have anyone used the menstrual cup
Replies
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can you sleep in it
yes you can, you can keep one in for 8 hr so make sure its a fresh one before you go to bed.
You can keep it in for 12 hours actually. Or longer. Not 24 hours though. I don't bleed much so I empty it in the morning and empty it before bed and that's all.0 -
Warning.. TMI ahead.
Yesterday was my heaviest day of my period. I went through 3 tampons and 3 pads (at the same time), in a matter of about 4 hours.
During that time, I was thinking, How in the world would a cup hold all of that for hours and hours? It just doesn't seem humanly possible to me, unless the cup was a size of a baseball.
I can completely relate to your concern about this issue. As someone who considered herself a heavy bleeder, especially for the first 2 days, the cup has eliminated my need for the super tampon-overnight pad combo. I just empty the cup a little more often on the first day and have no issues at all. It has eliminated all accidents and perhaps this is more age-related than cup-related but I find that my periods are lighter and shorter than before.0 -
I've used one off and on -- the Diva Cup, for the record. I think I need the smaller size, because sometimes I have a hard time inserting it. It's not uncomfortable once it's in there, and it's less gross than disposable pads. I just sometimes cannot insert it -- the fact that I have massively strong pelvic floor muscles doesn't help
.
I highly recommend it. You just may have to play around to find the right cup for you -- there are so many different styles out there, so if one doesn't work for you, try again. There are some menstrual cup communities online -- LiveJournal alone has several -- so they might be good support for you. If you're not sure how you'll feel about inserting/removing, buy a pack of the Instead disposable cups at the pharmacy. They are a little different than the Diva or the Keeper, but it will give you a good sense of how you'll feel about the process without having to shell out for a reusable cup.0 -
From the Diva Cup website:
The DivaCup is worn low at the base of the vagina and away from the cervix. This means that it should not interfere with an internal birth control device. However, please use caution when using any internal feminine hygiene product with an IUD as there is the possibility that they can be dislodged. When using The DivaCup, it is important to carefully follow the directions in our User Guide, paying close attention to inserting The DivaCup low in the vaginal canal and breaking the seal (suction) before removal. Many of our customers use The DivaCup with an IUD or NuvaRing® simultaneously, but we recommend that you become familiar with your birth control device’s risks (such as the body expelling the IUD, etc.).
My girlfriend's IUD definitely became dislodged and she wound up pregnant. All I was saying is that it is her opinion that she screwed up somehow with her Diva Cup (she was a new/inexperienced menstrual cup user) and her IUD became dislodged. Apparently, it is possible.0 -
Warning.. TMI ahead.
Yesterday was my heaviest day of my period. I went through 3 tampons and 3 pads (at the same time), in a matter of about 4 hours.
During that time, I was thinking, How in the world would a cup hold all of that for hours and hours? It just doesn't seem humanly possible to me, unless the cup was a size of a baseball.
I can completely relate to your concern about this issue. As someone who considered herself a heavy bleeder, especially for the first 2 days, the cup has eliminated my need for the super tampon-overnight pad combo. I just empty the cup a little more often on the first day and have no issues at all. It has eliminated all accidents and perhaps this is more age-related than cup-related but I find that my periods are lighter and shorter than before.
Well think of it like this, the cup holds the blood, the pads and tampons only soak it up and spread it around.
I bet if it was possible to squeeze out the blood of a pad or tampon into a cup, it wouldnt even completely fill it. Those things absorb and saturate vs hold. Women dont bleed as much as pads make it look like, even on heavy days. Youd be surprised to see how little you actually bleed using the cup.
And about your period being lighter -- tampons and pads have all sorts of chemicals on them that can upset cycles ... so maybe its cup related.
I went from changing tampons every 4 hours to changing my cup twice a day.0 -
........ It has eliminated all accidents and perhaps this is more age-related than cup-related but I find that my periods are lighter and shorter than before.
