I'm trying my first Instead today, just out of curiosity. I REALLY, REALLY don't understand the concept.

I just wanted to share. I'll post my findings as I go. :-)

This is my 2nd period trying Instead. Today it doesn't seem to want to go in quite as far, and I can't get it lodged behind my pubic bone. The box itself just says "put it completely into the vagina", and it is, but the video makes a bigger deal about getting it up behind the pubic bone. Should I leave it where it is or give up on it for today and use a tampon?

Edit: Well, I did manage to get it in place, and I used them yesterday and today, but I have discovered that it puts pressure on my urethra, making it hard for me to pee. As soon as I take it out I can pee fine. So, no more Insteads for me.

Hi I have used the instead cup for my last 2 periods and I dont really care for them. I actually didnt know of any others until today when I found this site. So I have some questions. Well, my first big concern is with the instead... I put one in and was bleeding kind of heavy and i took it out a couple hours later and there was flow in it and when i wiped there was nothing. I didnt put anything in and waited a couple hours, went to the bathroom and still nothing... Im nervous that maybe somehow the cup did something to my cervix to block it up or something because it always hits my cervix when i take it out (this sounds dumb but i dont know much about this). Next question... how do the other cups sit in the vagina? The instead goes all the way around the cervix and i dont think that is possible with the other cups. Plus the instead cup was comfortable for a couple days but then i would start noticing it there and that is REALLY annoying!  I am just wondering where it sits, how far up it goes, where the stem sits.. and i dont care if it is graphic! I'm really interested but kind of nervous since i have been reading about the problems people have been having. thank you so much for your time :)


also what are the little holes for in the cup?

So I have a Diva cup & used to have a LadyCup and I've never had problems with inserting either one; in fact I find them to be just as easy to insert as tampons.

Anyway, this weekend I bought a box of Insteads because I was at my parents' house for the weekend and forgot my Diva at home.  I feel kind of dumb, but I don't *get* them at all.  How do you get them in right?  Can someone give me step by step instructions that are more detailed than the couple of pictures on the box?  I feel like the rim is too big.  I'm not sure how to best describe this, but I'm sort of putting the rim in vertically and then trying to turn it so it sits horizontally.  Is that right?  Hahahaha...I feel like I'm rummaging around in my vagina when I try to put one in.  

When I got back home (ended up having to use some old tampons I found in the medicine cabinet), I felt like hugging my Diva.  I still want to master these Insteads though, mostly because I'm stubborn.

I'm very excited about using cups & think they are a great idea.  I bought the instead cups to start with.  I'm on my 3rd day of using them.  I have a few questions/concerns & haven't been able to find what I want when I searched so I'll just ask my questions here:

~ I know of one other poster that uses her insteads as if it was reuseable & that's what I plan on doing.  Is there anyone else that does that?  Those that do when/if you boil use between cycles how long are you boiling it for?  Storage between cycles?  how do you handle that? 

~ now the first couple of days i had no issues, but those were my light flow days.  I can have very light months or VERY HEAVY months then there are months i'll have light or heavy days...lol.  i started off this month light & no problem with the instead, easy to insert, easy to remove, no leaking, but like i said very light flow.  today my flow is heavier & i've noticed some leaking plus i can feel it in there today.  it doesn't hurt, but i feel it there.  i'm inserting it the same way.  any thoughts on what i may be doing wrong?

I picked up a box of the Instead soft-cups today on an impulse. Initially I was going to buy tampons, but after seeing the Instead's right next to my usual brand, and having heard wonderful things about the reusable cups, I decided to give them a try. I tried inserting them like the instructions said, but I can't seem to get it in right. Supposedly it's supposed to sit close to my cervix, but it's sitting very low and keeps leaking. I've seen the special folds for the reusable cups, but the plastic on the Instead's seems too firm to do most of those with. I was wondering if anyone had had any luck with a particular fold using the Instead soft cups?

hello ladies!

sorry in advance if this type of post isn't allowed.

i was cleaning the cabinet in my bathroom and found a box of instead cups. i bought them when i first heard about menstrual cups about 2 years ago and was curious. after a few times of using them, i went out and bought a diva cup (which i LOVE). there are 11 unused cups in a box that comes with 14. i will gladly mail them to whomever would like them (and the first to comment saying so). i'll pay for the shipping. i would rather see them get used than just throwing them away.

