Hullo! I'm Laurel, 16, virgin, etc etc. For Christmas I got a small Diva cup, which was very joyous. I have a really heavy flow and so I was always using tons of tampons. They have never really been comfortable for me, and always a hassle to carry around and buy.

So I attempted to get it in twice today. The first time I couldn't get it in at all, using the C fold. It wouldn't go in all the way and kept coming out. Then I found this lovely community, and some people mentioned that the push down fold was easier to insert. So I tried again in the shower using the push down fold and it went in fine (after about 5 tries...). The only problem was is that I don't think it popped open inside. It didn't feel very comfortable or suctioned. In the instruction booklet it says that you have to turn it 360 degrees. I found this really difficult to do. I couldn't get a good enough grip on the end to turn it. What is the best way to do this? Should I turn it while it is inside, or halfway out? I tried poking around the cup, but it was very hard to tell if it was suctioned, the walls of the cup didn't feel like they were spread out completely. When I removed it, it seemed like one side was still partially folded. Should it come out completely unfolded? 

Are there any folds you recommend that are small and easy to insert but suction well? I find the push down fold is so much more easier to insert and hold than the C fold. Does anyone else have problems with it? 

Obviously I'm very new at this and still getting the hang of it. I want this to work out very badly! Especially since my period is coming soon and I really don't want to use tampons. 

Thanks for any help you may have. 

Do you ladies experience leaking with one fold and none with another? Please share your bests and worsts by commenting like this:

I use a: Small Diva
I always leak when I use the: C Fold
I never leak when I use the: 7 Fold

i have created a new fold. I haven't even tried my cup yet, but i was playing around with folds the other day and i made this one.

( steps and pics under the cut )
My thoughts- Well i actually think this fold will be as used as the "squiggle" or "S" fold, but i haven't tried it so i wouldn't know how comfortable it is to insert.
I shall call it the double punch down fold or the fish fold.
Please tell me if you have used it and how it goes. I would feel like i have made a difference ^-^

Hi all!
I am just a little confused about something and was hoping someone could clarify for me.
I watched a few videos and have saw a few pictures of different folds posted. My question is this...are the "extreme 7" and "triangle fold" different names for the same exact fold?
I started really taking to the 7 fold, until I found that I could fold it over just a liiiittle bit more and it would work even better. I had "heard" of the "extreme 7" and assumed that's what I had just accomplished. However, I saw the same exact fold that I had experimented with and got named "the triangle fold" which is exactly how I described it in one of my posts, as looking like a "triangle".  So anyway, yeah...does anyone have a picture of the "extreme 7" ? I'm very interested in knowing if they are just the same thing.
Thank you very much!
Jes

Hello!
2nd day on my period, first cycle on the cup. Things are progressing very well! Just a few things I'd like to contribute:

1) The Update

First, to follow up on my last post, where I was having severe pains in my lower back when I inserted the cup for the first time. I figured out that it wasn't opening since I was using a punch-down fold. I use a seven-fold now, have absolutely no problems with insertion and opening and I haven't had that pain since. Thank you for reassuring me that my uterus wasn't falling out of my vagina. :)

2) The Question

Leaks. I'm paranoid. It hasn't leaked yet, but I do get the infamous "bubble." I even had a little "squirt" feeling yesterday after I put it in. You know, that feeling you get when you're wearing a pad and you can feel the flow coming out? It was that feeling. But nothing came out, which is wonderful! But also a little nerve racking...I wear a pantyliner just in case, but what does it feel like when you're actually leaking? And if it fills up and overflows, is it just a little at a time, or is it a gush? I need to be reassured, here...I really don't want to realize there's a huge stain in my pants and think "oh THAT'S what that feeling was."

