So I just emptied out my diva cup for the first time in this cycle and I'm so upset.

( cut for grossness, possible OCD triggers )
I'm asking you all this:
1. How did it get that far in? I was laying down on my bed today reading, but wouldn't that happen if I were sleeping too?
2. How can I prevent this from happening again? I want to keep using the diva cup, but not if it results in this every time.

My cervix is very high up, and I only managed to locate it a few weeks ago while squatting in the shower and practically sticking my whole hand in there. I have one of the longest menstrual cups, I don't understand how this happened.

Posted via m.livejournal.com.

Hello everyone!
I finally got my cup in the mail today, a green Medium Meluna. So far I like it! The only thing I'm worried about is that it's hard to tell if it has popped open or not. 
Anyway, I have sort of an awkward question. I realize cups are mainly for use on your period, but could they also be used to catch the 'excess' within your vagina after having sex without a condom? Usually I would use a pad for whatever comes down in the hours after, but I figured a cup could work better. Is it okay to use a cup for an extended period while not menstruating? 
Thanks for all your help :)

Hi peoples! I have not been on livejournal since it was still cool. This is bonkers. I love it!

So, I bought a DivaCup 1 without much research at all. I had read about the different brands years ago, but didn't really think I needed one until recently when I learned I'd be going to a remote area abroad where tampons can't be used. My gamble seems to be paying off, though, because it's working fine!

Today was my first day using it. I inserted it in the shower, and I didn't have too much trouble getting it in. I thought it was in and open, but then I shifted my weight and it popped open and wiggled up a bit. Weirdest. Sensation. Ever. I yelped. I could feel it in there this morning and afternoon. I wouldn't say it hurt, but I definitely felt it near my cervix. I assume this is because there was too much suction, because now I can't feel it.

It's not a huge issue, but removal was difficult. I have a high cervix - I have never in my life been able to touch it. I am wary of hormonal anything, so I often use sponges as a contraceptive. I can't tell you how much time I spend trying to get those things out. I have short fingers, so it takes ages. My method is that I squat and bear down... that usually inches it close enough to eventually grab it. That's also what worked for my cup. It was hard, though! I could barely touch the tip of the stem while I was standing with one leg on the tub, but it was much easier to pinch the bottom once I squatted down. I had a teeny bit of leakage, but I think the cup was too full - it was in for 7 hours and the first day is a little heavy for me. So, I don't think I did anything wrong. Is it just going to wander northward a lot?

That subject line sounds completely bizarre but hear me out!

As we all know, menstrual cups don't get anywhere near as much publicity as they deserve.  Don't know about your country, but here in Australia you can't buy cups in the supermarkets or chemists and there is zero advertising.  It seems like no one even knows that they exist.  So how do we make menstrual cups go viral?  - Toilet paper!

Every time you visit a public toilet, bring along a pen and after you've taken the toilet paper you need, write a very quick one-liner about menstrual cups on the next square of toilet paper for the next user.  A few examples:

"Menstrual cups!...
- look them up
- never using a tampon again
- no more stinky, soggy mess
- Kotex/Stayfree/Libra must hate me
- you'll thank me later
- visit menstrual-cups.livejournal.com
- spread the word" etc.

It's quick, simple, it doesn't make you a vandal, it reaches beyond your immediate circle of friends/family and it's anonymous which is great if you're not comfortable ranting about periods in person.  And because toilet paper is probably one of the weirdest forms of communication, it's not likely a reader will forget how they found out and if they become a happy cup user too, there's a chance they'll be tempted to spread the word in the same way, hopefully making it viral.

Personally, all I needed was to stumble across the term "menstrual cups" and it was enough to pique my interest and do a bit of research and ultimately become a happy cup user.  Of the people I've mentioned them to, curiosity seems to be the most common reaction so I think that simply getting the term "menstrual cups" out there in peoples' awareness can be quite powerful.

