I'm planning to move to the UK in a year or two, and I also want a Lunette or Fleurcup. Could any one of you tell me how long it would take to pay for itself - cost is 25 GBP, from what I've seen.
FWIW, I have a really light flow - I use about 5 XL ultra pads, and 5 liners per cycle.

Edit: Basically, my question comes down to - how much would 5 XL ultrathins and 5 liners cost in the UK?

(I love love love cups but it's really hard for me to justify buying another just 6 months after my first!)

Is there a list anywhere, or maybe one could be compiled, of softer cups (ie. LadyCup) vs. harder/stiffer cups (like the Diva)?  I'm looking for other soft cups (besides the Lady) to compare/have some options.

As well, for the stiffer cups, it'd probably be good to specify if the whole cup is stiff, or just the rim.  Any other details regarding the hard/soft aspects are welcome :)

Thank you!

Hey guys! New user here!!
Just a little intro first: I'm 20, not a virgin and I've had no kids.

Anywho, I've been lurking around here for about two days now and am so happy that I happened to stumble upon this community. It's so informational and helpful. I've decided that I want a Pinkcup after reading about all the cups, and I am currently having a bid war, via ebay, for a S&L Multipack of the Pinkcup. I'm due for my period in about a week and a half, and assuming I win the product (we're at about $30 which is NOT bad for two cups, so I'm stoked) I was just wondering.. if you're in the US, how long did your Ladycup take to get to you?
Also.. I would like to hear some more pros and cons of the Ladycups. I understand they're a bit slippery, but it's nothing you can't overcome, right? Also.. Is the softer silicone in anyway better than the harder silicone?

Thank you :D <3

I ordered my cup from South Coast Shopping online June 6th. My cup was shipped fast and I got great customer service. Open up the cup and there is a crack in the material on the seam. It is right above on of the holes. One of the holes was not punched out either. I emailed both South Coast Shopping and Diva. I got a response right away from SCS and a phone call. I have to say the gentleman on the phone was very pleasant, helpful, and very knowledgeable about menstrual cups. There was only one issue. The seller of the cup can't help with a manufacturing issue. I wish that it was just that easy because I believe the situation would have been solved asap. I got an email from Diva customer service one June 10th telling me to take pictures of my cup and email them. I did exactly what was asked on June 15th so that I could get a replacement right away. However, I asked that hey confirm that my email was received. Well three days later(June 18th), I sent another email with all the information again letting them know that this was a follow up email because I never got confirmation that they received anything. I am still without a new diva cup without any updates on the status of my replacement cup nor if they even deemed it a manufacturing issue. How in the heck am I going to get a replacement cup in the 3 weeks if there has been no determination made?

I wish that I didn't love my diva cup so much. I have thought about getting another cup but none have similar shapes to the diva. I am just so frustrated. I don't know if I will ever order anything sold as a Diva product again because this is the poorest customer service that I have had in a long time. Seriously, I have heard issues in the past with Diva but I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. I am really just frustrated.

Maybe when I get paid in two week, I will just order a different cup. Any other cup companies that I should stay away from solely based on their customer service. I will be going over the comparison charts tonight trying to decide on new cup. I just don't want to have the same issues with another company.

Hi-ho, hi-ho ladies, I've a couple questions for you knowledgeable people.

I've been a loyal Diva user since April of last year and I recommend it to everyone. One of my friends has expressed enough of an interest that I asked her, "if I bought you a cup for your birthday, would you use it?" She gave me a definite yes to "I would definitely try it". The problem is that she has frequent (or more accurately, persistent and nagging) UTIs and is wary of the friction and pressure that would be on her urethra. How would different cups generally affect this? Are some, like the squishier ones, better than others? Any pros and cons anyone can put on the issue would be great!

