Saw my gyn today.  She's totally knowledgable about cups and thinks they're great.  Her opinion of the controversy of endometriosis/backflow (?) of menstrual fluid back into the uterus and beyond is that it's not an issue as it takes a lot of pressure to push anything back thru cervix into uterus.  I also found out that even tho I thought I was losing a lot of blood per cycle (average 180 ml), there is nothing medically wrong with me in that area.  So, yay!  Now I know and I can quit keeping track of how much blood I lose ea. cycle and just enjoy my cup!  Just had to share. 

 

 Hey everyone,

Last week I went to my midwife/gyno appointment, first one I've had since starting to use the Diva. I brought up issues I had with irregular periods, and then said I know I'm not bleeding excessively because I use a cup and can see how much there is. To which she responded "Oh good, so you have a pretty good idea of how much there is every month" as though she hears about women using them all the time. So yay! Medical support! She feels they are perfectly fine to use with an IUD too. 

Then she had me get an ultrasound to just check and make sure everything is okay with my Paragard because of the weird periods. They send us to a radiologist to have them done, and I had a student in the room when the tech did it. Once she got started, she turned to her and said, "Now see, that is PERFECT IUD placement, that's what we like to see." So that means I have had completely successful use of a Diva with the Paragard. 

So after all the tests she had me do, she concluded that it's just all the stress I've been through this past year and nothing more. 

 Just a quick gyno story. 

I went to see my gynecologist for the first time (I'm 20, so I haven't had to have a pap test yet) because I had some questions for her, etc. I was armed with my cup to show it to her and ask her if she'd heard of them. I was telling her something about my period and she asked how many pads and tampons I go through per cycle. I proceeded to tell her that I used neither and if she'd heard of menstrual cups. She said she had heard of them but didn't know anyone who used them regularly. She was very supportive about it, and said it was nice that it's so much more accurate on measuring my flow. I just thought I'd share a positive story about telling the gynecologist about it. I kind of figured that would be her reaction anyway because she's a younger doctor :)

I fail at cutting so please forgive me if this breaks again.
< lj-cut text="questions and a posative doctor!">First, my question
I'm getting an IUD soon, and I should ask this of the sister community, but is there a number of periods that I should have with just the IUD before adding the cup because of the possability of the cup polling out a newly inserted IUD?

You ladies will like this after the not so nice comments from a fello journaler's doctor from a few weeks ago. I went in to see my Gyn today, and I asked her about the use of the cup with an IUD, and she said no trouble, and then went on to say that she'd not met to many organic ladies like us. She then went on to tell me about the insteads and how excited she was when they came out and how she bought a bunch and then menapause hit and she was sad. Yay for finding awsome gyns out there who don't think we're crazy or unsanitary!

I'd tried tampons temporarily whilst waiting for my LadyCup to arrive, and during a check-up today had the following short discussion:

Me: I was wondering if it's common to find tampons uncomfortable after a vaginal birth. I never used to be able to feel them before.
Her: It happens a lot, sometimes because of shape change, and sometimes because you're just getting used to your body again after a year or so without tampons. Is it making things difficult?
M: Well, not as such; I tend to find a cup more comfortable but I've been worried that long term use can cause damage, since I don't know anyone who has used them all their life...
H: Oh no, cups are fine. Don't let that worry you!

\o/ Go awesome doctor!

I'm wondering if any of you have had a talk to doctors or nurses about menstual cups, I mean indepth conversations explaining cup benefits, and what was thier reaction?

My experience is that many doctors, nurses, etc. seem to be very unaware of all the options, the one nurse I mentioned cups to told me off for using them, saying that cups couldn't possibly be clean, and I know I'm sick of having to take pads with me to sexual health clinics to avoid being given commercial pads. It's a little troubling to me that those working within sexual health don't know about 'alternative' options. It'd be good for them to know about these options and be able to suggest them to women who'd find them beneficial, would it be wise to approach doctors and clinics about this subject? Then how would you go about it? Am I missing something here that prevents us and companies themselves 'promoting' (making aware of benefits to health) there products to the medical world?