So go forth and start scribbling!

Hello all,
Since not knowing a thing about menstrual cups a few days ago, I've learned a lot while reading from this site and others for literally hours and hours. However, now I'm overwhelmed a bit at all the different qualities/user experiences! At the beginning of my search, I purchased a small Diva Cup, but just sent an email on amazon asking for my order to be cancelled because I'm not sure it'll be the best kind.
I am 20 years old, occasionally use tampons (regulars, maybe 2 or 3 times/cycle), not sexually active, and (I think?) I found my cervix to be around 4.5-5ish cm while menstruating. I was concerned about the Diva being too long, which seems to be a common experience. If my order can be cancelled (or if I suck it up and shell out the cash for another cup), I was thinking about the smaller Lunette?
In short, which would be a good, middle-of-the-road choice that's most likely to work best given the rough guidelines and my inexperience?
Thank you so much,
Sincerely,
Very overwhelmed and indecisive

So I'm helping a friend of mine find a good cup for her. Because of medical conditions, she needs to have one that's longer (for good capacity due to a very heavy flow) but that's not very wide, because otherwise it will cause her extreme pain to take out. She also needs a softer and squishier one. Does anyone have any brand and size suggestions? Any help would be good!

She has endometrosis which means a lot of scarring at the vaginal opening, so that's why it needs to be squishy and not wide.

I was greeted by my lovely monthly gift a few days ago, and as I do each month, I find my self thinking a lot about the wonders of my diva cup, and how I even managed to live with out it. I really feel as if the world should start the switch to more eco friendly menstrual products.

Today I was also thinking about why it is that menstrual cups aren't more popular. Why is it that in the drug store, there is a whole wall devoted to pads and tampons, and then one half of a shelf for all other menstrual products with severely lacking options if a shelf at all. Obviously its because there is a higher demand for pads and tampons, due to the fact that a good portion of the population have probably never heard of menstrual cups, and as it is not an overly common thing, some of those introduced are immediately disgusted. So, I was thinking, how is it possible to get the knowledge of menstrual cups out there so that every one knows and that in maybe 60, 70 years everyone will know of menstrual cups just as everyone knows about pads today. I realized the answer is children.

In health class at the age of 10 or 11, when the nurse comes to talk to the class, girls learn about pads and tampons. They watch "educational" videos created my the big brands such as playtex and always. There is no suggestion that other forms of period protection exist. They tell our kids (at least in BC Canada) about all the kinds of birth control (cervical cap, iuds, condoms, depo, pill, etc) but only 2 kinds of period protection. 

Sure, I think that most, if not all of the girls would still use pads and tampons at the start, but if the knowledge is there, more might be interested in trying a cup when they are more comfortable with their bodies. Also, if introduced at a younger age, it wouldn't seem quite as disturbing right off the get go.

While this is just random thoughts, I really feel as if menstrual cups should be talked about at school in health class. 

I am looking to buy my first cup but I'm unsure of what brand/size to get. I looked at the size chart and it was a bit confusing. I'm 18, a virgin. medium flow that lasts 5-6 days. I felt my cervix at about 6 - 6.5 cm (I checked while on my period) and I can fit 2 fingers in with no pain. Also, I live in the US and I noticed some you can't get here, so I don't know if that matters. And is it ok to wash with water and sterilize with rubbing alcohol after my cycle instead of boiling or is boiling a must?

Alright so this is my second month with my cup, and the first two days went smoothly, then then last night I had major leakage, so I had o take the cup out, and reinsert it(when I was taking it out it felt like it was all the way opened, very strong suction haha) Well after I reinserted it I was fine for the next two hours, but then I started leaking again, so I had to take it out again(was all the way open) I put it back in again, but I am also wearing a pad just in case. The cup did have some blood in it, like it only partly filled, and then the rest just somehow leaked. My size is the smaller lunette Diana. Any idea what could be going on?