Actually I've heard a lot of people say their periods became lighter and shorter when they started using a cup (plus had less cramping)0 -
Warning.. TMI ahead.
Yesterday was my heaviest day of my period. I went through 3 tampons and 3 pads (at the same time), in a matter of about 4 hours.
During that time, I was thinking, How in the world would a cup hold all of that for hours and hours? It just doesn't seem humanly possible to me, unless the cup was a size of a baseball.
I can completely relate to your concern about this issue. As someone who considered herself a heavy bleeder, especially for the first 2 days, the cup has eliminated my need for the super tampon-overnight pad combo. I just empty the cup a little more often on the first day and have no issues at all. It has eliminated all accidents and perhaps this is more age-related than cup-related but I find that my periods are lighter and shorter than before.
Well think of it like this, the cup holds the blood, the pads and tampons only soak it up and spread it around.
I bet if it was possible to squeeze out the blood of a pad or tampon into a cup, it wouldnt even completely fill it. Those things absorb and saturate vs hold. Women dont bleed as much as pads make it look like, even on heavy days. Youd be surprised to see how little you actually bleed using the cup.
And about your period being lighter -- tampons and pads have all sorts of chemicals on them that can upset cycles ... so maybe its cup related.
I went from changing tampons every 4 hours to changing my cup twice a day.
^ This. I bought one for a vacation I was taking to Florida and have been using it ever since (3+ years). I brought it on my vacation to Europe and always have it in my purse in a little carrying bag. It has been so convenient. Definitely took some getting used to. I would consider myself heavy during days 2-3 as well (changing super tampons every 1.5-2 hours) but like other posters have said, the cup is twice a day. At first I did it 3 times a day until I was comfortable with leaving it for longer. Its a life changer.0 -
bump to read later0
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OMG - can you make sure to put it away before company comes !!!!0
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OMG - can you make sure to put it away before company comes !!!!
It.. sits in a bag, tucked away when un-used?? Or would you rather see a used tampon in the trash0 -
OMG - can you make sure to put it away before company comes !!!!
It.. sits in a bag, tucked away when un-used?? Or would you rather see a used tampon in the trash
Chit-Chat, Fun, and Games is the topic ??? , what ? they go into the landfill to be leached into the water supply ?0 -
How do... I am not sure... I am... this is not a thread for me.
This made me laugh. This is definitely no place for a man.0 -
How do... I am not sure... I am... this is not a thread for me.
This made me laugh. This is definitely no place for a man.
In That is wisdom beyond the ages, I shall withdraw0 -
OMG - can you make sure to put it away before company comes !!!!
It.. sits in a bag, tucked away when un-used?? Or would you rather see a used tampon in the trash
Chit-Chat, Fun, and Games is the topic ??? , what ? they go into the landfill to be leached into the water supply ?
Exactly.0 -
How do... I am not sure... I am... this is not a thread for me.
This made me laugh. This is definitely no place for a man.
This I a great thread for you
0 -
Once you get the hang of it its way better than a tampon. I don't find it gross but blood/clots don't bother me.
Oh, and there is no pain. I usually get pain with tampons but with the cup I can even forget I have my period.0 -
I've use them and I don't recommend them for heavy flow days.
And I especially don't recommend using them during sex as it will get pushed out of place.
HOT MESS
NEVER AGAIN
EPIC FAIL0 -
So I tried one out recently. I put it in correctly, as the directions said. Unfortunately it didn't work. It didn't even catch anything. So either I did it wrong or my canal is weird.0
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It sounds interesting however I am an extremely heavy bleeder on day 2 & 3. so much so that i will go thru 5 or 6 or more overnight pads in a day & still manage to leak
Any heavy bleeders out there use them?
