Review on Insteads Softcups

Short version:
WELP. They are better than tampons but I pretty much hate them!

Long version:
I am a long time user of a diva cup, but I think it fell out of my bag while staying at my boyfriend's parents house over Christmas and I cannot afford to purchase a new one right now. I'm just getting off the depo shot so my period is crazy long and heavy right now and tampons were just NOT working (but I DESPISE them.) I purchased a box of Insteads as a more affordable option to help me ride out this crazy cycle.

I really don't like them.

Pros:
*Despite being quite huge, they are actually quite comfortable. Can't feel them at all.
*Easy to insert
*Despite the package saying they are one time use, I find that they are actually useable for more than 12 hours, saving me money.
*They are pretty affordable (although not as affordable as just buying a cup over long term, but in a pinch!)

Cons:
* Despite being quite huge, they sure don't hold a lot. 12 hours my ass.
* Because of the way it sits, every time I use the restroom, it falls and leaks all over. Not a big deal, as it is into the toilet, but then I have to use my finger to stick it back up into place which creates a messy finger. Also not a big deal if i'm at home, but in a public bathroom, it causes problems.
* Not so easy to remove. I find the whole process way more messy than tampons or the cup.

Hi
I am now selling the Reusable Instead Softcups. A customer has asked me for the capacity and I can't find any information using the tabs or the size charts.
Can anyone help me with that?
Thanks
Teresa

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED :)

Hi cup users! :) Softcup is sponsoring a GIVEAWAY on my blog right now for 24 of the new design cups. Enter the giveaway via the rafflecopter widget. Please note that you have to follow my blog to enter. People are entering without following and I will have to disqualify them, sorry!

Also I am currently pondering getting a new cup. I like my small lunette and small diva a lot, but I sometimes I wish I had a bit more capacity. I think I have a dangly cervix, because sometimes my diva leaks when it's half full. So I'm thinking about a large lunette or large fleur. I tried the large fleur when they were stiffer and I didn't like it very much at all. It felt very wide and very stiff. I know lunette and fleur are similar in terms of shape, which one do you think is less stiff? Thanks!

P.S. Where's the cheapest place to buy lunette these days?

Well well well cup community you've got a convert (almost). I have been researching menstrual cups for a few cycles now because I've become thoroughly frustrated with traditional products (ie tampons and pads). I have a very heavy monthly period that lastly around 10 days. This time around I was in the pharmacy buying my usual monthly supplies when I saw Instead SoftCups and impulsively bought a box. Hoping this would be the answer to my daily tampon pad duo I normally don I was excited to try out my first cup! After watching 2 hours of youtube videos on the subject I felt prepared to try inserting the Instead cup. Wow I was wrong...I failed miserably. Idk what happen I push back and down as far as possible ensuring the ring was behind my pelvic bone but stood up and felt it slide right out of place. I sat down and tried again to push it farther in. This time I lasted 10 minutes before I began to leak profusely. Thank goodness I had the mind to do this trail at home on my day off and not when I was planning to go any where. I took out the cup and had blood on every part of the cup (outside, inside, all around the ring)...apologies if that's too graphic for some people. I threw that cup out took a bath to relax then tried again with more failure. Needless to say I went thru 3 cups in 1 day and became completely dishearten on the subject but determined to get off the tampon pad combo I tried again today (3 days later). I did more research and learned more about my own anatomy again feeling confident to insert this cup without fail. Its been in for a couple hours now with no leakage but a feeling off pressure on my pelvic bone. Now that you all have my info and background on to my questions.

1. I cant find my cervix! I read and re-read all the posts on this topic and still can't find it. I am wondering if this means mine is just to far to reach or that I am missing it in my self exam. I can say my vaginal muscles are very tight (I'm not a virgin but do my keagles daily and I know when I'm nervous my muscles tense). From what i've read finding my cervix will help in all things cup related so help in this department would be much appreciated.

