I suspected that must be the case. Thank you.
The Diva Cup sits low inside the vagina. It works as birth control in that it’s pretty much impossible to have vaginal intercourse while using one.
I’ve been using a Keeper or Diva Cup for 7+ years now. I personally find that mine sometimes leaks when I’m in bed at night. I think something about being in a prone position tends to break the seal if it’s not really strong. I still use it, as 75% of the time, it’s fine. I just use a pad as backup.
Just be sure that the person you’re living with knows what it is! Once, while staying at my parents’ house, I washed mine and left it out on the bathroom counter to dry. Mom came in to the bathroom, thought I’d left a piece of junk lying around, and threw it out! $30+, in the trash.
I’ve been using mine for quite a few months now. I’ll never go back.
I guess the oddest thing to get used to is that during your period, you aren’t bone dry and it seems like you might be leaking, but really, you aren’t.
Long live the Diva Cup. Even my husband has told some coworkers about it.
I am a convert as well. I love my DivaCup. My husband loves it, too, because it makes me so happy. I tend to have widely spaced, heavy periods with a great deal of cramping. I felt like when I was menstruating, I had to be on constant alert to make sure I didn’t have any accidents. Since the DivaCup, my cramps have decreased and I have, at times, forgotten that I’m on my period. Someone said in a thread a long time ago that the DivaCup had made her inappropriately evangelical, which cracked me up, and has become true for me as well. My friends all think I’m nuts, but I don’t care. They’re missing out.
My stem is still in place. It doesn’t bother me, so I don’t bother it.
I do occasionally wear a pantyliner at night, just in case. May I just put in a plug for GladRags? I bought these cotton pantyliners, and they are soooooo much more comfortable than the disposable ones.
ElzaB, I got messy the first few times I emptied, too, and I’ve gotten much better at it. Has anyone recommended the shower to you? Obviously, you can’t take a shower every time you empty it, but I empty during my morning shower. It’s one less time I have to squat over the toilet. And the clean up couldn’t be easier!
I’ve been interested in the idea of the Diva/Moon cup, but would have to get one shipped to Oz, so with cost plus shipping haven’t been totally convinced yet. I do know everyone seems to rave about them - are there any drawbacks that I should know about? I’m also trying to conceive at the moment, and I know they recommend not to use tampons for spotting after ovulation - would the cup be OK?
You don’t realize how much you used to think about your period, until you no longer have too.
I love my Diva Cup.
It took me about 6 months to get used to using mine because I couldn’t get it to sit right; I had to cut most of the stem off because it was so pokey. But I love it now and won’t make the switch back to tampons. It was actually one of these very threads that got me to try it, so SDMB can chalk up another convert.
My problem is getting it out. The rim naturally wants to spring into a ring shape. I have a hard time not getting a hold of the cup itself, but rather getting the rim into the right shape so it doesn’t hurt coming out. It always “pops” me a bit and is kind of ouchy. If I could figure out how to fix that, the DivaCup would be perfect.
I just got a diva cup today. Hooray. I already use insteads, so i’m hoping that this will be a piece of cake.
My two cents:
I used a DivaCup for about four cycles. It took me a few tries to get it to “pop” open inside. It worked well, didn’t leak, couldn’t feel it, except taking it out hurt. I had no problems breaking the seal or anything, it just made my vaginal entrance irritated and sore. Even with lube. So I don’t use it anymore.
Girl From Mars- Google tells me there is an Aus site that sells Keepers, which is just the same, but made of latex, not silicon…not an issue unless you have an allergy.
You can use menstrual cups for spotting, staining, anticipating a period…as long as you empty and rinse it every 12 hours and clean it well between uses.
Don’t use it if you’re pregnant or have an infection, otherwise it’s pretty much good for everyone.
Bren-Cameron- that method is when you push down the edge of the cup and then squash it so it is sort of triagular. Another method is to squash it together so the edges touch and then fold it into a U-shape. It’s all just different ways to make it small to go in, but able to open up easily. As long as you do the twisty thing once it’s in, it’s all good.
People who are squicked out really need to re-think how they view dental retainers and mouth guards, and would probably faint if they heard about Gynaecological prolapse pessaries!
Note to self: “DivaCup” not some sort of American gelato or ice confectionery. Self, do not EVER click on DivaCup threads again. Thank you. Silly, silly self.
It sounds like you are taking it out without bending the rim at all - that hurts, yes! I pulled it straight out the first time and the pain was unbelievable. The trick is to fold the rim enough that it can be removed painlessly, but still keep the cup in a position where as nothing spills. Bending the rim both breaks the seal and makes it easier to remove. I usually bend it so it is in a “c” shape.