ME! I bleed so heavy days 1 & 2 that I go through 2 boxes of the super (orange Tampax). They have 54 tampons per box....108 tampons in 2 days! With the cup I change it every 6 hours instead of 12 due to the heavy flow. PM me if you have any questions.0 -
Yes! I use a Diva Cup -- they hold about 25 mL (sorry don't know how many oz. that is if you're in the U.S.). I will never use a tampon again. For a heavy cycle, you do have to change it more often than they suggest, however it's not a big problem. And ... no smell. They are a little tricky to get started with, but once you get the angle right they don't leak. As they get full, they shift lower down so you know when it has to be emptied. I would still use a liner for days 2 and 3, just in case, although it's never been necessary. I've used one for five years now and only leaked a couple of times at the beginning when I wasn't very good at putting it in :-P.0
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"So one of the many new devices I purchased for this trip was a Diva "Moon Cup". Since feminine hygine supplies would be hard to come by and waste-producing, I opted instead to buy a thing like a Barbie Deluxe Toilet Plunger, and stuff it up my hooha.
The theory is that the cup catches your pan drippings, and you empty it a couple times a day, washing it with hippy soap, and reinserting. It presupposes you are enough of an Earth Mother to be OK not only with your monthly outpourings, but also with generally fossicking around in your flaps. Now, I am no stranger to gore. Nor am I squeamish about my delicate rose of delight, except that I have no such illusions about it and indeed am always reminded of nothing so much as stuffing an oddly-warm raw turkey. So, when after several weeks of teasing, the Period Fairy threatening to postpone the Communist Invasion until I was actually getting on the plane (I was about ready to scream and cry at some hapless unwary male just as a sacrifice to appease her) at last I greeted the rosy-fingered dawn and set about embarking on my new life as a eco-friendly Diva.
The Moon Cup comes in two sizes; Size A, for youthful nymphs under 30 who have never given birth and have silken tresses and tinkling laughs and are all size 0, and size B, for Big Ol' *****es like m'self, who have either spawned, or are so old (ie over 30) that they might as well have been poppin' them out like Duggar Donuts, because their sugar walls are now echoing corridors full of cobwebs and slackness. Of course the packaging phrases it more nicely, but I was miffed to see that despite having never replicated, I was still doomed to the Big Gulp size because of my age alone.
So, chalice in hand, fingers washed, and let's fold that thing like a taco (no, not THAT thing, the other thing!) and cram it up where only one man has gone before and even then not for a damn long time even when he WAS still around. I'm sure I imagined the rusty creaking sounds as I tried to shove something which was larger than anything previous (with the exception of various medical speculums which, I believe, were constructed by the same person who designed the Montlake Drawbridge)into the Gaping Maw.
Now, you're supposed to roll the cup up, smuggle it past the border, let it expand, then turn it clockwise (or counter clockwise, or then one way and another, stopping when you hear the click, or something...) anyway, you're supposed to be able to turn this thing like a dial in there."If the cup does not turn easily, you did it wrong" Oh, of course, I'll just grasp hold of a thing about the size, shape, and slipperyness of the pointy end of a peeled hard-boiled egg, which is now buried in the meaty folds of my innermost femininity, which, I may add, are well-sluiced with the special effects from a Quentin Tarantino film, and spin that sucker like a dredel.
There is, also, a small stem at the base of this cup, which, being made of the same slippery silicon and about a centimeter long, is about as helpful as providing a live, untrained earthworm for a handle. More on this later.
So, rotate this thing in situ, to ensure a good 'seal' and a comfortable fit.
Does. Not. Happen.
Ladies (and gentlemen, although I hope for your sake none of you gentlemen are reading this), I tried. I hauled that thing in and out of there more times, and with much less joy, than Eeyore with his birthday present, and not once could I get that thing to "turn easily". I finally gave up, since it seemed, at one point, to be "fully inflated" and more or less in the right place. Frankly I think that having left my furrow unplowed for so long, I'm not exactly the proper degree of hotdog-hallway that the instruction-writer was intending to address, but so be it. Let's give this thing a whirl, if we can't give it a twist.