2. Is the Instead SoftCup comparable to other silicone cups? and can I expect the same types of trouble with others? Should my trouble with Instead SoftCups steer me towards certain silicone reusable cups for reason idk?

3.Could these problems have occurred simply because it was a very heavy flow day (very heavy meaning changing super tampons once every 1-2 hours)?

4. Is feeling pressure on my pelvic bone common? 


Lastly please tell me if I have posted in the wrong area or incorrectly somehow. I have been looking at this site for months but did not join until today and this is my 1st post. Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thanks 

soooo I was going on vacation, and I got my period. HEAVY. And it was supposed to be a romantic vacation with my hubby.

I bought the disposable insteads just to see if they would work. Inserted one, I thought, no problem. Hot tub, a glass of wine... very relaxed. no sex. we decided to go to sleep. I couldn't get it out.

Now I am not a small woman, and I have very short fingers. And it got... STUCK. Slippery. I couldnt get a grip. I might have put it in inside out- I wasnt sure if the rim edge was toward the outside or what. But it was a mess getting it out. Any suggestions in case it gets stuck again? I finally hooked my finger inside the damn thing instead of under the rim.

I'm sure I shouldn't have tried it on vacation. and the wine and hot tub might not have helped... but would it have worked with the whole PiV sex thing, if I'd tried it correctly, which I'm not sure I did?

Right about now it's got one more shot then I might just freecycle them. That was a very embarrassing experience.

I don't know if anyone has posted any pics of the reusable insteads yet, or comparison pics to the new style of instead, but I put some up in my fotki. Here are a few:

( pictures )

There are tons more here:
http://public.fotki.com/waterlily716/hair/menstrual-cupsother/softcup/

I know there are some great comparisons of the old and new softcups here:
http://menstrual-cups.livejournal.com/2659685.html

I haven't had a chance to try out either the newer style of softcup or the reusable kind on my period yet. I'm excited because the smaller size might make PiV sex a little easier than the previous size that occasionally got in the way. It will also hopefully stay in better when I have low cervix days. :) The reusable cup is less flexible, but it does seem a tad more durable. We'll see if it's any easier to clean.  I will review both of these on my blog eventually, I just had to have a photo op session. :)

I think it's great that the company is changing it's products up like this, although I wonder if they would ever come out with a truly reusable dome shaped menstrual cup...

Has anyone else tried either of these yet? Thoughts? Opinions?

Hi all,

When I was first figuring out cups, I got onto the Instead Softcup mailing list and never bothered delisting, since while they don't work as well as my Diva I figure that it doesn't hurt to stay abreast of this stuff, just in case. They sent out an email... within the last 24 hours or so, announcing that the new reusable is officially available. It's listed as only being for one period, but given that so many people use a non-reusable for a period already, I suspect it can be eeked out longer. The pictures make it look a lot like the disposable version, only a darker/"hot" pink rather than the pale pink, and the bell portion seems stiffer in the picture.

In case anyone wants to try it (and I guess report back to this comm?), they're being sold in 2-packs on the softcup website for $4.99 US. It seems like it's only available through softcup.com, based on the email, but I suspect that either is not the case or will be changed shortly if it is, since it might be a bit limiting for the company to only have it online.

Anyway, I know I haven't been around in a while, but I thought I'd drop in to let anyone interested know!

Last month I posted about getting Instead softcups and how that went for my month. It wasn't too bad, took some getting used to, made a bit of a mess but was a nice alternative to tampons. 
Since the I bought a Lunette and decided I'd give that a go this month. I did a dry run and it went fine, so I figured I was set. 

I started spotting so I put the Lunette in, no big deal and was fine. I had some cramping that lasted longer than usual but I hoped it would go away. Then came getting it out. The first time was fine, but the second time it took forever! I ended up pulling on the stem and using my other hand to get it out. Not a huge thing, and not too messy. I did have a little more cramping, but it wasn't too bad. 

