I am currently on my 6th cycle with the diva cup and I'm still loving it WAY more than tampons. I was just wanted to ask if you have noticed a difference (or not, in my case) in how often you empty your cup when compared to how often you used to change tampons. I would change tampons every 3-4 hours on my heavy days and it seems that it hasn't changed much with a cup =/ I was hoping for the ideal cup experience of only emptying twice a day but oh well. Today I am trying to leave my cup in until it is absolutely full (no longer than 12 hours of course) to see if maybe I've just been paranoid and stuck in tampon mentality for the past 6 months. I look forward to reading your responses/experiences/advice/etc.

After lots of struggling, leaking, and pain, I finally used a menstrual cup successfully. =D Turns out my cervix wasn't too low to use one after all.

I have a Medium ballstem MeLuna and a (new) Femmecup,  I found that the Femmecup is much better. My main mistake before was pushing it in way too far and I didn't have it suctioned properly.

I'm glad to say that I finally found a way that works. I feel so liberated. =)

Hello.  I'm new here. Got my Mooncup UK about a week ago and today is my first day using it, (got my period yesterday).
It seems to be going pretty good so far.  I've been inserting it and let it sit for a few minutes before removing it and instering it again a few times for the past few hours now. Just to practice how to insert it and remove it and how it feels to use it.

I've tried to feel for my cervix a few times, but haven't been able to locate it. I'm not sure if it's because it's too far for me to reach or if it's me not recognising it when I feel it. Do you know for sure when you touch it, or is it very similar to the walls of the vagina?
I've only had the cup inside for a short period of time each time I've inserted it, but it's always a bit of blood inside the cup and nothing on the outside, so I guess I'm placing it right and I'm not too concerned about not knowing where my cervix is right now since the blood seems to end up in the cup just as it should.

Removal is a bit tricky and a litte painful, but I think I'm getting the hang of it a little more each time I do it.

The problem I'm having is with the stem. The stem is supposed to be inside the vagina, right? I get the cup inside, but then the stem is on the outside. I can't seem to get the cup further up and when I move around I can feel the cup. Not sure if it's because the stem is on the outside or if it's the cup itself. I've cut off some of the stem, but I'm afraid of cutting it all off because then I'm not sure if I'll be able to reach the cup. It already feels a bit short to me. I don't get how I'll be able to reach the cup if all of the cup and all of the stem is inside me. I don't think I'll be able to get both my thumb and my index finger up there far enough to pull it out. It's much easier when the stem is sticking out so I can reach it easily and pull on it to get the cup closer and then reach the base of the cup.
But as I understand it all of the stem is supposed to be inside?

Anyone have anything helpful to say, or have the same problem?
How do I get the cup further up so the stem gets inside, and how do I then reach for it?
:)

After talking non-stop (and somewhat lamenting) about how excited I was that I was going to start using cups but I wasn't going to get a cup in time for my period, my wonderful friend went to a local healthfood store and bought me a divacup! (Yay for friends!) I was able to start using it when I got back to my house from classes on Wednesday. Here's how everything played out:

( Because I babble... )
Day 1: I was REALLY nervous about trying it out my first time, but things went beautifully! The DivaCup was a little too long so I trimmed the stem. When that wasn't enough I flipped it inside out. I tried inserting using the c-fold and the punch down fold (I want to do the origami, but I couldn't manage to fold it correctly-- practice makes perfect!) and both worked out okay. Since it was late afternoon I didn't really do much for the rest of the day. Before my boyfriend came over I was in the shower, I used the punch down fold and everything was sealed up tight. When we went to lay down I felt a small "pop" and got up to readjust. I had lost suction but I didn't worry and I just reinserted it and all was well. I did realize during day one that my cup was inserted incorrectly due to serious cramping and pain, but i got that all readjusted.

Day 2: My ceiling started leaking so I took the day off from school to wait around for the landlord to come fix it. Once again, even though I was pretty inactive except for cleaning the house, everything went smoothly. I did have more trouble inserting it, but I soon realized that if I got the outside of the cup wet with water it was much easier to insert.

Day 3: This was the day I was worried about in previous posts. I take a modern dance class and I was worried that the cup would lose suction/leak during class. I had NO problems whatsoever.

