Just showing everyone some interesting things I found on eBay.  First I found the old “Green Donna” cup, once again disguised as “moon cup” in the pink box.  Shaped pretty much exactly like Lunette, here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ladies-Menstrual-Moon-Cup-Sizes-1-2-available-SALE-SALE-SALE-/110885745291?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19d14e328b

Then I saw one titled “New Women’s Menstrual Cup”, and upon closer examination, I noticed it too looked exactly like Lunette, only a vibrant pink color.  There is also one in a lighter pink in another listing:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Womens-Menstrual-Cup-Size-L-large-Free-Shipping-Purple-Arge-Bag-/180888906012?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a1dd1a91c

But the REALLY interesting one is this one—the Green Donna (disguised as moon cup) packaging, but the cup itself is a replica of the newer “NaturalMamma” cup!  Which is strange, because  I remember the NaturalMamma cup I got as a sample had “green donna” on the pouch tag…  Of course the owner told me there was no connection, but now I’m wondering did someone copy her cup design??  I mean the way they did Lunette?:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Soft-Silicone-Menstrual-Period-Cup-1st-Class-Post-/140753657272?pt=UK_HealthBeauty_Other_RL&var=&hash=item20c5925db8

Just as a reminder, here is the REAL NaturalMamma cup:
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NaturalMamma-Menstrual-Cup-Design-Made-in-Italy-one-size-menstrual-cup-/190650710410?pt=UK_Health_HealthCare_RL&hash=item2c63aaf98a

What do you all think?  Getting pretty interesting, hm? lol

So, I came here a while back wondering what this whole cup business was about, analyzing brands, tra la la. I ordered a small Lunette Selene a couple weeks ago after Paypal failed to allow me to purchase a Fleurcup, and I honestly couldn't be happier.

My cervix is somewhat low, and my flow isn't super heavy, so this cup is a dream in my eyes. It is the perfect balance of softness and firmness for me. All I had to do to ease comfort was cut off half the stem, but that was no problem. It's only the first day of my first cycle with it, and I can't even feel it when it's in. I have been using the C fold, which has yet to give me issues. I am genuinely surprised that I found something so perfect on the first try! I originally was drawn to the idea of cups because I hated looking at all the waste I would accumulate after a week of bleeding into disposables, and tampons dried me out/only worked half the time due to me fudging up their position. I bought a few cloth pads, but I always ended up somehow bleeding off to the side where the fabric wasn't as thick. As you can imagine, I have made quite a mess in my adventures. I went through peroxide like there was no tomorrow. Not anymore, though!

I guess my point is that I am ecstatic about this wonderful little silicone contraption, and thanks to this community, I figured out what was right for me personally. Keep on being awesome. Your helpfulness is unbelievable!  :)

Hello, I've just discovered this community and I already find it amazing. It's great to see a place where women can talk about their menstruations without feeling ashamed.

I've just started to use menstrual cups after years of researches on the subject (I needed to leave my parents' home for good to buy one since my mother is against menstrual cups though she doesn't understand a thing about them). I have a small Lunette and it's great, I had absolutely no leakage, no problem, it's thick enough and firm/soft enough for me. However, I am currently at home unemployed (and a student who barely has any classes to attend) so it's quite easy to empty it when I feel the need to.

Next year will be a bit different though, I'll have to work a lot more and will probably have fewer access to a bathroom and I'm afraid I might get leakage on my heavy flow days. I have a relatively light flow, but better safe than sorry.

I was wondering which cup I should get and thought about a big Divacup because it's apparently about as soft as the small Lunette (however, I really like the blue Lunette). I've been looking at Meluna as well but it seems that I should get a Meluna L if I ever wanted one.

I'm 22, a virgin so naturally, I had no children. The small Luna fits well, I feel no pain inserting it or removing it from vagina (though sometimes it's a bit trickier, but I've noticed that what I think may be my hymen has been torn and seems to be thicker somedays, plus I don't really care about the pain).

The Lunette is about 4cm wide, which is relatively small. The big Lunette and the Diva are only 5 or 6mm bigger, while it does make a difference, I don't think it'll be so bad that I can't use it... I've read many virgins, even younger than I, who were wearing bigger cups than the small Lunette.

When I use the small Lunette, it doesn't move or anything but I think I could fit something bigger without feeling any discomfort since I can put my fingers around the edges of the cup when I remove it.

