I know there’ve been threads about Diva cups and, what was the other one? Moon cups? Well, I ran across a brand called Instead, and figured I’d give it a go.
http://www.softcup.com/index.php
Has anyone tried this particular brand? What were your experiences? I admit I’m a little hesitant. I’m worried about leaks and how hard/easy it’d be to put one in.
I did try this and actually liked it quite a bit. It was easy to put in and I didn’t have much problem with leaks, either. Much preferable (to me, anyway) than pads or tampons, which almost ALWAYS leak.
It’s relatively easy to put in. What they don’t advertise on the box (but do acknowledge in the instructions inside) is that when you go to the bathroom, it leaks, and you then need to wear a pad to sop up the leakage that gets all over you. Unlike the DivaCup, it sits at an angle, and that little bit of push “unseals” the front edge. Crimson Tide.
So basically, it’s pointless–for me anyway. It also irritates me at a subconscious level, as does the DivaCup.
Instead was okay on light flow days, but I couldn’t remove it on heavy days without spilling it. Also, it’s useless if you’re one of the those women who pass big clots on their heavy flow days. The little cup doesn’t contain a big clot.
Another problem with the Instead is how much touching of your person is involved, and cleanliness can be a problem in a public bathroom. If you’re home, you wash your hands before you take it out, but in a pubic rest room you’ve got to wash your hands, then walk from the sink to the toilet stall, handling the dirty stall doors - yucch - before squatting down to take the cup out. I actually resorted to carrying medical exam gloves in my handbag to use in public toilets - neurotic, I know, but I didn’t want to touch some shit-smeared doorknob just before inserting my fingers in my pussy. Also, disposing of a brimming cup can be difficult in a public rest room. So I stopped using Instead except at home on the weekends.
I also only use Instead at home because of all the messy internal fiddling about.
Nothing’s better when you’re feeling hormonally frisky and don’t want to do loads of laundry after.
Hmm ok, thanks for the input! I’m even less confident now, but I’ll still give them a go. The main thing I already don’t like is that I’ll have to maneuver them up against my cervix… I have enough trouble getting tampons back far enough.
I’m thinking I’ll just save up for some Divacups. So far I haven’t heard anything bad about those, and they sound easier to use.
I’m a huge fan of Instead and have been using them since they appeared in stores. I hate tampons and loathe pads, so Instead was a great find for me.
However, I’ve always had a very light flow and leakage/spillage has never been a problem for me. That was actually the issue I had with tampons; even the lightest flow ones dried me out. Instead doesn’t dry me out. I remove it in the shower, usually, so anything getting on my hands just isn’t an issue.
Well, I spazzed out on Instead. It was just too hard for me. I don’t even know if I ever got it in properly and I had a traumatic incident when I took it out and spilled all over the place. I tried it because I figured if it worked okay I could get a reusable cup and stop using tampax but I just decided to stay with tampax because I couldn’t get past the learning curve.
Cups like the DivaCup are much, much easier to use than Instead, in my experience. I hated Instead when I tried it. I adore my DivaCup.
The DivaCup is inserted differently than Instead, for one thing. It sits lower, and I found it much easier to get it positioned correctly. The learning curve isn’t too bad…it took me a day or so until I was inserting and removing with ease and no mess.
ditto
I tried the instead one period- hated it.
I have the divacup and have used it for over two years now. It was super easy to learn to use.
It was $35, a bit expensive up from for something I didn’t know I would like. But I absolutely adore it. In my line of work, I am at a lot of gas stations with less than sanitary bathrooms. The last thing I would want to do is have to change a tampon or have to fiddle with one of those instead cups.
My period was light when I was on the pill, but when I switched to using an IUD in November, my periods became pretty heavy for two or three days. The diva cup handled it splendidly- no leaks even on the heaviest of days.
Also another thing to point out, the divacup (or similar models) are a one time purchase. The insteads are disposable and you need to by more. I love my cup because I am not adding more trash to landfills each month.
I couldn’t get them to work right, and gave up after a couple of days. My period aren’t heavy at all, though, and I very rarely completely soak a regular tampon so I don’t have problems with leaking with tampons.
I bought Instead exclusively so that I could have unmessy sex, and I was disappointed. It was way too big, and the rim had some sharpish(!) seams on it. It was damned uncomfortable for me when I moved the wrong way, and it occured to me that my partner might not be interested in a second, even more traumatic circumcision.
Even for “typical” use, I found it inferior in every way to a tampon.
This was years and years ago though, so they may well have improved upon it since.
I used Instead before I had my IUD inserted. I found it easy to insert and remove and at the time was on birth control pills so heavy flow was not an issue. At home I would reuse one Instead cup over the course of a day. I would just wash it and reinsert. It was convenient and I could have sex while on my period. Instead cannot be used with an IUD as there could be issues with the cup pulling at the IUD strings as it sits so close to the cervix. I’ve since switched to the Diva Cup. There was a definite learning curve in figuring out how to insert it properly. It took me a few periods to get it in the right way and I still struggle a bit.