The things I didn't like were the having to take it out, go wash it and then waddle back to put it back in. The seeming constant having to wash my hands then wash the cup and my hands, then put it back in and wash my hands was really freakin annoying. My hands are super sensitive to hot water, so I would rinse in the hottest I could stand and wash it, I used anti-bacterial hand soap and then swabbed with rubbing alcohol, but it got to be rough on my hands, and I got tired of having to wash all the time, so I switched to a Softcup every other time. That worked fine, except for the Softcup makes a huge mess if it's full. Which irritated me, so I just switched to a tampon because it's the reliable alternative. 

Two other things I didn't like about the Lunette is that I kept getting paranoid about the soap. I was worried it might not be washed off completely, though I would rinse like a ton and not use that much soap, so I didn't use the cup as much. I did use alcohol after the soap, but it took a little while to dry so I was standing around waiting, and I wasn't sure how to dry the cup without getting it 'contaminated'. Also I needed the stem but couldn't put the cup high enough inside to not have it poking out. So I started to fold it up since it's flexible, and tuck it inside. But then I got paranoid that it would rub and irritate, causing more problems. 

What do you all think about those things? Would alcohol be a suitable wash after rinsing away the blood? Is tucking the stem up inside of me okay? It felt fine, but I wasn't sure. 
I did wash the Softcup once and just stored it in the bathroom until the next time but I only did that once. 

Basically, what are my chances of getting an infection if my 'process' keeps happening like this? I do have baby shampoo to use instead of the anti-bacterial but I didn't use it. I though alcohol would be a good choice, but it took a little while to dry. 
Does anyone else have these problems? 

Overall it was an okay first attempt. I am willing to try again next month, with some advice and more preparation. I didn't leak too bad, just a few spots on a liner, which was great, but I don't think I went a full 12 hours through this process, either because I was curious about how full it was, or because it was leaking. 

I have been pondering the idea of trying out a menstrual cup now for a while now. And I have been doing a bit of off and on random research on it I found some interesting info that I had not come across before about one called soft cup. Since i have not heard of this one before I was wondering what you all might think of it and if anyone has had any experiences with it.

I was really interested in trying the divacup but I am interested in the idea of looking at other things as well too.

Hello everyone,

I have been using the Instead Softcup since August 2010 and I have almost no complaints - I've never had more than slight leakage and my only real problem is that there has been some unpleasant pressure on my bladder from time to time.

I've been considering purchasing a reusable cup for sometime, and I was wondering which cup fits most like the Instead. I understand that every cup will be different and I've looked at some of the charts that have been posted in the FAQ, but I still have some questions. It seems like the diameter of the Instead is larger than the diameter of almost every other cup that's been posted about. The Instead diameter is listed at 70mm, and this chart (http://www.klabru.nl/size charts/) has widths that range from 40 - 47mm. That seems like quite a jump in diameter, but I'm wondering if perhaps a smaller diameter will reduce the unpleasant bladder pressure I've felt before.

Basically, I'm wondering which cup (if any) is most like the Instead.

Thank you.

Hello!! 
I have been looking on this site for awhile, since I had discovered menstrual cups and I finally bought one! I got a small Lunette since they were having a sale because of changing packaging. I just got it in the mail today and of course had to go try it out despite not having my period yet. I used Softcups last month and so I was no stranger to inserting a cup. The Lunette went in easy and popped open just like it was supposed to. I swirled my finger around the edges and didn't feel an indent, and it seemed to be 'stuck' in place once it was in. It felt fine, I walked around a little and didn't feel anything, so I figured it was good. 
My only question is that the tab sticks out a little on the outside. I tried to push it up further but with the suction it was stuck. It doesn't stick outside of me, my lips can close and the tab doesn't stick out visibly, it just sits outside a tiny bit. Is that okay? I mean it feels ok so far, and when I put the cup in again I will try to get it up further, but once it's inside it sort of has a mind of it's own. It doesn't bother me yet, I just wanted to ask around. 
The directions were great, and after using Softcup I knew exactly where my pelvic bone was so inserting was easy. I'd recommend Softcup before a reusable cup because you sort of go through the motions and know your anatomy before using the other. 
Taking it out was a little rough, I reached up and it was slippery so I washed my hands again and remembered to bare down a little and then it became easy to reach the bottom and pinch in order to pull it out. 
I know I haven't had a period with it yet, so I can't really measure real success but it's easy so far! 
Thanks for all your discussion here, I'm hoping to have a successful first run!