3) The Rant

Overall I'm so happy with my cup! I can't believe I waited so long to get one! In fact, I'm really pissed right now about our society. I live in America, and you tell me - have you EVER seen a commercial for a cup? NO! Why? Because they don't make as much money on cups as they do on pads/tampons. "Have a happy period," my ass! Have an expensive/environmentally destructive period!! There are so many different options for women's health out there, but we don't KNOW about it because god forbid women are actually comfortable with their own bodies!
 
Anyways I really do love my cup, and my body, and I think this community is AWESOME. Thank you beautiful ladies for all your help - I never would have gotten this far if it wasn't for you!!

(-LateNite)

Hello!

I ordered my Lunette last week and got it today (which is amazing, considering we're in two different continents!). I boiled it before I tried it out, and I'm happy to say I successfully inserted it! I used the triangle fold and got it in the second time I tried. I can't wait to use it when I'm actually on my period, which should be some time this week or next week. I do have a couple of questions, however:

1. Are any folds smaller than the triangle fold? I didn't have any problem getting it except for a bit of a wait because I'm small (and not exactly a slip and slide right now). I'm just curious as to what folds are smallest and would be easiest for me to insert.
2. How do I know when pops open? I can't really seem to feel around the front because of my pubic bone, but it did feel like it was closed from around behind the cup. Is being able to feel the front to see if it's open necessary?
3. I'm pretty sure I got a seal this first try, because when I tried to remove it it kind of came, for lack of better word to describe what happened, rushing out. I just know that it was more than likely sealed. However, should I be right in expecting it to do this every time? If not, how can I make sure it seals? I couldn't get it to turn, so that's not an option.
4. I don't know how heavy or not my period is in comparison to how much the small Lunette's capacity holds. I used light, regular, and super tampons throughout my cycle. It never really depended on what day of my cycle it was, it just fluctuated throughout the cycle. If should need to empty my cup during school, how should I go about doing that? Will I need to rinse it out, or should I be fine reinserting? My mother recommended having feminine wipes with me; would using those to wipe off/out my cup be harmful to my vagina for a long period of time (as in, after I reinsert it)?

That's all of them. Thank you! (:

I'm having some issues with my folding technique using a Large LadyCup. I'm not having trouble with leaks so I'm sure the cup is around (o) my cervix, but every time the cup pops open it's hitting my cervix and hurts. I've only been able to use the punchdown fold successfully. I did try many of the other folds (thank you youtube video! big big help), but most of them are either not small enough for me to insert well and get placement right, or I can't even hold them long enough to get it in. The cup seems to be extremly poppy and tough to hold onto in the folded state. Will the cup ever get more plaible and willing to remain folded? With the punchdown, I've tried inserting with the folded part facing down and up and back (so the folded part would pop away from my cervix), but every time it opens, the cup edge brushes violently against my cerivx. Is this just something I need to get used to or are there any tips to get my cervix in the cup without it getting scraped and abused each time.

OK. This is my second cycle using a cup. I had a happy period in my fist cycle with the cup when I got used to my small Orange Cup. It leaked only the first day of my period because it was quite heavy. So.....I got a small Lunette Selene because I am petite and cannot use a longer cup than that. Lunette supposedly has a higher capacity than the Orange Cup but the size are quite similar....


OK So I start my second cycle with my sm lunette selene on my first two heavy days.... It leaked!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first day that it leaked  I just thought I should adjust how to insert because it was hard to pop and I did not feel any suction. So the second day which is the forth of July (today) which I have to be at work 9 hrs. I had to remove and reinsert the cup while at work like 3 times because it won't stop leaking.  Then I had to go to a Jazz in the Park to picnic and watch fireworks  somewhere out of town where restrooms are...ick...! and it won't stop leaking. I checked inside and made sure that it pops but this cup is very squishy that I think if I move a little it will break the seal and it's probably what  had caused it to leak. I had no problem with leaking with my smaller orange cup at all :( It was such a hassel my blood was all over my hands. I took a bottled water with me but there were no place to sit it down so it was horrible.