Today at the gyno, they asked how many pads or tampons I use per cycle and of course I said none, I use a cup. Apparently, none of them had ever even heard of the concept of a reusable cup! Not even The Keeper or some other vague idea, they had NO IDEA that there are reusable options. NURSE PRACTITIONERS AT A GYNECOLOGY PRACTICE! Wow, blows my mind.

I had an ultrasound on my (full!) bladder and kidneys today.  I let the female technician know that I had a menstrual cup in because I figured she might see it.  She had never heard of them, so I explained all about it.  She didn't seem grossed out by it and said she would tell the other women in the office about the option.  She showed me it on the ultrasound which was pretty cool!  She said that my cervix was sitting right inside of it.  She had to make a note on the ultrasound about what it was so the doctor didn't think I had a growth or something.

Yesterday evening I tried my small Lunette for the 4th time. Last May I once had to go to a clinic with my cup as I couldn't get it out of me.

Getting it inside - no problems. No leakings, either. But getting it out of me...
I tried every possible positions to get it out by myselt at home, relax myself, take deep breaths, squat.. Everything. The cup seemed to be too high, even if I tried to move it lower with my muscles. I ended up going to a clinic again.

( A clinic story )


I'm not sure, I have a feeling that I've got slightly shorter fingers than most people do, and that my vagina is nearly S-shaped, many curves.. So I've started to think that cups maybe aren't a possible solution for every women, or at least not for me. It makes me sad, as I really would like to use a cup.

OK - so I thought my period was over and then I got up yesterday morning to discover that it wasn't!  (I hate it when that happens - I'll go 24 hours with NOTHING, and then it will just start back up.)

Anyway, I tried turning my Lunette cup inside-out to prevent the remaining portion of the stem from stabbing/poking me.  I was able to get the cup MUCH further in/higher up, which was really surprisingly nice.  The stem problem was also solved, another plus in my book.

Now for the bad news:  Since turning the cup inside-out makes all the ridges and markings now on the inside instead of the outside, the cup was WAY smoother.  This caused the cup to have a better advantage of sliding back out of my body.

Out of desperation, I ended up calling my gynecologist, who is also a personal friend.  I explained the issues I was having and asked what his professional opinion would be on how to go about solving them.  He was open to the discussion, but had NEVER seen a cup.  So, I brought him my daughter's (as she is currently not on her period, and mine is in use).  He was really impressed about all the pros associated with the cups and would be sharing the information with his clients about the cup being an alternative to tampons/pads.  Anyway, he then went into a nice explanation of how my body is probably not designed for this particular cup.  I have a very short vaginal canal, my cervix is positioned backwards (instead of toward my tailbone, it is toward my belly button), I have a larger than normal "vaginal vault" (the part at the top of the vagina before the cervical opening that is slightly larger and designed to collect the seminal fluid during intercourse).  Furthermore, he explained that after having three children, my vaginal walls are just not as strong as they need to be to hold the cup into position.  This is what is causing the cup to slide down/fall out.  He ended up suggesting that I do some SERIOUS kegals EVERYDAY to strengthen the vaginal walls.  He also suggested that I try another cup.  He said that he would research all the cups online and then get back to me on his professional opinion of which cup to switch to.

So, that's that.

If you have success with the Lunette size 2, but want to prevent the stem from poking you, then you CAN turn it inside-out with success.  I just can't (for now) because my vaginal muscles are not strong enough to hold the cup in.  BUMMER!!

Meanwhile, I will grin and bear it and just do what I can to make it work until I get another cup.

Thanks, again, for all the wonderful feedback that everyone gave to help me with my other concerns (previous posts).  This is such a great site, I will continue to be a part of it and, hopefully, I can find another cup to meet my needs.

*Long Post and some TMI---peruse at your own risk*

After three days browsing, clicking, and key-word searching through the Memories, Tags, and recent posts, I feel as though I know several of you. So hi. And I'm in need of some troubleshooting help that is similar to others' problems but that is based on weird questions I've had since I was a preteen but for which I was never able to find an answer.