Day 4: I am so used to cups now that I wish I had started using them a LONG time ago. As things progress I suppose I'll try different folding techniques, but for now I'll stick with the c-fold.

If anyone is worried about try cups, don't stress! I think that when someone stress out about using cups it makes things WAY more challenging. Thank you to this wonderful forum for helping me make the jump to cups. 

The serious dangers of conventional pads and and especially tampons:

http://makingloveinthekitchen.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/tampax-tampons.pdf

Just makes me love my cups even more!!

So I just got an instead cup and I am trying to get the hang of using it. Right now, the problem is that it keeps slipping out and leaking. I insert it by "hooking" it behind my pubic bone like everyone says, but I don't understand how it stays in place back there... Even after hooking it behind (what I think is) my pubic bone, while sitting on the toilet and contracting my vagina I feel it move out of place a bit. Maybe i'm not pushing far back enough? The cup is fine for 1 or 2 hours, and I'm dry and everything until I suddenly feel a rush of blood running down my leg from the cup moving out of position, and sure enough in the bathroom I can feel the cup has slid down almost to the opening of my vagina. I don't understand how people can claim to excersize wearing these!
Is it that my pubic bone isn't long enough to keep the cup in place? I've also heard that the cup doesn't work with "smaller" vaginas. I'm sort of a small person I guess (5'3, 100lb), but I've always worn super and super plus tampons comfortably.
I really like the idea of the instead cup and I want it to work! Help!

So my new Large Red Meluna came in the mail on Monday, and it came with a free Medium Orange cup, which I was very happy about!

I decided the orange one will now be for daily discharge, and I washed and wore it for five days(removing and washing maybe twice daily), until this morning when my period started.

When I took it out and washed it, I noticed this FOUL, and I do mean gag-and-vomit-inducingly foul, stench emanating from my cup. I smelled it again before writing this to make sure it merited posting, and well, I threw up once it got about four inches from my nose(and I have about 50% of a normal sense of smell, so it's BAD), so I'll go with yes.

It is literally the FOULEST smell I have ever encountered in my life, something akin to rotting flesh and bile, and it's really strange. My red cup smells completely fine.

As for the cup itself, I've tried washing it with diva wash(four times, scrubbing inside and out and leaving to dry) and boiling it and nothing's helping :( I really like this cup, but I can't keep it if it's going to reek this way.

HELP? Please?

Hi people,

Ok, I don't think THIS question has been asked here before...I just boiled my Diva cup, which I normally do at the end of every cycle before storing it for the month. Well, last night I had spaghetti with marinara sauce, and I washed the sauce pan really well this morning....or so I thought. After the 20 minutes, I removed my cup only to find it has a distinct yellow tone all over it!!! It used to have some blood stains around the rim, but this is distinctly tomato-related, like how your tupperware gets stained if pasta sauce is in it.

So.....is it safe to use?? Based on tupperware experiences, I don't think anything will get this staining out, and my vagina is pretty irritable so I don't want to use soap on the cup, but I also don't want to put the cup back in if it, like, has tomato residue on it! So, do you all think I need to get a new cup, or shall I just move on and embrace my new, technocolor yellow Diva???

This whole thing is so ridiculous, I'm kind of laughing, except at the thought of spending another $35 for a new cup!

A couple of weeks ago I ordered myself a Lunette.. I wasn't really sure what size to go for, but since it said size 2 was more suitable for heavy flow I went with that. By the time I'd finished the order I was having doubts about it but it was too late then... I came home from Uni just now and tried it out, but what do you know, it's too big :( Feeling pretty sore down there now... Those few extra mm really make all the difference! Guess I'll start saving again.. *sigh*

I'm happy - my Ladycup saved my vacation this time! :)
I went for 10 days new year holidays in Egypt, and it was a flight from cold winter (-30 degrees Celsius) to hot summer (+30).
On the second day of the vacation my period had started. It usually lasts for 6 days, so imagine how could I feel without my cup - no swim (or only a little), no long trips for sightseeing.
Ladycup works great. I swam in the sea, snorkled, had a first time diving - no leakages, no water in the cup when I removed it. I was in a 24-hour trip to Cairo and had 12-hour ascent to Moses Mountain (2000 m heigts) - emptied it when an opportunity presented itself, only once in 8-12 hours, in public bathrooms, and there were no mess, not more than with tampons.
You may be know that piped water in Egypt is not pure, it's not recommended to use it for cleaning your teeth. So I used a toilet paper and bottled pure water to clean the cup. But a couple of times I rinsed it in the sink out of habit - and I'm still alive :D

*sorry for my English and hello from snowy Russia ;)

Just had to share this...it totally cracked me up!  

