I'm almost 42 and still need smaller cups.

That's kind of what I'm thinking. Yes, technically tissues/muscles lose a little bit of tightness/elasticity, but I can't imagine it would be enough for a drastic change unless other factors were in play, i.e. childbirth, stretching, kink, etc.

do you *need* them though, or are you simply able to use them? most people who can use narrow cups can also use wide ones.

Width probably isn't that great an issue but since you're used to a long bodied cup like the Diva, then jumping to such a short one might be. There are several sets of size charts at the Community FAQ. (Scroll down to get to them.) Compare your Diva to other brands and decide how much shorter/longer and wider/narrower you want to go.

I've looked at the size chart a few times and I feel like I change my mind every time I look at it, lol. But yes, that is a consideration. I feel like I don't fill my diva as full as I used to, and the vast majority of my cycle is rather light with one day of heavy.

My Diva died last year after about 7 years. I started experiencing weird itchy, stinging sensations by the second day of using the old cup and thought I was getting yeast infections (though I've never had one) but the symptoms faded the next day after removing the cup. This happened two cycles in a row, so I suspected the cup and noticed the surface texture of the silicone had changed. It was like white powdery and porous. Very weird.

The Diva cup for me was mostly pretty good. A bit firm (hard to pee or fart, must be removed for bm) and maybe a little long for me sometimes, but I didn't know any different for 7 years! I was excited to try something new. I'm as old as you, but decided to stick with the smaller size. I don't think there's some sudden drop off of muscle at 30, and unless you need more capacity a larger cup may be harder to pop open or more likely to break seal and leak.
I tried a keeper cup, didn't like it, leaked all the time! I tried a Sckoon cup and hated it; really uncomfortable grips.

Then I got Lunette and Si-bell. The Lunette is pretty good but a little short, round, and firm, and the Si-bell was so soft and comfortable but the stem was long and too textured, not my favorite. It's taken some time to adjust to different folds, as I always used punch down with Diva, but it didn't work so well for either of these.

You can always stick with what you know, or venture out knowing there is ol' trusty. You might find something with a different mix of good features, or discover some preferences you didn't know about, as I did. You may have to invest in more than one cup, but I have found homes for some of the cups that didn't work.

I dont' know about Meluna personally, but I'm not sure if you'd want to go firmer since you're not currently having leak issues and it seems like firmer usually means comfort lost. I found that my Diva had softened over the years when I compared it to a new one, but it was still working great.

I'm now getting an Organicup because it's softer, more V shaped and not so short, and the Natu (the newer one, not the si-bell twin) for it's smooth grip rings, rounded V shape, and softness. Here's hoping for a good match!

Edited at 2015-07-12 02:44 am (UTC)

That's a very good point about the Diva probably having softened a bit over the years. Thankfully mine is not as old as you described yours, but my biggest problem is a constant odor and tint that WILL NOT go away. And, because I have a Paraguard, I feel like my odor is more...bad sangria pungent than it used to be.

I also totally forgot to mention that I had to mod my diva--the stem bugged me horribly and I had to cut it off and sand it smooth. I don't have any issue getting it out as I can reach it and pinch the bottom, but I very much liked the idea of the ball stem that MeLuna offers. If I go with another gripped stem cup, I'm pretty sure it'll bother me the same way.

Since you can fit a longer cup and probably don't want to go fishin' every time you remove a Meluna--how about a Yuuki? I think they come in a firmer version as well as a softer one.

All the things I think about *after* I make a post! Actually, length wise it's kind of a crapshoot for me. I had to cut off the stem of my diva because it irritated me so much, and some days during my cycle my cervix is extremely low, and other days it's pretty medium, so I'm not sure I would have trouble reaching for a shorter cup. My cervix never seems to get way up there during my cycle unless I'm really turned on (naturally). I'm only worried about the yuuki in that I'll have to cut and sand the stem off again. I really liked the idea of MeLuna's ball stem. I wonder if there's an easy way to find out what other cups have similar stem options?

Nope. The age guides are very rough guidelines based on general pelvic floor conditioning, etc. If your cup continues to work, there's no need to change it. If for some reason you do start to get a lot of leakage or a poor fit, you might consider it.