My DivaCup drama:
My DivaCup has been sitting unused in the bathroom drawer for over a year 
I tried, oh how I tried but I just can’t get it right. The one time I did manage to get it inserted and seated comfortably I was thrilled. Then came the removal :eek:
First off, I began to think I had lost my mind and maybe I hadn’t really put it in because damned if I could locate the thing. I’m a very petite lady so there can’t be that much room in there can there 
After calming down and trying again I finally found the stem, ok, I’m good now right? Well I would have been if not for the fact that it was so slippery I couldn’t get a grip. After wrestling with this damn thing for another 5 minutes or so I finally got enough traction to hold on and break the seal. This was followed by a very messy removal that left me looking as if I had just committed murder with a sharp ax.
Oh, and also, this procedure and long fingernails do not mix. I like my nails, and they are real, I don’t want to cut them off.
So, that’s the story of why my DivaCup lives in a drawer.
Woo hoo! I just inserted my Diva cup!
Suburban Plankton and I were reading this thread earlier and I saying how I was always going to try it every time I read one of these threads. I already use Glad Rags and I’ve been really hating tampons. So today we were at Whole Foods and I picked one up. This is the second day of my period, so I thought I’d give it a try.
Read the instructions (love the pin and carry bag that came with it!) and the first try at insertion went so well, I was sure I’d done wrong! LOL! Anyway, pulled it out and did it again, easy as pie, so I left it in. Can’t tell it’s there, didn’t trim any stem. We’ll see about leaks this evening. I’ll try to report back tomorrow.
Thanks irishgirl - I did a little more googling and for those interested in Australia, there appears to be a store in Canberra who have both latex and silicon versions and will ship around Australia. I think it may still work out cheaper to import from the US though.
Stillwell, it takes a bit of practice, but it’s entirely possible to use a DivaCup with long fingernails. I do – I just have to wash more carefully. I use a thumb and middle finger to wrestle the thing out.
As for the axe murder thing, I’ve found that the angle of removal tends to vary depending on whether I’m sitting down or standing up. If I’m sitting, I have to angle toward the front. Reverse that if I’m standing. YMMV depending on which way your plumbing goes. Sometimes I manage it, sometimes I don’t. I always bring some damp paper towels in with me to wipe off anyway.
I’d recommend giving it another go at home where you’ve got easy access to privacy and a sink.
For the record, I’ve trimmed the stem of mine down to almost nothing since my cup rides really low.
Thanks for the encouragement lizardling. It wasn’t the mess under my nails that bothered me, it was the ouch! factor of stabbing my tender bits with them 
I’m sure I will try again someday, the concept is awesome, I just need to get the removal technique figured out.
My period is so light (maybe because I’m on the pill?) that I can get away with emptying once during my morning shower, once when I get home from work, and once before bed. No messing with public bathroom emptying!
For those of you having problems with getting it to pop open and create a proper seal, are you spinning it all the way around after insertion? That really helps. Also, make sure the holes around the edge aren’t plugged up.
I’ve never had any removal problems with the suction. I use my index or middle finger to press one side slightly in, then pull it out with the side depressed. No issues with spilling, because it never fills to the brim.
I wash it with soap and water every time I empty it, and soak it in peroxide and water at the end of each period. Haven’t boiled it, because I don’t think my hubby wants to see that on the stove.
I have to admit, it’s kind of facinating to empty it and see what I’m shedding every month. Like a science experiment. 
If you’re on the fence about buying one, do it! It’s so much easier to use than it sounds, it’s better for the environment (and your body!), and will save you a ton of money in the long run.
A few people mentioned that it doesn’t dry them out as much as tampons and I notice that (spoilered in case it’s TMI) I have more lubrication the rest of the month, too.
This mystifies me. I mean, the little paper that it came with said to spin it around? But even when it’s in properly (that is, it works perfectly and doesn’t leak) it won’t spin around. Frankly, it’s flat, sort of squished into an oblong shape, one that’s not conveniently spun, to say the least. How in the hell do you get it so it spins around? I’ve never, ever gotten it in there and been able to do that.
You may have to either push it a little farther in, spin it, then pull it back into place, or pull it down a little, twist it, and reposition it. If you’re not having problems with leaks, though, no reason to mess with success! I push mine in farther than it needs to go, turn it completely around, then pull it down. It opens it all the way up.