I've never had this issue and frankly, it's never even crossed my mind. Now, to segue poorly into my next question, since I don't want to go out and spend $30+ on just any cup for her like I did myself, I want her to be able to choose one she likes and thinks, based on the research she and I will do, will work out best for her. Are there any online stores that will ship to Canada that carry several brands of cups so I can just get her a gift certificate or something to avoid the immediacy of missing her birthday? The only brand that is readily available in person is the Diva.

Thanks!

hi hi! I have a series of related questions :)

I've used a small diva for three cycles, and I love it, even though it's not quite working like I'd have hoped, heh!

my first issue was discomfort, so I flipped it inside out - whatever, not a problem, it seems to decrease capacity to the point where I need to empty it every hour or two on heavy days, but it'll do. the issue I can't get past, though, is the constant, steady leakage. the flow is greatly reduced, it's catching MOST of it, but a lot still leaks out at a steady pace. it just doesn't feel like I ever get suction with it, like it can't pop open all the way. with a good bit of discomfort I can swirl my finger around the cup and sometimes I feel air move a little bit, but it feels like my finger is resting inside a dent in the side of the cup and I'm just swirling the dent around :P I've tried getting it to open closer to the entrance, and then pushing it in and back/down, which seems like it should help because it situates it in a comfortable place, but it unfortunately doesn't.

it's definitely not residual blood in the canal, because it will leak constantly for hours, even when the cup's like, less than a third full. it just doesn't feel like there's enough room internally for it to open, but at the same time there's obviously blood leaking past it. I'm guessing cause it's due to that dent allowing constant blood flow.

so I'm wondering if a ladycup would be a better fit for me, cause I've heard they suction like DAMN (even if it is a little intimidating). but my flow can be incredibly heavy, so I'm sort of leaning toward trying a large. any advice would be greatly appreciated :) and oh, wasn't there a picture floating around, a size comparison between an inside out diva and large ladycup somewhere? I was trying to find it but couldn't.

and finally, I also wanted to thank you lasses for the excellent information! I've been lurking since january, and this community was just the handholding I needed to finally buy my cup in february :) (yes, I've only used it three times since february, my cycle has always been very irregular - more like a month and a half in between.)

anyway, thanks in advance!


EDIT: I cannot believe I forgot this. the diva DOES suction HARD initially, but there's no air in the thing so it's not at all popped, and if I leave it like that, unpopped, blood just leaks around it, and it hurts a little. it suctions almost totally flattened, and I have to stick my finger in and try to break the seal so I can fill it with a little bit of air. there's really no winning here :P

EDIT 2: does it NEED to be filled with air/popped? it almost seems like the air would just be displaced as it filled with blood, thereby _causing_ the air and (probably some blood) to leak... this is hard to explain. I feel like it probably can't be "popped" and rounded without being air filled, but if I break the initial suction, I can't get it suctioned again... but either way, it'll leak.

EDIT 3: just wanted to collectively thank everyone who's been trying to help me! I really appreciate it :D

 I also received a 15% off coupon when I ordered a Pink Lady Cup a few months ago. Like the previous poster, I don't need to buy a 2nd LC so someone can use my code:    082066

I found this quiz randomly, thought other people would like to try it out!

http://www.selectsmart.com/FREE/select.php?client=menstrual_cups


After taking this, I think I'll get the Diva cup or a Lady cup. The Diva seems a little too long now, but then I heard that the colured Lady cups were splitting... :(  argh.  Anyone have some advice for me? 

so I have been using menstrual cups for a few years now, been using a keeper. found out about menstrual cups from a magazine and feel in love with the whole idea, so i search, found one and got one. I dont know why more people done use cups they are great and i think they need to be advertised more or marketed more esp in aussie land!! i love em coz of their "green" aspect and it gives me so much more freedom. because of the type of work i do, i "use a tree" more than i do a toliet and a cup makes it easier when i have my period. i dont leave any rubbish behind or have to worry about taking some back with me, much easier!!

while i am happy with my keeper i thought i'd try/get a new one so i decided to go with the large lunette. am currently using a b keeper, but i think the extra capacity would be great and i think i can handle one slightly bigger too so i went for it and i am getting one off ebay. hopefully it arrives before the "next installment"

anyway nice work guys and a big shout out to all the aussie cup users!! yewww !!! :D

So I finally brought up the topic of buying a menstrual cup to my mother, who did not seem very enthustiatic, to say the least.  She kept saying "well, if it's so wonderful, why haven't I heard about it before?"  Well, no matter what she says, I want to go ahead and get one.  I've narrowed my list down to small ladycup, small lunette, and small miacup.