I bought a size 1 DivaCup in 2007, and up until a year ago, it worked great, but then I started noticing leaks, even when the cup was nowhere near full.

I recently damaged the cup, so I need to buy a new one... based on the leakage problem, should I buy a size 2, or just a new size 1? I'm 26, and a virgin, so have therefore never been pregnant or given birth. So technically, I don't meet the "criteria" for a size 2, but am I "close enough" to 30 to justify a size 2?

Thanks in advance!

I have a question for those who have both a clear cup and a color cup.
Do we see yellowing (due to aging) on a clear cup more than a color cup?
Does a red cup not become "vermilion" and does a blue one not become a nice "turquoise" while a clear one become yellowish not pretty?

Please note - original message I wrote Yuuki and realized that I mean XL Meluna.  Thx!

Hi -

I'm NikkiG.  I have been searching this site for hours trying to find "the right link" to answer my question.  Clearly I've had no luck.

Keeping in mind that I'm already frustrated - could someone (with a very heavy flow) please, very kindly, tell me how-why-if I need to alter the holes on my Meluna?

My problems:

1) I cannot get it to open.  I have tried many folds - and it simply isn't happening.  Usually the cup remains crumpled or folded on the inside.  My DCs, Lunettes, and FemmeCups do not have this problem.

2) I have a very heavy flow and simply cannot find my cervix.  I have tried (with the aid of my husband) - for months to find it.  My GYN check up isn't for 6 more months.  More often than not - I have some leakage issues for the first 3 days of my cycle.  Toward the end - no leak problems at all.

3) I do have large clots - the holes get clogged - I clear them after every "check" which happens every 1.5 - 2 hours.  If I don't check this frequently, I often find myself in "soaked though" land.  I use cloth pads as a backup - those are the items that I find soaked.  Rarely is the cup full - I know that liquid near/above the holes causes leaks.

4) I thought the lip of the Yuuki could help stop me from leaking over when a clot is released - where the Diva Cup and Lunette have failed.

If I have missed information that would be helpful - please link me.  I genuinely believe that my inability to use the cup efficiently is related to some major error on my part.

If I can provide more info, please don't hesitate to ask.  I always use pads (cloth) as a back up.  I just want to find a way for my cup to work better.

So I tried out Lunette size 2 today for the first time. About an hour after insertion, I felt somewhat crampy (normal for me), and then all of a sudden extremely faint, dizzy, lightheaded, feverish, sweating profusely, nauseous, dimming vision, and had to lie down. I took the cup out (worked great actually not messy at all!) and the symptoms lessened slightly but continued for about a half hour while I threw up and had diarrhea. A year ago I would occasionally have one day of my period where I would experience extreme symptoms like this, though I have not since probably August, and it was usually on the third day of my period, not the first. (Side note: I was changing my diet a lot at the time, cutting out excess hormones, which helped tremendously with my normal cramps which used to be extremely severe, and thought it probably had to do with my still hormones getting used to things. My periods overall were much less painful, but I had this one horrible day about 3-4 cycles before it went away.)

I used to use tampons a lot, and I'm paranoid that the few months I had symptoms like this last year were possibly related to TSS, and then that what happened today might be? I also once had similar severe symptoms when I passed a piece of tissue--freaked me out but apparently it's something normal that can happen. I had a LEEP done in February and was not able to use tampons for two cycles and realized that tampons definitely caused me to have increased cramps, I believe because they press up against the opening of my cervix and/or don't let things flow as they should when my period is very heavy. So I'm also wondering if it has to do with maybe the cup pressing against the opening? Other than feeling absolutely horrible and worried that I would pass out, it worked great, so this is kind of a bummer. Any similar experiences/suggestions are much appreciated. 

Greetings!

