I ordered mine about 10 days ago. I hope it gets here soon, 'cause I’m due on sunday, and I’d really prefer not to buy another box of tampons.
Im fat. It can make it a bit tricky, so I sort of do it sitting on the john. I reach in and slide my forefinger along the slope of the divacup up inside and when it is deeep enough that my thumb can also slide in on the opposite side, i sort of hook with my forefinger and pinch with my thumb and it breaks the seal [as it were] and i remove it that way. THe little stub at the bottom is useless to me.
Thanks aruvqan! I tried taking it out that way and it was so much easier, quicker, and painless than trying to mostly use the stem. I think I will remove the stem too once I get better at taking it out your way.
Angling it as far back as possible and pushing it inward more helped a lot. I can’t feel it at all now.
tremorviolet, I haven’t been able to get mine to rotate either, but it is working correctly. What kind did you get? Some of them allow you to exchange it for free within a year.
I love this thing! I was putting off getting this thing for so long until I read even sven’s thread and I finally sprang for one. I don’t regret it for a second!
Here is a size comparison of the different kinds of cups for any of you ladies that are still undecided about what kind you should get.
I can’t really rotate it to any great degree either, and I’m using the “larger” size, being of whatever age but never pregnant the site mentioned. If I pinch hard (not on the stem, but at the base of the cup) I can do some slow turning, maybe a quarter turn or so.
I’ve only used it for one period, and by the end of it I got the hang of insertion and getting it to pop open without too much trouble. I actually had no-leaks days by the end, which is amazing for me. I also was changing it too often at first - re-read the FAQ, it says every 12 hours is fine for most women. I also think I should trim the stem down, as it can be a bit uncomfortable if I don’t have it seated just right.
Thanks for all the advice and stories everyone. I think I’ve got it figured out now. The insertion, now that I know to go back instead of up, is a pretty simple process. The removal is getting much easier too. My boyfriend even commented on how much faster I was getting.
I like the punch down method of folding. It seems to pop out much easier once I’ve got it in.
I think this is one of the most valuable pieces of advice concerning removal.
They now sell Diva Cups on Amazon.
To emphasize my dissenting voice: I tried it last night and I was right, it drives me crazy and I can’t justify fiddling around in there (especially such hazardous, frustrating, and sometimes painful fiddling around) for whatever added “convenience” this thing is supposed to have. I am sending mine back.
God intended one thing to go up there, and the DivaCup ain’t it.
I got the Diva cup size 2. I’m almost 39 and that’s what they recommend. Although, I’m a relatively petite person, not a mom and an infrequent dater so I’m sceptical that one size fits everyone in the same age group.
I should have tried it again this cycle but I was feelign apprehensive about the pain.
TOTAL TMI ALERT
I’ve got the remnants of the hymen left in the form of a thick strip of tissue. Normally it moves out of the way but the lip of the Diva Cup keeps catching it and it’s painful. Tampons and penii are a bit more rounded and don’t get hung up. I dont’ know if I’ll be able to get around this issue or not.
I’m in the club too! That last thread sold a lot of cups to Dopers. I think I have the right size, and when it’s in there, I can’t feel it at all. I’ll have to try the recommended method for getting it out, fingernails became an issue for me as well.
And even though the contents are gross, it’s just so… interesting.
Well, I tried. After an especially TMI episode in the shower last night, I’ve given up for the remainder of this period. I’ll practice more after it’s over and before I get my next one, though.
Is there a good way to test the placement/seal of the cup without having to dump a lot of blood towards it?
Seren, I use the punch-down method and a lot of the time I can hear it pop open. How you can test the placement (at least for me, every woman is different) is by the lack of pain. For me it hurts if it is out of the correct position. Futhermore, when you try to take it out while the seal is in place, you are met with strong resistance. I can not take out the cup without breaking the seal personally.
tremorviolet, I believe I have that too, that’s why the punch-down method is so much better for me to use. When I take it out, I pull it really fast so it doesn’t have the time to get caught.
I can’t do the “rotate” thing, but somehow in my attempt I can tell if it’s sealed or not.
Hooray! My period and my Diva Cup came on the same day! Thanks to the good advice in this thread, I managed to get everything taken care of in one try. The rotating was a little hard to manage, but I imagine I’ll get the hang of it soon.
Thank you, Doper Divas!
Sort of a hijack: Did any of you convert to the Diva from tampons because you were prone to yeast infections, or BV, or anything like that? Did it help? Or do you seem more prone now to the itchies now that you use the DivaCup?
Oh, I forgot this question too. What kind of soap do you guys wash yours with when you have to empty it? Maybe that was my problem…i used that orange antibacterial stuff. Maybe too harsh on my hoo-hah?
It’s taken me a while to report back, but here I am.
On soap: I have a bar of Ivory in the bathroom, so that’s what I’ve been using. And from the previous thread I remember someone mentioning that they boil it every once in a while. How long would you boil it, two minutes or something?
On yeast infections: I used to put a little KY Jelly on the ends of tampons to make them easier to insert, and then I read somewhere that lubes with glycerin can increase the chance of a yeast infection if you’re prone to them. Once I switched to glycerin-free lube, I haven’t had an infection since. Coincidence? But anyway, the issue didn’t influence my decision to try the cup.
Anyway, to the heart of the matter. I just finished up the period and I did successfully use the cup! I figured out a couple of tricks. For my fingernails, I make sure to angle them into the cup so that I’m digging into the cup instead of my sensitive self. And the advice to bear down during removal is key - bear down hard and it’s much easier.
I haven’t really rotated it once it’s in there but I run my thumb or finger around the middle of the cup and I can tell if it’s fully expanded. Thanks for the advice, lizardling!
Does anyone know how well these work for us virgins? I’ve got a hymenal ring and can’t even wear tampons. 
To be honest, if you cant get a tampon in, you wont be able to get a diva in. Divas are larger than tampons.
Digging this thread up to add an answer to the boil question. I tend to boil mine in a pot of water with some white vinegar for a good while – say about 10 minutes at a rolling boil. Bonus is that the vinegary water does good things to cut any possible stank from the kitchen sink drain.
Alternatively, you can also soak a DivaCup or MoonCup in a cup of hydrogen peroxide. Works great for stains. HOWEVER. I don’t know if that works for a Keeper since it’s rubber and not silicon. Caveat lector.
I’m adding to this thread to say thanks for starting it. I never knew too much about the diva cup option until I read this. Everyone was so enthused about it, I decided to invest in one myself. Perfect timing, I started the day I got it. And thanks to all the helpful tips I got before even buying one, I didn’t have too many issues. It was a bit akward taking it out the first couple days but now I got the hang of it. So…
Thanks to everyone who participated in this thread.
You made my life easier. (And my mom has yet another reason to think I’m crazy.) 
I’m trying to convert her and all my girlfriends btw.