Lunette selene did catch the blood about almost half of the cup but there are quite amount that leaks. I don't know what I was doing wrong. I don't know if the  cervix just sit inside the cup which takes all the space like most of the ladies hear might have experienced?? I can't tell because I cannot touch it when the cup's in because my finger won't fit.  This was not my concern at all about where the cervix sits with my smaller orange cup though, no prob at all. :(  It just seals its way in and I would be good to go.
Lady cups are just hard to remove but much comfortable to wear for me.

I really dont want to waste my Lunette Selene...How am I going to get it to work :(? I used punch down fold because it was the best one for my Orange cup and other folds are too large...Any better folds for Lunetter Selene? I can't seem to insert it with the Seven fold which I heard it works for a lot of people .

ok, I'm one of the smaller vagina people with low cervix, etc.... I haven't been able to get the ladycup or diva to work. I'm going to still try the lunette when I have time. I haven't given up yet but have trouble inserting. Was wondering if Insteads would work better as they go in slimmer? Although I know the insteads are really long. Have any of you smaller people had success with Insteads? Also, what is the slimmest fold for ladycup and lunnette. 7 fold, extreme 7, and C don't work for me. Thanks for any help.

Hi, after loitering with intent for a few months I've decided to join you lovely people. Mainly because I want some advice (reading all your posts were such a great help when I was new to cups) Well, I've been using a UK Mooncup for about 9 months and its been going ok but I've always had a bit of trouble getting it to open up. I've been using the punch down fold which is easy to get in but it unfolds and suckers itself together and feels like my innards are being vacuumed out at the same time (not painful but unnerving all the same) I have to kind of pull my vag open to get some air into the cup or it wont open (does that make sense?)  I've practiced the c-fold on a dry run the past few days and it does pop a bit easier but I find it too wide to get it past my entrance comfortably and the thickness of the silicone makes it really difficult to hold this fold long enough to get it in (I am actually getting cramp in my hand after a few seconds) Can anyone advise on whether a softer cup might be easier  to fold/pop open and if so which one? I'm thinking maybe lunette or ladycup..

As veteran cup users know, there are some things that are said by the cup companies that just aren't true. Maybe they're saying them to cover their butts. Maybe they're saying them to sell more product. Maybe they're just... saying them, and we don't really know why. Whatever the situation is, these myths can be off-putting for some potential users and can even make people think they're using their cups incorrectly when they're working just fine.

Here are some of the myths that I've seen.

Myth: You must replace your cup every year/every five years/every X years.

( Reality: You probably don't. )

Myth: You must use our branded wash/tablets to clean your cup.

( Reality: There are many ways to safely clean your cup. )

Myth: Your cup must sit at the bottom of your vagina, way below your cervix.

( Reality: Your vagina may vary. )

Myth: There are only one or two ways you can fold your cup when you are inserting it.

( Reality: There are at least eight different folds you can use. )

Myth: You have to rotate your cup to make it seal correctly.

( Reality: Rotating your cup is only one way to make sure it's sealed. )

Myth: You can't use any lubricant with your cup.

( Reality: Water-based lubes are fine, but they must be water based. )

Myth: The size guidelines are hard and fast.

( Reality: Not really. )

Myth: Menstrual cups can only be used when you're on your period.

( Reality: As long as you remove and clean every 12 hours or so, you'll probably be fine. )

This is by far not an exhaustive list, so if you can think of any other myths, please mention them in the comments!

What fold do you use?

Folds:
C fold
Punch down fold
7 Fold
Origami fold
Triangle fold
Or other folds that I have never heard of like labia fold, etc.

I seem to see people commenting on using the origami fold the most but that may just be me. :p  Do you have to change your folds if you use a different cup, if you have ever done that? If the results are what I think (less people using the C fold), why do all the cup companies only refer to the C fold in pictures and sometimes, describe the punch down fold (I never understood the instructions for it)?

