I got a DivaCup (TMI menstration related)

Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)
#1

After one too many times of having to rush to the store to buy tampons, I went and got myself a DivaCup.

I know it’s not an ideal solution for everyone, but it’s working great for me and I can’t figure out for the life of me why I never had one before. I’m just looking back on all the traveling I’ve done and going “damn, I wish I had one back then.” I’ve known about them for a while but I guess the price always seemed a little steep and it just seemed a little strange.

It’s great. You only have to deal with it two or three times a day- not all the freaking time like tampons. And there is no “rush to change” in the morning. They last for years and I’m going to save tons of money on overpriced cotton- I HATE dropping five bucks on a box of cotton I’m going to throw away. It doesn’t make me feel dry and crampy like tampons- I can never quite relax with them in me. But the DivaCup is warm and squishy and flexible and I can’t tell it’s there. And no more “Whoops! Peed on the string” dilemma. No more packing handfuls of supplies when I go out on my period. No more sneaking tampons in to my back pocket before visiting the bathroom at work. No more overflowing smelly bathroom garbage cans.

They have a 3-month guarantee that you’ll like it, so there is no reason not to give it a shot.

#2

OK, I’m still going through the Q&A on the site, but I gotta wonder: how the heck are you supposed to “just wash and reinsert” in a public bathroom? I can’t imagine carrying THAT (urk) to the sink in a public ladies’ room. And I can’t picture (sorry, guys) clots and like just pouring out of the thing like water.

I’d love to give up tampons, but this seems like a stumbling block.

#3

Uhhh…this thing seems weird. As much as I hate the other options, this is not something I would like to try. I wouldn’t trust it or myself to use it correctly. And I’m in college and I ALWAYS have to use public restrooms, so I wouldn’t have anywhere to clean it properly.

#4

I tried a different brand of cup, once (they are disposable–you’re supposed to use a new one every 24 hours). It was great except for two things:

  1. When you bear down while going to the bathroom, the contents spill out. This means that you have to wear a sanitary pad anyway. So what’s the point? And yes, I did have it in correctly. They acknowledge that this happens, in the package instructions.

  2. I couldn’t fall asleep with it in. Dunno why, because I couldn’t feel it, but I laid awake till 4 a.m., then pulled the damn thing out and slept like a baby.

#5

Mostly it won’t be a problem, since it generally only needs to be attended to 2-3 times a day. If it should come up, most women take grab a few paper towels and wet them before they go to the stall, empty their cup, do a quick wipe off, re-insert and wash their hands. Other people bring in a water bottle and use that to do a quick rinse in to the toilet. Other bolder people just march out of the stall and wash it- at that point it will be empty (you empty it in to the toilet) and if it is gross you can wipe it with toilet paper- and so it’s not like it’s people will really notice.

It doesn’t need a thorough cleaning after every use since it is non-pourous and is not a breeding ground for bacteria. Some college women have had luck attending to it in the shower.

For me, the whole “pour it out” thing isn’t a big deal. It’s actually kind of neat to see how much blood you are producing. Because there is no bacteria, there is no smell. It seems a lot cleaner to have all that blood neatly contained in a plastic cup instead of festering against my insides (tampons always ooged me out a bit, but pads ooged me out more.) It never touches me- just tip it in to the toilet and it’s done with. And I don’t have to hang out with it festering in my garbage can.

#6

Sounds to me like Instead- was it shaped like a diaphragm? This works on a little different of a concept- it rides high near the cervix as opposed to low in the vagina like the DivaCup. They are designed to throw out, but many women wash and re-use them. The big advantage is you can have sex with them on.

Some people like them and some don’t, just like any menstrual product. With a little practice the DivaCup (and the Keeper, which is basically the same thing but with a different material) can be mess free. It takes most people a little practice to get the hang of it (but I caught on right away) but the good news is you can safely wear it when you aren’t on your period for a little extra practice time.

#7

Sattua-- was it the Instead cup thing? Totally different animal.
I love love love the Divacup. I empty it once in the morning (during post-coffee and breakfast excretory and shower ritual), and then again before bed, and no problem. The problem of public restrooms thus doesn’t come up. I forget I have the thing in or that I’m menstruating at all. I love the complete abscence of scary bathroom refuse. I feel like I lost valuable years of my life not knowing it existed. It makes me inappropriately evangelical at parties. Wuv. I heart.

#8

I used the DivaCup after Depo, before my IUD, and it made those few months of “Dammit, periods! I’d forgotten how much these sucked!” almost blissfully easy.

First, it doesn’t mess with the natural lubrication of your vagina like a tampon. So you know those days when you think it’s gonna be super heavy flow and you grab a super size tampon only to try and remove it several hours later, and it won’t budge? OR days when you’re sooooo sure it’s a light flow day, you grab junior or regular or whatever and two hours later… uh oh. Nope, none of those problems with the DivaCup.

And leakage is very rare, as long as it’s inserted correctly, unlike those Instead things.

Plus, as long as you’re not working 14 hour shifts or something, there should be no need for emptying it in the work bathroom, if that’s a concern for you. Empty it before your shift at home, and then after work. Me, I did the rinse-with-water-bottle method. Easy peasy.

Also, because of the no-TSS risk and the no-futzing with natural lube thing, if you’re pretty sure you’re gonna get your period that day, you can insert the Cup before you even start bleeding. No running to the bathroom, clenching your legs, wondering why the hell beige seemed like a good choice of pants colour.

I did toss the Cup in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes every now and then to keep it super clean, but even that’s not necessary.