I cannot for the life of me figure out why my cup is leaking so much. I have just replaced my medium MeLuna for a small Mooncup as i couldn't get the MeLuna to open properly, it was always kind of squished and leaked more than it didn't. So, i think the Mooncup is an improvement as it opens easier and seems less squishy. So, this is my first period trying the Mooncup, i tried the MeLuna for 3 periods and abandoned it.

I follow the instructions to the letter, I use a push down fold, i push it in towards my back and after a bit of poking and twisting it opens. How do I know if there is a suction seal? It is REALLY easy to remove you see, and it leaks. A lot. I don't have a very heavy flow yet I do get bad cramps. I have tried leaving it low down and pushing it a bit higher up. I have also recently been for a smear test, the nurse had a little trouble locating my cervix so i presume it is quite high up, i haven't managed to feel it yet.

I am wondering if I am missing something really important that I'm not doing ... I have read A LOT of forums and website advise and the only reason I can think of is that I'm not positioning it properly. I have tried feeling for my cervix but alas, it does not wish to be found. If I have a weirdly high cervix could this be the problem? Also, sometimes when i put it in i can hear air inhale which i am assuming is the seal? But it still leaks. MEH!

Kind regards,

Helen

Hey everyone! I'm new to this community. I'm currently sixteen years of age, and have never participated in intercourse, nor associated myself with tampons. Not quite my thing. :) Because I'm a dancer, however, pads have become extremely tedious. So grateful to have discovered menstrual cups!

Thanks to your wonderful support and vast information, I've decided on a Lunette Cynthia Model 1. Two questions:

1) Is this a correct model for me? Should I try a different one instead?

2) I've read so many horror stories of the pain involved with suction/cup removal... If I follow the proper instructions, will the Lunette Cynthia give me any of these problems?

Thank you so much, everyone! Hope you're having a fantastic week!

I am happy to report a success story! I have just finished my first period with my menstrual cup, and I am HOOKED!

I went through size charts, I scratched my head, and like so many of us I didn't really know where to begin. I decided to go middle of the road - middle height, middle width, and see how it worked. I thought as long as I had *A* cup I could figure out what worked, and what didn't, and go from there if my initial choice just wasn't a good fit. I ended up getting a Model 1 Miacup (which I haven't really seen promoted by the users here, and wondered if there was a reason, or there were just other brands people used more/were comfortable with?).

I emptied it at least twice a day. On my heaviest day, it was half full, so I think the size is good :) I can't feel it inside, and it doesn't migrate in too deeply (I can reach the base after only a little bearing down, and squeeze between two fingers to break the seal). I did have some leaking the first real day of my period, when I first woke up - but I believe that was due to the cup not opening all the way, and therefore the seal wasn't created. I was able to empty in public restrooms no problems! \o/

But it's not perfect. I still find sometimes I have to insert it a couple times before I can get it to fully open inside. I seem to have better luck when I don't fold all of it over, and leave a pocket of air in the base to help it pop open? If anyone has any suggestions on something that might work better (as this did not work 100% of the time) it would be much appreciated!!

I wanted to thank this community, and especially those who are also members of vaginapagina as without you I would never have discovered cups!!! I couldn't stand having diapers (pads) on, and was never comfortable with having bleach-filled tampons in all the time, but couldn't find a better alternative! And now I never have to worry about having enough tampons on me to survive a day :D

So I finally found my cervix! It's reaaaally far and took a lot of reaching to access it.

With that knowledge: do you have any recommendations regarding cups? My first instinct is to go with the Diva Cup, but I don't want to overlook any other (and possibly better) options simply because the Diva Cup is so well known.

Necessary info: I have a very heavy flow (I usually use Super or Super Plus tampons for majority of my period, and my period lasts 6-7 days), I'm 22 (23 in July), I've never had penetrative sex, and I've never been pregnant (and I don't want to ever be pregnant).

