I've had a keeper for a while, but never really liked it.  I want to replace it and I"m looking for advice for which cup to go with.  Here are my problem's with the keeper:

Itchiness:  It causes external itchiness.  I've had lots of medical care and never had a latex allergy issue, so I think this is just from the rubbing, but it causes my labia to itch.  Do any of the other brands glide better?

Firmness:  The keeper is pretty stiff.  I've seen that the lunette and the ladycup are softer, but I couldn't find any comparisons between the two.  Are they about the same?  Any other suggestions?

thanks,
Sonia

So I got my large ladycup months ago, but only now am I showing signs of getting my period. *sigh* The good thing is that I've had plenty of dry runs.

I've noticed that there's a wide range of discomfort (depending on where my cervix is) when the cup is right side out, but when I inside out it, it just feels a smidge big.

I also noticed that it suctions itself so that it's waaaay at the top of my vagina, against my cervix. Granted, my cervix is always low (and lower) but is it normal?

I think I'm gonna get a small ladycup though. The bottom of the cup sticks out a few milimeters so it doesn't pop right.

Here's hoping I actually get my period.

 Hi all!

Firstly I'd just like to tell you how useful this community has been for me in getting my first cup! I ordered it last weekend and have been using it for a few days now as I was on my period when it arrived. So far using the regular C fold seems to be working, and I'm not having too much trouble removing either, which I'm crediting to this community and its bountiful amounts of knowlage which I sat and read through! However I have been having some slight problems with the stem of my cup!

When I first tried my cup I used it as it arrived, but after a little over an hour I realised the stem was WAY too long and cut some off! Since then I've had another little trim and now its not a bad legnth, but I've been having some small irritation with it. Sometimes its fine, but othertimes I can feel it pressing on a piece of skin near the entrance to my vagina. I'm terrified of cutting it too short though! I can live with it how it is, but I'd prefer not to feel the slight irritation I am at the moment and while I think trimming the stem might help ...... I dunno! Its a Femmecup if that makes any difference? I hear they have a slightly firmer stem than some other cups?

I was just wondering how the rest of the ladies here dealt with trimming stems and whether in past experience its been better to live with it ever so slightly too long as opposed to accidentally cutting it too short!

Thanks
^_^

Update: Thanks for the advice all, I eventually took the plunge and shortened it a little bit more, and it seems to be ok now. Though if it starts to hurt again I might just remove the stem all together as I think I might actually be ok without it! 

Well first of all, I want to thank you all for this wonderful forum. I wouldn't have had the guts or the knowledge to go ahead and purchase my Lunette, size small, without this website. So, thank you!!!

That being said, this is my first cycle with the Lunette and I'm having a few issues. I'm OK inserting it (c-fold) and even getting it out, which I'm pleased about. (No doubt i found success thanks to all the info on the site).. But, I actually think the cup might have overflowed! I left it for 5.5 hours and it started leaking and when I took it out, it was really full and a bunch spilled into the toilet. Does this seem like an overflow? I am pretty sure that it is, because I checked to make sure the cervix was "inside" the cup. (I also used it earlier that day and checked after 3 hours; no leakage and I just dumped out and re-inserted).  Does this mean I should have gotten a larger size? I'm 24, but not sexually active. I didn't want to go with the larger size for my first cup, but I have to say that I'm pretty disappointed that the Lunette only lasted as long as a super tampon... Will a larger cup fix this problem, or am I just going to have to relinquish the idea that a cup can stay in and hold everything for hours and hours?

Also, I need a bit of help regarding the stem. It was poking out past my folds, so I trimmed it (a little at a time, as suggested), but my nail file on my clippers aren't sanding the edges, so the stem is really sharp! Any other suggestions for how to smooth out the sharp corners? Also, I remember someone drew a diagram of how the stem tip should sit, like this (( | )) not (( -- )). My problem is that it sits like this: ((| )). It's always rubbing and poking on that one side more than the other, and I can't seem to move it over. I think it must be the way my vagina is shaped. I'm a little scared to take off the stem entirely. What would you suggest?