Fast forward a few hours in which I've done nothing much. To its credit, I don't feel the presence of THE CUP at all, no discomfort, not even a vague sense of "eugh" as I sometimes have when knowing all that stands between me and my khakis is a small cottony Dutch boy. In fact, I'm getting rather concerned that the Diva Cup has wormed its way in like some form of parasitic jellyfish and is now eagerly migrating up my fallopian tubes, with me all unknowing. Time to go fishing.
And that is where I discover that, while it's difficult to try and 'turn' a Diva Cup newly lodged in your sanctum sanctorum, it's a freakin' log-fall compared to trying to recover said Cup after it has gotten comfortably settled in the downy folds of your blood-engorged tissues. Yes, indeed, if cram my fingers up there to the point of pain, I can just, tantilizingly, tickle the end of that goddamn silicone 'stem'. Grasp it? Not in hell.
Of course the instructions say, if this happens, DO NOT PANIC. Well, thank god for that, because I was already running through the list of people I'd trust with a flashlight, a set of forceps, and an experience that would scar both of us for the rest of our lives. There were instructions for different positions, and "bearing down" and so forth, which I tried, to no avail, and I was pretty sure that my ham-fisted efforts (ahem) were just making things worse on the "swollen" front, so Diva and I took a break, and retired to our respective corners for an hour or so.
Now I brought out my secret weapon: Beer. If, gods help me, I ever have to have a baby, I intend to be drunk off my *kitten* for the delivery, and I surely hope that the Fairy Prince Unicorn Elvis who is my chosen Babydaddy will provide a bedside IV of godly ambrosia, or at least Jim Beam. But anyway, two beers and I'm good to go spelunking in quest of the Holy Grail once more.
Either the beer, or the break, or the combination of all of these and squatting on the bathmat like a Neanderthal crapping, finally, produced enough of that goddamn 'stem' to grab (which was good, because I was dreading having use the kitchen tongs Up There or something) and, with a surprising amount of horrible suctioning "discomfort", the invader was routed! And, wonder of wonders, it was indeed partially filled. Not filled with DELICIOUS CANDY, no, but it did seem to have been, you know... -working-, before I so rudely dislodged it from its parasitic feeding. I felt a combination of grudging respect and intrigue, as one might upon meeting a foe worthy of their steel. Provided we could agree to disagree on the whole "turn 360 degrees in place" aspect, perhaps this could indeed be a workable partnership. Better than bleeding into the Rupununi and attracting every caiman, pirahna, and candiru fish for fifty miles.
But not without some boundaries first. I tied a ROPE to that stupid stem this time."
^^HOLY HE!! I just snorted miso soup. it hurt; I didn't care. This was THAT funny.0 -
How do... I am not sure... I am... this is not a thread for me.
This...is...hilarious! :laugh:0 -
I've use them and I don't recommend them for heavy flow days.
And I especially don't recommend using them during sex as it will get pushed out of place.
HOT MESS
NEVER AGAIN
EPIC FAIL
You're not supposed to have sex with the cup in...I think the disposable Instead ones you can but those are WAY different than a Diva cup (or any of the reuseable brands)0 -
No just no0
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I find those gross..lol. no offense to those that use them but looks more like a mess than your typical pad/tampon. No thank you.0
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I just got one a few days ago and started using it yesterday. NO problems learning how to insert it (I looked at a you tube video) first and read the instructions. NO overnight leakage like I usually get (I'm a very heavy bleeder - super plus tampon per hour). But it was totally full the first overnight. I am changing it more than required right now since I'm still learning how long I can go, but it's not too bad to insert and get out. I'm not thrilled with the amount of blood I leave in the toilet, and sometimes I need to flush more than once to get all the blood flushed (seems to stick to the bottom of the toilet!). I am also wearing a pantyliner since it seems to sometimes, well, leak isn't the right word, but some "residue" happens.