What I can't tell is where my cervix might be. I can't seem to touch it with my middle finger (about 3inches long I guess) and even with tampons I never hit it so I assume I don't have a small vagina at least so small cups may not be a good idea and long cups could probably work.

Any advice?

Thanks.

Okay, so I just got my new Lunette size 2 and I can't help being very excited about it!
I've had a small diva for two years now, and I wanted to try something new, mostly because I had to use it inside out, so I was searching for something bigger (wider) but shorter :) And though it doesn't seem to hold much more liquid than the Diva, it actually has the same length as my Diva inside out (not counting the stem, probably going to cut it all anyway hah), and it is noticeably wider, which makes me incredibly happy!
I can't believe that I'm actually going to say this, but I am anxious to get my period now! :) Want to try it out as soon as possible, and I really hope that I'll like it!

Hi there everyone!

I am about to try my Lunette Selene for the first time this week :)  Before I use it however does anyone have any boiling tips?  What kind of soap do you all use to wash your cups with?  I cannot find any liquid unscented hand soap.  Walmarts don't seem to have them (or I could just be missing them).  I DO have unscented dove bar soap, but I wanted to check with what everyone else does first.


I'll be sure to post how it goes :) I'm kind of nervous and have been trying to convince my mother that it's safe.  She's not 100% sold on the idea.  Hopefully it goes well :)  


Thank you!

I am 27 yo woman married no children and need help there are too many choices. From what I can tell my cervix is about 2.5 to 3 inches high and I have a moderate to high flow. Does anyone have any suggestions. And also I am going to Hawaii and was wondering if a cup would be a good choice for swimming.

I bought a medium MeLuna as a back up cup (to my small Lunette). I waited til midway through my period - when it gets lighter - to do some runs with the MeLuna. First run (last night) was perfect and clear. I even used it overnight without any problems.

I used it today. There weren't any problems, per se. I was able to run around doing errands in the city all day without any accidents (thank everything). However when I came back tonight and removed it, the MeLuna clearly hadn't popped all way out and formed a seal. In fact it seemed only about half popped from the c-fold - it was mostly still folded, even after removal.

I did all the standard things I do with my Lunette (spinning it around, doing Kegals, pushing it up and down) and I'm a little weirded out that it stayed folded. My Lunette never did - it was the sudden feeling of it forming a seal while I was doing other things that taught me making a seal first is key.

Any suggestions on getting to be better friends with my MeLuna?

(Plus sides: I am in love with the blue color. Peeing is way easier. And it's blue.)

Hi all!  I got my first cup recently, the Large Lunette, and tried it through my first cycle.  Technically it worked, but not without flaws.  I definitely need a different cup and I'm hoping you can help me figure out which one!

What I didn't realize before ordering the Lunette was that my cervix is VERY low during my period.  To the point where depending on how I sit, part of it is right there just inside the vaginal opening. 

I have an IUD and previously I'd looked for the strings and felt them but didn't feel the cervix, I'm not sure if it just moves up a lot higher when I'm not on my period, or if I'm just that oblivious and I didn't figure out where they were coming from because I didn't realize WHERE my cervix actually was going to be (I thought it was going to be at the very end of the canal!)

I was only able to wear the Lunette without pain by turning it inside out.  Still then, the bottom stuck out at least a half an inch.  I could feel it all of the time and it left me checking and emptying it very often because of that.  The cup sticking out also partially obstructed my urethra (made me feel like I had to pee a lot, and hindered the stream).  Based on other posts here, my cervix might be considered "dangly" based on how low it sits.

I'm not sure how wide my vagina is, but I definitely don't think it's too narrow, so I'm not sure what cup to try next.  I've been looking at the MINI Meluna (the old style), size Medium, as it's the widest short cup I've seen on the charts.  I definitely need something that's significantly shorter than the Lunette. 

I had no problems with leaking with the Lunette, so I think the width was fine there, I think the only issue being that it may have caused a bit of cramping, possibly because of the firmness/width of the cup?  I cramp quite a bit, so I'm not counting on the cup helping, but I definitely don't want it worse. 

Quarters are usually pretty tight through there during my period also, so I'm not sure if I should try a soft cup to hope it helps with cramps but I don't want it to be unable to pop open either.  Though I think even the classic Meluna is softer than the Lunette?   With the Lunette I was able to break the seal by squeezing the bottom of the cup.  (When I first tried it with a dry run and tried breaking the seal at the top, it was NOT GOOD.)