Also, how much of the cup are you really supposed to feel? I feel "full" in there  - is this normal? It also makes me feel like my bladder's full, which I'm disappointed about, since I thought the Lunette was supposed to be a good one for bladder sensitivity. What do you think about this?

Thanks in advance for your help! I really have learned so much about this stuff from reading the site, and I'm determined to make the whole menstrual cup thing work, but I know it can take a few cycles to get the hang of it....

 In the spirit of the previous posts about finding the right cup, I think we should add a "smoothness" rating for people who are sensitive to things like ridges or writing on the outside, maybe sort of like the size charts.  It might be hard to actually rank them, but I think it would be cool to have all of the information in one place, because it can sometime be hard to tell from the pictures.

I'll start:
The small Lunette has (from top to bottom):
writing:  "Lunette" and "made in Finland"
a small rim, not very pronounced
two measuring lines
three grip ridges
grip ridges on the stem (I'm not sure how many, since I cut most of my stem off)

The small LadyCup/ColorCup has:
no lines or markings except for some grip bumps at the base and on the stem
[I only have the trial one from their promotion a month or two ago, so correct me if the "real" one is different.]

This could also help people who are not looking for smoothness but are looking for measuring lines or grip lines.

I have recently become interested in menstrual cups. The idea has been coming into my head more and more often. I am sick of stained underwear. I am also about becoming more environmentally friendly. I therefore went out and purchased a Diva Cup. I enjoy the "clean" feeling while on my period, but it isn't all that comfortable for me. I also loved that it was at most 3/4 filled after 11 hours. The first time I used Diva I was in pain as the stem was definitely sticking out of me. I trimmed it a little every time I emptied it until I was left with no stem. Having no stem is not a problem for me. I don't mind sticking my fingers up my vagina. Even without the stem, the cup is still migrating its way out of my body. I don't feel it in my body, but I feel it at my vaginal opening. Should I invest in a shorter cup? Which one? Is there anything else I can try? I have tried shoving it up as far as possible. Thanks so much!

Hello everyone,

Thank you *so* much for all your help.  Even just mainly lurking, and checking out old posts through the tags, I learned a ton.  The best part is that now I can finally use my divacup.  (It seems like lots of people don't like the divacup as much as others, but I think it's great, for what it's worth--not that I ave tried anything else.  But the diva is also easier to find, at least in the US, because they sell them at Whole Foods.)

( Read more... )

I actually *like* my cycle now--I look forward to it!  This is totally different from how I felt before.  I used to hate it with a passion!

Also, an interesting note: I think I'm cycling in tune with my close friend from school.  It's actually really coll that women bleed together, in my opinion.  (But this friend does *not* enjoy her cycle at all--she uses disposable pads and can't stand the thought of anything goind inside her.  Ah well, maybe someday...)

Again, thanks so much!

Adios!

I don't mean to be spamming this community (I'm really sorry if I am), but I searched through the community links on the side and couldn't find anything about this.

I used my small Lunette yesterday successfully (successful insertion *and* removal). This community is of amazing help - I haven't had any problems at all with removal. I didn't use it overnight (I want to get used to using it during the day first) and I inserted it in the shower this morning (minimal difficulty - three tries + lube). I felt it pop open and went about my business. Getting dressed, I felt a little stinging down there, but attributed it to three tries for insertion.

However, it kept hurting as I went about my morning - hurting *inside*. Well, that was no good. I need to go to the studio this afternoon and grocery shopping and things - nothing I want to do with extra pain. So I felt up there and I realised that the cup had gone further in than yesterday - I couldn't feel the stem. I bore down and oh my god, there was pain. I felt around and found the stem - pushed to the side, scraping my vaginal canal as I bore down. I removed the cup - not as easily as before, but it was twisted and I was tense from pain.

As far as I can tell, the cup angled to the side somehow and the stem was poking me, causing the pain. I'm still a little raw down there (and rushed to get out to the studio), so I'm currently using a pad. I'd like to try again later, but I was wondering if any of you had had this problem in the past - and any ideas on how to avoid it?