Now that I’ve got my IUD, I’m back to no periods, but you can bet I’ve recommended them to every women I know.

*Note: if you’re one of those women who gets freaked out about gasp! maybe having to reach inside to remove it, it’s not for you. If you’re tired of: wasting a bunch of money, filling landfills, leaking tampons, having to try and guess that day’s flow and carry 3 different sizes of tampons around, and the risk of TSS, then try it. Plus, it comes with a cute little carrying pouch.

#9

My wife got one recently, and she loves it.

She does concede that the whole public restroom thing can be a stumbling block. Sure, it’s apparently possible to empty it out in the toilet, but this often results in some blood on the hands, making the whole issue of pulling your pants up difficult. She prefers our bathroom, where the sink is right next to the toilet.

But she also finds that she only needs to change it two or three times a day, so she can usually ensure that the changes happen at home.

She said that one of the main things with something like this is changing your outlook and mentally preparing yourself to use it. You need to be convinced that it is a Good Thing, and once you are it’s quite easy to reconcile yourself to the new arrangement.

#10

I have, uh, one question.

How big are they? o.O

#11

I’ve used one ( The Keeper) for over 6 years now.
To say I love it would be a huge understatement.
I have converted several of my friends over to them.

As for public restrooms, wash your hands before going into the stall and take with you a paper towel that has been wetted down ( wetted down? is that a word?) Dump contents into toilet, clean off hands to a satisfactory level to pull up pants and go out to wash them thoroughly.
I would also like to recommend to my sisters out there to toss aside the disposable panty liners and get the flannel pads out there. ( I have luna pads in variety of sizes) They can be pricey, but your naughty bits will thank you as will mother earth.

#12

Another convert here, and loving it.

I’ve never once had to deal with the public restroom dillemma, because I never need to change it more than twice a day. Once in the morning, once in the evening, all in the comfort of my own bathroom. To me, this is a major advantage; all that fuss over your period where you have to remember to bring tampons/pads with you all the time, and screw around with them just about every time you go to the bathroom - that doesn’t exist anymore.

Aside from the twice a day changings, it’s like you don’t have your period at all.

I’ve never experienced any leakage, even while bearing down to urinate. It’s comfortable at night. Heck, I can sleep naked even during my period with this thing - it used to be that Mr. Athena would always know it was that time because I’d start wearing undies to bed.

I think every girl should be issued one of these the instant she starts menstruating.

#13

Well I’m interested but it will have to be by mail order - any clear difference between the “DivaCup” and the “Mooncup” ?

#14

The DivaCup and the Mooncup are identical, except that the DivaCup is sold in the US and the Mooncup in the UK. The Keeper is identical in design, but made out of gum rubber instead of silicone.

#15

Count me in as another Diva Cup lover. :slight_smile: These things are awesome!!!

If inserted properly, I’ve had no problems with leakage, or them moving around during a bowel movement. I did have a bit of a learning curve, it took me to the 3rd cycle probably to get a routine that works for me. There are different techniques to use that seem to work better for different people.

The DivaCup is made of Silicone (I think the Mooncup is made of Rubber). The concept is the same for both I think, worn low in the vagina, etc…

When inserting you fold them up, I found them to be not much bigger than a tampon when folded up.

The thought at first kinda squicked me out - I read on here about them for a couple of months probably before I decided to give them a try. It’s really sooo much better than tampons (or pads). And you get over the squickiness factor pretty quickly.

#16

Every time I see one of these threads, I think to myself “Self, that’s a really good idea.” Then I think some more, get oogied, and decide not to go ahead and purchase one. I think MrsMonkey got it right–pretty soon I’ll stop being squicked and just go get one.

#17

Completely different animal? No spillage? ooh. I’m getting one.

#18

I did the same thing for years. I even had friends who tried to convince me. And I have to admit, they were right, and I wish I’d listened to them ten years ago. Go get one - it’ll make you happy, I promise!

#19

They are a little bigger than you’d expect them to be…maybe about the size of a thin shot glass- it holds one ounce. To get it in your fold it up and it kind of pops open. It can be an adventure to get it in the first few times. If you don’t have success, look up the “punch down method”. Once it’s in you can’t feel it- it’s soft and flexible and I think because the silicon heats up to body heat you just lose awareness of it.

#20

I’ve had a MoonCup for over a year now, and I love it. Way better than tampons. Although it’s not perfect…

Pros:
–Only have to attend to it twice a day.
–I just rinse it off with really hot water, or soap and warm water. (Boil it once a month).
–The clear silicone of the MoonCup makes it easy for you to see that it is clean.
–Saves me tons of money and hassle with tampons.
–Very comfortable, can’t feel it at all.
–Never leaks.
–No “dirty” feeling; I always feel clean and fresh.
–I have to admit, it’s interesting to be able to see how much blood comes out. Even on my very heaviest day, I have never filled it up more than halfway, but usually just a quarter of the way full. That being said, I don’t think it’s gross at all. Tampons are way grosser (and pads are 10 times grosser than that).

Cons:
–I have long fingernails, so I have to be extra careful when insterting and positioning it, so that I don’t scratch or pinch the delicate skin at the entrance (anyone else have this problem?)
–Sometimes with a bowel movement, it gets pushed out enough that I have to reinsert it.
–A bit more “involved” to insert than a tampon (but the convenience is worth it).
–It did take a couple of days to get the hang of inserting it correctly.

As far as what do do when out in public, it hasn’t really ever been a problem because you can go so long between changes that I just make sure to empty it out before I go anywhere and I am usually just fine.