Yep, sounds like it was open. Cup manufacturers recommend rotating the cup when it's in to make sure it's open, so that's one way to know. It's likely to open of it's own accord though, so you can also run your finger around the base to check it's not squished anywhere. Also if it doesn't leak before it's full you know it's positioned properly and probably fully open.

If you need a teeny speculum it means your vagina is short, but it sounds like you also believe you can't fit much in widthwise. This isn't the case. All vaginas are very stretchy as long as they're relaxed, so the discomfort you have when inserting will go away with practice (if you have some hymen in the way that's a bit different, but you'll probably stretch or break it a bit). The Diva is one of the longest cups on the market and now you've gone for the absolute tiniest. It sounds like it's fine for learning, but since you could do with more capacity it would be good to see if you have any room to move to a bigger cup.

I went from a small MCUK to small LC (mostly for novelty value, both work fine). I use both without stems and if I'd started with the LC I might have thought the extra 7mm length of the MC would be too much since the LC sits so close to the bottom. In reality, the base of the MC sticks out if I just open my legs, but I never had any trouble using it.

Even with the tiny one, I could barely get a finger inside my vagina to break the seal (not enough room), so...I think the extra-small is the right size for me. Shouldn't leak, I don't think.

At the very least, my muscles are tight enough to hold it in place.

Yeah, but that lack of room widthways isn't a fixed characteristic of your vagina, it's what happens when an unfamiliar situation is making you a bit tense. Once you've used your cup a bunch of times you'll loosen up, it was room for more length that I meant, since that's really what's going to limit you.

I'm sure it'll work fine, until it's full! I only brought up getting a bigger one because it sounds like you'd benefit from as much capacity as you can get.

Oh and well done for getting there after sticking with it for so long!

Also, dumb question - but does the suction hold the blood in even if your pelvis isn't directed straight up and down? E.g. if I'm swimming, is the blood going to come out and splash the inside of my vagina above the cup?

Yes, it will slosh about in the inside of your vagina. That stuff's already bloody though, and your cervix won't let it back through (it's pushing blood out, not open and leaky) even if you're upside-down.

Okay. So it'll just drip back down into the cup? I can swim without worrying about it? :D (I swim about five times a week - the main reason I got a cup this winter was so that I could swim all month instead of just 3/4 of it!)

As long as the cup is fully open and encircling or pointing towards your cervix, you should be fine, as per other users reports. It might be wise to empty it (since you have a heavy flow) and really make sureiit's open all the way around before swimming. I've had one incident where my cup filled with water an leaked when I got out of the water tbh, but I'm guessing it wasn't open and sealed since I was getting a little bit of leakage before I got into the pool.

I also agree that if your flow is really that heavy, you'll want to get a bigger cup eventually (large Fleurcup and such).

Thanks! :) Depending on how the MeLuna works for me, I might order the starter set (two cups, different sizes) from the company so I can compare sizing/comfort.

Just wondering, what do you mean by extra small Meluna ?? Are you talking about their small size or the Minis ? if so, small Mini or medium Mini ? And if you are buying a classic set, just be careful that it'll fit you lengthwise... because Melunas grow in legth as well as width when you go sizing up... so not the best choice for everyone.

Small MeLuna, not the mini size.