On day two of my period (the heavy day), I decided to try the cup. Insertion with the triangle fold went quite smoothly, unlike last month. However, I couldn't get the cup to open. It was squished flat and just would not open. I gave up and took it out after about 30 minutes of poking it because it definitely wasn't going to collect any blood like that, and I could feel it. It hurt a little to remove because it somehow managed to have suction when completely flat, but I was able to get it into the punch down fold to get it out. I did this by putting the tip of my index finger into the rim of the cup, easily accessible because the whole thing was flat, and pulling the rim down until I could use my thumb to pinch the bottom. When I got it out, the holes were clogged, so I cleaned them out by stretching the cup around them.
The next day, I decided to try again. Insertion didn't go quite as smoothly, but the cup did open, and I couldn't feel it at all. I was even able to urinate and have a bowel movement without dislodging the cup, leaking, or causing any discomfort! It started leaking after about 6 hours, so I figured it was time to take it out, though I don't think it could have been full by then. It had migrated so far that I could hardly reach the bottom of the stem (maybe that was why it was leaking. . . and the stem was all the way to the left, so I think my cup was pointing to the right, so my uterus may be tilted to one side. . . I'm going to try to make an appointment with a gynecologist sometime soon to check this out). I tried "bearing down," but I'm not sure if I ever managed to do that. What is bearing down exactly? It is definitely distinct from an exercise of the muscles at the opening of the vagina, which I know how to do very well. So, despite having strong muscles somewhere in there, I can't for the life of me "bear down" enough to birth a cup.
I got it just within reach for me to grab the stem, which involved getting my thumb and index finger into my vagina, something I've never managed to do before, but I guess the cup was holding things open. And then I lost my grip because it was slippery and had to do it again. . . and again. Anyway, I've never had to do so much digging in there before, and I'd really rather not ever have to do that much again, although I am surprised with how many fingers my body can accommodate with only discomfort, as opposed to outright pain. I guess I'm proof that it's definitely possible to be a virgin without having a hymen.
On day four, the boy persuaded me to try again to see if it would make me less self-conscious about fooling around on my period, and things actually went better (not to mention, he was right; I just don't like the prospect of making a huge mess and cleaning it up). The cup didn't migrate too far up, and I slept with it in. It took me a record 10 minutes to get it out (and that was when I was groggy, just after I woke up), and it didn't hurt much, and I didn't have to get more than one finger at a time in very far. (Though, when getting one finger in very far to break the seal, I did get cramps in both of my hands. I kept doing it until I broke the seal, despite the severe pain in my hands. Anyone ever experienced this?) Anyway, this kinda gave me an inkling as to why folks who get cups to work like them so much, but I'm still not pleased with how far in I have to dig to remove the cup.
Lastly, my cup smells a little (if I put my nose up to it, and only on the inside), so I'm going to wash it with an antibacterial silicone-toy cleaning solution. However, I never left it in more than 10 hours, so I really wasn't expecting it to smell. I shouldn't be worried about this, right?
So, I have a few questions. Is there anyone else out there whose cup rides so high that it cannot be reached? How do you get it out if you can't break the suction (because no part of the "body" of the cup is within reach and the stem can just barely be touched)? How long does it take you to remove your cup? Does the "riding up" mean I got the wrong size/model of cup? Any help at all would be appreciated. Also, has anyone else noticed a lopsided cervix (as in, it's off to one side)? If you've seen a doctor about it, I'd be interested in knowing if it's a big deal or not.
I'm considering getting a Diva, since it's the longest cup, and my experience with the Lunette leaves me unafraid of the "bigger" small cups, and it's on a ridiculous sale ($14 on iherb.com) until the end of the year. What would you do? Is it worth buying a new cup, or should I settle for just using the Lunette "part-time"? It's inconvenient enough that I will not be using the cup "full-time"; I will probably use the cup when something internal is necessary, like sports or tight clothes, or if I want less messy outercourse during my period, but the rest of the time, I'll stick with my cloth pads. Anyway, I'm not sure if it's worth investing more in this, or if it's unlikely that anything will change for the better by switching cups (or if the Diva is even a sensible option considering the problem), so if you have an opinion on what I should do, please feel free to let me know before the New Year (when the iherb.com offer ends). Thanks in advance! This community is awesome!