My biggest concern with the Mini Meluna is that I do have a heavy flow.  I don't mind having to empty the cup several times a day, but having the ability to go a longer period of time without having to worry about it would be awesome.  I worry that the capacity of the Meluna would be too small.   When I used the Lunette, only once, on my heaviest day, did it full to more than half full.  I'm not sure how long it had been since I'd emptied it that time. 

Based on my flow and low cervix, I'm worried that I won't be able to find ANY cup that will really work for me :(  I've been really excited about the idea though.  So I'm hoping someone will have some suggestions and advice for me!  I wanted to ask around before I ordered a new cup because it's pretty pricey to do so when it may not work for me! 

Thanks so much for any and all help! 

Hello!
I have been researching cups for about a week now and I am very interested in trying them out. The only problem is, it seems there are very very many types and brands out there. How can I know which is right for me?
I know one way I can narrow down is by measuring myself. I understand how to figure out how high the cervix is, but how do I know if I need a wide or narrow cup, big or small air holes, flat or round stem, etc.?
I think the Lunette size 2 would work well for me, but is there anything similar that is a little less pricey? 
Thank you for all the help, and sorry about all the questions :)

I have been looking into cups for about a month and finally bought one.  I went with the Lunette Model 2, since I gave birth two years ago to my daughter.  I got it in the mail a few days ago and have been anxiously awaiting my period to arrive.  Well it came today and I was so excited to try it out. 

I took a shower and decided that it may be easier for me to try it out while I was in the shower.  I did the C fold and inserted it with no problem.  I took my time to make sure it was in and positioned properly (I also didn't want it to pop and hurt).  It felt alright and didn't bother me while I had it in.  I thought I should try to take it out and I was able to but it was a little tough.  I reinserted it and I felt like I got it in a little better than the first time.  It's not too bad getting it in but I really cannot fit my finger(s) in with it.  So I kind of get it in then push it up a bit.  I left it in while I showered then tried one more time to take it out.  When I put it in the stem was out a bit but it didn't really bother me.  When I went to take it out the stem was now inside of me and I had a really hard time getting it out.  It's like I can't really fit my fingers inside of me to get it out.  I had to tug a bit on the stem until I could ''grab'' a hold of the base of the cup. 

I then got paranoid that I would not be able to get it out.  So I put a tampon in.  Is it usually a little tough to get a hold of it for removal?  I feel like if I had it in for most of the day it would make it's way up higher and be even harder to get out. I know it can't get lost but I have been using tampons for so long and am not used to this.  Again I was in the shower trying it out so I think that made it a bit easier, I can't imagine doing it right now on the bathroom floor LOL!   I know it was definitely in right the second time as it had collected some blood.  I cannot wait to get past this ''paranoia'' so I can wear it full time while I am on my period.  And tips about getting it out easier or anything?  

Hello all!

I've been lurking for a while, but I'm new to cup use. I recently decided on a small Lunette, which I've used for one cycle. It's been off to a pretty smooth start, except for ze smells. Normally, I don't notice much odor (if any) on my period or any other time. However, using the cup, I started noticing some smelliness. I figured it could have been that I had it in too long (I usually kept it in for about eight hours at a time), or because I didn't rinse the cup in cold water (I'd washed it every day, but I live in a dorm, so I washed it with Dr. Bronner's in the shower, and never rinsed when changing it due to the public restroom setup). Whatever the reason was, by the end of the week, my cup was smelling pretty rank, and even after washing and soaking in cold water with Milton tablets, the smell persisted, though in the past week or so since my period ended, it's been airing out in my closet and the smell's been lessening. I've read up on most of the tips and tricks to take care of smell, but is there something I should be doing day-to-day that still works in the public bathroom setting?

My bigger issue is that since I've finished my cycle and the cup's gone, I notice that I smell now. It's sort of a weaker, fishy version of the way my cup would smell when I took it out to wash it. At first I attributed it to the fact that I'm doing things differently and I need some time to adjust to it, but it's been a week, and I still smell. This never happened when I was using pads or tampons, and I'm wondering if it's just an adjustment issue or possible BV or what. Any ideas of what it could be or how to take care of it? 

I have a small lunette that I swear by. I don't know what I did before my lunette, but I can honestly say I wouldn't live my life without it. (I'm that Occupier who's worn my Lunette on overnight shifts, through evictions, and during marches.)

