it twice a day. I got the larger size even though I haven't had children and it fits and works like a charm. From what I've read the smaller sizes are really for teens and women who haven't been sexually active.

There are a variety of cup brands out there. I'd take a look at all of them. I chose Lunette because, from the reviews I read, it's not as long as the Diva and people didn't seem to have to do as much fiddling with the stem and what not to get it to a comfortable fit.

I don't think that is true.  I also got the Lunette, but in the smaller size because I haven't had children.  I am neither a teen or a virgin, and it works perfectly.

[SKP82]

Here is a video of different folds for the Lunette:



I use the "Triangle" fold.

I had to try a few to figure out which worked best for me.

[womet]

I've used one for several years now and love it. I have a really heavy and clotty cycle, so this has been a life changer for me. If I have to change it at work (usually it's just in the morning and evening), then I use the handicapped stall that has the sink in it.

[bluetopaz]

I'm going to have to get mine back out and give it another go. I've only used it 1 month, but even with the stem cut off, I could still feel the thing. I guess I should give some other folds a try, maybe they'll work better. I'd love to find an alternative to tampons--I might be crazy, but after I had my son, they just don't seem to fit right. I can feel them, and I hate that. It's been 2 years, go back to normal #6!

[wildfloweragain]

I've used it for about a year and just this month found a new con. I do have the hang of it and it's fine almost all the time. But when dancing like a rock star this past weekend, it kept slipping down. I could dance a few songs and then have to go put it back in. I was wearing an undergarment, so it didn't fall out all the way, but it wasn't in right, even though started out right.

[SKP82]

Jan 23, 2013 16:02:39 GMT -5 bluetopaz said:

I'm going to have to get mine back out and give it another go. I've only used it 1 month, but even with the stem cut off, I could still feel the thing. I guess I should give some other folds a try, maybe they'll work better. I'd love to find an alternative to tampons--I might be crazy, but after I had my son, they just don't seem to fit right. I can feel them, and I hate that. It's been 2 years, go back to normal #6!

After I insert it, I push the bottom of it with one finger towards my lower back.  It took me a few tries to figure out that's where it's supposed to be.