Hi all! First time poster, of course. I tried looking through the tags, I really did, but while I came close to answering my question, none of the responses hit the nail on the head. So here I go. If this HAS been answered, feel free to link me.

This is my 2nd cycle with the Diva Cup size 1. Each time I've used this thing, I've hated it :( it seems to push really hard against my urethra and that wall of my vag is general. I feel semi-nauseous with it in and always think I need to pee, which of course I don't.

Not to mention removal- I don't have any issues with suction, but since the cup has popped open, the diameter of the rim makes it hurt a hell of a lot as it leaves my body- it seems to be much wider than I am. I can't fold it because there's not enough room in my vaginal canal to insert a finger if the cup is in.

I've tried different folds, different postures & tricks for insertion and removal- it's just so uncomfortable. Length is OK - it tends to ride up and so not poke out at all, but even when it does stick out it doesn't bother me. It's just the width. For context, I'm 22, not a virgin but have not given birth. Also, my vag is pretty tight on any given day- can't fit two fingers.

My question is, is it possible that this particular cup is just too big around? Does that happen? Do you think these problems would be solved by a smaller diameter cup? I really want to use cups, but if my problems would continue regardless of brand or size, I'd rather shell out the money for tampons forever.

Hello! I've been searching the comm for hours now, but couldn't find the answer, so here goes. Apologies if this *has* been answered before!

I bought myself a Mooncup UK about a year ago, and it worked fine the first period I tried it out. The second time, though, I got a Candida infection. I got a bit worried, because I had pretty bad chronic vestibulitis for several years when I was younger, but had been trouble-free for quite a number of years. Anyway, I managed to get rid of it with creams and suppositories, and boiled my Mooncup thoroughly before using it again, the next period (the third with the cup). Lo and woe, another Candida infection. After that I haven't dared use it again, but have gone back to my usual homemade cotton pads and occasionally a type of tampon we can buy here that contains lactobacteria (they work very well for me, but they are quite expensive). I've had no yeast infection since I stopped using the cup.

Anyway, I think the reason for the yeast infections wasn't really the Mooncup, but the fact that my mucous membranes are still pretty sensitive after that horrible period when I was younger (I'm pretty fair and I have sensitive skin in general). Insertion went pretty well; I managed to fold it well enough to insert it with no particular discomfort, but when I removed it I had more trouble. My fingers are pretty small and short, so I found it very hard to fold it up before removal. I had to pull it out best I could, and kept hurting myself. My theory is that when I removed the cup I got tiny (possibly microscopic) ruptures, and that the Candida got its toeholds there and got happy.

My question now is about the LadyCup. From what I've been reading, it appears to be softer than the Mooncup UK, and more squishy. So those of you who have tried both, and had trouble with removal of the Mooncup, do you find the LadyCup more trouble-free? I'm asking, because I'm thinking that a cup with a softer rim, surface and general texture might be more gentle on my tissues, which could be what would make me dare try again. I think the cup is a great invention, and I would really love it if I could make it work... Any thoughts on the matter are welcome!

(Apologies if any terms I've used seem strange, but English isn't my first language and my vocab might not be really up to par in this context... XD)

EDIT: Oh, and in case it matters, I'm 42, no kids, and so used the large Mooncup.

EDIT 2: What I want to know is if people find the LadyCup easier to remove than the Mooncup! I appreciate all tips for curing YIs, but my goal is to avoid YIs to begin with! ;)

So this is my first entry. I've been using a keeper for about 6 or 7 months now with ups and downs. My husband found it on the internet bless his heart. He suffers right along with me. Very heavy periods, rotten p.m.s, many, many pads per month and don't even bother with tampons.
I waited with bated breath for my keeper to arrive having read all the success stories. Actually being able to leave the house without fear of flooding! Oh the joy!  It arrives with days to spare and off we go. Way too over confident in it's ability I went pad free and lucky I was at home. Ok so maybe I didn't put it in right? More attempts and 7 cycles later I still have 'leakage' which I have learned to live with. One to two pads a day is way better than 5 or 6. I found the '7' fold to be more successful. The first two  days of my period I seem to be emptying it around 4 times a day and then it tapers off. I wouldn't go with out one now. It's given me much more confidence to go out on 'those' days and most of the time it's out of mind out of sight. Now for the bummer...... I'm pretty sure I have an irritation to latex after reading other journals. Thrush like symtoms appear during my period and continue for a week or so after. Itching, burning and very sensitive around my genital area with tearing skin.  Thinking back I always blamed the pill for giving me thrush but once hubby had the snip - no more condoms, no more pill and no more thrush. Could have been the condoms.
Usually the week after my period is 'on' week and these symptoms have put a dampener on that. Poor husband wants to trade me in for the updated model.  So after much reading I have ordered the silicon Moon Cup. Just finished my cycle so I wont be able to test it when it comes so I'll wait patiently..........

