Well, it doesn’t have to disappear quite that quickly. Just ask WhyNot! 
(I really gotta get me a DivaCup.)
I’ve been thinking I’ll switch to one of these cup deals, but I have a concern.
I’m on birth control right now, but it’s not for… birth control. It’s because, when not on birth control pills, I bleed like I’ve been stabbed in the vagina. This is seven days of filling super absorbency tampons several times a day, filling up those giant, mattress overnight pads several times a day, and being generally bleedy. It’s gross.
Can this cup match my megablood? At home, I’d have no problem popping it out, washing it, and popping it back in. But at work? What if it leaks at work? What if it gets full and I have to clean it out at work? How do you even do that? Do you just penguin-waddle to the sink and wave to all the ladies going in and out while you wash the unfertilized potential spiral down the drain? * “'Sup, girls!”*
I can’t stay on BC forever (and I don’t want to—I’d like to start having kids). Does anyone else bleed like Christ’s wrists and use a cup?
I’d also like to introduce you to my new speed metal band: MEGABLOOD.
Ok, we can work with this. Are the tampons actually “Super” absorbency? Or are they Super Plus or Ultra? I ask because these are actual terms with specific meanings in tampon parlance, they’re not just marketing terms. A Super absorbency tampon will hold 9 to 12 grams of menstrual fluid. A cup will hold about 20-30 grams, depending on the brand and size. So you should be able to empty the cup 1/2 to 1/3 of the number of times you change your tampons.
When in a public restroom, I take the cup out, pour it out into the toilet, and then reinsert it. I then wipe my fingers off with some baby wipes I carry in my purse, re-dress and wash my hands at the sink as normal. You don’t need to rinse the cup before reinserting it, although you can wipe it off with toilet paper or wipes if you want to.
When I’m out for a long time, I do sometimes wear an ultrathin pad for insurance, but it’s never been spotted. I just feel better knowing it’s there, and I like that I can use just one a day instead of several. I’m not entirely eliminating my landfill here, but I’m cutting way back.
This is the only reason why I own a box of them. I hate having tampons or cups or whatever up there but I really enjoy being able to have sex without bleeding all over everything so the instead makes perfect sense for me.
I really, really, really, really wanted to love my Diva. For all of the previously mentioned reasons… it’s better for my body, the environment, etc.
But I hated it. Because it gave me bladder infections. Every time. I tried for 4 months in a row, figuring that I would get better at inserting it and taking it out. I even called customer service for advice. They were wonderfully supportive, and pretty much did everything to help me other than come over and insert it and take it out. But no matter which technique I tried (the W wrap, the U wrap, etc.) it felt like it was constantly pressing on my urethra. But I kept trying.
My doctor was also very supportive (and kept the scripts for Bactrim coming!) but the bottom line is that we think there is something about my anatomy that makes me prone to bladder infections, and the Diva cup is just not going to me my thing.
So, I actually have two upstairs (at one point the customer service people sent me the other size to see if that helped–it didn’t.)
Maybe I should re-gift them? :eek:
I too am a mega bleeder. The Keeper/Diva cup changed my life. Before I was never able to wear a tampon without a pad for backup. Even Super Plus tampons only lasted about a half an hour before they leaked through. I never got to feel that truly freash feeling. With the cup I regularly forget that I am even on my period. The thought of sitting in my own blood like before makes me a little queasy now.
As far as changing at work, change it more often then is necessary until you get the gist of how fast you can fill it up. When the cup runneth over, it really runneth. I usually just get a paper towel wet before going in the stall, wipe of the cup with it, re-insert and proceed as normal. I recognize that the cup doesn’t work for everyone, but I love mine.
That’s what GladRags are for. 
Since the MoonCup works so well I don’t use them much any more, but they are so comfortable I’ll wear one as “insurance” or if I’m just not in the mood to put the cup in at night or something. And since I just toss them in the laundry whether soiled or not, there’s no waste!
Lemme tellya, I cannot express how satisfying it is to have a 100% waste-free period. I don’t think I’m obsessively “green” but I do try to pay attention to the things I can change, and this was a real revelation. For over a quarter-century I have put a pound or so of waste in the landfill every month just because of my period, and I didn’t have to! I never really thought a lot about it before this year, but when I look back, I realized I always harbored a little (albeit resigned) guilt when I eyed that tell-tale overflowing wastebasket. Having that feeling lifted and turned into something positive has made a huge difference.
ETA: And for those for whom the cup doesn’t work, there are still options. I know some people swear by the natural sponges as reusable tampons, though I’ve never tried them myself.
Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
At the risk of this being my own solo thread of one, I thought a couple of you might want to know how it went.
I went with the Moon Cup - the same one I use, so at least I can vouch for it. Long story short, she opened her gift privately with me. She seemed really appreciative. She said she had done some research, but she didn’t want to invest in it herself, so getting it as a gift was perfect. She said she would have had no problem opening it up in front of the family (though my boyfriend was pleased we didn’t do that), but that it was good she could ask me a bunch of questions without everyone around listening.
So, success! 
I’m glad it went well. It’s nice to have a sister you can ask about private things.
