So can we have another DivaCup thread?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I didn’t want to resurrect the old thread since it seems to be quite zombie-ish by now, so I figured I’d just start a new one.

I just got my first DivaCup a couple of weeks ago, and just started using it this morning. I think I actually got the insertion right on the first try because I’ve had it in a couple of hours, and have had no leaks, and it’s comfortable (the stem’s a little long, but I’ll trim that at home). I actually inserted it at work, and it was easier than I thought!

I’m a little worried about removal, but I think it’ll be okay - it seems like it shouldn’t be too difficult. The only thing I notice is that I feel like I’m leaking, but I’m not - is it just because I’m used to a tampon?

I’ve used Instead Cups before, and never felt secure - I already feel quite secure with this! And it may be the Aleve, but my cramps are actually better since inserting it. Tampons seem to make my cramps worse.

I think after hearing other experiences, I was expecting to have trouble with it and the insertion, but I’m really surprised at how easy it’s been!

So I hope I don’t have to come back and eat my words after I attempt to empty it the first time. The Dope was pretty much responsible for my purchase because of the rave reviews.

I am so looking forward to never buying tampons again.

2

I’ve been using mine since March - it is great. I know what you mean what you mean when you say it feels like it is leaking but it isn’t. I think is is because you are used to a tampon. I wear a panty liner to squash those fears.

Removal is a bit tricky, just make sure you break the seal first and also make sure you keep it upright.

I was having problems with it not popping open, but I think I have conquered that. If it doesn’t pop open properly after insertion it will leak. I have found that if it isn’t all open just pull it part way out and push it back in and it should be right.

3

Once you get used to the Diva Cup, you’ll associate different feelings with “leaking” than with “oh, I’m still bleeding.” Tampons definitely make you associate bleeding a bit differently, as you feel the bleeding as a constant expanding of the tampon until it’s full, and then you feel what actual bleeding feels like once it’s full beyond capacity. I must admit that, in my first couple of periods, I had one “oops, it’s too full” incident where the Diva Cup started sliding out to let me know that it was way too full. (Combination of really heavy period and not changing as often as I should-- I was really sick.) If you change it two or three times per day, you should probably be fine.

I’ve never used the Insteads, but I’ve heard from a friend of mine that they can be super messy to remove because of the way they’re built. I can see that, as it looks more or less like a loose waterproof membrane that’s enclosed by a flexible band to hold it in. Without having a firm shape toward the bottom, there isn’t a whole lot of stability with how it’s going to be removed without a mess.

4

I have been waiting for a Diva Cup thread so I can tell my tale of terror.

This is very TMI

I had been thinking of switching to the Diva Cup and made the plunge when I realized that I was due to get my period right in the middle of a week long canoe trip with my parents and brother. Technically when camping with your period you are supposed to burn all the used pads and tampons. Hey bro, shift over your marshmallow I have to burn my bloody tampon. Hmm not so much. So I bought one and practiced inserting it before leaving on the trip. All was well in the world.

About day three into the trip we ran into a bit of a storm so we pulled off into the next campsite to have lunch and wait it out. When I got out of the canoe I felt a familiar feeling. No problem, I had been keeping the cup within easy access so I wouldn’t need to unpack everything and I went up the path to the outhouse.

This was no ordinary outhouse. Up until then all of the outhouses were your standard wooden little houses. Instead of having a crescent moon, this one was shaped like one. The walls were curved and when seated, they only went to the mid chest. No roof, no walls, no privacy. I could see my folks eating lunch while I peed. Not the ideal first real time insertion situation.

So, plan B now comes into effect. The trees are thick and there are other places that offer more privacy than the shameful excuse for an outhouse. So I sneak away from the group and find a great spot where I wont be, umm spotted. I start the insertion process and suddenly I hear footsteps I pull my pants up only to see my father peeking in to see if I was ok.

Umm fine Dad, I just found a dry place.

Crap Crap Crap Crap

Anyway it is done and over with.
Then comes the removal.

So first things first, this next campsite has a real outhouse!

Yea!

So I get my bottle of water (for the rinsing) and head to the outhouse.

Oh crud.It wont come out!

Ok breath, try again.

Nope.
Shit

What the hell can I do.

Try again.
Crap

Start to panic a little.

Reposition.
Relax your muscles. (yea right)
Still no.

Now I am stressing out, but I have a crazy idea. I go back to camp, and get my leatherman.

Lets just say that the leatherman saw things no leatherman should ever see.

Since then I have mastered the Diva cup and it is all I will use.
So stick with it.

5

So, um, is this thread about some sort of award that TubaDiva is handing out?

6

Whoa! I’ve never run into the problem of getting it out like that! Was it because the seal wasn’t broken? The first time I didn’t know about that and it was very painful, to say the least.

I still have problems in public because of the sounds (suction cup) it makes sometimes.

7

My best advice is don’t cut off the stem unless you’re really sure it’s more trouble than it’s worth to keep it on. I would have much more difficulty getting my DivaCup out if I had cut off any of the stem. I’ve seen a page of folding techniques where the woman had cut the stem off hers (actually a rubber Keeper, not a DivaCup, but they seem nearly identical in shape) and there’s no way I’d be able to get a stemless cup out without major drama.