as all of you probably know all too well by now, I'm on my first cycle with the pink cup. Last night, I was feeling a little frisky and noone was around so I "got down with my bad self" and had some fun before going to sleep. Now, with the cup still in, I am having external dryness and a bit of itching--what can I do to make this go away? is the cup supposed to dry you up externally? I just feel as though if I had some lube or moistness in my front part, I'd be all better, but I don't know what's safe to use there and I'm feeling annoyed.
Thanks guys!

So my co-worker got a DivaCup and she is very confused.  So I told her I would ask the experts. (that's you all)

She is 38 and had a child last year. She got the Size 2 DivaCup (over 30, post birth)  and she says it feels like the cup is falling out of her.  She can't tell if it's just the stem sticking out or if the cup itself is actually sticking out.

I have suggested that she try wearing the cup inside out (so the stem won't be protruding) to give her a better idea of whether it's the stem or not.  I also suggested that she do some kegels and see if that seemed to help with this falling out problem. 

I looked through previous posts, but I didn't see this issue (Or I didn't know where to look)

She really wants to love her menstrual cup and has asked me for a review of my lady cup as soon as it comes in because she is considering getting a different cup, but I don't know what to say in the mean time.


Any thoughts?

Thanks to everyone's suggestions here, I finally can say I'm converted.  I have a lunette, larger size, and it has taken me at least 6 or 7 cycles to get it to work for me.   I have a little more determination than most I think, but to those of you who are ready to give up after a month or two, don't!  Try to work through each problem and you'll find something that works.  I just want to post the few things that were key to making it work for me, hopefully it will help someone else.

1.  Folds.  I found pictures on this community of the various folds.  The c-fold that comes with the package is so not comfortable.  I use the punch down fold.

2.  Know your cervix.  Someone here made the point that the cervix should be in or at least above the cup.  I was having ridiculous leakage, so I decided to learn how to find my cervix.  Now, I check it's position periodically during my cycle, and "aim"  for that with the cup when I insert it.   I've also learned to feel around the cup to make sure my cervix isn't sticking out.  I couldn't do this at first though.  This helped me with positioning and took care of the major leakage problems.

3.  Itchiness/Burning.  I was getting an itchy/burny feeling around the entrance to my vagina, a few days into my period.  It was not yeast, and I finally ruled out that it wasn't irritation from insertion.  It didn't matter how diligently I washed my hands and cup, or what soap I used.   I had this problem even on the month I went without the cup (I had an IUD inserted that month and since the first IUD I had expelled on it's own, I didn't want to take any chances of aggravating it the first month.)  The non-cup month I still had my hand up there checking for the IUD strings every other day (I was paranoid about it expelling again), and that seemed to be enough to cause the itchiness.   I finally decided it must be an imbalance of bacteria and I stumbled on a solution.  I had a squeeze bottle of water, to which I added a 5-10 drops of a concoction I had on hand.  The concotion is called Advantage liquid concentrate from Wisdom of the Ages.  The ingredients are Distilled Water, Citrus Seed Extract (Grape seed I believe), green tea, and jasmine tea.  It is supposed to have antibacterial/antifungal properties.  I was using the mixture in the bottle to rinse my cup before reinserting it, but one night I was so uncomfortable I decided to give myself a little rinse with the bottle.  I woke up the next morning and the itchiness was GONE.  I was ecstatic.  Now, I rinse the cup and myself with the bottle whenever I empty the cup at home and I have no more discomfort.  I've also found that the rinsing after inserting the cup helps remove any residual blood around the cup without having to use lots of over-drying toilet paper.  This helps reduce spotting.