( My stats and cup problems (followed by my questions) )

1. Okay, I know this is likely an absurd notion, because I don't think the vaginal canal is divided up like this, but when people insert things into the vagina--say, a penis/dildo; a tampon; a cup--with the goal of going deep in, does it matter where exactly on the labia we make the entrance? Because all of the "insertion" diagrams I've seen have been from the side--that doesn't help me. I want to see a vulva head-on, legs, spread, so I can know which is the part that should be pentrated.

Basically, if we imagine a pencil pointing down (north to south) and set that up side by side (parallel) to a vulva looked at thus, the eraser is roughly corresponding to the clitoris and northern point of the labia, right? So, where is the insertion supposed to take place: the middle (virtually impossible for my partner's penis and/or the Diva to go further than a few centimetres in) or the southern bottom, towards the lead point of the pencil/rectum (this is where I've been able to get stuff in deeper. though it leads to an uncomfortable feeling of over-fullness).

Or, does it not matter how north or south the point of entry is--it all just opens into the same tunnel...?

2. Can I take my cup to an ob/gyn and have them show me how to (a) find my cervix and (b) insert the damn thing? I really want to learn how to use this and not give up, but my body keeps rejecting my Diva. Maybe a pro is needed...

At the end of my long day of cup experimentation today, I'm back to disposable pads (bleh for the earth and my wallet).
 

If I can't figure out the cup and if a doctor can't help show me how to insert it properly, then I will have to invest in cloth reusable pads (the thought of a pad is so comforting to me right now).

Thank you!

</div>

grettagrid's doctor made some disturbing comments about cups at http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/1358802.html?thread=14461138#t14461138

I hope her doctor is good at other things she says and does because she certainly has a poorly formed opinion about cups.  The comments are not enough to make me change doctors -- but they certainly are a strike against her.

Greetings ladies. I got my first abnormal pap about 3 years ago and have been using my diva for just over 2 year now. For about a year I've been getting a pap every 3 months to see if things are better or worse. During my last appointment, I asked my NP what she thought of cups (she only knew of the keeper). Her opinion of them was not high due to the fact that blood is an excellent medium for culturing bacteria, but seemed to be ok with them as long as they were emptied on a regular basis. Her main concern for me, however, was that wearing the cup (or a tampon, for that matter) at night could hold bits of shed virus next to my cervix for longer instead of letting it flow away.

I hadn't thought of this before, and have switched to cloth pads for nighttime. Unfortunately, this means I get a lot of spotting while wearing my cup during the day, necessitating either a cloth liner or black underwear, both of which are in short supply.

Are there others in here who have to consider the effects of EVERYthing on their girly bits due to the looming threat of cervical cancer? It pisses me off...and I can't wait until I've had a few normal paps in a row so I can wear my cup all the time again.

Hi group,

I just thought about this:  why do women's healthcare providers not suggest menstrual cups?  This came about because I have this condition, almost like an inflammatory process going on in the skin of my vulva.  Basically, the skin starts to thin when moist (i.e. when exposed to discharge for long periods of time, etc.)  I've had gynecologists and women's health nurse practitioners suggest that I only use pads at night and use tampons during the day to decrease the amount of time my skin is sitting on a wet surface.  But when I used tampons they always leaked (even when not full) so I always used pantiliners.  One doctor suggested that pantiliners are not good, especially on a daily basis, because they don't let the vulvar skin "breath."

I figure using a menstruation cup is better for the skin of my vulva, since it allows it to "breath" even when on my period (I always wear cotton panties).  But why hasn't one of the healthcare providers I've seen over the past 5-6 years ever suggested this as an alternative for me?  I refuse to believe they had never heard of menstrual cups. 

Anyone else out there think that cups are better for vulva skin health and integrity?  (I'm a nursing student, so yes, I use the terms skin integrity & skin breakdown) :P

I'm not sure if this has ever been asked before, sorry if it has...

When I got my diva cup in december my mother was just a smidge apprehensive. She said that the next time she went to her gyno she was going to ask him about it. She has since become much more receptive to the idea of menstrual cups, but still wanted to ask when she went today.