So while I'm not a total convert from tampons yet, I think I'll keep using the cup.0 -
I havent read all 20 pages, but wanted to let you know my doctor advised against using it because I did have Toxic Shock Syndrome when I was 16. He said anything left in the body for any length of time increases the risk of TSS. I don't know what the risk is if you've never had it.I have such heavy periods and I swear by mine. I've been using it a year and I'll never go back!
It's so much more reliable than tampons and it lasts longer. Plus, I never run out as it's always in my bag. No more getting caught unawares!
I also worry about tampons and toxic shock etc, so I prefer this.0 -
"So one of the many new devices I purchased for this trip was a Diva "Moon Cup". Since feminine hygine supplies would be hard to come by and waste-producing, I opted instead to buy a thing like a Barbie Deluxe Toilet Plunger, and stuff it up my hooha.
The theory is that the cup catches your pan drippings, and you empty it a couple times a day, washing it with hippy soap, and reinserting. It presupposes you are enough of an Earth Mother to be OK not only with your monthly outpourings, but also with generally fossicking around in your flaps. Now, I am no stranger to gore. Nor am I squeamish about my delicate rose of delight, except that I have no such illusions about it and indeed am always reminded of nothing so much as stuffing an oddly-warm raw turkey. So, when after several weeks of teasing, the Period Fairy threatening to postpone the Communist Invasion until I was actually getting on the plane (I was about ready to scream and cry at some hapless unwary male just as a sacrifice to appease her) at last I greeted the rosy-fingered dawn and set about embarking on my new life as a eco-friendly Diva.
The Moon Cup comes in two sizes; Size A, for youthful nymphs under 30 who have never given birth and have silken tresses and tinkling laughs and are all size 0, and size B, for Big Ol' *****es like m'self, who have either spawned, or are so old (ie over 30) that they might as well have been poppin' them out like Duggar Donuts, because their sugar walls are now echoing corridors full of cobwebs and slackness. Of course the packaging phrases it more nicely, but I was miffed to see that despite having never replicated, I was still doomed to the Big Gulp size because of my age alone.
So, chalice in hand, fingers washed, and let's fold that thing like a taco (no, not THAT thing, the other thing!) and cram it up where only one man has gone before and even then not for a damn long time even when he WAS still around. I'm sure I imagined the rusty creaking sounds as I tried to shove something which was larger than anything previous (with the exception of various medical speculums which, I believe, were constructed by the same person who designed the Montlake Drawbridge)into the Gaping Maw.
Now, you're supposed to roll the cup up, smuggle it past the border, let it expand, then turn it clockwise (or counter clockwise, or then one way and another, stopping when you hear the click, or something...) anyway, you're supposed to be able to turn this thing like a dial in there."If the cup does not turn easily, you did it wrong" Oh, of course, I'll just grasp hold of a thing about the size, shape, and slipperyness of the pointy end of a peeled hard-boiled egg, which is now buried in the meaty folds of my innermost femininity, which, I may add, are well-sluiced with the special effects from a Quentin Tarantino film, and spin that sucker like a dredel.
There is, also, a small stem at the base of this cup, which, being made of the same slippery silicon and about a centimeter long, is about as helpful as providing a live, untrained earthworm for a handle. More on this later.
So, rotate this thing in situ, to ensure a good 'seal' and a comfortable fit.
Does. Not. Happen.
Ladies (and gentlemen, although I hope for your sake none of you gentlemen are reading this), I tried. I hauled that thing in and out of there more times, and with much less joy, than Eeyore with his birthday present, and not once could I get that thing to "turn easily". I finally gave up, since it seemed, at one point, to be "fully inflated" and more or less in the right place. Frankly I think that having left my furrow unplowed for so long, I'm not exactly the proper degree of hotdog-hallway that the instruction-writer was intending to address, but so be it. Let's give this thing a whirl, if we can't give it a twist.