I'm now a happy convert to the cup, though I still have trouble with my lunette beginning to leak any time the contents reach the lowest measuring line.  I'm thinking the angle at which the cup sits causes the contents to spill over when it reaches a certain fullness.  Any suggestions that might get me a little longer between emptying on heavy flow days?  When I remove the cup, it sure sounds like it's "sealed", but that doesn't seem to stop the spillage.  Also, my activities don't seem to have any effect one way or the other, like if I'm lying down or really active.

I'm tempted to try the Lady Cup (larger size), thinking the softer material might be easier inserting and removing.  And since I can't seem to actually use the full capacity of the lunette, I wouldn't really be giving that up.  Anyone tried both the Lunette and the Lady Cup?  Any comments one way or the other?

Good luck to new cup converts and thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

I used the size 2 diva cup for my last cycle I am over 30 and have had 3 kids, but I was really sore like bruised feeling inside after just 1 day of using it- Should I try another brand, should I try the smaller size.  I have used a diaphram before so I placed it similar to that. I really want this to work please help!

So I've had m DivaCup for three months now. The first month I only used it for maybe 5 minutes because I didn't know if I did it right. The second month I used it for two days. This month I went to put it in and it just... didn't feel right. It hurt whenever I walked. I thought maybe I didn't get it in right and tried numerous times. I know it was sealed because (despite the pain) I kept it in and there was no leaking. It just ended up being unbearable pain and pressure. It's not too big of a deal except tomorrow I'm planning on going to a water park and wanted to use my cup. But if it is going to be too painful, then I probably won't. So any ideas why it hurt or what might help?

So I guess the background details are, I’m a 19 year old virgin, and I'm new to menstrual cups.  I started with the Small Diva Cup (which I hated and thought was too large and painful and had death suction and even laying down didn’t help insertion--I could never even get the thing actually inside me), thought I must have a tiny vagina, panicked, then read rave reviews about the tiny Lady Cup, and bought one (in the Small size), even though I’m a broke college student.

I feel like I must be doing something wrong! Everyone else seems to RAVE about the Lady Cup, and true, it’s VERY soft (MUCH moreso than the awful painful Diva Cup) and foldable and tiny and inserts so easily.

But...

guys i don't know what's going on!

i've been using the diva cup for a year and a couple of months. i've been meaning to switch because i still leak after trying multiple folds, moving it around, running toilet paper's around the opening to make sure excess blood isn't there, and all that jazz. but i haven't yet.

just wanted to give background that the first 3-4 days have always sucked for me. but this is the first time it's hurt so much that i don't want to put in my cup again.

yesterday(day 4) during the middle of the day my vagina hurt around the part that was at the end of the cup. it felt like it was being poked by sharp finger nails or something like that. it also felt like it was really dry despite the fact that i'm bleeding. i took it out in the shower and after i wiped myself in the shower it felt dry down there. i have some lube so i figured maybe if i put some on that'd help, i put it on and it felt kinda rough compared to normal...kinda because it wasn't extremly rough. during the middle of my period sometimes i stop bleeding for a couple of minutes/hours and then it starts up again, and since it 'stopped' i figure to not wear it.

my bleeding started again(like normal)this morning so i figured i should put it back in, but it still feels really dry and somewhat sore.

anyone expereince this? what's going on?!

some extra info:
1.i tried different folds once but not really the whole period..this period i've been constantly using the punch fold.
2.i had to change in public twice this period, whereas i usually haven't in the past.
3.after i take it out, i get toilet paper and wipe around my vagina to take away the blood in hopes that this will decrease the amount of bleeding on my underwear. also whenever i did see some bleeding come through i took a toilet paper and ran some of it around my cup/vagina area to make sure there's not any remains from there while the cup was still in me.
4. i had sex multiple times without lube 2 weeks and a couple of days before my period. the last time this happened it was my first time having piv sex and it ended up leaving my vagina irritated and it had a tear. this time i did it without lube because i ordered some and it didn't come in and i didn't want to spend money when i knew i was getting a big sampler pack in a couple of days. after that i didn't notice any bad effects the week after, so i figure if i had a tear or anything like that that would irritate my vagina i'd already know(the last time it happened a couple of days latter). but just want to put it out incase that could have been the case.

these are the only different things i can really recall about this round of period. so can someone help me, it hurts :( and i don't want to stop using a cup just because it hurts and i don't want to put it in! i defiantly can't(would really hate to)go back to the regular pads/tampons out there. thanks for help/suggestions.

