For years I've wondered: How are these not the messiest things ever and terribly unsterile? It just seems like blood would get *everywhere.*
I only had one incident where I got really messy and that was before I learned that I had to sit back over the toilet and not lean forward like I used to for a tampon. You rinse in between and then boil it once a month which sterilizes it.
IDK, it was weird at first but now I can’t imagine life without it.
For years I've wondered: How are these not the messiest things ever and terribly unsterile? It just seems like blood would get *everywhere.*
It's not too bad. I remove over the toilet and then rinse. I don't think I would do it in a public restroom, but that's possible because it can stay in for 12 hours. If I was on vacation I might just still bring tampons.
I feel the same way about Thinx, my mind can't wrap around how it works. But lots of people love them so....:::shrug::::
Post by Patsy Baloney on Oct 22, 2020 7:26:18 GMT -5
I don’t think they’re any more messy than a tampon. I’ve changed in public without issue by dumping and wiping it out. I wash with soap and water at home, nbd. As someone else mentioned, you can boil it, but IIRC the diva cup instructions say you don’t have to.
Post by georgeglass on Oct 22, 2020 7:42:43 GMT -5
Cups were game changers for me. I'm an old and my periods are SO heavy now. I didn't like Diva, so I switched to Luna and it's great. Sometimes you have to try a few brands.
For years I've wondered: How are these not the messiest things ever and terribly unsterile? It just seems like blood would get *everywhere.*
Idk, you just kind of get used to maneuvering it so it's not a mess.
The vagina isn't sterile and neither are tampons. Cups don't pose a risk for TSS either and can stay in for a lot longer than a tampon. I've never had blood get everywhere the way I did with tampons, especially since I usually have clots that would just stick to the side of the tampon rendering it useless, unlike just sitting in the cup.
As you use it more, you also start to just notice when it's getting full and needs to be emptied prior to losing suction and leaking.
All that said, it did take several cycles to adjust when I first started using it.
I also used Diva Cup for years until I had kids, then it never seemed to work the same. I recently went back to cups with the Luna cup and have had no issues.
For those with short vaginas, Meluna brand makes a shortie cup. I tried their regular cup and kept getting leakage, so I switched to a Lena cup and have been mostly leak-free since then.
Cups are messier than tampons but they are more convenient in other ways. I’m a recent convert and am so glad I switched.
Post by picksthemusic on Oct 22, 2020 10:30:28 GMT -5
If you're not allergic to latex, you could try the Keeper. You have to go to their website to order it (not on Amazon anymore). But it's a stiffer material than the silicone and it stays in place much better (IMO) than the Diva cup.
Post by picksthemusic on Oct 22, 2020 10:34:13 GMT -5
As far as the sterile aspect is concerned, your vag has tons of bacteria (hopefully only the good stuff!) in it all the time. It is not a sterile environment to begin with, so while boiling is fine, washing it is probably sufficient so you're only introducing a clean thing in there.
I had Paragard and got the cup because my flow was outrageous. Yeah, it was a murder scene on the heavy days. I won’t lie. I would never have changed in a public restroom because my hands were wow.
But, regular flow? I had zero complaints. I loved my cup.
Now I have Mirena and basically no period at all but a few extra pounds.
No. I was tired and meant "unsanitary" not unsterile. I have visions of bloody hands and copious blood splatter getting on clothes/floor/etc. I wouldn't think the device itself is any less sanitary than a blood filled tampon.
No. I was tired and meant "unsanitary" not unsterile. I have visions of bloody hands and copious blood splatter getting on clothes/floor/etc. I wouldn't think the device itself is any less sanitary than a blood filled tampon.
Ah, ok. Yeah, the only unfortunate incident I had with mine was when I was washing it out, I turned the sink on full blast and the force of the water caused a bit of a murder scene.
This may be TMI, but our bathroom is small, so I just sit down on the toilet, remove the cup and empty the contents into the toilet, then put the cup into the bathroom sink for washing. NBD.
The bloody hands thing is more likely on a heavy day, but nothing too terrible if you have a sink close by. It's not super convenient in a public restroom with separate toilets and sinks, and generally, since you can usually wear it for much longer without needing to empty it, you usually aren't in need of clean-up in public.