Well, you only need one. 
Supposedly they last for about ten years.
The online price is something like $36, but I got mine for about $24 at a natural foods co-op.
I think I finally got the hang of getting the Divacup to pop open. For me, the trick is to fold it, barely insert the rim, let it unfold, and then push it in the rest of the way.
I used a Keeper (remember when they were called Keepers?) for about twelve years until it wore right out then I bought a Diva Cup. Then my dog ate it (don’t ask) and I needed something in a hurry from the drugstore, so I bought Instead which was the only non-bleached-cotton feminine hygiene product they had.
My review: it’s inferior to the Diva Cup in every way. Don’t waste your time or money with it. Save up for the cup.
The Diva Cup is expensive, but you only have to buy it once and it lasts for ten years. Instead is expensive but you have to buy it once a month.
The Diva Cup has a bit of a learning curve but once you get the hang of it it’s a breeze. The Instead thing also had a learning curve but it was always a pain to use.
The Diva Cup is a little messy. Instead is a lot messy.
The Diva Cup is a minor problem in public bathrooms but can be dealt with. Instead is a major problem in public bathrooms that is usually too much to deal with.
The Diva Cup doesn’t leak, ever. Instead does.
Save up for the cup and don’t look back.
I just got my DivaCup in the mail yesterday. I paid $26 including shipping; luckyvitamin.com is where I got it from, and I’d recommend them to anyone else who’s interested.
I just can’t deal with pads or tampons anymore, and I figured I might as well spend the money on the DivaCup and save myself some money. Constant Reader, I’m considering getting an IUD in the next few months, and I’m glad to hear that I can use the DivaCup with the IUD without the “string” being an issue.
nashiitashii I haven’t had any problems with the Diva Cup and my IUD. I was a bit worried about the suction issue that may arise when removing the Diva Cup, but there are ways around it. I’ve found that I wear the Diva Cup low so it’s never really near the string.
When it first came out.
Exceptionally hard to get in and get seated “right.” (And it’s possible I never did that, because I always felt it. Always. And it was not a comfortable feeling). It wouldn’t stay in place, either. I mostly sat with my thighs plastered together - walking was difficult and uncomfortable, much less anything truly active. The thing shot out all on its own when it was time to remove it (so, that was a plus for easy removal).
I’ve had similar problems with the Diva cup - but not quite so bad. I really would like to be able to use it, but I’ve had a really, really long and partially unsuccessful learning curve. (There’s pain, pinching, and it always feels like it’s about to fall out and I’ll be sitting in a giant pool of blood. It doesn’t fall - it just feels like it’s going to).
You know Amarinth, it sounds like you are not getting the base of the diva cup fully inside the pelvic arch. I know at least 3 times when I was in a drastic hurry and didnt get the thing inside in teh correct position, it triggered cramps for me.
I know it sounds funky, but it doesnt go straight in, it actually tips sort of diagonally. I really can’t describe how I do it, my canal may be at a different angle than yours, but I fold it in the classic c-fold, get it so the curved part is up towards the clit side of the entrance, get it about 3/4 of the way in and let it start unfolding, then sort of use the middle finger to press the cup in so it is tipped more towards the colon side of the canal at the rim, and the little nubbin is fully inside with the round base of the cup seated fully inside the pubic arch. It sounds fairly deep, but you really cant use the little nubbin to really pull it out, I sort of hook a fingertip into the side to break the seal and tease the whole thing into coming out, and then grab the base by where the nubbin is molded to the cup.
It took me about 1 week pre period of playing around to teach myself how to use it - and it was nonscary as there wasnt any blood involved so it wasnt messy. Once I got comfortable with getting it in and out, it didnt make me nervous to use it - luckily the first time I needed it was over a weekend, so i could get used to handling it with blood.
As for work, I wash my hands and get a fairly damp paper towel, and a dry one, and my normal package of wet ones as well as a small ziplock baggie. I go in, redo my hands with a wet ones, remove the cup but DONT remove it from under me/over teh toilet bowl. I tip it out so it empties into the toilet. Then I wipe it clean with the wet paper towel and wipe the opening with some toilet tissue. I reinsert it and then wash any blood off my hands with the wet ones and dry off with the dry paper towel. I stuff the paper towels into the baggie, and put myself back together. I toss the paper towels into the sanitary trash basket in the stall and wash my hands as normal. I got lucky and was working on saturdays and sundays when i was alone in teh building and could work out the proceedures that work best for me. YMMV
I’ve never had to worry about the Divacup at work or any public restroom (save perhaps an airport once) since I don’t have to change the thing but once 12 hours or so. Wake up, remove, rinse in shower process, do life, rinse, go to bed.