Hi all, I'm new to the community :)

I've checked the memories and such, but haven't found a solution for the problem that I'm having. I'm 23, have never given birth, and I've got a Mooncup in the smaller size. The first time I used it the stem poked out, pinched and made me very sore when I sat down. I cut the stem off little by little, and have finally removed it entirely. The thing is, it still feels as if the cup is just too big for me. It seals perfectly, and I'm pretty sure it's in the right position, but the cup sits so low that it hurts when I sit, and I physically don't have the space to push it any higher!! I'm a small person generally, but I know most people seem to have no problem. I really want to make the Mooncup work for me.

Any suggestions, please?!

When a friend of mine got pregnant, after running her old silicone cup* through her dishwasher, she gave it to me. I tried it twice & spent approximately two hours each time, being rather uncomfortable before I took it out & went back to my trusty tampons. Mostly, it felt like it was sitting too low in me, especially when I sat down. Before more of you ask: the "tail" or "stem" has already been removed... :)
I have a latex sensitivity, & much prefer tampons to pads. If available, I will purchase Ob over other brands as many feel too "long". I have very light periods & often find that (other than the one "heavy to me" day) a light/regular tampon will last me an entire 8 hours without even coming close to needing to be changed, so it would be particularly happy-making to me to be able to find something more appropriate...

*possibly a DivaCup, but I can't quite remember for sure.

Hi,

So.  I have gone back into the tagged archives and read up on latex allergies developing with use of the Keeper (what I currently use) as well as reading some outside sources. 

I have a quick question that I didn't really see addressed anywhere else:  for those of you who experienced a reaction, was your general pain/discomfort/itchyness internal, external, or both? 

The last couple periods, I ended up with some nasty itchy discomfort but only externally.  I went to the doctor to talk about a possibility of a reaction to the latex and she said that, internally, I was totally fine and healthy and didn't look like I was having any sort of reaction.  But externally, my skin was just really freaking irritated.

My doctor recommended that I go back to tampons for a couple months to see if this problem reoccurs but...I've used tampons or pads or a combination of both since I started bleeding and this has NEVER happened to me.  So.  I've decided to switch to a silicone cup, instead.  I am just curious if my irritation is similar to those who have latex allergies/sensitivities or this is some anomalous development.

Thank you!

So way back in like late August, I bought my first menstrual cup, the DivaCup. It was the one that was most easily accessible to me, being that I live in Canada. I've had at least [based on a period being about five days long] eight to ten periods to get used to it [had like a two and a half month period, and yes, I've never been so grateful for a cup in all of my life]. 

Now, I do like the Diva. My main problems with it is that sometimes, I have a hard time getting it to pop open and seal, which is not good when you have class everyday. Also, for the first two or three days of my period, my cervix sits relatively low [I can feel it without inserting my index finger all the way]. Because the Diva is fairly long, that makes it sit lower than is comfortable for me. I can feel the end of it rubbing against my entrance, which means I either just have to ignore it or consistently push it back up. Even as I sit here, it's doing that to me, and it's driving me fricking crazy.

My period tends to be moderate on day one, heavy on day two and three, and then moderate for day four and five before tapering off to very light for six and sometimes seven.

I don't particularly want a Keeper, neither the latex one or the non-latex one. I was thinking about the Mooncup UK, because I've seen a lot of positive posts about it, but I wasn't sure about the Lunette, either. Whichever one I'll decide on, I'll search for the cheapest version possible. Based on what my problems with the Diva are, can anyone advise me on a second cup?