Apparently when she mentioned it he took on a very confused look, and said he had never heard of them. So she proceeded to explain. After that, the same look, accompanied by an "it sounds like it would encourage bacteria growth," which my mother defended against (go mom!). She told him that not a lot of women in the United States use them, but they seem much more popular in Europe. His response to this was a really, very offensive "Oh, people in all these other countries do things to themselves that have never been approved."

So this got me thinking about 2 things-

1. what other gynecologists are on our insurance plan, so I dont have to deal with this fool, and
2. If you've ever talked to your gyno about cups, what has been their response?

Thanks ladies, for all your help!

Edit: 8:20 pm: Mea Culpa, and thanks for catching that Ide_cyan. Inhibit is now encourage. I think I was thinking of bacteria inhabiting the area lol.

So I posted a few months ago about asking my mom about menstrual cups, and her never having heard of them.  She told me if the doctor said it was okay I could use one.  Oh and by the way I'm fifteen.
So I went into the doctor's today... and I got the confidence to actually ask about it.  When I mentioned them, she looked at me like I was a psycho and was like... "What do you mean, 'menstrual cups?'"  It was already embarrassing to ask her, but her negative response was just awful.  So since I really didn't have the courage to actually explain what one was, I simply said nevermind and we moved on.  So I really don't know what to do... I guess I'll just have to wait until college.  Only three more years.... ugh.  Maybe it's for the better though, right?  I've heard that a lot of people have difficulty inserting them at a young age, so...

I'm kind of disappointed.  I really expected my doctor to know what it was. :(

I'm a 4th year medical student, and in a few months I'll probably have a chance to spend some time talking with a group of about-to-be-doctors about alternative menstrual products. Having used the Diva Cup and Insteads, and having looked into it a bit myself, I have a fair amount of knowledge, but I'd be grateful for your input - what sorts of questions did/do you have for your doctor regarding your cup? What do you wish they'd known? What are some basics you think are important? Mis-conceptions you've had to (or wished to) correct?

I want to be able to represent the group when I talk with them - I'm even thinking of making a brief brochure or presentation of some sort. (I did some research a few years ago for a Feminist Fair at my college, so I have some beginnings already.) So please, ladies, share your views with me. You'll be reaching ~25 future physicians, all of whom have many friends/colleagues who are also physicians. So speak up - what's on your mind?

My doctor doesn't think that they are safe, and she thinks they sound painful and messy.  I think that she is just uneducated on the topic. 

HOWEVER...I do have one question that I've even asked the Diva people...and I still can't quite figure out...The suction....It is bad to have that suction seal constantly on your cervix??? The people at Diva don't think that it is an issue.....but if you put that kind of suction say on your arm, it will bruise, etc...The Diva people said that it would only bruise if you move it while not breaking the suction. 

What do you think?

I am trying to figure out the science of it all.

I've used the Diva for one month. I've trimmed it, but it still pokes me...I'm determined to make this work...and the suction during removal is quite difficult to deal with.

Any help would be GREAT!

if the cup is so beneficial, why don't the gynos or regular primary doctor suggest its usage? why do the doctors just advice the regular methods of pads and tampons? i looked through the tags and did not see mention of this. sorry, if i am wrong.

I went to the gyno today for my annual pap, and while discussing my menstrual cycle and its characteristics, I mentioned my diva cup. My gyno was confused and asked me what it is, and I went on a couple-minute ramble-a-thon about how magical my diva cup is and how much it helps with cramps and convenience and so on. Hopefully he'll pass this info on to his other patients! Yay!

[totally x-posted]

Yay!

I went to the Dr. today and brought my divacup literature and asked what she thought.

She said there were no problems with it at all and that because of the lack of fibers, it was actually safer then tampons.

I asked about endo..endo... the endometriosisises thing and she said that there was no more risk with a cup than with tampons.

She did say that if I got an infection down there to stop using it though because even if its not the cause, a cup can bring infections back.

So... just one doctor's opinion, but enough for me to know i love my divacup! :) yay!