I understand they can't give us a whole book on folds but when I first got my diva cup, I hated the C fold and the C fold looks so big to me.  Finding this group helped me find a fold that worked.  Although, I was using a half version of an origami fold for my diva cup/mooncup and when I switched to lunette/lady cup, I had to figure out why I couldn't get it right anymore because the flexibility was different.  I had to relook at the folds because I was leaving out the last few steps of the origami fold.  

So, I have a DivaCup and a MCUK. I tried the DivaCup, and fell in love with it right away. It was easy to use, and everything. Still, I decided to give my MCUK a go, and decided this was the period to do it (36 days since my last period, can  you believe that?).

( Details of the Illicit Affair )

Ok, so I still haven't tried to get cup in again. Was wondering if it was fold that was problem. For a small person is it better not to use the 7 fold? I have no problems getting my tampax pearls in. I do have problems with blunt cardboard applicators. Should I try the small lunette selene? I want this to work but not be painful!!! It won't ever happen if it doesn't get better.

Hey everyone-- I’ve posted a new video demonstrating folding techniques, using the small Lunette Selene, so we could see them all in action. I even stumbled across 2 new folds, which are at the end of the video: “Double 7 fold” and “S fold”. They both open more from side to side.

Both of the new folds are only possible with the softer cups though (small lunette, diva, lady). Here is the video link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-PX3BWwjPY

 I also made a brand comparison video of the brands I have-- Diva, Lunette (L/S), LadyCup (L/S), Femmecup & Instead:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d12NcWGEnrM&feature=channel_page  

So I got my diva about 3 weeks ago and my period started today.. I think I am going to try it for the first time tomorrow but for some reason I am scared to death! I didn't really think I would be.. but I keep reading all the posts about people having a really hard time getting it out at first. I'm not sure which fold to use.. jeez I'm being such a baby about this, ha somebody talk me into using it tomorrow!

I just got the Mooncup. (Keeper, i guess? Got it from mooncup.com)

I'm on my 2nd day using it. Insertion is very awkward, I'm using the C fold at the moment. I can't seem to push it in far enough. I believe this is because I'm obese and my stomach is in the way. I also seem to have a little bit more flesh down there than most women so everything is kinda cushioned i guess. (I can't really explain it.)

When it's finally in, it keeps moving up until its almost completely inside me. I've read it's supposed to do this, but I can barely reach the stem even when pushing. (If i cut it, i would of been screwed.)

Removing it is pretty weird too. I have to pull on the stem pretty hard until i can manage to reach the cup. It seems like the rim is irritating me when i remove it. (I can't reach that far inside so i can't fold it.) The real irritation happens when i have to pee, it's not my urethra that's burning but the skin further down. I think the lack of moisture is screwing everything up.

Right now I'm using tampons because I'm afraid of hurting myself more. I'm not really sure what to do about the irritation problem. I've only used lube once with painful results, so I'm kinda afraid of getting an infection. Any suggestions for a water based lube or any other suggestions as to how to stop the irritation? I really want this cup to work, it seems like it would be great if i could get used to it, lol.

Hey! :)
So, this is the first cycle I've attempted to use my small size lunette.  I've been able to insert it almost all the way with a labial fold, all I have to do is push it in.  But it already hurts during insertion (I'm a sixteen year old virgin) and I'm afraid I wont be able to get it out or it'll be excrutiatingly painful.  Any tips?  Thanks!
 

Okay, so my period ended around the 13/14. I've been sitting on my hands, because after the initial dry run/end of period run, I learned that you can't put too much bank on dry runs because your cervix may move. It took me until now to break.

So, I've been wanting to try the C fold for a while now. You know, I just never tried it because I automatically assumed that it was going to be too big. I've tried the origami and 7 folds, both with a small amount of pain/discomfort. I was bored this morning and I decided to give a dry run another go. I inserted my size 1 DivaCup like it says on the instructions, and voila! Hallelujah! The C fold went in with no pain at all, and I tried to swish around the cup (I couldn't get too far, only about halfway) after a few kegals, and it felt like it had opened completely. I only had the urge-to-pee sensation until I left the bathroom. I'm just so happy right now. n_n"

I'm thinking of cutting the stem off completely because I can feel it when I bend over, but I'll wait until my period to see if that's something I really want to do.

