have anyone used the menstrual cup

Ocarina

I just had my TOM start today and I got the cup... Husband purcahased it kindly for me as I didn't get time to go to the store with him as work drug on. But I'm excited... Especially to actually use it over night and not worry about my poor clothes getting ruined. I'm also going to wear a pad for awhile just to get it down.

taylorwaylor

I was using it when i was just starting to get my period back... Then one day at school it came in like full force.. Aaaand the cup managed to catch NONE of it! I thought i had it in right... But no, you cant feel like. But it is kinda gross.... But anyways, i havent used it since my little incident....

crazytreelady

"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."

WHO WROTE THIS! I HAVE BEEN ROLLING AROUND ON THE FLOOR FOR HALF AN HOUR LAUGHING...

Sorry for the caps, but that was fan****ingtastic.:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

droneofvelvet

Yup!! I love my diva cup. It took me about 6 months to get used to using it and now I can't live without it. I am a very heavy bleeder with very painful cramps and it makes it way less messy. Read the directions and give it a try you seriously can't hurt yourself.

KayteeBear

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.

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.

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.

Not exactly.......


"What you've got to realize first of all is that TSS is a risk no matter what you use, it's the result of toxin-producing strains of S. aureus or S. pyogenes that occur via cuts, surgery, burns, vagina, or pharynx.

The reason it is linked to menstrual products comes from the outbreak in the 1980's as a result of tampons containing untested synthetic materials that increased the risk of TSS (increased risk of vaginal splitting, better area for bacterial growth). Tampons themselves significantly increase the risk because they prevent normal vaginal cleaning, give bacteria the perfect place to multiply within the vagina, add toxins into the vagina that disrupt vaginal pH in turn affecting bacterial balance and damage vaginal tissues making it easier for infection to take hold and toxins to enter the bloodstream.

Menstrual cups like Divacup have NEVER been linked to TSS, and bare in mind that menstrual cups have been around as long as commercial tampons, and are left in the vagina for much longer than tampons.
Menstrual cups don't stop normal vaginal cleaning, don't damage vaginal tissues and don't give bacteria the same sort of place to multiply like tampons do, furthermore menstrual cups are cleaner and can be sterilized - just the same as menstrual cups don't cause vaginal infections like tampons do.
Menstrual cup manufacturers/retailers have to put the TSS warning on their products by law, there is always a small risk of TSS but that is more to do with the minute risk of TSS all people face than an increased risk from using menstrual cups themselves - you are actually at higher risk of TSS from commercial pads like Always than using a menstrual cup because of their negative affects on vaginal health.

Quote from Divacup.com on TSS;
"The DivaCup™ is non-absorbent and is only a receptacle and does not disturb the natural moisture level in the vagina. The DivaCup™ has never been associated with TSS."

Quote from Lunapads.com on the Divacup & TSS;
"The DivaCup has not been linked at all to getting Toxic Shock Syndrome. Toxic Shock Syndrome results from a chemical imbalance in the vagina caused by the absorption of vaginal fluids that carry dead cells and other organisms away. Tampons absorb these fluids, disturbing your body's natural cleaning cycle, which is why they put you at risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome and bacterial infections (read the warnings on the side of your box of tampons for more info). Used and cleaned as directed, the DivaCup poses no health risk to the user."

You can leave a menstrual cup like Divacup in for up to 12 hours at a time - although the manufacturers have changed this to a recommended 8 hours just as procaution - unlike tampons you can leave menstrual cups in at night, you can wear them during light flow or even no flow at all to prevent your period turning up and staining your underwear, you can wear them for sports like swimming, and the one cup can be used throughout your period so you don't need to worry about lighter absorbency's like you do with tampons and pads."

from: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080202074153AAZMNNj (plenty of links within that for more information if anyone wants)

RiverDancer68

@SlickFootAnna I you!!! That was the funniest thing I have read on MFP...and that is saying a lot!!:drinker:

Oh....and to add to the topic...I have used the Diva Cup, and loved it! I was a heavy bleeder and eventually had an endometrial ablation, so no more bleeding for me!! I also used cloth pads...but I am quite "crunchy!" I found it to be way more effective than tampons, even with my excessive bleeding.

78brownie_wechanged

I have in the past and loved it. However it became ineffective for some reason. My flow is extremely light for the duration but it doesn't collect. So I stopped.

Dimepieces

lol

droneofvelvet

Here is my thorough review that I posted on amazon last year of the diva cup:

"I had bought the Diva Cup a couple of years ago. Of course I tried it within the first month, and had little to no success with it. It did not feel comfortable and leaked within an hour. I was panicky and scared because I didn't do enough research and was still afraid of hurting my own body. It was a huge mess, I was miserable, and hated this cup and tucked it away in my closet for a couple years and felt pretty much like the 1 star reviewers on here.

About 5 months ago I decided to give it another shot when I found it again. Most of us came to this product because we were not happy with the other alternatives on the market like tampons and pads. After doing plenty of research on folding and insertion methods I gave it another go and it took time, but each time was more successful than the last. 5 months later and I love the Diva Cup. The reason is because I don't feel it at all, my clothes stay MUCH cleaner, my bathroom is cleaner, I am saving money, I create less personal waste for the environment, I trust the materials that it is constructed from and that I use to clean it over pads and tampons, and it is one of the only products suitable for my extremely heavy flow. Yes, I think it took too much time to get used to. I was willing to be patient and it paid off.