(ETA: and yes, I've consulted sizecharts, but people's opinions are always important as well ^_^)

I've spent at least 12 total hours reading on cups over the past year... I was getting more than tired of pads, and I'm allergic to tampons, so I really wanted to try a cup. I asked people about it, read for hours, and came and asked a question about my dry runs on here two weeks ago (thanks ladies!). I ordered a small ladycup and was so excited. I got the divawash and the milton tablets and figured out what container I could use, etc. I posted on facebook to all my girl friends about this and got their support. I stretched my vaginal opening for two weeks until I could fit two knuckles width. Dry runs were very difficult and internally and externally painful, so I waited for my period.

The night before last, I started my period and got it in no problem. I figured out the best way for me to get it in is the punch-down, pointed to the left, and scooting in to the base. It opens and I push the stem in. No problem. Slight pain when it opened, which scared me more than hurt me the first time, but I nearly couldn't wait until morning to see the results. When I woke up, I leaked after a few minutes of moving around, so I took a shower. It had rode up (high cervix) during the night, so I squatted and bore down. I got the stem, pulled slightly to get it lower, and then got my middle finger in behind it, squeezed to break suction, and pulled it out squished. I couldn't have relaxed more, but it still hurt getting it out. I figured if that was the worst of it, I could deal. Slight pain here and there, what of it?

OMG. Second run was hell. I put it back in when I was in the shower then. Less than two hours later, I had overflowed again. Got back in the shower, and I could NOT get it out. I could reach it, I could break suction, I could pull, but the pain was so much greater and I had to take several breaks and try again. Once I screamed, and then the determination set in and I finally got it out with intense pain though it was as squished as I could manage (How on earth do you get it C-folded while it's in there?? Seemed impossible! I can only get one finger in with it). Peeing since then has hurt. 42 hours later and I'm almost healed. I definitely tore something.

So I'm disappointed at this point. I know I'm in the dreadful learning curve, but it doesn't seem worth it as this point. Changing it every hour on my heavy days? NO. I can't at work.. or school. At this point, I can only get it in laying down, and only get it out squatting to the ground. Get a larger cup? Um.. yea, as a virgin, even with no hymen, that doesn't seem real appealing as I remember the pain of getting a small one out every time (and considering that blood and guts are oozing out as I'm trying to remove this thing, I would think my vaginal opening is as lubricated as it can possibly be and STILL getting the same pain as dry). Longer? Sure. Stiffer? NO. I can still feel the stem when it moves inside me, and it's the softest stem out there. I don't want to be able to feel anything in there. Tampons are sooo incredible uncomfortable, and I don't want anything stiffer than the ladycup. Don't need it - suction and opening is just fine.

The idea of being able to forget about it and not change it as often as pads appealed to me.. but that's not reality here. Saving money isn't worth the pain or mess. Those were my hooks. Now I'm not so thrilled..

Hi all!

Just another person who came onto this site to research cups and is very thankful!!.  I am 24, sexually active, no babies. I got an IUD (paraguard, i love it, good for up to 10 years, no hormones. downsides: cramping, heavy bleeding!)  inserted about 3 months ago, and since then my periods have been VERY heavy.  It was only then that I started to really think about and investigate what tampons are made of (because i was using like 7 a day).  I was disgusted by the bleach and synthetics and pesticides on cotton etc. and decided i didn't want to put that in my body any more.  I was getting ready to order a cup online, but, like many, was having a hard time deciding what was best for me. 
It wasn't until yesterday, when i left my house to visit my parents 2 hours away and forgot to bring ANY tampons with me, when i decided to call the whole foods by their house and have them put a Divacup aside for me.  My decision was made for me, since I was in a bind, but it was the push that i needed!  i have been using the cup for about 12 hours so far and i LOVE it. i woke up this morning and didn't even feel like i had my period.  The only reason i remembered i had the cup in was because i was so excited about it!  I had no troubles putting it in, except i couldn't rotate it a full circle like it was suggested. i took it out and inserted it half way, did the full circle rotation, then continued sliding it in.   Perfection! 
Thank you all so much for sharing your stories, it has helped immensely.  I am going to recommend the cup and this site to all my friends, since i am the first of my friends (that i know of) to have one of these!

