I LOVE my DivaCup! Not for guys...

[GwenLake]

I don't think we have it, either. I really wanted to try it, too. Maybe I'll pick one up next time I'm in the States.

 

[KittyT]

2) You have a much better understanding of your bodies. We don't have OB/Gynos unless we're a) pregnant or b) ill.

Are you serious? Do women where you are not get pap smears every year?

Anyone on here have kids and used the Diva Cup?

They make 2 sizes of Diva cup. One is larger for women who are over a certain age or have had children.

 

[Josephine]

Maybe I'll pick one up next time I'm in the States.

You can mail order it. Do a Google search for Diva Cup and thiat will bring up a few sites that sell them, I'm sure.

I use the Cup and I've had 3 kids. And mine sits up around my cervix, I think I must have a short vagina. lol

 

[ASimpleLady]

My (former) stepsister told me about these. I am just so clumsy, I'm afraid what would happen if I pulled out. I take Yazmine and it's the lightest available (according to husband, a Pharmacist) and hasn't made me really moody at all.

 

[Miss Brill]

I would never tell anyone to try it. I swear it was a nightmare. You fold it up when you put it in, but you can't fold it up when you are trying to get it back out & it measures about 5" around the outside of the rim. It is like having an umbrella up there!

 

[Kitty_Sheridan]

Well of course we have pap smears but it's very much
'Hello doctor'
'good morning, do pop up onto the couch, ankles together blah blah...(starts using the thing that always reminds me of a car jack) gosh, terrible weather today isn't it?'
'yes, very cold for the time of yr'
'right thank you very much..see you next yr'

Very British.

It is like having an umbrella up there!

Miss Brill, I laughed out loud at that one! Mary poppins would have approved!
Klol

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

We don't have them yearly though. I've only had one (or possibly two) and I'm 26.

 

[ShrinkingViolet]

Ladies, please don't use bc pills just to stop PMS or heavy periods. Look at the things you are putting into your body, ther stress that may be in your lives or your environment. [...] Also, not to upset anyone, but it makes me sad to hear women saying that touching themselves or having a period makes them squeamish or referring to their body parts as "down there".

Well said, Rosie! It's such a shame. The femaly body really isn't as weird and mysterious as everyone makes it up to be, it's just a question of being well informed.

I'm getting off hormonal birth control next month to get an IUD/coil instead. I'm a bit worried about the possibility of pain and heavy flow, but I'm also excited about getting my natural cycle back! I don't think I'm ready for the temperature method yet, though. (listening to myself, I sound like a barefoot tie-dye clad hippie lol )

Btw, we do get smears at the regular doctor every 2-3 years here, too.

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

Every time I try and come off the pill, my skin turns into pizza. No natural periods for me!

 

[ShrinkingViolet]

Dear me, I fear that will happen to my skin too. That and my boobs shrinking. I'm so used to them being pumped up on hormones!

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

Hehe, unfortunately for me, it has never made mine grow at all (and I definitely needed it!). The most annoying thing is that I had no zits at all before I went on the pill. Stupid body.

 

[GwenLake]

You can mail order it. Do a Google search for Diva Cup and thiat will bring up a few sites that sell them, I'm sure.

Oh, I know, but I should be headed over there next summer, so I'll pick one up then. I guess I'm just lazy.

 

[princessofcandl]

I would never tell anyone to try it. I swear it was a nightmare. You fold it up when you put it in, but you can't fold it up when you are trying to get it back out & it measures about 5" around the outside of the rim. It is like having an umbrella up there!

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with it. I don't know what you did different from those of us who do alright. When removing, the directions tell you to bend the cup to release same as when you insert. You kinda have to think about it as "breaking the seal". I bend mine and it slides out. No probs. And the my Keeper's rim is exactly 1 3/4 inch in diameter. Thats not a lot.

 

[Miss Brill]

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with it. I don't know what you did different from those of us who do alright. When removing, the directions tell you to bend the cup to release same as when you insert. You kinda have to think about it as "breaking the seal". I bend mine and it slides out. No probs. And the my Keeper's rim is exactly 1 3/4 inch in diameter. Thats not a lot.