I sent my niece a Diva Cup for Christmas. I told her about mine and how much I love it and emailed her a few articles on it with a picture of it. She seemed intrigued by it, so I sent her one from Drugstore.com since she lives in another state. I made sure she was okay with it first before i sent it. I’ve now recruited two people.
I will be looking into one of these for myself. I bought some of the Instead cups a while back, just as I was curious and they were on sale, but have yet to use them.
I was a bit confused because it was obvious these were disposable and I was thinking at first of the re-usable cups I’d vaguely heard of.
Some good info here, thanks.
I used to use the sea sponges as tampons and loved them. Very comfortable as opposed to those stick-y tampons (I use OB when I use tampons, but if I have to use a tampax brand, one that’s longer, OUCH and it won’t ever stay in or fit properly) Anyway, the sea sponges are so soft they really fit well and no pokey edges. Just wet them, squeeze out completely, and insert. As needed, just remove, rinse, and reinsert. Of course, they should be completely cleaned in hot water and dried completely every month. I had several and would change them out every day or so.
I also used cloth pads for a while, and loved them. I made my own from old cloth diapers (13 layer Chinese cotton ones). Super soft, comfy, and absorbent. I even sewed velcro strips to the bottoms and outfitted a few pairs of panties to wear with them. But I no longer have a private washing machine, so…:eek:
I must be more in tune with my body than I thought. I opened this thread tonight for the first time, read through, did a good long read of the Glad Rags site, decided on a Moon Cup, placed the order. Got up and went to the bathroom. Guess what’s here already? Now I’ll have to wait until next month to try out the cup, unless it gets here really fast.
re: the sea sponges,
Perhaps there’s a simple answer to this I’m missing, but what do you do if you have to change them while out in public/at work? How do you rinse them if you’re in a stall?
Okay, so I’ve got this Moon Cup thing in, but I’m not sure how to tell if it’s in far enough. It’s kind of uncomfortable, and the bottom of the cup is right down by the… entrance area… so the pull tab is almost all the way out. I’m very small, but can that be right? The first try was iffy, and I almost couldn’t get it out, and the second try is what I’m sitting on now.
Cut the “pull tab” off. Seriously, it serves no freakin’ purpose except to stab you in the girly bits whenever you sit down. You don’t actually pull it to remove the cup. Rather, sit down on the toilet, spread your legs pretty wide (I find it easiest to drop my pants down to my ankles instead of my knees, but I have absurdly “generous” thighs). Reach between your legs, and bear down like you’re having a bowel movement (well, not exactly like that, more like pushing out a baby, but I don’t know if you’ve done that. It takes a little practice to find the right muscles, but once you find 'em, you’ll know it.) The bottom of the cup will push out of the vaginal opening about 1 inch. Pinch it to break the seal and pull it out by the base of the cup itself, not the “pull tab” thingy.
It takes longer to read it than to do it, trust me!
Oh, but for some reason, it WILL NOT WORK standing up. We’ve got a couple of funny stories involving panic, vice-grips and/or pliers around here from Dopers who tried to take out their Cups while standing!
It shouldn’t be high up during wear; it doesn’t go up nearly as high as a tampon. The base will be near the vaginal opening, but once you cut the tab off, it won’t hurt anymore.
*Thank *you! I will trim that pesky pull tab tonight. I’m having trouble getting it out, but I think your tips will help.
Getting it out has always been a little more challenging than putting it in*. It took me a cycle or two to get used to it, but I did have a little more difficulty removing it in the shower (standing) than usual. Don’t worry, no matter how difficult it seems at first, it will NOT stay in there forever!
*ETA: Like contacts!
Might be stupid questions, but…
How far in do you have to insert these Divacup things? How big are they? And when you remove them, just how much blood goes everywhere? How do you know you’ve inserted it correctly?
I realize that YMMV, but for those who use them, what are your experiences?
I am on BC (mainly for its period-regulating properties, although spontaneous sex with my SO is a plus) and I go through perhaps three Super tampons a day initially, and then I scale down from there…leaking is not a problem for me with tampons unless I just space out and forget for 12 hours at a stretch…
I guess I’m asking how on earth a rubber/plastic/whatever cup can be removed from your vagina without a huge mess.
I am cautiously interested in the idea of a Divacup. FTR I am not remotely squeamish about my girly bits. (To the point that I’ve had sex with a tampon in and forgotten about it til afterwards, and gone on a fishing expedition. Which was successful, thank goodness.)
I just don’t quite understand how a little rubber cup can stay in place, catch everything, not leak at all, and not create a huge massacre upon removal.
If this is a hijack I apologize! :eek:
Well, this is my first experience, and so far, getting it out is the biggest challenge. Staying in place seems to be no problem - there’s suction. Once I finally do get it out, there’s only a little blood in there, even overnight, and I can easily tip it into the toilet. Then you just rinse it in the sink (at home) or wipe it out with toilet paper. I can’t imagine it ever getting full enough to make a huge mess. I get some ick on my fingers, but it’s not a big deal.
I should let the more experienced users answer this!