I'd suggest this to eco and health conscious women who are extremely comfortable with their bodies and not squeamish around blood. One should also be very patient as it might take a few cycles to get used to the hang of it. My advice for women struggling to get the hang of it is to look for forums and journals that talk about the Diva Cup and other brands.Women around the world are willing to share their experiences with these products which was an immense help to me while getting used to it. Read, read, read all of their testimonials, complaints, solutions and adjustments they needed to make.

Some myths:Shorter periods (I don't see how this is possible, I just think because it is actually a better solution the person's perception is just different.) No leaks (I still leak and need to wear panty liners, but it's very minimal. Eco conscious people can buy cloth panty liners.)Less cramps (HA! I wish that were true for me, but it isn't. My cramps are still horrible, but it makes the rest of the period all the more bearable which is important to someone like me who gets bedridden from cramps. My cures for those are a hot water bottle, keeping warm, raspberry leaf tea, crampbark tincture and if I have to work: IB Prophen.) Also the cup will NOT stretch you or make you 'loose'! I have heard this and it is a myth perpetuated by our patriarchal society. It will not get lost inside you. (It is not the Bermuda triangle!:))

Some tips: Wear it before your period starts to get used to the feeling, insertion & removal methods and process. It will not hurt you to wear it while you are not on your period (unlike tampons). This will help you get used to the cup before there is a 'mess' involved. Prop your leg up on a toilet seat/ shower seat/ bathtub side. Make sure you push the diva cup up there and you cannot feel the little knob sticking out because that is actually painful. You can even cut the knob completely off. You need to reach your fingers and pinch the walls of the cup firmly, but gently in order to retrieve it anyway. It will NOT get lost inside you, so do not panic. When taking it out 'bear down' with your leg propped up again. Sort of pretend you are trying to do a mock birth. (weird, but it works for me!) Fold the cup into a 'c' fold before trying to insert it and keep a FIRM grip on the fold until it is properly inside you or else it will snap out and might hurt a bit. You are going to have to be hands on with yourself. If you don't like that idea, don't spend the money because there is no way around this. The Diva Wash is pricey, but I thought it was worth it to wash the cup, although you can use any gentle soaps and I also just leave it in a mug of hot water before and after my cycle. Store the cup in a breathable place. Wash your sink/toilet/bathtub every other day that you are disposing of the contents because it attracts mold.

Hope this helps."

KayteeBear

......

Some myths:Shorter periods (I don't see how this is possible, I just think because it is actually a better solution the person's perception is just different.)

No leaks (I still leak and need to wear panty liners, but it's very minimal. Eco conscious people can buy cloth panty liners.)

Less cramps (HA! I wish that were true for me, but it isn't. My cramps are still horrible, but it makes the rest of the period all the more bearable which is important to someone like me who gets bedridden from cramps. My cures for those are a hot water bottle, keeping warm, raspberry leaf tea, crampbark tincture and if I have to work: IB Prophen.)

.......

It's not really myths. A LOT of people have experienced shorter periods and less cramps. That is mostly because of all the chemicals in tampons and pads. I can't say for sure about the shorter periods but quite often the chemicals cause more cramping. Yes, SOME people still have really bad cramps no matter what, but sometimes it's the chemicals causing cramping. Case in point: I had to wear tampons once since I was totally unprepared for my period and I had horrible cramps! Yes, I get cramps still with the cup however I haven't had cramps like that since I used tampons.

The thing is that it's not guaranteed you'll have shorter periods and less cramps BUT women quite often experience shorter periods and less cramps when they started using a menstrual cup..

And leaking depends. I only leak if it hasn't sealed all the way. I wear a panty liner at first and if there's a tiny bit of blood on the liner in the first hour or two I just go twist the cup around and I'm good to go for the rest of the day without ANY leakage. Quite often I don't leak AT ALL. Sometimes leakage can be because of inproper suction or even having the wrong size of a cup. But it's the same as above. It's not guaranteed no leakage but most people don't have any leakage with perfect use of the cup. And it gets easier the more times a person uses it. For me, I'd consider it no leakage because when I used tampons (I tried MANY kinds) I ALWAYS leaked MAJOR. I'm pretty sure half the blood missed the tampons so to go from that to a tiny drop of blood, I may as well consider it no leakage.

Those points aren't completely false. They just depends on each person.

I wish people wouldn't say "I tried it once and gave up because it leaked/couldn't get it in/was uncomfortable so I'm never trying it again". You should really try it for at least two or three cycles to give yourself practice time AND to let your body get used to it. It MAY feel uncomfortable at first and weird but once you use it a few times you get used to it and no longer feel it.

droneofvelvet

Guess I'm SOME people then.

fara180

i had never even HEARD of the menstrual cup until this thread. i'm not knocking it, but i dont think i'll ever be using it. something about having a "cup" up there kind of freaks me out.

Weebs628

So, because of this thread I decided to try it out.

Love it. I have been converted.

Thank you to everyone who raved about it!