I spent last weekend in NYC and my cycle ended. When I came back, I thought I'd lost my Lunette. Happily it was a false alarm, but just to be safer, I bought a back up cup. (Meluna, cyan, medium, stem) I have the money and I'd rather have back up than be caught without, you know?

I'm just curious as to the learning curve between cups. Does anyone have any advice?

I have finished two cycles with menstrual cups, and to be perfectly frank, my experiences were mixed, so I thought I'd share them in the hopes of getting some feedback.

I bought my first cup after painstakingly careful research and consideration. I measured myself while on my period, and found that my vagina was 7 cm long and my cervix was 4 to 4.5 cm deep. On my heaviest day, I saturated a regular tampon in 4 to 5 hours, so I estimated that my flow rate was around 2 mL per hour. I am also small-framed, in my mid-20s, and sexually active but without children.

Combining all of these criteria, I thought that the medium soft MeLuna (ring-stem) was the most appropriate choice. Lengthwise, it matched my internal dimensions, and with its 20 mL capacity, I figured I'd only have to change it every 8 to 10 hours (my biggest desire was being able to sleep peacefully through the night). I also thought that a soft cup would be more comfortable, given the fact that I'm fairly tight down there, and I didn't want undue compression on my bladder, urethra, or rectum.

When my cup arrived and I tried it out, I immediately discovered that I probably erred by going soft, especially since I was also able to try the small klassik sample that MeLuna included with my order. Beyond my initial issues getting the cup to pop open (I did finally get it working with the labia fold and lots of fiddling -- fortunately, I am quite comfortable with my body), I discovered that the cup was so soft that it was basically being collapsed by my body, which would obviously reduce its capacity. I also found that I liked to push the cup all the way up around my cervix to ensure a good seal, which probably further diminished its capacity. I noticed that it would start to leak after 4 or 5 hours, filling only up to 10 mL.

Undeterred, I bought a large Lunette next. I figured that since it was longer, firmer, and had a much higher capacity, it would work better for my body. When it arrived, I was happy to find that not only did it pop open readily, it fit me well, did not collapse, and I could not feel it when it was in. Removal was way more difficult -- unlike my MeLuna's ring-stem, the Lunette's tab stem was much harder to grab onto and tug down on -- and I basically had to reach all the way in and push down the rim in order to break the seal.

I was fine with everything until I used it on my next cycle, and found that it, too, leaked after only five or so hours, with around 12 mL of fluid inside -- barely an improvement over the MeLuna, despite the fact that its capacity was 10 mL greater. And this time around, I can't blame it on a soft cup that was being collapsed. Admittedly, I do lose capacity to my cervix since I push the cup as far up as it can go -- otherwise, the stem pokes me, but I cannot trim it because the cup works itself up naturally and I need it for removal -- but I was honestly still expecting a bigger difference in effective capacity, since I also wore the MeLuna high.

To study the capacities of my two cups, I then did an experiment. I took both cups, and filled them with water. I tilted them at a 45 degree angle to simulate its position inside a vagina, pressed my fingertips together to form the shape of a cervix, and dipped them 2.5 cm inside. When I measured the water that remained, I got 10 to 12 mL -- which was exactly what I observed to be the cups' maximum capacities when I was using them.

Now, up until that point, I was still willing to entertain the notion that perhaps I was still on the learning curve, and leaking due to an ill-fitting cup or a newbie mistake. But now, I'm beginning to think that there is a ceiling to a cup's leak-free capacity, and it is nowhere near the 20 or 30 mL that is advertised. I must say that I am a bit disappointed, because not only do I think I have a fairly typical vagina, but my periods aren't even all that heavy. But right now, on my heavy days, I have to empty my cup at the same frequency as I have to change my tampon, which does not make the cup more convenient than disposables.

With that said, I still do like the cup because I don't have to worry about carrying disposable products, and on my lighter days, I don't have to worry about TSS or drying out my vagina, and in the long run, a cup still wins out economically and environmentally. But I do wonder whether any veteran cup users can comment on whether or not their actual, true, realistic cup capacity tops out at 10 or 12 mL like mine does, and if not, whether they can offer any suggestions for improving capacity -- whether it's an even larger cup (are there any?!), wearing them lower, or anything else. Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

I thought I would do a detailed comparison for those wondering just how small the mini and classic Melunas are. But I also wanted to do a squishyness comparison. These cups are smaller than the small Ladycup and Small Lunette, which are also pretty small cups. I originally bought the Ladycup about 3 or 4 years ago because I think it was the smallest on the market at the time. I also bought a Lunette a few months ago from someone in mc_sales because I had always been meaning to try it since it was only slightly bigger with more capacity. Now that smaller cups have come out I was curious to try them as well because they are shorter, and my cervix tends to move pretty far forward at the start of my period. So I got a free Small Soft Meluna from a user in mc_sales, and recently ordered two mini cups, one soft and one classic from this person as well. Here are my thoughts and some great comparison pictures.