Ladycup:
pros: small, flexible, easy to get in, seems nice and comfy, pretty, easy and non-expensive to get on eBay
cons: i'm afraid i wouldn't be able to get it out because it would be too slippery, i'd say my flow is light-medium (i change pads 3x on a heavy day) but i'm worried about the so-small capacity.

Lunette:
pros: gut instict on the best choice for me, small and pretty, seems comfortable to get in and out
cons: i live in the US, so I would get it shipped to my cousin in France and have her mail it to me.  So on top of the regular price, i would have to pay for shipping twice.

Miacup:
pros: very similar to lunette, wonderful company
cons: very expensive!  shipping on top of $45... eek.

So what are you opinions?  My gut is telling me Lunette, but I would have to jump through hoops to get it.  Does anyone know the shipping price of the Lunette or Miacup?  Do you think the price is worth it over the Ladycup?  Also, is the only difference between the Lunette and the Selene the color?  Thanks.

 I was curious about the FemmeCup when someone recently posted that it is made in China. I investigated because I thought it is made in the U.K.  Their site says it is made in the "far east".  Since I am suspect of chinese production standards, I emailed FemmeCup and got an immediate response.  The silicon is manufactured in the U.K., then it is shipped to China to be poured into the moulds.  I'm not sure if I feel better about that or not, but here is the info so you all can make an informed choice. Thought I'd pass it on.

So I definitely want to try out the cup, it seems like the perfect solution for me.  But I have a few worries I'd like to get sorted out.

Just for basics, I'm a 17 year old virgin and my flow doesn't really get too heavy.  I'm about 5'7" and 110 pounds, if that has anything to do with it.  Also, I'm in the US.

First of all, I don't really "know my vagina."  I know, I know, a red flag.  But honestly, sticking anything up there is just awkward to me.  I've tried tampons and the whole feeling is just strange.  I just tried to locate my cervix and got my middle finger about 3/4 of the way in there.  I don't know if I just can't recognize the cervix or I didn't reach it, but I didn't locate it.

So I can get a tampon (using an applicator) or one finger up there, but getting anything more than that anywhere up there seems like it would be quite uncomfortable.  However, I've read other posts it seems like this isn't really a big issue and that it usually works out fine, so I guess I shouldn't be too worried about that.

I've read up on posts here about different brands, etc, but I don't really know what would be good for me.  It seems like the Lunette is a good option for getting started.  But honestly, despite my readings, I don't really know what I'm looking for in terms of firmness, grip, etc.  I'd just like something easy to use that I can get in and out that will be comfortable.

Any words or wisdom or brand/size suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Thanks (:

Sorry mods, I'm not sure whether to put this thread here or in the clothpads community.

I'd like to buy a second cup(LadyCup OR Lunette, haven't yet decided), and want a 3-pack of liners with it. Just to contain the teeny-tiny leaks - I don't need anything heavy duty.

Could you guys please offer some information about stores that sell BOTH cups and cloth pads?
I know http://www.ecomoon.co.nz and http://www.femininewear.co.uk - any other leads?

Thanks!

Hi!  I'm new!

I joined because I want to buy my first menstrual cup and I have some questions before I take the plunge. 

I'm 33, and I have had one child.  I labored to full dilation and pushing, but had an emergency C-section because my son was 11 lbs and posterior.  I've used Nuvaring and loved it, but it turns out that I no longer need any kind of birth control.  I first heard about DivaCup when I was pregnant, but haven't had my period until now (6 months postpartum). 