I've had my small Lunette for a year and a half with no problems. But the last few cycles. I have started having problems. Everything feels normal when I put it in, but now I'm having leaks. I don't know what to do, it's getting really frustrating. Any advice?

Hi there,
I need some serious help choosing a new cup. My cervix is very low and my LadyCup is far too long, even with the stem trimmed almost right off. I've read that the Meluna cups aren't made from silicone, and I would like a silicone one if possible. I'm so overwhelmed by all the brands and size charts. So could someone please tell me the shortest cups available. I've had two children and I'm 28 years old. 
Many thanks. 

Hi everyone, I have a quick question. My daughter is 11 yrs old and all signs point to her getting her first cycle within the next year. I would like to start her off using a cup, which I have discussed with my GYN, and we both agree that it would be okay. So, I guess what I am asking is which cup is best for a young girl? I use a keeper moon cup, and love it, but I am afraid it may be too rigid for her. Would love any input.

So I guess I used my menstrual cup last cycle too soon after using tea tree oil to treat a yeast infection and now there's a faint tea tree oil scent to my cup. Is there any way I can get it to go away? Thanks :)

I am looking to buy a cup and have been researching for quite some time, but I am just confused by all these stats and what they necessarily mean to me.

I have been using Insteads for years and they were a miracle to me. While I love what they do, I hate them. So I am looking to get a different type of cup that fits me.

For my stats: I am 26, sexually active, with no kids. I have a fairly small vagina. I can reach the back (beyond my cervix) with my middle finger (although I have long fingers) which is about 8cm. My cervix sits fairly low during menstruation where I only have a bit of clearing for the Instead rim to fit underneath to go around my cervix. My cervix is probably 5cm from my vaginal opening. My vagina is narrow in that I can only fit 2 fingers in there with some discomfort. To give you an idea (if you've ever used one), the Instead cup fills up my entire vagina and I can pop it out easily by bearing down just a tiny bit. I am currently using the Nuvaring, but that may or may not last long. My periods are very heavy for 3-4 days. After that, they are pretty light for another 2-3 days.

Starting to use the Nuvaring was my last straw for using Insteads. I don't have any room to fit another object in there and the entirely soft lining would envelope the Nuvaring to where I think it was ineffective. I hate that Insteads leak a lot, but they were a good introduction into the world of menstrual cups as tampons and pads made my life a nightmare for many years.

I am looking for a cup that will fit better than Instead and that has a medium to high capacity. I have no idea what squishiness factor I need, but I assume somewhere in the middle will be best.

Can anyone recommend cup brands based off all that? Like I said, I have been researching but I feel lost with all this info and don't know where to start. Any advice or suggestions would be great!

Bio-details: 30, nulliparous, IUD.

So I've been lurking here, combing over the FAQ and the posts archive and the incredibly comprehensive size and firmness charts for a while. I first heard about cups a few years ago, but didn't really think they were for me, because the possibility of dealing with it in a public restroom seemed too inconvenient to outweigh the benefits. But then I got an IUD, and suddenly tampons just made me feel... itchy. Or like I was developing a UTI. And I couldn't deal with them anymore. ( Read more... )This is the first cup I've tried, and I've had no leaking, no discomfort (other than my IUD strings, which have a sort of bend in them from being tucked behind my cervix most of the time, occasionally reaching out and poking me, which is easily correctible), and no mishaps. If I've found goldilocks on the first try, it's only because there was such a wealth of information here for me to read-- and that's why I wanted to contribute. More people may post about having trouble than not having trouble, so I wanted to make sure I made my contribution to the pile of anecdotes about people who had no troubles at all! And also, I wanted to say thank you to all the people who have posted before about their experiences-- it made it that much easier for me to try. You guys are awesome!