( comparison photos )

Other observations: I think it is odd that the Mini Classic has a thicker rim than the Small Soft. Perhaps the rim on the Small Classic is thicker and therfore more firm? I do not know because I have not seen a Small Classic Meluna in person. Any comments regarding that are welcome.

Interestingly, the small Ladycup has a different consistency throughout its body. The half portion closer to the stem is softer than the other portion closer to the rim where the holes are located. The Lunette has a more consistent feel throughout but is still not 100% consistent. The portion of the Lunette closer to the stem is softer in comparison to the portion closer to the rim, but the portion closer to the rim is not as firm as the Ladycup. I would say overall though that the Ladycup's body is squishier than the Lunette's body, which is why I prefer it over the Lunette.

Side by side the Soft Meluna and Classic Meluna do not feel that much different in firmness, but when compared to the other cups you can feel how much softer the Soft Meluna really is. I had trouble opening up the Small Soft Meluna so I am not using it, but I did not have trouble opening my Mini Soft Meluna (not pictured in this post since I'm using it now :P). I think the firmness of the rim really makes a difference. The rim on the Mini Soft Meluna that I'm using now has the same thickness as the Mini Classic Meluna, which is thicker than the Small Soft Meluna. Even though the bodies of the Mini Soft and Small Soft feel the same, the thicker rim on the Mini Soft really helps with popping open the cup, despite the Small Soft being bigger. The firmness of the bodies of the Mini Soft, Mini Classic and Small Soft are consistent throughout their bodies, unlike the Lunette and Ladycup.

Recommendations: Out of these cups I would recommend getting either a small Ladycup or a Mini Classic (or Mini Soft) if you are concerned about length. I would not recommend getting a Lunette because that little bit of difference in size, even though its hardly anything at all, really makes insertion and opening very uncomfortable for me. The Small Soft Meluna is just far too soft to open, but oddly enough the Mini Soft Meluna is not, perhaps because the shapes are different and the rim is firmer on the Mini soft, so I would choose the Mini Soft over the small soft. If you want to get a Meluna I recommend getting any of them with a stem because even though the ball stem is cute, its a little more difficult to grab onto. So unless you really like stemless or short stemmed cups, get the traditional stem instead :)

Hopefully this post wasn't too confusing XD

Hi-dee-ho! This post was supposed to be titled "The High Cervix Challenge" and contain my feedback trying out two longer-bodied cups (Natural Mamma & XL Meluna Soft), but the experiment has only caused me to marvel at my own anatomy, hence the renaming to Mighty Vaginey, aka the Mothership. All will be explained below.

Here's my deets:

36 years old, nulliparous non-virgin, not sexually active. Most of the time I can barely reach my cervix straining with my longest finger (3+ inches). I have a very light flow (as a tampon user I only ever used the lowest absorbency [usually a Regular O.B. non-applicator] and could keep them in for 6+ hours without leaking). My first cup was a small Keeper Moon Cup, which I gave up on after two uncomfortable cycles... I think it was just too firm for me; I could feel it all the time and often there was a chafing sensation. My second cup was a small Lunette, and it's light years more comfortable. I can hardly feel it when it's in there, and never any chafing. I do experience slight discomfort right after insertion, because it usually pops open inside me a few minutes after I insert it, but it's a very minor and temporary ping! and then nothing to speak of. As I mentioned, my flow is very light and I only ever half-fill this cup on my heaviest day. I've never leaked or overflowed with either the Keeper Moon Cup or the Lunette. This morning began my fifth (I think) cycle using a menstrual cup.

The only problem I have with my Lunette, and it's something I experienced with the KMC, too, is that removal is sometimes a real hassle because my cup naturally "rides high", and sometimes I feel like I'm having a rasslin' match with my vagina trying to get a serious grip on the stem so I can pull the base within reach to pinch it and break the seal. This gets more difficult in the waning days of my period, where I still have this irritating drizzle of flow so I keep wearing the cup, but my cervix has more or less returned to its highest position and the cup is sitting all the way in outer space. I feel this situation could be improved with a differently shaped cup, a longer cup.