Hi all!

I've been reading about menstrual cups for a while now and finally decided to get one. I ordered the Lunette model 2 in purple but I also got some Instead Softcups to practice with. (not sure if they work the same) I got the Insteads in the mail today and I tried them out since I'm on the last day or so of my period and I thought it'd be a good time since my flow's not ridiculously heavy anymore. So it put it in and I don't feel anything. How would I know if it's in properly?(Besides the fact that I don't feel anything)

Many thanks :)

Hey everybody!
So I just inserted a Softcup for the first time, and it seemed to go smoothly, but I've since been browsing the Softcups tab and have started wondering if it's really positioned right. The cup went in far enough that I couldn't feel it anymore, but it's really only 1-2 centimeters from the opening of my vagina, and meanwhile I'm reading all this stuff about it going all the way behind your pubic bone! I have a relatively high cervix, I think. I usually wear a Diva Cup with the stem cut off, and I only start to feel it if I've been wearing it for more than 8 hours, and I've never been able to reach my cervix, though my doctor could. Based on this, should maybe try and push the Softcup in farther? Are there any tricks to tell if your softcup is in place?

My flow is really heavy today since I screwed something up with my birth control pills this month, so my cervix bleeding outside of my softcup isn't necessarily welcome. My Diva cup still smells from a bizarre happening last month, and I don't want to wear it until I get the smell off it (baking soda is what I'll try next), and I'm bleeding through my tampons really fast and only have a few left, so it'd be great if I could rely on my two softcup samples for this period.

Thanks in advance!

Hello, everyone. I'm a first time cup user. I'd like to eventually graduate up to a reusable menstrual cup, but for now I'm using the Instead Soft Cup just to get used to feel and idea of collection rather than absorption.

I've had a few problems though, and I'm only on Day 3 of my period.

The first issue was removal. I've read through the troubleshooting and removal tag and found a few women had the same problem. They're kind of ridiculous to get out if you have a deeper vaginal canal. I find that, through the process of wearing it, my cup keeps shifting back and back, so that when I reach up behind my pelvic bone for removal, it's at least a couple centimeters further back. I'm wondering if I do end up switching to a reusable cup, if purchasing a longer brand with help in this issue. I finally discovered that I can either spend five minutes bearing down and fishing for it with my leg propped up (this position works for public use, etc.), but if I'm at home, I just lie down on the bathroom floor with my legs up and I can reach it much easier. It's a bit annoying though.

The second problem is, last night I completely overflowed a cup and a pad (yes, I'm still a new, paranoid user, so I double up - and thank god I did last night) in a matter of five hours. This is not good, because changing the cup every few hours is one of the reason I'd like to start using a cup as opposed to a pad or tampon.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Similar issues? I'd love to hear. I really adore the idea of a menstrual cup, and how relatively mess free it can be, but so far, my experience is proving to be less smooth than I'd like it to be.

I just recently found softcups, and this community. 
I had tried a few dry runs with the softcup and it seemed fine, I only saw a little blood on the edge that I guessed was from running across my cervix from putting the cup in. 
I wore one last night to test it out and because I had started spotting. 
Today my period is full on and I tried to put a cup in this morning, but I was cramping and it didn't seem to go in right, it just made my cramps worse. 
I took it out and used a couple tampons, and I tried to use a softcup again, and it doesnt seem to go in as easily as it did in the dry runs, and just doesn't feel right, I can't wear it for more than a few minutes. I'm using the same technique as I was in the dry runs and it just doesn't seem right. 
I am a small person, so maybe it's too big? 