Also, make sure you have it in the right place. I didn’t quite put it where it should be a couple of times last period and it was fine while it was in, but when I went to remove it, horrors ensued. Garments were ruined.

8

Really? I trimmed the stem way down and I don’t have any problem removing it. I don’t even use the stem - I grab by the cup, push one side in with my thumb to break the seal, then remove it by pulling on the cup itself.

9

I think my problem was the releasing of the suction. When I had practiced I would insert before I got in the shower and remove in the shower. It was still lying fairly low, and I guess the suction wasn’t that great because I could just pull it out without needed to do anything else. After wearing for the day, the cup migrated upward and I forgot about the whole suction thing. So out came to tools.

10

Okay, now I’m worried about the whole suction thing :D. I’m hoping getting it out won’t be too difficult. So far, so good, though. It’s been in for nearly 5 hours, and no leaks or anything - no uncomfortable pokings and my cramps are okay (they’re never great on the first day, but they aren’t as painful as usual).

My mom thinks I’m nuts.

11

Interesting! I’ve read about this thingmabob a couple of times, and love the idea - if it works the way I think it works, it could save a staggering amount of money and natural resources. But I never actually talked to anyone who uses it. So here are some questions from a cup ignoramus:

Can you use it from the very beginning of the period, or do you have to wait until it really “gets going”? (I hope you know what I mean) Of course, it’s not at all the same principle as with tampons (that can do horrible things if there’s nothing to absorb) but I had to ask.

Do you have just the one cup that you re-use all the time, or is it something that has to be discarded after a few uses?

Can you use it at night - does it matter if you’re horizontal or vertical while wearing it?

12

You can use it during your whole period, start to finish.

You can wash and re-use the cup during the whole period, and it is meant to be used for several years.

You can wear it while you sleep. The suction keeps it in place.

13

It is OK to use right away. I keep track of my cycle and I know pretty much exactly when I’m due and preinsert it. No problem.

I’ve heard of people who have been using the same Diva Cup for years.

It is fine at night.

14

I love my Diva Cup! I used to have a… um… “dryness issue” with using tampons, and I hate wearing pads (the diaper feeling!) so the Diva was an Og-send. I agree that it takes a bit of getting used to the difference between leaking and flowing, but after 18+ months, it feels very natural now. I have much less cramping now because my natural moisture isn’t being sucked up by the tampons.

One caution my gyn gave me when she heard I started using them: Be sure to clean it often with mild soap to prevent yeast infections and UTIs. Diva sells an organic citrus based soap that works great with the silicon, but when I’m not at home I just use liquid hand soap.

15

Same here - I have very light periods so even a regular tampon was too high an absorbency for me. The DivaCup has been helpful for comfort issues, but also health issues: a too-dry tampon will dry out vaginal tissue and cause tears in the vaginal wall. That’s why they say use the lowest absorbency rating for your flow to lower the risk of TSS.

I love my DivaCup! And I love not having to buy tampons or pads anymore.

16

One of the biggest problems I’ve had since having my son is that umm…even the biggest tampons tend to slip out quite easily even if I’m having a lighter day - I always used regulars, and now I buy Super Plus, which are HUGE. This is pretty awesome since I haven’t had to worry about that yet, and it doesn’t seem like I ever will need to worry about it with this.

Still so far, so good. I figure I’ll take a shot at emptying it when I get home from work and see how it goes.

17

Don’t worry about emptying it too much; it does seem to go easier when I’m relaxed. I just push in the side of the cup with my thumb as I reach up in there and that breaks the suction seal.

18

When I first got the cup, I put it in before I started bleeding, and ended up overestimating the arrival of my period by about a day. Had I done this with a tampon, it would’ve been a PROBLEM. With the DivaCup, it wasn’t a big deal; I removed it, rinsed it off, and put it back in, hoping that my period would show up soon.

This is something you can reuse all the time. This does, however, mean that there’s some preventative maintenance done to make sure that the cup stays good to use over its lifetime. They’ll tell you all about it in the papers, and it’s not much: wash/rinse with every emptying, and boil for two to five minutes after every period.

It doesn’t matter if you’re vertical or horizontal; the seal keeps things from leaking outward.

19

Yeah - def. don’t empty it elsewhere until you’ve got the hang of it. I actually went and scoped out a perfect bathroom at school - one of the handicapped stalls in a high traffic area has its own sink! So I don’t worry too much any more. I’m always worried I’ll get clumsy and drop it in the toilet, but it’s been almost two years I think and it hasn’t happened yet knock on wood.

20

I’m on my third month using a DivaCup, and I absolutely love it. I’m still getting over the paranoia that I’m leaking, when it’s just that it’s a different feeling from wearing a tampon. I’ve only had a problem removing it once, the first month I was using it, when it managed to make its way up really high, but I seem to have the removal technique down now. I’ve also trimmed the stem off almost completely, and Boscibo’s description is pretty much exactly what I do.

Perhaps TMI (as if this whole thread wasn’t already!), but the guy I’m seeing also really likes my DivaCup, because it keeps his hands clean when we’re fooling around at that time of the month. So, um, anyone who’s worried about it staying in place, I can assure you that it takes a lot to dislodge it once it’s in there and you’re not trying to remove it.