Thanks!

sportty people use all kinds of cups. before meluna introduced the sport stiffness, i never heard that sporty people need stiff cups. these were considered a remedy for leaks (although my poll here showed no significant correlation).

the meluna sport is quite a bit stiffer than your diva (even classic is stiffer!). so if your diva worked fine for you, i don't think you need a stiff cup. it may well be uncomfortable, no need to take risks.
medium is just a buzzword btw - there are plenty of small-sized cups with similar dimensions. it's not average at all.

better fit for weak muscles is not the only benefit of wide cups. they also have a higher capacity, and they fit less tightly around your cervix/can sit deeper. you're likely to be able to use a "small" cup for now, but assuming you're not a virgin and have no medical issues, a "large" should also be fine. i'm a bit baffled that companies tend to tell people with strong pelvic muscles to get narrow cups. i've never heard from someone who needed a high capacity wide cup but couldn't use it because of having too strong muscles. i DID hear from someone with a sensitive bladder who used a soft cup despite having strong muscles.

that said, why not just get one more diva? or if you want a coloured cup, how about luv ur body? it's longer than the diva (especially the medium, which is average only in width), so it's nice if your diva's stem is too short for you.

also, pay attention to the actual dimensions. most other "small" sizes are narrower and shorter. 41 mm or less is kinda considered "teen size". i would stick with average width like 43-44 mm, which can be called anything - large, small, medium.

I had tried a softer cup in the past before I bought my diva, and I could always feel it fold up inside me and had horrible leaking problems. I think I owned it a week before tossing it. Can't remember what it was though...so long ago.

I had not heard that about the classic MeLuna stiffness, though. And yes, I only mentioned medium bc I was specifically referring to the dimensions of the Medium MeLuna model.

I totally forgot to mention this, but very early on I had to mod my Diva by cutting the stem and sanding the bottom smooth. I absolutely hated the stem; it irritated me a lot. (Thus I liked the ball stem option MeLuna has.) I don't have any problem reaching and pinching the bottom of the Diva, but I'm not sure I'd want to risk going longer. I find that lately I don't overfill or fully fill the Diva like I used to, so I think anything with a similar or slightly smaller capacity would be just fine.

That said, I don't mind going with another Diva since it worked, just thought I would look at my options in case something would be a more "perfect fit."

Thank though, this has been very helpful so far.

I'm nearly 32 and use a small Ladycup, which is pretty little (also on the soft side, which I don't have any trouble with despite a fairly strong core). Why do you need a sport cup? If the Diva works well for you just get the same thing, or maybe a large one for higher capacity/futureproofing.

Way way back before I bought my Diva I tried a cup that happened to be softer and it always squished and lost it's shape. I've been known, to, uh, kill motored toys because of my core, which granted is a different circumstance, but I really wouldn't want to risk leaking issues by going with anything softer.

I've actually found through the years that my flow has gotten slightly lighter. I used to routinely fill or overfill my Diva, but I haven't had that problem in quite a while. (Which is especially odd considering I have a Paraguard, which most people find make their cycles heavier.)

Ok, I've read other comments and see it's the ball stem that attracts you. I thought you wanted to switch because of the sport option, which seemed weird with the Diva being perfect.

I think the MeLuna is the only brand with that sort of stem. Lunettes have a tab stem which people say it's possible not to trim so much because it's flexible. You might have only had to sand down your Diva stem because it's right on the edge of being too long though - when I got my first cup (Mooncup) I trimmed the stem gradually and it felt horrible until I got it all off so it wasn't touching my labia any more. I think having a ball stem in that position would be annoying too, but as long as it's all in I don't feel anything.

Oh and your period can suddenly get heavier in your 30s, or just change in any way at any time really, which is what I meant by futureproofing.

Just a random comment, but I'm jealous that you got to use a cup in your early 20s, wish I had found them sooner too!

I was very lucky to have stumbled across the idea when I was in college. I can't remember where exactly, maybe a friend used them? I really can't remember. I know I was very active on LJ back then, so I suppose it's possible I found out about them here way back when. =)

If what you have works, I don't think you need to size up. I'm 30 and have had two vaginal births, and I'm fine using both a small Keeper Mooncup and small Diva.

I bought the large shorty sport Meluna and I think it's great for me when working out. The cup doesn't get squeezed by the PC muscles and doesn't get get squished and pushed down. I've had 2 little ones as well.

I'm 36 and have two kids two and under. I still use my small LadyCup without any problem. I'm not sure what proof there really is that at 30 you magically lose all vaginal tone. Stick with what is comfortable now.

Edited at 2015-07-21 04:56 am (UTC)