The two cups I have chosen to test-drive are the new "Natural Mamma" cup from Italy (which FeminineWear now stocks... yay!) and the X-Large Soft Meluna with standard stem**. Both cups have a longer body than my small Lunette but both are supposed to be as soft if not softer. I got them in the mail over a week and a half ago (SUCH fast service from Feminine Wear, UK --> NYC, USA), and only had to wait for my period so I could try them out.

I inserted the Natural Mamma on the day my period was *supposed* to come, but nothin' doing. I pulled it out after about six hours and found it to be menstruum-less. Sad to report, pulling it out on this non-period day was every bit as arduous if not more, than pulling out the shorter small Lunette had been on my "drizzle days". Holding my labia apart with one hand, tugging at the tip of the stem with the other, trying to get the base of the cup within reach, tuckered me out so much I gave up and had to return to the ordeal an hour later when my frustration had worn off. I did finally remove it, though.

Okay, so not a roaring success, but as it turns out it was just a "dry run" since my period did not fall on the predicted day. The next morning, instead of reinserting the Natural Mamma, I decided to give the XL Meluna Soft a go-round. I pulled it out eight hours later, still no period, slightly less of a struggle to remove than the Natural Mamma but definitely no walk in the park either.

FINALLY this morning my period began, and I decided to reinsert the Meluna. Ease of insertion? Check. Comfort while inside? Check. Little jab in the uterus when the cup pops open inside, just like the Lunette? Check. Spelunking expedition upon removal? GRRRRRRRRR.... Check.

I dunno, folks, I think I'm consigning myself to the fact that either A) A cup doesn't yet exist that is long enough for my vagina or B) No matter how long of a cup I buy, my vagina will magically lengthen so that removal will always be arthritis-inducing.

You know those science fiction movies about UFOs, like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", where the Mothership comes and sends out a tractor beam that sucks small ships or people up into her? That's how I imagine my uterus, and my vagina is the tractor beam, and when I'm trying to remove a cup it's like fighting a magnetic field or the power of a black hole or something.

So, I'd have to say, after three days of experimentation, one during menstruation, that neither the Natural Mamma nor the Meluna XL Soft are improvements in terms of ease of removal over my small Lunette. If any of these impressions changes in the next few days, I will report them here. That being said, I think that both are comfortable cups with good designs, and will probably work just fine for many people, particularly those who require good capacity. Because my flow is so light, unless something changes, I think I will just go back to my small Lunette Selene and sell the other two, maybe.



**Even though the Diva cup is slightly longer than either of these and also supposedly a soft cup, I have decided not to test drive it for a few reasons, some of them rather silly: 1) I hate the word Diva; 2) The packaging makes me throw up in my mouth a little; and 3) It has a short, hollow stem which I find problematic. I like tab stems better. Perhaps another high-cerviced person in this community who lacks my issues can do a Diva test and report their results... alas, it will not be I.

Hi! I am new to cups though I have done my research so I'd really like help choosing the "right" one. I am a virgin and have something like an 2 1/4 or 2 1/2 inch cervix (when off my period) and a light-average flow. Basically, I got it down to fleurcup and lunette. I've noticed that fleurcup is barely shorter (which is good) and also softer, but Lunette has better reviews. I wanted to know what the pros and cons are to softness vs. firmness and what you think might be a better cup for me. Also, where can I buy a fleurcup that ships to US? Just in case that's what I decide.

I bought my Lunette 2 months ago but have yet to use it! I sterilized it and everything, but chickened out at the last minute and used the pads I had, swearing to myself that I'd use it for my next period. Well, my next period is here and has been here for the past four days...the first day is pretty light so I said I'd try to put it in then and see how it went...and I couldn't get it in. I'm 30 years old and have had kids; I'm sexually active, but not regularly (enough), so I'm kinda tight down there. I even tried to open my mouth since I've read on here that the slack-jawed approach is pretty helpful as far as being relaxed is concerned. Needless to say, I got frustrated and gave up.

Yesterday, I tried to put it in while I was in the shower and got it in, but wasn't sure if it was positioned right since it seemed to be pretty low in my vaginal canal. My cervix sits low but I was afraid of trying to push it up in there any further because I didn't want it to "disturb" my IUD. I ended up taking it out, of course...shame on me. I might be overthinking things but I'm just really scared of pulling my IUD out or not getting the darned thing positioned right...