I started using Instead when I changed to bc pills that give me rather light periods--light enough that tampons are painful to remove (even regular ones for eight hours) but heavy enough I need something... and I hate pads. It took me a few months to get the hang of Instead, and when I did... I decided to change to a Diva Cup. (One-time purchase and good for the environment? Woot.)

Anyway, I haven't quite yet gotten the hang of putting it in and taking it out (origami fold seems to work best, but it pops open before I get it high enough and I can't figure out how to scoot it up once it's open), and I've ended up a little... irritated. (In more ways than one!) I used petroleum jelly on my irritated skin, but I'm worried about hurting my cup. I know oil-based creams are damaging to rubber like the Keeper, but will my DivaCup be okay if it gets petroleum jelly on it?

I know the Diva Cup can't be worn during sex (and I never quite figured out how the Instead work with sex. Unless I had it in totally wrong, which I don't think at the end at least since it never leaked or slipped or anything, it just seems it would get in the way and be painful for my boy.), but what about right after sex (without a condom)? It just weirds me out a little to think of it catching all the semen and holding it inside of me. It always seemed to me that I got more irritated if I but in tampon in after sex, though I suppose this could have had something to do with the tampons drying me out. Anyone experience more irritation wearing the DivaCup right after sex?

And my final question sounds really silly, but... Are DivaCups microwave safe? Not just to put in alone, but inside a cup/bowl of water to boil. I'm in college, and not only do not have a pan to dedicate to boiling my cup, but also use a communal kitchen, which I imagine will result in:

Cute guy from #17: Hey, there. Making something tasty?
Me: Uh... not really.
Cute guy: Sure you are. It smell great. Can I try some? (Reaches for pan lid)
Me: No... uh... I'd prefer you didn't do th--
Cute guy: (drops pan lid and backs away with look of horror and disgust and runs away upstairs)

To avoid such a senario, I would like to boil it in a mug or something in my microwave. Anyone else do this or know if it's safe for the cup?

Thanks.

I've been using a diva/mooncup with Lunapads for almost two years now.

I'm several days into my period. I still have it, but it's in the "wouldn't fill the cup even if I didn't take it out for the next three days phase".


My vagina is irritated. It had hurt for a couple days, but I live at school and don't own/lost a hand mirror. I finally got the courage to ask a friend to borrow her mirror (she guessed exactly what I needed to look at with it, but hey, I converted her to divas so I win).
First the first time, the area around my vulva (regular skin and surrounding skin) and the lower part of the opening (which touches the rim and part of the stem is RED). One area looked like it was close to slitting open, but I'm not sure and am trying not to touch my vagina, but it hurts.

I didn't do anything out of the ordinary for me and my routine, save for boil my mooncup after a recent toilet mishap (this has happened before).

I'm a virgin. Sex related stuff isn't a compounding variable.

When I took my mooncup out in the shower today, I didn't dare try to put it in. I'm doing pads for now and will probably try cups next period as usual.

What should I do to fix the irritation?

I bought some (store brand) desitin, because I remember my mom putting desitin on me when I was little (I have a good memory, see, so I do remember this). I smeared it around everywhere I could touch that felt red (no mirror, I gave it back).

Good idea? Bad idea? Should I buy something else?

I've never had irritation problems in the five years I used plastic pads, but I thought I should stick with cloth because plastic pads irritate the sensitive among us already.

And maybe this is the wrong community for this, but how do you get desitin off fingers, cloth pads and pubes?

What would I expect to see if the soreness was from something else?

Hello! I'm new to this community, and I've already found help here. I've just started using my beautiful divacup, and found inserting it rather tricky until I read about the 7-fold and tried that. Now it slips in a lot easier. Thanks!

All in all I like my cup, and I WANT to love it, but sadly its a little unfriendly to my vagina. It causes my cramps to get worse, and the most bothersome thing is that it pokes me. Somehow it pokes and irritates the right wall of my vagina. I've been trying to push it further up, but it doesn't want to move. I've also tried rotating it into a better positions, but soon enough its back to poking me. I've also cut some of the stem off. What am I doing wrong? :(