I think I need a larger size cup, but there are still so many choices.  I'd prefer one where I can cut off most or all of the stem, so good grips toward the bottom would be good.  My period used to be fairly light, but without hormonal birth control and postpartum it's heavier than it used to be.  I can live with a little bit of leakage, however, I'm happy to throw on a pantiliner if I need it on heavier days.  I prefer the idea of softer over firmer, but don't know what the advantages of a firmer cup really are.

So what cup do you recommend and why?  I looked through the tags but didn't see a lot of info for first time cup triers who have had a baby already. 

Hello everyone!

I ordered my Diva from iherb today!! YAY. I can't wait to get it. Unfortunately, I am having my cycle right now with my MCUS, but I'll be able to have a dry run with my Diva and use it with my next cycle anyways. I know a lot of ladies on here have ordered cups from iherb, and I am wondering how long it has taken you all to get your orders in the mail?

Also, just out of curiosity ... does anyone else on here notice themselves reading the community more often during their cycle? I usually check this blog and other menstrual cup sites non stop when I am having my cycle, but during other times of the month, I am pretty hands off.

That's all for now (: 

When I purchased my Lunette there was only one size option. Does anyone know for certain what the equivalent to the original one-size Lunette would be? I can't figure it out now that there are two options and it doesn't say on www.leastore.fi where I purchased it. I'm thinking it might be the larger option because compared to other brands of cups I remember the Lunette being bigger.

I am wondering because after having it for about four years I'd like to get a replacement as soon as the FDA butts out and allows them to be shipped again, or the next time I'm in Europe.

 Well, my cervix seems to really love the outside world on Day 1 of my period - it's hardly an inch or two away from my introitus. Day 1 is my heaviest, although I have a really light flow. So the cervix tends to clobber some of my MCUK's capacity(low enough as it is!)
BTW, I know I'm not prolapsing, I just happen to have a pretty short passage.

I wanted a Lunette since it has a wide base, and highr holes. But all the shipping restrictions have played spoilsport in my plans to get it shipped to the States(Why US? click here), so I'm slightly at a loss.
I'd also love a coloured cup, and since I'm going to such great lengths for a second cup, I think I can wait for a few cycles till Lunette's new coloured cup hits the market.

But could  I go for a large LC, perhaps? I know there's ample room "in there" for a cup's rim to go past my cervix, and the large LC would be only 3mm longer than my MCUK. I'm more worried about the 3mm difference in width - would the LC fold on itself and cause leaks?

I have a friend coming home from the US in June, so if I opt for an LC I can ask her to bring it along. A lunette will be much harder, since I have no friends outside India AND outside USA!
I remember sandundershoes had offered to bring me a Lunette, but by the time I sorted out my finances, it was too late :(. And now the Selene Size 1s are nearly sold out. Santi Shop, the only place which has them, will charge 42EUR to get the cup to Canada. That is nearly three times the eBay price of the LC!

Any advice, folks? Or should I just wait until the Lunette has a new coloured cup, AND can ship to the US?
EDIT: Is the large LC any harder than the smaller version? Or are they equally soft?

I've cleared this with the mods, but apologies if anyone thinks this is weird.

I know cup sharing is generally frowned upon.

However, I have 3 cups, which I will never use again, which are just going to waste. They are all in really good condition, the large DivaCup and the small PinkCup (pink LadyCup) were only used for 2 cycles each, and the small Mooncup UK maybe 6. I really don't want to just throw them away, but am not sure how many people would be willing to buy a used cup.

I'd obviously cleanse it thoroughly and sterilise it about a million times before I send it off. Their bags have disappeared (I used to keep them in a special box) but I can always whip up some new bags if anyone is interested in buying them.

All cups have had their stems shortened to around 5mm.

( Pictures of the cups under the cut... )

I'm not looking for a debate on whether it's safe to reuse cups (or at least I don't want to get any stick for it), I'd just rather not feel like I'm wasting them and I'd also like to help a woman who would like to use cups but needs a cheaper option.