Had xrays of my spine done at the Chiropractors office.  While I was waiting for the doctor to come into the room, I took a peek at the films.  My days in anatomy class came back to me, and I was identifying the bones of the pelvis, when I noticed something......very faint, but  I could see the shape of it  and it was sitting right near the pubis. 

OMG!  It was my Mia cup!  For some reason, I never thought it would ever show up on an xray.  It was really fun to see it sitting there, right where it should be and getting the job done!

Then I started to wonder how my other cups would "photograph"!  lol   If they ever take xrays again, I'll wear my Lunette or Meluna, just for fun!

I get why the rim of the cup should not go past your cervix b/c otherwise it's like pouring coffee down the side of a mug, but I'm not sure I get the "around" the cervix (O) metaphor.  If I am imagining this metaphor (or my physiology) wrong, please enlighten me!  As I imagine it, a cervical cap (which I used to use, many many years ago) goes "around" the cervix, like a hat being worn atop the cervix--the rim of the cervical cap actually is "around" the entire cervix.  I understand that some women may wear their cups in this way (or partially in this way), depending on the particular woman and the shape of the cup, but I thought that the cervix is more like a mound sticking down off the "roof" of the vagina (more or less), isn't it?  I can reach the half of my cervix that faces the vaginal opening, but the other half is too far in--the tip of my cervical "mound" doesn't point directly toward the vaginal opening, but more toward the lower vaginal wall.  I gather that some ladies' cervices (cervixes?) point toward one side, or might point more toward or away from the vaginal opening than my own, so maybe that's why I'm having trouble imagining this.  When my cup is in, its base points generally down toward the entrance to the vagina--actually, the base of the cup rests against the upper wall of my vagina, just above my urethra, which means that the rim of my cup isn't "around" my cervix at all.  At least I don't think it is.  I imagine the rim of the cup sealing against my vaginal walls, all the way around, and one part of the rim rests against the edge of my cervical "mound" that is closest to the opening of my vagina, which is what stops it (a) from leaking and (b) from going up any farther inside.

I watched that youtube video of Melissa's, where she uses a long slender wine glass with a little cervix-bump in it to illustrate cervical position and inserting and removing a cup (this one:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NDol9HZftQ -- thanks, Melissa!).  So the metaphor in my mind is like a tunnel with a mound (giant ant-hill?) on the ceiling, taking up maybe half(?) the tunnel's diameter, and the cup goes in with the base pointed more or less toward the tunnel's entrance and the rim sealing against the tunnel walls, and when the edge of the cup's rim hits the mound's edge that is closest to the entrance of the tunnel, that's as far in as the cup can go.  If the cup goes up too high (i.e., part-way up the ant-hill, or even past the top of the ant-hill), then it is obviously not going to seal against the tunnel walls anymore and will leak (the "pouring coffee down the side of the mug" concept).

So is the way I imagine my cup to be working the same thing as "around" the cervix?  I'm confused.  Maybe it is, and it's just a difference in terminology, or maybe some women's cervixes point more directly toward the vaginal opening than mine so they really are wearing it "around" the cervix, but having used a cervical cap and also a cup, the (O) concept isn't making sense to me.  Help?

This previous cycle- I had problems for like a 48 hour time span.

My diva cup kept either missing or like popping out of my cervix.


What can I can do to prevent this or make my cervix behave? help?

First off, thanks everyone for the really nice and awesome comments from my last post!

Day 1: I didn't use the cup that day, because I had stayed up the night before due to nausea...so I just decided to rest.