No. I was tired and meant "unsanitary" not unsterile. I have visions of bloody hands and copious blood splatter getting on clothes/floor/etc. I wouldn't think the device itself is any less sanitary than a blood filled tampon.
I've had one or two small underwear leaks in 5+ years, so wayyyy less mess than I had with tampons. Nothing has ever gotten through to my pants or bedding.
For removal, I take out my cup over the toilet, dump before standing, wipe with TP, then bring the cup to the sink and wash the cup, along with my hands, in hot soapy water. Then I'll reinsert. You only change it 2x in a 24 hour period so I go through this routine at wake up and before bed - always in the privacy of my own home.
Your hands shouldn't be covered in blood since you can break the seal by pinching the bottom of the cup, which is right near the opening of your vagina. Then you slowly pull down to remove and then you dump the blood. If you have a good fit, there should be zero blood on the outside of the cup where you're touching.
Not having to touch the disgusting tampon waste bins in public bathrooms is worth it alone.
Post by wanderingback on Oct 22, 2020 17:39:28 GMT -5
I don’t use diva cup, but as someone who sees vaginas and cervices on an almost daily basis, I’m not surprised it would become uncomfortable for some people since it’s kinda 1 shape fits all. There are so many shapes to the body and where the cervix sits and its size and shape. Hopefully another brand will be a better success.
I used to use the diva cup.. it was great until the second child came along, and then I had difficulty seating it and needed to cut the stem off entirely and flip it inside out for a comfortable fit.
I ended up ordering a June cup, since the price was right. No issues with fit, but it does seem to take a little more effort to get it to open right, the material seems to have a little less spring. Even so, I’ve totally ditched the diva cup for it.
I could never go back to tampons.
Also the learning curve isn’t too bad. I started by removing in the shower, but don’t bother anymore. Public restroom maintenance is a little tougher, but I’ve only had to once or twice in the 8ish years I’ve used cups.
As evidenced by the women's restroom, tampons are gross and messy as fuck.
This is true. One of the big reasons I wanted to move to a Divacup is because you're not supposed to flush tampons. I don't really want a bloody piece of cotton sitting in my trash can and I don't really want to take my bathroom trash out daily. It is much cleaner to me to dump the cup into the toilet and then rinse.
Although I did get some blood on the floor yesterday. I'm still a newbie though!
This would all be easier if periods weren't a thing though. Ha.
I don’t use diva cup, but as someone who sees vaginas and cervices on an almost daily basis, I’m not surprised it would become uncomfortable for some people since it’s kinda 1 shape fits all. There are so many shapes to the body and where the cervix sits and its size and shape. Hopefully another brand will be a better success.
Meluna cups are awesome and extremely customizable. I haaaaaated my diva cup (it felt like it was stabbing me even after cutting off the stem and I could never get it to pop open correctly). It has a “find your size / model / handle” quiz and I was happy with how mine turned out!
Post by irishbride2 on Oct 23, 2020 19:43:52 GMT -5
For me it’s less messy than a tampon. With tampons I have leaks and such. I don’t with the diva cup.but I have super heavy periods so it’s been a game changer for me. It’s made my life not have to completely revolve around my period. Long story but my periods the so heavy I can’t make it more than 45 minutes with a super tampon during my heavy days.
Post by icedcoffee on Oct 23, 2020 19:44:43 GMT -5
Update—because I know you care. LOL. The last 36 hours or so have been better. Even riding my Peloton. I’ve noticed it starts to bother me more as it gets fuller which I guess is a good sign to empty it. Anyway—it’s still not 100% but it’s a lot better. I also ordered the June cup so I’ll try that too. Hopefully my issues have been resolved.
I also wonder if my cervix was lower a few days ago but now it’s higher and better. I don’t know. We’ll see what happens next month too I guess.
I never used the Divacup. I like the Lunette. I have seen the pictures and the height of the Divacup might be a problem for me. I have also tried discs but they do not work at all for me, they basically just end up pouring out.
As for tips on the menstrual cup bandwagon, my biggest suggestion to anyone is to have a toothpick handy because I find that the airholes tend to get filled and when that happens I always end up with terrible cramps.
Fill it with water, put your hand on top to seal it, then flip it over and squeeze. The pressure will force water out of those holes to unclog them.