I'm also not looking for a lot of money for them so people should just tell me what they want to pay (if anyone is interested at all :-S) and I'll see if it works out doable, considering condition, shipping and fees etc. I live in the U.K.

I've been lurking around the community and have decided I want a cup. I'm having trouble deciding on which one, so some suggestions would be very welcome. I've narrowed my list to the ladycup, femmecup, and miacup. Because I am in the US, I currently do not have access to a Lunette (it was my first choice) and the mooncup UK.

Some basic information: I'm 14, virgin , average/slightly heavy flow, I think I have a low cervix (which is why the diva is out) but I haven't check the placement of my cervix during my period, which I'll be sure to do soon. My lifestyle isn't exactly active, but it is busy. I often have times where I am at a competitions (academic) for long periods of time, so preferable something with a relatively high capacity. I'd like to have a cup I can forget about and not have to worry about leaks.



Thanks in advance to any help!

So, like a lot of people who post here, I am in the market for a menstrual cup and am trying to decide which one.   I've been a cup user for nigh on seven years- I got my Keeper (size B) in the summer of 2002 and have been using it since.  Of course, back then, the Keeper was pretty much the only game in town.  (And I had to ride my dinosaur uphill both ways to get it, too.)

The Keeper has never worked perfectly for me.  I usually have to do some fiddling around to get it to pop open all the way, and it leaks on my heavy days.  I've been backing it up with cloth pads for the last few years.  (Interestingly, it's searching around the web looking at cloth pads that keeps me up to date on the growing number of cup options.)  Since my Keeper is reaching its twilight years, I figured I should think about getting a new cup.  Of course, now there are a number of choices, and I am very indecisive, so I was overjoyed to find this livejournal community.  Tons of information and comparisons at my fingertips! 

My number one issue is to try and solve, or at least reduce, the leakage issue.  The info here has been very enlightening on this front, but as usual, when you answer some questions, 10 others get brought up.  Here's my train of thought:

1)  I don't have any kids.  But some of the companies recommend their larger size for women over 25, or 30.  And come to think of it, the leaking has gotten progressively worse over the years.  I was 23 when I got my Keeper and now I'm... not.  So maybe what I need is a wider cup for a more, er, mature vag.

2)  My heavy days are pretty dang heavy. Often, when I'm leaking, the Keeper is full up to the holes (but not always), and usually, the more often I empty it the less likely I am to have a problem.  So maybe I just need a bigger capacity. 

3)  I never even knew this before I started reading around on here, but wow!  My cervix is low during my period!  It could be my cervix rests on the rim sometimes and not all of the blood gets caught, which could explain why it sometimes leaks even when not full. (I know it's not wedged all the way to the side of my cervix.  I did that once.  It was messy.)  So perhaps I need a much shorter cup.

So, now, I need to figure out which of these is the most important factor.  I could just switch to the Keeper size A- it's slightly wider and has a slightly bigger capacity, it's familiar (which makes it easier for the chronically indecisive such as myself) and I like the fact that it's made of a sustainably produced material.  However, the length could still be an issue, and I'm not too happy with the whole Mooncup  shenanigans.

Right now I'm debating more between the FemmeCup, which is shorter and wider than the small Keeper, with a slightly higher capacity, and the large Lunette, which has a much bigger capacity and is wider, but is only a little bit shorter, and has at the moment the added complication of not being able to ship directly to the US.  (I have a friend in Canada who I never really talk about girly body stuff with, but is the sort of friend who would run this kind or errand for me.  It would just be a bit awkward.)  The Ladycup is another possiblity, but it's only a teeny bit shorter than the Keeper, and it is apparently harder to pop open, which is a concern. 

