I’m working on a post about healthy fats, but because I have just emerged from an orgy of schoolwork and am still rather dazed, I’m doing this one instead.
Gents, this post is for ladies only. Proceed only if you aren’t squeamish about lady bits or menstruation. You have been warned!
For anyone who doesn’t know what a Diva Cup is, it’s a menstrual cup. After insertion, it collects your flow and you simply dump the contents into the toilet when it needs emptying. There are two kinds: Model 1, which is for women under 30 years old or who have not had a child; and Model 2, for women over 30 and/or who have given birth. Because I am 30 and I have a child, I bought Model 2 here from Amazon.
First of all, you may be wondering why anyone would want to stick a cup up her hoo-ha. Well, I’ve never met a pad that didn’t make me feel like a waddling diapered duck. They can easily slip out of place and leak, and can be smelly.
Tampons have a host of dangers associated with them; try doing an internet search for “dangers of tampons” and see what you get. Aside from the infamous Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), the bleaching chemicals have been potentially linked with cervical cancer and other serious health problems. On top of that, tampons can also dry out the vaginal walls and create tiny tears, which could increase the risk of infections.
Tampons also have their own set of inconveniences. I remember in high school, having to race to the bathroom between every class on the days I expected my period to check if it had shown up yet, and always feeling intensely paranoid that I’d end up with a huge stain in front of everyone and get pelted with tampons a la Carrie. Even now, I have to check for it while at work and smuggle tampons into the bathroom up my sleeve. (Hey, I work with mostly men. I’m not going to go strolling to the bathroom with the tampon tucked behind my ear or anything.) And even once the tampon’s been inserted, it can only hold a relatively small amount of blood and can easily leak.
And of course, both tampons and pads can be costly, even when you combine sales and coupons, AND they’re bad for the environment. The packaging alone is bad enough; can you imagine the unspeakable piles of used ones in our world’s landfills?
So what’s a money- and environmentally-minded busy girl to do? Why, try a menstrual cup, of course!
Unlike a tampon, the Diva Cup can be inserted before your period actually starts, eliminating the anxiety I spoke of earlier. Just pop it in in the morning and go on your way. It also holds up to 1 to 1 1/4 ounces, which is the entire amount of flow most women have during each cycle. So it only needs to be emptied two or three times a day at most. As for price, it pays for itself after a couple of months, and helps you minimize your personal impact on the environment.
Here’s a detailed account of my experience with it:
NIGHT ONE: I discovered I had my period immediately before bed time, which just figures. I went into the bathroom, took out my cup, and spent a few minutes staring at it. I admit I was rather intimidated; it looked so big. Then I reminded myself that an entire baby had passed through there and to stop being a wuss. I got it installed relatively easily and while I was faintly aware of its presence, it didn’t bother me at all. I went to sleep with a giant duck-diaper pad on just in case it leaked.
DAY ONE: I awoke in the morning leak free and feeling very pleased with myself. Then I emptied it for the first time. One downside to the Cup is that you are supposed to wash it with mild soap every time it’s emptied (although if you’re out in public, it’s okay to just wipe it clean with tissues and wash it later). I never thought there could be any positive aspects of having a bathroom the size of a closet, but you learn something new every day, right? I could reach the sink and wash the cup with one hand without having to get off of the toilet. If I hadn’t been able to do that…things may have gotten messy. It felt comfortable all day and I couldn’t even tell it was there.
As for the gross factor: well, it ain’t pretty. But I wasn’t too horrified. In comparison with the two times that my son has vomited all over himself and his crib in his sleep, cleaning up after the Diva Cup was nothing.
DAY TWO: For some reason, I just couldn’t get it right this day. It felt very irritating all day and the bottom stem would sometimes protrude, making me dash to the bathroom frequently to readjust. But I stuck it out.
DAY THREE: Another day of irritation. I finally realized that while I was still getting the necessary seal to prevent leaks, I wasn’t inserting it horizontally as the packaging instructed. I adjusted it and it was slightly better, but the stem was still bothering me a lot. Finally, right before bedtime I trimmed the bottom of the stem off. The packaging warned that doing so could make removal more difficult, but I had no problems.
DAY FOUR: Trimming the stem did the trick–comfortable all day! Success!
I will definitely be using the cup in the future and would recommend it to anyone who wants to save money and the environment, and isn’t afraid of getting up close and, um, personal with herself. I probably wouldn’t wear it while performing an entire gymnastics routine, but anything short of that, sure! If you try it and it bothers you like it did me on Days 2 and 3, try trimming the stem. Unless you have an unusually short or long vaginal canal, the model criteria should be accurate.
NOTE: I was not paid or reimbursed in any way for this review. (Ha, I wish.) The makers of Diva Cup have no idea I exist.
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(Shared at Monday Mania)
Thanks for sharing your story. I bought a Moon Cup and have tried to use it several times, but it was SO uncomfortable I gave up each time. It seems so stiff, and was poking in places it shouldn’t poke. Maybe trimming the stem a little will help…I guess I’ve got nothing to lose, as I can’t use it the way it feels now.
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I would definitely try it–like you said, you’ve got nothing to lose. 🙂 You may find that you need to..fish for it just a little more to remove it with part of the stem gone, but it shouldn’t be too bothersome.
Thanks for commenting!
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Thanks so much for posting this! I’ve seen the Moon Cup and other similar products before but have never been brave enough to try one because I’d heard any reliable reviews on them. This will definitely make me rethink the possibility!
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