Day 2: I inserted the cup,and after I had relaxed it went in pretty easily!
A couple of hours later, I tried to remove it, but it took about 10 minutes. Mainly because I was panicking about not being able to remove it, and of course I got it out, but I didn't want to insert it again, because I was still afraid I wouldn't be able to remove it. I didn't have any leakage though!

Day 3: I got ALOT better at insertion and removal! This time, it only took me under 30 seconds to remove it, and removal was almost painless! The day before, I was trying a couple of different ways to remove it, but in the end, I figured out that the best way for me to remove it is just by grabbing the base and twisting a little. I only inserted it twice, but I wore it to bed, and no leakage!(Day 3 is the last day of my cycle though, so there wasn't much blood)

Day 4;' I usually have spotting, so I put in the cup this morning(I had to take it out a few times, because the stem kept poking me,so I ended up cutting 2/3rds of it off,and I never thought I'd cut it off, but it still easy to remove, and that's just plain awesome!), wore it to pe class with a pad, and no leakage! There was some residual blood on the pad,but I ended up throwing it away!

So overall, I think that cups are awesome! I'll probably use a pad or two on my first day of my next cycle,just to be safe, but I don't think I'll need it! Also, I can't feel the cup at all(except for the stem sometimes), and I don't have any problems like the frequent urge to pee, or the suction breaking when I do a bowel movement. Oh yeah, and regarding my other post where I was worried if the cup would fall out, now that I use one, I KNOW it can't fall out XD

 I just ordered a set of "smart balls" - kegel device, from kuukuppi.fi and discovered that their pre-christmas offer of free shipping is still available. I imagine someone ordering from the US, for instance, would save a few dollars. 

This might be a bit OT, but has anyone here tried smart-balls, joy balls or anything of that nature? Kegels are often mentioned here as a possibility when people have issues their cups, but 'm never entirely sure whether I'm doing kegels effectively so I thought I would try these. Do they work? Are they easy to use?

Hello!

First of all if this topic has come up, I apologize for repeating. I searched the term "dermatitis" and didn't seem to find anything, although I am new to LJ and not quite sure yet if I might have missed something.

I have been following the community for several weeks now, and have decided to switch to a cup mainly because I have extremely sensitive skin and have been having irritation from disposable tampons and pads for years. I have not even worn a tampon in years due to this problem. After thinking I had a chronic yeast infection, and seeing my obgyn, having a biopsy taken from my labia (ouch!!) and finally being told I have contact dermatitis, I have switched to only organic cotton underwear, not using any soap anywhere near my genitals, and very begrudgingly using Always pads. Now I think was I insane? How could it take me this long to search for an alternative!? Anyway, here I am, and I have ordered myself a Ladycup which has yet to arrive. Still I already have a question....

Cleaning. I am wondering if I must use soap to clean my cup or if plain water is ok... I have not yet found a soap or cleansing product that doesn't irritate my genital skin. Even lubes can do it, and I have to double rinse my laundry to make sure I get all the soap out. I've never had a problem with silicone (in sex toys and such), so I don't anticipate one with the cup, but I am wondering about the most gentle way to keep it clean and sterilize it without exposing myself to anything that might cause my dermatitis to flare up. I am truly insanely sensitive, and even the products that people suggest to me for people with sensitive/allergic skin are still often too irritating. So, can I just use plain water, and then boil it once a month? Hence, never coming into contact wth soap at all? Or is that just not clean enough...

thanks!!

I think I need some help. o.O
I am a first time cup user and I haven't been able to get it to work reliably. I've been reading this community the past few days and trying a lot of the suggestions. I have a size 2 Diva cup. It seems to go in and open just fine. I think I've found my cervix and it seems to be pretty far back. I haven't been able to tell if my cervix is in the cup as I see a lot of people suggest, but I don't believe the cup is going over it.

It's been leaking most of the time I've had it in, which is fine, I understand that there is a learning curve involved for most people. It leaks when it's not full. It leaks when it's half full, it leaks right away sometimes and sometimes it's in a while before it starts leaking.

I've tried different folds, different positions, and I've turned it inside-out. It seems to work better inside out. It worked pretty good when I was sleeping in the right side out position.

I've ordered a Lunette also. Just in case this just isn't the cup for me.

Is there anything else I can try?

