So, tell me about the Diva cup.

[urban dreamer]

I'm still too nervous to try the cup, but I do love my cloth pads! DH just shakes his head and minds his own business. He wants no part of this.

 

[CJW]

his father had the NERVE to ask if I was throwing PADS in the toilet - what a damn JERK - hell I was so friggin MAD.

I would have told them yes, I do flush my pads---they do a good job scrubbin' the toilet and the pipes on the way down!


I have a Diva Cup, and I use it about 50% of the time. I have a different experience because I got the larger size after I had my first child because I thought my second child was going to be born vaginally, well-that didn't happen. So here I am, 2 c-sections later, and I have a cup that is too big.

Regardless, I have a couple tips that I have learned. I have a tipped uterus, so I "go in" first, feel where my cervix is, then insert the wet (I have to rinse mine first so it goes in there, or I would need a hammer and a set of chocks), folded cup up in there. After it opens, I have to put my finger along the outside of it and maneuver it into place, and making sure it is all the way open and far enough back so that it is right around my cervix, or I leak.

When I remove it, I like to do it in the shower---way easier-squat, push, pinch the grooves, twist and pull...dump and wash...reinsert after washing my "general area". I also like to use the water to hose out the little holes on the side of it.

If I do it over the toilet, I spread, lean forward over my arm (which is down there) push a bit, pinch the grooves, twist, pull---then dump. Its not too bad, but it depends how much you are flowing. I place it on some tissue or TP, use a bit of tp to wipe my fingers off...THEN I go potty. Because of it's size, it presses on my bladder, so I have to be careful not to pee all over the place when I pull it out. It is quite funny though.

I think when I release my pee, it helps relax the cervix a bit, because I will get a little more fluid out. I wipe up, waddle to the sink (since my pants are around my ankles!), rinse with hot water-a squirt of soap if I feel like it, and reverse the process. I prefer squatting in the shower for insertion and removal though, since it brings my cervix forward a bit.

I have been known to throw it dishwasher after cleaning it, too. Just don't let anyone help you put THOSE dishes away! I have had mine for almost 6 years and it still works fine. But for about 1.5 years of those I wasn't menstruating.

I think if I had a different size, I would like it more, but oh well. It does what it is supposed to. I do use organic tampons sometimes, but I usually use men's cotton handkerchiefs that I fold in odd ways so I can get quite a few "passes" out of them before I have to wash them. It's like menstrual origami. I try not to use tampons often because the cord irritates me, and pads-well, anything with plastic makes me chafe.

I have a friend who uses a luna cup (I think that is what it is) and she has a plant in her bathroom...she dumps her contents into her plant's soil. The plant is beautiful and well nourished! I just can't bring myself to do it.

 

[Emerald]

I wish I had heard of this wonderful device when I was still fertile!
It would have saved me tons of cash! But I no longer have to worry about that part of life!(Menopause is great, except for the hot flashes! Whoo hoo!)
But I almost had the dear daughter talked into trying a Diva cup and told her I would pay for half and then last week when I was gonna order one or find one in (hopefully) the local health food store- Dear Daughter told me that I should wait--I am gonna be a Gramma again in JULY!! WHOOOOOO HOOO!

 

[lwheelr]

I have a tipped uterus, and it is also prolapsed. My bladder is also prolapsed - I've had 9 pregnancies that lasted longer than 3 months, 8 of which resulted in big babies with fat heads, so things have sort of migrated south.

The Diva cup did NOT work for me. It sort of hangs on for dear life, feels like it is going to fall out, even when positioned in as far as practically possible. With a prolapsed uterus, things drop when you stand, so it makes wearing it very uncomfortable. I didn't have leaks or anything, I just always felt like it was going to fall out.

I can't stand pads - besides, they just don't make them wide enough, long enough, or absorbent enough to handle flooding.

I use sea sponges. I have to double them up to keep from leaking, and I have to stay home on the REALLY heavy days.

The worst thing about sponges is handling them when you are out and about. I know all the stores in Laramie that have a private bathroom (with sink in the same room as the toilet), 'cause with the sponges, you NEED that.

Sponges DON'T increase the heaviness or length of your period like tampons do.

You can clean them with vinegar, alcohol, or castile soap. Don't try chlorine, you won't like the result.

And my husband (dear man) turns faintly green and leaves the bathroom if I am having to deal with the sponges!

They really were a lifesaver for me though, after I had to stop using tampons - got allergic to them. You don't want to know what that feels like! Tampons also doubled my flow, so switching to the sponges was a huge relief that way too. I felt like they sort of gave me my life back.

 

[dragonlaurel]

lwheelr - I wanted to try the sponges but couldn't find them around here. Finally made up my own cloth pads and they are so much better than the disposable ones. I used layers of towel inside and a t shirt that didn't fit right for the part that touches my skin. Towel is nice and absorbent, so I didn't need any plastic-ey stuff.
I also bought a big nice sponge later, to make a few menstrual sponges, but haven't done it yet. Would cutting it to resemble my old favorite brand of tampon probably work? Any tips?

CJW- "Menstrual origami" - cool expression for it. I've heard of somebody rolling up a clean baby sock to use as a tampon, so improvising with a mans hanky doesn't seem that weird.

 

[Wildsky]

I also bought a big nice sponge later, to make a few menstrual sponges, but haven't done it yet. Would cutting it to resemble my old favorite brand of tampon probably work? Any tips?

Not as skinny as a tampon - probably about 2 - 3 times as wide, because you'll squeeze it to insert and you need the extra width - it will poof out and keep it in place nicely. Doesn't have to be perfect, just chop a chunk off.
Make sure you clean it well - some of the sea sponges that are not sold to use as tampons, can contain bits of hard wood like splinters etc.

 

[lwheelr]

Also be very careful if using other sponges which are not meant for personal use. They can have disinfectants in them (often industrial strength ones). So you have to wash them out REALLY good, until the disinfectant odor is gone, then boil them for about 15 minutes.

But yeah, just chop off a hunk - probably about 1 1/2 inches wide, both directions, and about 2 inches long. Larger if you have really heavy periods, they do squish down a LOT.

They wear out in about three cycles. Make sure you have three or four on hand per cycle, so you can double them up, and so you can be disinfecting one batch while using another.

You don't have to disinfect for each use. You can rinse them several times before you have to disinfect them (I usually disinfect them daily, more on heavier days because the heavy blood flow seems to attract bacteria more). You'll notice a stronger odor if it is doing that.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Thanks for the info. I already rinsed it lots and tried it for a shower sponge. It was pretty soft. This would be fairly expensive way of handling things, if it's only good for a few cycles.

BTW- Hubby gets yucked out easily about periods, so I can imagine his reaction already. I'm already used to telling him don't look in the red coffee canister- you don't want to know . . . This would be even better. "Honey- you want to stay out of the kitchen a while. I'm boiling my tampons. "

 

[lwheelr]

I'm pretty hard on them - I have to change them every hour or so, and changing them and washing them is what wears them.

For me, it was a no-brainer. Even the special ones you get in the health food stores ($10 for two) cost less than the amount of tampons I was going through, and since they lasted 3-4 months, it came out way cheaper.

 

[dragonlaurel]

I was thinking the sponges would be good if I want to swim or along with a pad if I have extra heavy flow. Don't know how much longer I will get periods, so I may not even need them.