Fast forward a few hours in which I've done nothing much. To its credit, I don't feel the presence of THE CUP at all, no discomfort, not even a vague sense of "eugh" as I sometimes have when knowing all that stands between me and my khakis is a small cottony Dutch boy. In fact, I'm getting rather concerned that the Diva Cup has wormed its way in like some form of parasitic jellyfish and is now eagerly migrating up my fallopian tubes, with me all unknowing. Time to go fishing.
And that is where I discover that, while it's difficult to try and 'turn' a Diva Cup newly lodged in your sanctum sanctorum, it's a freakin' log-fall compared to trying to recover said Cup after it has gotten comfortably settled in the downy folds of your blood-engorged tissues. Yes, indeed, if cram my fingers up there to the point of pain, I can just, tantilizingly, tickle the end of that goddamn silicone 'stem'. Grasp it? Not in hell.
Of course the instructions say, if this happens, DO NOT PANIC. Well, thank god for that, because I was already running through the list of people I'd trust with a flashlight, a set of forceps, and an experience that would scar both of us for the rest of our lives. There were instructions for different positions, and "bearing down" and so forth, which I tried, to no avail, and I was pretty sure that my ham-fisted efforts (ahem) were just making things worse on the "swollen" front, so Diva and I took a break, and retired to our respective corners for an hour or so.
Now I brought out my secret weapon: Beer. If, gods help me, I ever have to have a baby, I intend to be drunk off my *kitten* for the delivery, and I surely hope that the Fairy Prince Unicorn Elvis who is my chosen Babydaddy will provide a bedside IV of godly ambrosia, or at least Jim Beam. But anyway, two beers and I'm good to go spelunking in quest of the Holy Grail once more.
Either the beer, or the break, or the combination of all of these and squatting on the bathmat like a Neanderthal crapping, finally, produced enough of that goddamn 'stem' to grab (which was good, because I was dreading having use the kitchen tongs Up There or something) and, with a surprising amount of horrible suctioning "discomfort", the invader was routed! And, wonder of wonders, it was indeed partially filled. Not filled with DELICIOUS CANDY, no, but it did seem to have been, you know... -working-, before I so rudely dislodged it from its parasitic feeding. I felt a combination of grudging respect and intrigue, as one might upon meeting a foe worthy of their steel. Provided we could agree to disagree on the whole "turn 360 degrees in place" aspect, perhaps this could indeed be a workable partnership. Better than bleeding into the Rupununi and attracting every caiman, pirahna, and candiru fish for fifty miles.
But not without some boundaries first. I tied a ROPE to that stupid stem this time."0 -
They are over the counter...well, I ordered mine from amazon...I think. It has been awhile.
I have a Diva Cup and had trouble with not feeling like it was up there far enough. I read somewhere that some people have better luck if they flip it inside out and use it like that. I thought that sounded crazy, but I REALLY wanted this to work, so I tried it (thinking that it would forever be stuck up there and I would be asking for some embarrassing assistance). Amazingly, it worked SO much better for me and getting it back out was no trouble at all. I had already trimmed off the stem as that felt really weird to me.
I love my Diva cup, but it did take some trial and error to figure out how to get it to be comfortable (not painful, but you shouldn't be able to feel it when it's inserted properly- like a tampon). Flipping it inside out made all the difference for me.0 -
I havent read all 20 pages, but wanted to let you know my doctor advised against using it because I did have Toxic Shock Syndrome when I was 16. He said anything left in the body for any length of time increases the risk of TSS. I don't know what the risk is if you've never had it.I have such heavy periods and I swear by mine. I've been using it a year and I'll never go back!
It's so much more reliable than tampons and it lasts longer. Plus, I never run out as it's always in my bag. No more getting caught unawares!
I also worry about tampons and toxic shock etc, so I prefer this.
There is still a risk of TSS with the cup, just as there is with tampons. Care when cleaning it, though, is all that's required. They are made of medical grade silicon. Also they should be sterilized by boiling after every cycle.0
This discussion has been closed.
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