I just want these cramps to go away and to not have to worry about tampons leaking since I've always had to wear a pad as a backup, all tampons leak. 

Any advice will be great. Thanks.

So, I just bought some Instead Softcups as a step towards getting a reusable menstrual cup (need to do more reasearch to decide which one).  I put one in before yoga this morning and haven't gotten around to reading the instruction booklet until this afternoon.  when I did read it I discovered at the END of the booklet that you aren't supposed to use them with IUDs.

Anyone have experience with these and their IUD?  I am really hoping nothing happens when I take it out and I know a lot of you do use cups, in general, with IUDs with no problems.  I guess I am just looking for some reassurance that I can use these with my Paraguard.  Ugh.

I have also called the office who put in my Paraguard but not sure what they will say...

Thanks!

Been away for a while and going through old posts. :) Life happens, eh? Came across some comments about people wanting cups for period sex that were reusable and it made me remember some advertising that Insteads had plans in development 6 months ago. So, I emailed them and this was the reply...
( Read more... )


I'm not promoting or in any way/shape/form connected with anyone/company. Just thought I'd share some info I came across... Use info with your best judgement/risk. Enjoy.

I'm 23 and a disposable pad user. I got mild TSS when I was a teenager from having 2 tampons in at once without realizing it. Now I swear im nauseous if I even LOOK at a tampon! So I was a bit nervous when I heard about cups, worrying that I would have the same reaction. I bought some softcups to see how it would go and im actually quite comfortable with them! However... they leak. Im assuming its because of the one-size-fits-all style. It also seems to shift a bit when I pee, which I relate to the same issue. Im sure newbies always come looking for "the answer" and I know that there isnt just one. But WOAH there are so many more options that I could have even imagiend and im clueless as to where to begin!

Hello, lovelies!

I'm still planning to buy a reusable cup sometime in the near future, but I happened across some Insteads at CVS and decided to give them a try in the meantime.

When they're working, they're AWESOME and I really love 'em. I just can't seem to keep them working - to the point where I'm having to wear a pad anyway because I can't be sure they won't leak.

Each time I put the cup in, it works just fine for a while - a few hours, give or take. But then eventually, all of a sudden I can feel it. Somehow it's slipping out of place, so of course when the near end of the rim gets too close to the opening I can feel it, and it's obviously not terribly comfortable. The first few times this happened it was accompanied by leaks. Eventually it seemed like it wasn't leaking anymore, but that may just be because my flow was getting lighter and the cup wasn't as full. But even if it doesn't leak, this isn't really going to work out if I have to find a bathroom every couple hours and reinsert the cup (or at least try to shove it further back without actually taking it out).

It also seems as if each time I put it in, it slips out of place more quickly. I haven't worn it overnight yet, and I wasn't wearing it to work, so basically each day I was wearing it for part of the day and then there was a long gap in which I wasn't wearing it. And the first try each day seemed to last longer than the successive tries. I'd put it in and it'd be fine for several hours, then suddenly slip out of place. And then I'd put it back in, and within an hour it'd be out of place again.

Does anyone have any thoughts? I suppose it's not a huge problem because I'm still planning to get a reusable cup regardless, and hopefully I won't have these issues with that. But it would still be awesome if I could use the insteads, like maybe for potential sexytimes (although now that I've tried the insteads I'm having a hard time imagining that working!).

I know a lot of people have had problems with insteads so it might just be that they're not gonna work for me, but I thought I'd see if anyone has any suggestions. I was pretty amazed at how easy it was to insert and remove, and how well it works when it IS working. If it could just manage to stay put for longer it'd be awesome!

Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions you might have!

Well I was here approximately 28 days ago trying to decide which cup I wanted, and I still don't know!  So I'm back with more information to ask for more opinions.

Backstory: I'm 19 years old, and I'm not a virgin.  After feeling around a lot during my cycle, I realized that my cervix is around 45-50 mm high.  I also think it might be long (my cervix, that is), but I'm not certain.  My flow is such that on my heaviest day, I change pads every 4 hours or so, and on my lightest days, I can use a pad for 8 hours or more with hardly anything on it. 

In the mean time, I bought a box of Insteads today (I'm pretty sure it's the old style, not the newer kind), and I'm really liking the idea of using a cup so far.  It was a little awkward to put in at first, but there was no leakage except when I peed (which is normal, apparently).  There was a problem however: when I did pee, I had the feeling like I didn't empty my bladder all the way.  And no matter how much I tried, I couldn't empty it with the Softcup in.  I guess with a reusable cup, I could just push it up, but Softcups don't push up like that, right?  So I'm maybe leaning towards a softer reusable cup since I'm having that pee problem.  Of course I could always just take the cup out when I pee, but that seems like a hassle.  Especially because I tend to drink a lot of water at work and have to pee four or five times in my 8 hour workday.  And the point of the cup is to avoid a hassle right?

Also, the Softcup JUST BARELY fits behind my pelvic bone, which is supposed to secure it.  Obviously it was secure enough to stay in for the 4 or so hours I had it in today, but at one point, I think it got a little loose because I was able to feel it a lot.  I Kegeled it back up, though, and it was fine.  Does this mean my vagina is narrow?  Should I consider a cup with a smaller diameter?  Maybe 41-43 mm?

So what does everyone think?  Any and all advice is appreciated.  I'm really trying to decide which cup is best for me since I'm a college student and don't have a lot of money to try a bunch of different cups.  I was leaning towards the small Diva last cycle (I was really feeling it for some reason), but I'm worried it will be too long.  I'm also not 100% into Melunas because you can't leave them out in the sun, which is apparently something a lot of you do.  So that's all my info, hopefully you have some advice for me.  Thanks in advance for your help!

Has anyone who has had difficulty with old softcups tried the new ones?

Hi all! New here, etc. etc.

So just to get it out of the way, ( here's me... )

I have been lurking here for about a month. I am planning on getting a reusable cups, but I don't know which one yet. So I picked up a box of Instead Softcups at my local CVS. I know they are a different animal than reusable cups, but I wanted to get familiar with using a collection, rather than absorption, device for my flow. I also wanted to get familiar with my own body - I may already have explored and grown comfortable with my vulva, but I had no idea whether my cervix was high or low, how it changes over the course of a cycle, etc... I took a couple dry runs, and have been using them for the period that just started a week ago. (It "just started" a whole week ago because my periods are quite long now, though incredibly light and with far less pain, thanks to my Mirena.)

But when I was walking around another drugstore and looking to see if they carried them - they did! -  I noticed that the packaging was different. It said "New Package" up in the corner, and I figured, oh, it's a "New Look, Same Great Taste!" sort of change, where the product itself remains the same. But when I had to buy a second box a couple days ago, I was surprised to see a sticker I hadn’t noticed the first time - "Fits Even Better” - and when I opened the wrapper, indeed, the cup itself has changed!

Below the cut, some pictures and description.

( Read more... ) 

Right now I have in the first new cup, used up the last old cup yesterday. It doesn't feel any different - that is, I still don't feel it at all. I will see what it is like when I remove it tonite - I'm also wondering if the thinner rim will improve the experience of PIV sex (mainly for the P in the equation). My husband was ok-enough with it in to have sex - but he did mention that he did notice it and it was uncomfortable. So the thinner new cup may be an improvement. I'll have to test it out. ;-)

*EDIT* OK, I've now had a couple days with the new softcups. They are much, much easier to insert. Before, I had to sit down on the floor all the way (squatting wasn't good enough) to get it in, then stand/crouch or sit on the edge of the toilet to check it and reposition if needed (usually needed!). Now, it's easy to just put it in while I'm sitting on the toilet, or on a chair.

