Before I had a chance to try a dry-run, my period started (last Sunday). I was out when it started, so just used a tampon. Monday I inserted my Diva cup at 6:30am using the punch-down fold. It leaked some, and I couldn't tell if it had opened at first. After a few minutes I felt it pop open, so O.K.
I didn't really have any trouble getting it in, and it felt O.K., but I was a little nervous about it so at 9am I took it out. (No problem taking it out.) I emptied it, cleaned it and put it back in. After putting it in the second time I noticed it didn't pop open until about an hour after I put it in. After that it didn't leak at all.
I had read about people just changing it morning and evening, so I decided to not mess with the rest of the day. By the evening I was feeling a little crampy, which is not typical for my period. And not really crampy so much as sore. I took the Diva cup out at 10pm. I used a pad overnight. When I tried to put the cup back in on Tuesday morning, I could only stand to wear it for about an hour, then I took it out and used a tampon. My vagina muscles just felt tired.
My cycle is usually heavy on the first couple of days, then a trickle for two days for a total of 4 days. Using tampons, I have to change the tampon every two hours the first day, then every 3-4 the second day. By this time, my vagina is feeling pretty tired and I sometimes can't get a tampon in late in the day. My body just needs a break. The Diva cup being so wide, I think it just wore out my vagina quickly.
Is this something I will get used to? Will my body adapt to the Diva cup? Should I go with something more narrow? Should I have not used it so long the first time out?
Sorry this is so long, I just wanted you to have all the data. Thanks for any advice you can give me.