Has anyone else had hallelujah folds, or hallelujah moments with their cups?

In preparing my cup website, I'm trying to list all of the possible folds. I've got:

C Fold
Punch-Down Fold
7 Fold (and the variation, Triangle fold)
Origami Fold
Labia Fold
Squiggle Fold
Diamond Fold

These are all the ones I've ever seen online. Are there any that y'all know of that I could include? Descriptions and/or links to pictures would be heavenly. Plus the replies to this post would be useful for people looking for new folds.

I got my diva cup today.  And was going to take it for a dry run, with the help of some lube, but can't get it to insert.  Does anyone have any tips, or tricks?  or other folds?

so, i've been using my Diva since October I think.
And it stinks.
So.
Bad.
It JUST started smelling bad this last period.
Something weird happened and I missed my January period. I'm 18 and I got my period when I was 9 and I've been regular ever since. Never missed one. And I'm queer so I'm positive I wasn't pregnant or anything. Could that have something to do with the smell?
Now I'm all paranoid that that's what I really smell like and I just never knew.
It's disgusting.
I live in a dorm so boiling it is going to be a bit of a challenge...
I'll do it but I'm fairly sure a jock will walk up and ask me what I'm doing.
"BOILING MY MENSTRUAL CUP, DUHHHHH"
And I looked but I can't find a detailed entry about turning Divas inside out and why and all that. How would this work??? I'm so confused.
Please forgive me, I'm super new to this community.
Thanks so much!

I own a size 1 (small) DivaCup. While I'm happy with it so far, I wanted to explore other cups, and I think that the Mooncup might be right for me as a second cup.

Thing is, the Mooncup looks a little stiff. I know that softness is basically something that no one agrees on, but if anyone knows of good folding pictures with the mooncup, or are willing to take pictures of folding their own cups, please let me know.

How do the cups fold in the origami, seven, C, and push down folds?

Let me preface this with the fact that I am a 16 year old virgin, in case it matters. I also can't find my cervix ever, and I'm not quite clear on how to tell if I've gotten the cup past my pubic bone. I've really tried to figure both out, I swear. Anyway, I ordered a Lunette last week thanks to this wonderful community. I was really excited to get to use it. I am completely dedicated to figuring out how to get this to work.

( The story so far )

Could someone help me figure out a fold that will pop open easily and not murder my nether bits? I think the origami might do the trick but I can't understand how to do it (it seems like the Lunette is too stiff to do it as it's done in the guide with all of the folds and it always pops open too early for me). If you recommend the origami fold, could you give me more in-depth instructions, as I can't seem to get it right?

Hey everyone!  *waves*  It's been awhile, I'm still menstruating though :P and still using my Keeper.  It's pretty uneventful these days, unlike the early days when I was still figuring things out.  Now my sister, cousins, and friends are all cup users-- I'm no longer the only one I know!  And they all got my folding technique demonstration live and in person!  Lucky them, they all took to using cups like ducks to water-- NONE of the problems I had starting out.

It's been three years since I made my post with all the cup folds I knew of at the time.  I've become aware that there are a few more folds in use these days.  For ease of access, I figured I would just update my old post with a few new pictures.  I'm still a dedicated Origami fold user, so I'd be much obliged if you could point me in the direction of the folds that are all the rage these days, or perhaps just the ones I've missed, and I'll add them!

I'm also aware that occasionally the pictures go down, I'm sorry about that (*cough* blame photobucket *cough*).  I don't have webspace, but if anyone wants to volunteer to host the pictures, they could be a little more stable.

Thanks for being here!  I might have a question or two coming up. :)