Just get the tip in, immediately angle it straight down, gentle slide backward a bit, insert a finger on the top side between the cup and the vaginal wall, touch the cervix, and slide the cup the rest of the way in. That middle part is just so I can know that the cervix is where it's supposed to be - covered by the cup - without having to insert it blindly, then go back to check, then reposition, then check again, etc... It takes all of five seconds now, whereas it took a few minutes and a lot of pain (I have fibromyalgia, and especially the morning insertion was extremely difficult when I had to get all the way to the floor in a cramped bathroom, then get myself back up without waking the husband).

So far, I'm a fan!

Hello again,
I wanted to post about doctor familiarity with cups, and my experience with different docs in "my circle".  I'm not what I would consider a cup evangelist, but it seems to have come up a lot lately and I've been really disappointed with the lack of knowledge out there.  So I started prodding every medical professional I know to see exactly what they did know.  Let's just say it's a sad day for cups out there...

My OB:  (A 40 year old cis-female ex army doc who I'm not crazy about, but got referred to after my primary left...) I started using cups after I got an IUD.  The IUD Divas page was a great resource for researching iud's, and I stumbled across cups there.  When I had the follow up appt for my iud I talked with the ob about cup use.  She says "Oh--you mean Insteads."  No... "Oh--you mean cervical caps?"  No.... So I bust out my Lunette Selene and do a little impromptu show and tell.  She was very open to the idea--her motto was "Whatever floats your boat, just don't yank your iud out." Very much a non-issue.  So accepting, but not informed, interested or enthusiastic.

My PCP: (A 50 ish man, trained in Kentucky, appears conservative and uber professional--he's just okay.)  Not a clue.  Never heard of them.  Neutral on the subject, appeared uncomfortable talking about it.

My kids' Ped: (A 60ish woman, has a female partner, self described "old hippie", LOVE her...She's ruined me for all other doctors...) I haven't had a chance to ask her specifically, but her staff, who were of a similar demographic had never heard of them.  So more show and tell, referred to the Lunette website, they asked questions, seemed open to it, kind of that frowny puzzled look.  A positive interaction.  I will ask the ped herself when we go back in 2 weeks.

My cousin's wife who's a Ped/Hospitalist just out of residency: (30 y/o, married to my cis female genetic research scientist cousin, very active in the LGTB community back east, super liberal--two of my favorite people in the whole world, godparents to my children) They had heard of the Keeper from someone at the all women's college they went to, but knew nothing more and didn't know any users.  *This one surprised me--I thought for sure she would know something about cups!  Lots of her residency was spent focused on women's health!!

Anywho, I'm .5 for 4 right now.  (Half a point goes to my cousins wife for knowing the word Keeper"--not a full point because my cousin had to tell her what it was....)  Just to put it all in perspective, my area (The Pacific Northwest) is extremely "green".  Almost everyone I know cloth diapers their kids, you can find Insteads in every grocery store, breastfeeding a year and beyond is the norm, Diva Cups in the health food stores,  everyone composts/gardens/buys local/recycles/babywears, etc.  So I am just SHOCKED that the medical professionals who live and work in my area don' t know about cups...

Hmph. 
 

 

So I tried a Softcup today for the first time. I've never been one to use tampons, because I had a bad experience with them. I'm too scared to try them again, so I figured I'd just try softcup. I got it in fine, but I was very worried about how it would be to take it out. When I tried, it was so far up inside me & I just couldn't seem to get my finger hooked around the rim. I got all panicky & didn't know what I'd do if I couldn't get it out. It just seemed like it was so far inside of me. Eventually, I got it out. I'm kind of afraid to try it again for fear that I won't be able to get it out at all. So my question is has anyone else had problems getting the softcup out?

K, so I just learned about menstrual cups 2 days ago, and I have researched them like crazy. I have decided that I want to buy the Fleurcup but at the monent I don't have the funds. So, I bought the Instead Softcups for now, but I was wondering if I use the Softcups first will they stretch me out and make it harder for me to wear the small Fleurcup (will it slip), because the rim is a bit bigger then the rim on the Fleurcup, and most other cups too?