Does anyone out there have opinions as to what I shold prioritize here?  Length, width, or capacity? 

 okay, I've been using the Diva Cup for the past few days, and it took quite a bit of practice and fiddling around to get it positioned right.  Thanks to other posts on this community, I was able to figure out that I have a VERY low cervix and part of the problem was that the Diva cup is just much too long.  By cutting off the stem entirely and turning it inside out (as some other users suggested) I was able to get it situated much better. No leaks, cervix sits right inside it.  Pretty comfortable.  
But it still rides a little low at the times of day when my cervix is at its lowest and it protrudes when I sit on the toilet or cough or pick up my kids (I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old, so that is many, many times a day!)

So I think that the best solution to my problem is to get a Mooncup UK.  Unfortunately I am in the US so I can't order one.  Grrrrr.   

So here are my 2 questions:
1.  Is there ANY way for me to get my hands on a Mooncup UK?   I saw something about an "underground railroad" somewhere on the forum, but when I tried to find it again I couldn't.   

2.  Is there ANYTHING available in the US that is as short as the MCUK?  Or almost as short?   Capacity is not a problem as I usually have light periods.  

thanks so much for any help that anyone can offer here!   I LOVE the whole concept of using a cup...now if I can just get one that fits right, I'll be the happiest menstruater on earth!  :-)  

Hi!
I'm not sure this posting will work but I hope so. I'm not an English native speaker but I hope you'll be able to understand me.
I'm thinking of getting a menstrual cup, so far I've never seen one in real life. I've been reading a lot about it on the internet for the last few days. I'd probably get a Lunette Selene from what I've read so far (and I live in Europe so I wouldn't have the shipping problem like the women from the US).
My problem is that I still don't know what size to get, my cervix is rather low (I can reach it easily) and my flow is not very heavy (I change a regular tampon approximately every 5-6 hours even at the first two days). From this, I would get a small cup.
However, Lunette recommends the large cup for women over 20 (I'm 25) and I read somewhere that after a pregnancy you should always opt for the larger cup and it doesn't matter whether you've had the child or not because the hormons change your vagina. ( I don't know where I found it anymore). I've never had a child but I miscarried three years ago in the 10th week of pregnancy.
I think I'd prefer a smaller cup to start with, on the other hand, I wouldn't want to spend something like 60 euros if I had to get a large one because the small one doesn't fit.
I would appreciate any tips to help me with my decision! Thank you!

 hello, i was thinking about getting a diva cup...but now i'm confused as to which type to get, there are just too many

so i have a couple of question for ya:

1) can i remove it with just one finger and pushing the side until it colapse? i cant fit my thumb and index up there

2) which cup is best for me? i'm 23 and no kids. when i use tampons on heavy day. i could feel it pushing on my cervix when i insert. So does this mean the diva might be too long for me?

please let me know. thanks

I'm sure we've all heard the excuse, "My dog ate my homework." Well, here's a new one. My dog ate my blue cup. I was on my second period using my bluecup. I just finished and my fiance and I just moved out so I had no where to stash it but in a bag on the floor. So what did my darling dog decide to do? I guess he didn't think there were enough holes in it and he must have understood how much I hated the stem, because he chewed it all off. I'd only had it a couple months. I just finished my first period without it, using pads, and I don't see how I ever used them before. I'm definitely going to be looking for another cup. Possibly a lunette or mooncup. I had a diva but I hated that one. The way things are going I'm going to end up trying one of all of them. So in terms of price, what is the cheapest cup? I'm on a budget now and really shouldn't even think about getting a new one, but I don't think I'll last another period on the pad.
So thats the end of my story.

I've considered a lot of options of a new cup to buy (my Mooncup came for free from Celle) and I think I have decided on the Diva. At first I thought I wanted less suction, but thinking further, I think I would actually like a bit more suction than what Mooncup is giving me to help prevent occasional leakage. Also, I think I'd like something a little bit longer than the Mooncup, and from what I understand, Diva meets both of these goals.

Anyone else out there make the same change from MCUS to Diva? How did it go?

Also, where can I purchase the Diva for the lowest price possible?

Thanks guys (: