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Lindsay

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2007
Messages
157
Location
Dartmouth, NS
NOTE:This is a very personal topic and men, while educated, could be grossed out. If you are squeamish on the subject of menstruation then read no further. I got permission from a mod before posting this. Try not to get "too personal" with your answers, but use this topic as an educational tool.

I am a member of Goosemoose Pet Portal as well as this forum. In their "Random Chatter" section there's a recent topic about the ever-changing packaging on feminine hygene products. This topic them stemmed into a discussion about silicone menstrual cups, namely the Diva Cup. http://www.divacup.com

After much research I decided to venture into a local shop and purchase one of these Diva Cups. Apparently they are much safer than tampons and will last for YEARS, which will also save you a LOT of money in the long-run. So far it's still quite the learning curve but I think that once I master the techniques that are required to ensure proper use, I will very much appreciate this product.

Have any of you tried one of these cups (Diva Cup, Moon Cup, The Keeper, etc.?) and, if so, what did you think of it?

There is a Facebook group for Diva Cup Appreciators if anyone is interested in learning more: http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2235237374&ref=mf
 
Hmmm I've never seen them before... I'd be interested in learning more about them as they look a bit... odd (as in I couldn't imagine how you would put it in and yaddayadda).
 
I've never heard of this. If I could, I would have my whole uterus yanked out. lol
The cup goes in and out? You have to clean it in between cycles? Or every day during your cycle?
Very interesting... It would be environment friendly.
 
I would assume you would clean it every 12 hours when you dumped it.
Not only envir. friendly but perhaps less costly?

Wonder if it is less, more or the same risk as tampons re. toxic shock syndrome (or whatever they call it)
 
I have never used one, but a workmate has been using something similar for many years. (She is east indian and told me that this was a very common thing where she comes from) perhaps we western worlders are just catching up on something??? She says there is no concerns with TSS. She said she cleaned hers out about as often as one would change a tampon.
 
Ive tried such a thing (not called diva, forgot the name but in fact its quite the same)

HORRIBLE! wouldnt fit well, so i kept bleeding and when i pulled it out my hand was al bloody and then i had to empty the cup in the toilet what didnt go well since i was sitting on it (yeah still bleeding from below so i didnt stand up) I didnt stay on the same spot all the time so i had to put it back a few times... :gaah:

So after a few tries i gave up on that. It sounded great. -Could have sex in youre period without any bleeding, just had to change it every 10 hours...- But in fact, its not :cry3: (at least not for me, maybe my body isnt erm how ya call that.. well formed? that the cup just wont fit right in ME, but maybe it works for others...)

I know 2 others who tried it, one it worked well for, the other had the same probs as i had...
 
Jo: The one that I got cost me $42.50 plus tax, at Venus Envy in Halifax. You can order them online from the website or apparently on Ebay as well. You wash it with hot water and anti-bacterial soap every time you change it and then you boil it, for 2-5 minutes, once per cycle to sterilize it and keep it fresh. You only have to empty it about once every 12 hours, unless you're having a heavier day. But there is no rule saying you can't do it more often. The cup can hold up to 1 oz of fluid and on average a woman will lose 3-4 oz in their entire cycle.

SQ: There is no risk of TSS as there is with tampons. This is meant to collect the blood and because it's in a cup it's technically "away" from your body... whereas a tampon absorbs it and holds it there. When mixed with the chemicals and/or bleaches that are in tampons, it can change your PH levels in your body, but with the cup there is nothing like that.

It's made with silicone and does not absorb anything. There are no phthalates or BHA in the materials. They're hypo-allergenic and should cause no type of reaction at all.

There are 2 models. One for woman under 30 who haven't had vaginally deliveries or c-sections, and the other for woman over 30 or those who have given birth or had c-sections. Sometimes people slightly overweight or with larger builds do better with the model 2 as they are slightly larger in diameter.

It is true that not all woman can use these. However, they do say that it can take a couple of cycles for you to perfect the techniques of inserting the cup and have it positioned and opened in the correct way to create the seal necessary to prevent leakage. Some woman still have to use a pantyliner at least to protect against minimal seepage, but they will agree that it's much more pleasant than having to wear a maxipad or tampon.

Women who have a tilted uterus (i'm guilty of this) seem to still have success with this product. From what I have read, a prolapsed uterus is one of the only physical traits that may make usage difficult.

The cup is not inserted the same way as a tampon is. The cup is meant to be worn down lower. The stem of the cup should be flush with the vaginal opening, or no more than about 1/2" inside the opening. If it does happen to creep up over time, you simply have to bear down as though you're having a bowel movement until you're able to grab the stem, and then give the base a slight squeeze to release the seal. Squatting on the floor will shorten the vagina a little as well which can also make insertion/removal easier.

There are many different folding techniques that can be used to insert it. The trickiest part (in my own experience) is making sure that the cup fully opens and isn't flat or collapsed at all.

Many women choose to empty, clean, and re-insert them in the shower to make sure there is easy cleanup and minimal amount of mess. There is also less risk in dropping it in the toilet.. and it's not as gross as cleaning it in the same place as you brush your teeth. LOL

There are several different models. I personally think the Diva Cup is the best one for me. It's a soft-enough silicone that you can bend it easily, as some of the other models (The Keeper, for example) are a little tougher material. The stem can also be trimmed if it's a little too long or if you find that it's poking you.
 
SQ said:
Were you able to purchase the diva wash as well?
Click to expand...

As far as I could see, Venus Envy did not sell the wash. There are a couple of other places in Halifax where you can buy the Diva Cup so you can always try them. You can order it online as well. I may get my hands on a bottle eventually.
 
jorats said:
Mmm... I may just go looking for it and reading up on it. $40+ is not a high cost either.
Click to expand...

No, not at all. Especially considering that you can spend $3000+ on feminine hygiene products in a lifetime. It very quickly will pay for itself.

The website should tell you where you can buy the cup in your area. You just have to put in your zip/postal code.
 
Hoo-boy. I have been using one of those things for about three years now. The Diva Cup...there is another one out there, but it is made out of latex, and I am allergic to it. Diva Cup is silicone.

There are definitely pros and cons. If you are uncomfortable touching yourself, this is not for you. I don't think I could have done at as a teenager. In my mid thirties...whatever. You need to empty it twice a day, once will probably be in the shower, it isn't that bad. Or you can dump it into a plant...it is supposed to be great fertilizer (shifty look....I hope Chaz doesn't read this...he would be happier not knowing about the African violet).

Once you get used to it....you will experience the joy of never buying tampons again. They won't fill up a land fill. Last year we had clogged pipes in the apartment, and the plumber told everyone accusingly: "It was....tampons!" I could say safely, "Twasn't me!" Okay, I didn't actually say it, but I thought it loudly.

I don't have problems with any leakage...and I love the thing. I bought them for a couple of my VERY good friends for xmas one year, that was how much I love it. I also have a back up one. Haven't had to use it, but I am a tad obsessive compulsive, and I like to have back ups.

The Diva Wash is nice...sort of orangy soap. It isn't necessary though. Dial antibacterial or whatever antibacterial will work just as well. At the end of the cycle, before I put it away for the month, I boil it for a good ten minutes.

It takes some getting used to....

I had an allergic reaction on something in pads. I spent an hour on the phone trying to get a hold of someone, and when I did, they insisted there was no latex in their product, but they couldn't tell me what it WAS made out of. *Things* got VERY poofy and VERY itchy and VERY uncomfortable. I went online and found the DIVA cup and thought I didn't have much to lose. I remember reading about them in the back of Vegetarian Times when I was in my early twenties and thinking, "Ugh, ewww, no!" Now, I was ready to try anything.

I guess my point is that I was VERY motivated and determined to make it work. Getting it in actually takes some practice, but I was approaching it from a THIS HAS TO WORK!!! point of view, not a "let's give this a try and compare and contrast it with the other options" point of view.

Hope this helps!!!

I'm going to check out the facebook page....I didn't know it had a fanclub!
 
I tried something similar one time and just could not get the knack for it and once I did get it in properly I felt so worried all afternoon long that I was going to leak or that it would pop out all of a sudden and have a huge mess that I just couldn't leave it in longer than a few hours and went back to my old faithful. This is what I tried....

http://www.body-care-shop.com/gip/inste ... al-cup.htm

Staci
 
OldsGal said:
I tried something similar one time and just could not get the knack for it and once I did get it in properly I felt so worried all afternoon long that I was going to leak or that it would pop out all of a sudden and have a huge mess that I just couldn't leave it in longer than a few hours and went back to my old faithful. This is what I tried....

http://www.body-care-shop.com/gip/inste ... al-cup.htm

Staci
Click to expand...

The Instead cups are really quite different from the Diva Cup. They are meant to be placed and worn more like a diaphragm and they are a lot easier to get wrong. They are also disposable and a lot more flexible.
 
Lindsay said:
Rodentist wrote:
I remember reading about them in the back of Vegetarian Times when I was in my early twenties and thinking, "Ugh, ewww, no!"


:laugh4: me too!
Click to expand...


The rest of the thought was

"I *try* my best to be an earth friendly girl, but whoa! You gotta draw the line somewhere! Don't mess with a girl's pads and tampons!"

What a difference a decade makes!
 
I just checked out the menstrual cup facebook site....I found this VERY helpful link:

http://community.livejournal.com/menstr ... 53392.html

I have had the thing for 5 years (I know I said 3 years, but I checked...time flies!!!) and didn't know there was more than one way to fold it...the "C" fold in the instruction manual. That punch-down fold looks like it would make things easier. I am *almost* looking forward to trying the new technique out. I suspect I will be able to contain myself though.

Learn something new everyday!

Oh...another helpful hint...at the end of the cycle, fill it with hydrogen peroxide and let it soak...I do it overnight. There are four tiny holes at the top that get plugged up and the hydrogen peroxide dissolves them and keeps it from discoloring. *Then* I boil it. Actually, I wash it with antibacterial soap, then fill it with hydrogen peroxide and let it sit, and THEN I boil it.

There are enormous benefits to this thing! I remember being at my stuffy, proper, Aunt and Uncle's house for Thanksgiving dinner and had to change my tampon...she had this open garbage can in the bathroom that was spic and span, not a thing in it for the holiday. I couldn't flush it (ask the plumber! that's a no-no!), didn't want to leave it there, all by its lonesome in the trashcan because it dawned on me that every other female at that party was over the age, so they would all know it was mine! (I was a teenager....I freaked about stuff like that) I wrapped it up and put it in my purse and spent the rest of the evening positively consumed with worry about it. That someone would go into my purse and find it, or that everyone just *knew* what I had in there and were just too polite to say anything. I considered trying to slyly bury it their backyard. The tracks in the snow would have made that a no-go, though. Thank you, Diva Cup, for fixing one neurosis! But don't worry folks, there are plenty more where that came from!

(I just included that hoping someone finds it funny, because it is....now)
 

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