Just wanted you let you know that Lunette menstrual cups are being featured on GreenDeals.org as of tomorrow, Feb. 14th.  All colors $25.99 each, limit 2.  So if you need a back-up cup or just wanted to try a Lunette -- now is the perfect opportunity! 

I just wanted to say thanks to all of you for your advice to me a while back! It helped me out so much. I've used my Lunette for three or so cycles since my first post and I finally have it down!

Yesterday I was out with my boyfriend and his friends for dinner, expecting my period in the next few days and it came a bit early. Luckily I felt it starting and had my Lunette in my purse so I was able to save myself from any embarrassment of leaking. I was able to get it to pop right open. Being past the learning curve is great! I love the feeling of not having to worry about running out of tampons/pads or not having them on me when I'm out. I used to suffer from severe cramping, and I barely have any cramps anymore. And I always had allergic reactions to pads and tampons. I love not even being able to tell the cup is there, even when running and kickboxing!

Without this community I would have still been using tampons, having allergic reactions, and suffering terrible cramps! So thank you for the tips that helped me keep trying. I'm no longer dreading my period; I'm so liberated and past all of the negative stigmas associated with this aspect of womanhood.

I've been using my cup for about 6 months now.  I don't use it all the time because the bathrooms at work aren't private enough, and sometimes my cramps are so bad the the idea of sticking anything up there makes be cringe.  However, I do use it fairly consistently and LOVE IT when I do.  I am still on my learning curve, but I'm determined to keep with it. 

I've had a problem twice now getting it out.  The first time this happened I thought the cup (small lunette) was suctioned to my cervix, so I made the holes bigger and that seemed to help until today when I tried to get it out (from last night - it had been in for about 10.5 hours).  I could feel the air coming out of the cup, so I know the problem wasn't suction, but it was STUCK.  It seemed it was so tight on my cervix that it didn't want to budge.  I could get a finger to the rim (by squatting on the floor), but it took several tries to get the cup off of/away from my cervix.  Finally, I was able to get it into a punch-down fold and get it out, but I don't think that I should have this problem.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  Would a cup with a bigger/smaller rim, or a bigger/smaller cup work?

About me:  I'm a virgin, but I don't have a hymen anymore (thanks, menstrual cup!).  I have a fairly low cervix (had to trim the stem of my small lunette because it was poking out a bit).  My flow is generally reallly heavy on about day 3, but moderate/light the rest of the time.  

Additionally, when I took my cup out today, I noticed that it and what was in it smelled a bit like vinegar.  I think this might be a completely different issue (about which I might need to see my doc), but it does also concern me and if anyone has any insight, I'd appreciate that as well.  

I've read a good bit on the sight and I don't think I'm duplicating a post, but if I am I apologize for that.  

Hi! I'm 32 and completely new to the menstrual cup experience. I've been lurking here, as well as reading and researching them for awhile now, and I finally decided on a large Lunette Aine. I haven't had a child, but I am not a virgin and I've always tended to have a very heavy flow and almost always use super size tampons. Yesterday I started my period and so, with great excitement, prepared my cup for use and inserted. Insertion was a tad uncomfortable at first, but I seemed to adjust quickly and had no further problems. That night I tried to remove it, to see how things were going. I could not get it.
Now, I feel I should admit that while I am certainly not a virgin, I am single and not regularly sexually active. Not a lot goes on down there, haha! I also have an extremely small canal and an extremely long vagina. Even a single finger is quite a tight fit and I have never been able to touch my cervix. I swear it's nearly possible for things to get lost in there, haha! And it seems my cup was trying to manage it. Between being hardly able to get two fingers in and how far up the stem was, I just couldn't grasp it! So I decided not to panic... that I'd relax, go to bed and deal with it again when I took my shower in the morning.
This morning however, didn't prove any easier. The cup was full and overflowing (my cup runneth over!), so getting it out was pretty necessary. So, I relaxed. I squatted in the shower (not easy with a sprained ankle, btw.) I tried a birthing position. I used my rather strong kegels and could push the stem to the tips of my fingers, but could not reach to break the seal. I tried a lubed spoon. I tried gloves. I had to laugh at the ridiculousness of it... I even had to call into work to tell them I was going to be late! This went on for an hour before, using a cloth glove on my left hand to keep a grip, I was able to pull the stem just far enough to make enough of a indentation at the base with a finger on my right hand to break the seal and pull the dang thing out! Then it looked like a murder scene, and I was beyond sore and tired. Then I put in a small tampon and went to work.
The thing is, I still LOVE the idea of a cup. I want to use it... but I can't go through that kind of struggle every time I need it out. Is my tiny canal and abyss of a vagina going to keep me from cup-bliss?! Is it my choice of cup? Any ideas, suggestions, supportive comments? I'd love to try again, but I'm feeling a little weary.