Thanks

I purchased a new cup recently and it arrived in the mail yesterday.  I ordered the Femmecup (the newer model with 4 holes) and I'm concerned that the holes will cause leaking.

I filled the cup with water and it immediately began to shoot water out of the suction holes.

So my question is this, will bigger suction holes cause leaking? Also, are bigger holes more likely to cause stronger suction or weaker suction?


Thanks♥

( Cut because I ramble )

Sorry for the rambling, and thanks in advance! ^^

Hi again!

So I ended up going with the Diva for now, for the simple reason that a friend gave me an Amazon gift card, that's what they carry, and that's the only way I had of paying for one. (If I'm unhappy with it, well, I'll have my tax return in a couple of weeks and can try something else.) But there's a twist: I ordered a model 1 and received a model 2. Amazon dealt with it immediately and a new model 1 is on its way (<3). But ... now I have this extra model 2, and I'm going to start my period before the model 1 arrives. What do you think? Should I try the larger size for a couple of days, just to see how it feels? Or is that just asking for discomfort? This will be my first time using a cup.

Hello!

I wanted to post info on my newest aquisition. A size 2 Yuuki cup! I recieved it in the mail today, and the packaging is a bit different than what was previously posted here so I figured some pictures might be in order.

( Now see here... )

The directions came in English, even if the ordering emails didn't. In general it was a smooth and quick transaction ordering from Yuuki directly.

I haven't yet had an opportunity to try it out as I just finished my last cycle a week ago. I bought the Yuuki because I started with a small diva, increased to a large diva a year later when the small just literally failed to work and despite the fact it's been working the last half year or so I just felt like the leaking was a bit overboard and could be controlled more with a "bell" shaped cup instead of a cone shaped cup. Plus maybe that one extra millimeter might make that difference for me? Who knows. The Yuuki is very flexible as compared to the diva, the rim is solid and firmer than the cup. I'm looking forward to trying it out!

I have been wondering when people say one cup is more comfy than another one, how can something be more comfy than another when you cant feel it?

And one more thing, I haven't had my gift for a few months now ever since i started using cups, do you think it has anything to do with that, and what would cause it?
thank you.

I haven't been on the forum in a while as I've spent the past eighteen months either pregnant or lactating.
For those of you who've given birth you know what I mean when I say that your body undergoes major changes when having a baby, some changes temporary and some permanent.
One of the permanent changes to my body is the result of pushing out an 8lb 1oz baby girl so since I am no longer able to use my small, clear ladycup I'd like to give it to someone who'd enjoy having it. I've cut the stem off completely and it's only been used for two cycles so it's pretty new and has many years left to it. I'd be happy to give it away to the first person who contacts me. I'll only charge for shipping and we can do the transaction via paypal.
If interested give me a shout.
babsoo47@hotmail.com

THE CUP HAS BEEN TAKEN. THANKS.

The keeper is the only cup that I have ever tried, and I love it for the most part. I bought the keeper before I knew there were so many cups to choose from, and I am now realizing that there could be another better suited for me. My issues with the keeper are: unable to BOIL!, occasional leakage on heavy days, the firmness of the cup can be uncomfortable during insertion, and I feel that the color may hide buildup and nastiness. 

I'm thinking the large lady cup might keep up with my flow better, and possibly be more comfortable. I am concerned that the ladycup will be too slick to remove. I do at times struggle to remove the keeper and can't imagine a more difficult cup. 

Has anyone here tried both of these cups? How do they compare? I'd love to here your thoughts!

thanks! 

Hi everyone!

I just bought my first cup (Small Ladycup- thanks to your wonderful sizing chart!) and am eagerly awaiting it's arrival. After lurking for a while I figured I would post about buying my new cup and to say thank you for all of the great advice. Every question I could have thought of has been answered except for one (maybe it has and I haven't seen it):

Are any of you dancers? If so, how does the cup hold up to the vigor of dancing? I do Irish dance and modern dance and am moving in atypical ways as a result. I've seen posts about other sports and how well the cups hold up, but with dance my body will not only be moving but moving in weird/awkward ways.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: I forgot to add that I'm 21, in the US, not a virgin and have no kids. Also, I'm studying forensic anthropology (hence the skull picture lol...)