Folding it back up for removal is easier said than done. I never found a way to make it small enough to get back out without that rim snagging. That was the worst part of it.

1 3/4"???? No way! Why is my Diva Cup so big? Isn't it essentially the same thing? There is only a fraction of an inch in the two Diva Cup sizes, so I don't think I bought the wrong size.

 

[humblestumble]

I use it too, and I love it. I can't imagine life without it now. I hardly ever have cramps at all anymore and I only have to empty it twice a day. 32 dollars for one cup that lasts a lifetime! The fact that I am not emptying my menstrual trash continually into a landfill is definitely a plus!

It was hard to get used to at first, but once I did, it was a lifesaver!

 

[Clara Noir]

Folding it back up for removal is easier said than done. I never found a way to make it small enough to get back out without that rim snagging. That was the worst part of it.

1 3/4"???? No way! Why is my Diva Cup so big? Isn't it essentially the same thing? There is only a fraction of an inch in the two Diva Cup sizes, so I don't think I bought the wrong size.

A 1 3/4" diameter is about the same as it measuring 5" around. But even 1 3/4" sounds a lot.

This is going to get icky, but when you fold it up to remove, doesn't that displace the fluid?

I've not heard of these before, since it seems Europe is a bit behind, but it certainly sounds interesting. I'm not squeamish about non-applicator tampons, and have always had light periods. I'm only three months into being on the pill (Cilest), so I'm still trying to guess how it will affect me but I'm not seeing any weight, skin or hair changes yet so maybe my hormones aren't that messy. I think it's the easiest option for me, and I like the peace of mind knowing me and the boyfriend aren't going to have goslings (his name, and if our plan works, my future name, is Goosey...I can pick 'em...)

One other concern...I do a yoga class; is any hardcore yogi activity likely to cause trouble? I don't feel like I can miss class because I don't get pain or cramps to warrant it

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

I've not heard of these before, since it seems Europe is a bit behind, but it certainly sounds interesting.

We've had them a good many years now, you can buy them in larger Boots. The brand is Moon Cup.

 

[KittyT]

A 1 3/4" diameter is about the same as it measuring 5" around. But even 1 3/4" sounds a lot.

Well the female anatomy is built to withstand widths that are significantly larger than that....

This is going to get icky, but when you fold it up to remove, doesn't that displace the fluid?

No. You don't really "fold it up" per se to remove it, but you squeeze the 2 sides together at the top to break the seal. It's just at the top and unless you have a really heavy flow or have waited too long to remove it, the cup should not be completely full.

One other concern...I do a yoga class; is any hardcore yogi activity likely to cause trouble? I don't feel like I can miss class because I don't get pain or cramps to warrant it

No, it forms a seal and does not leak. It's does not require any change to activity that you would normally perform while wearing a tampon (I play roller derby, a very aggressive, high contact sport) and have had no problems. The only necessary change to your regular yoga activities would be the ones that apply no matter what type of protection you're wearing - no inversions.

 

[KittyT]

WOOAAAHHH! Long time, no see, ladies!

Anyway, I figured I'd share a new discovery here that many of you might be interested in. I seem to have a lot of problems with my cup - proper positioning is hard, which leads to leakage. I've recently discovered sea sponges. Like the cup, they are reusable and environmentally friendly...and you can trim them to fit. They are very comfortable! Still testing, but the reviews online are all good and the results seem promising.

The best part yet.... you can use them during....erm...romantic interludes...with no mess. This is apparently a method used by sex workers and those in the adult industry.

http://www.jadeandpearl.com

There's another similar option called the Beppy Sponge, but it is not reusable, which sort of defeats the purpose.

 

[Tatum]

KittyT, let us know! I would be very interested in that. I had positioning problems and could never get the cup to sit right. I would much rather have an environmentally responsible solution than our modern alternatives!