I have just completed my first cycle with a menstrual cup. I must admit that I found it very easy, much easier than I expected. When I first got my period 25 years ago, I was given pads. I never liked them and always had a heavy flow; I was to find out 15 years later that it was endometriosis. My periods from the ages of 11-26 would last between 9 and 12 days. My mother who is a devout Catholic (and a nurse BTW) was dead set against tampons because they could make you sick and only my future husband’s penis should go up there. Like I said I hated pads, they smelled horrible, were messy, were completely uncomfortable and not the most discreet item to have to carry in my schoolbag. My mother’s advice for heavy days- wear 2 super sized ones, I am not kidding you (back then you could only buy sizes regular or super- luckily for me).

When I started working at age 19, I immediately switched to tampons- husband or no husband. I was the one buying them so I did not care. I started with the non-applicator ones but was grossed out with how dirty my fingers were and I could never get them in properly, it would hurt. Silly I know, but even though my mother was a nurse I could not go to her for women’s issues and anything remotely sexually related was taboo therefore I was a prude. I became reliant on applicator tampons for the next 15 years and never had a problem so I was happy enough. I should add that my endometriosis was a result of God’s punishment because I don’t pray enough, if you believe Mom.

I am now 36; I am married (therefore I have a husband, lol) and 2 children. I have also become more environmentally conscious and only by chance stumbled across the DivaCup through a Facebook friend’s status. Immediately I was interested in menstrual cups and researched more about them on Google, hence I found this website. I ended up purchasing both the Large Lunette and Large Fleurcup- mainly due to capacity, cheap prices, cheap shipping and size.

I had read about other users’ first time experiences so I inserted them in the shower with the push-down method. Now even though I am sexually active and better aware of my body, I am still not completely comfortable with it so putting something foreign up there was a little daunting. However, I had no problems whatsoever, it did not hurt. I went swimming on my second day and was out almost all day on the third. Now, I do not know if this is all in my mind but I had no menstrual cramps at all, usually I have to drink a specially formulated herbal tea for relief- for this cycle I did not even touch it. What a fantastic invention- where was this product in 1994? I feel guilty spending all that money over the years and adding unnecessary waste to landfill (I won’t include 1986-93 because that was out of the question). I won’t be using applicator tampons anymore that’s for sure.

Now for my reviews:
Large Lunette- I found it a little harder to insert than the Fleurcup but easier to remove. Very comfortable.
Large Fleurcup- I found it easier to insert than the Lunette but a little harder to remove. Very comfortable.
Both are winners in my opinion and I cannot decide which one I prefer, the squishiness factor does not seem to bother me either. I had no problems at all.

Finally I would like to add, especially for all the environmentally conscious cup users out there. I am proud to say that I am able to re-use my menstrual blood as well. I simply add it to my bokashi composting system. Since you can throw in meat, bones, hair, nail clippings etc- why not menstrual blood? I feel so much better now that I am doing that bit extra- not only for myself and my bank balance but also for the environment in ways that I would never have thought possible a couple of months ago.

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so i need a new cup soon... the stem on my large lunette is just abot had it :(... i love my lunette... does anyone know if there are any good deals or specials around. btw i am in australia, so delivery needs to consider that.

Hi everyone!

I'm just wondering why there are very few photos/posts about the coral cup by Lunette (Áine). There has been lots of interest in the Diana and the Cynthia, but very little discussion about the Áine. Why is that?  Is it just an unpopular colour? Wasn't it released at the same time as the Cynthia? I feel like everyone got really excited about the "purple" cup - maybe it overshadowed the coral?

I'm having a hard time deciding between the Áine, Cynthia, and Diana - but unfortunately there aren't many real-life pictures of the Áine available! :(

If anyone has photos of this cup (especially in comparison to the others) I'd LOVE to see them!!