I am new to menstrual cups and am excited to try them out.  I have otherwise used pads and don't care for how messy they are, but have never been comfortable with tampons. 

I bought a package of Insteads and tried one this afternoon.  I got it in and it seemed to fit right.  I pushed it in as far as I could and it felt like it was behind the pubic bone.  When I stood up and walked around, I could not feel it.  However, a short while later, I started to feel like I was having cramps.  The aching seemed to get worse so I took it out after a couple of hours.  The crampy achiness quickly went away once it was out.

I was very impressed that it had collected the blood and want to try it again!  But I think I must have done something wrong with insertion. Has anyone else had this happen?  What is the source of the pain?  Am I pushing it in "too far" or something, or going at the wrong angle? 

Thanks for any informaiton and advice!
 

Like so many other women here, I've watched this community for a while and was a cup noob until I decided to give it a whirl.

I heard about Instead from my husband (what are the odds of that?). He heard about it from some female acquaintances. According to him, they raved about how well it worked and they're so glad they switched (so on and so forth). Being the period-hating woman that I am (it is probably the most dreadful on the face of the Earth in my opinion...world hunger takes a backseat to fetal-position inducing cramps, disgusting extremely inconvenient leaks, overall dealings with any menstrual product and any other unfortunate side effects that go along with that time of the month), I thought Instead sounded like the perfect solution. I actually couldn't wait until I got my period again so I could try out the little disposable wonders. Well, that time of month came and I went out and bought my first pack and immediately tried it out.

I've read the instructions that come with it at least 10 times. I've seen the video on the site. I thought I had a really good general idea of where everything was (even though I can't exactly find my cervix or know if I've found it...everything feels the same in that area so it's kinda hard to tell and I have small hands so it makes it hard to properly feel everything). Hell, I've even read some of your suggestions on how to place it (which they helped a ton by the way!). And yes, I did have it facing the right way.

Using my first one wasn't that big of a deal. I fought with it a moment trying to get it in and locked into place, but it seemed to fit fairly well. I didn't have any pain or discomfort (although my cramps do seem more intense when I'm using it). But, it seemed that no matter what I did, or how many times I've tried to replace them, I ended up getting leaks. After removing the cup, I could see that there's a good bit of blood in the collection area, but it isn't enough to cause it overflow on it's own.

I'm starting to get frustrated because I don't know if I've placed it wrong (my husband keeps insisting that I am but I don't know how I could be. I'm folding it, inserting it a few centimeters, tipping it down and pushing it as far back as it will go until it locks almost totally behind my pelvic bone), or if my kegel muscles are pressing on it constantly, causing it dump out (they're really strong and I've never had any kids) or it maybe I'm too small for it. I don't know if I have a tipped uterus or anything like that. My gynecologist has never said anything so I'm assuming it's normal, but I'm not 100% on that.

Any ideas or advice from you cup experts? Should I just resign myself from using Instead and try a reusable cup?

 Well after some time of trying both, I have given up on Insteads. They just do not work with my body right which means I leak with them quite often.  They were a good stepping stone in getting used to the Diva cup, which I have never leaked with other then first month.  But now am very used to the Diva cup, and doubt I will ever use anything else as it works perfect.

However, I have an almost full box of Insteads if anyone would want them.....particularly if anyone is in Pittsburgh.

Also, anyone using insteads just a reminder to scroll down to other post I made a few months back about thier contest if you are interested......the deadline is this friday and you get a free box of insteads just for entering. More and money if you win. Just want to let people know (no i have nothing to do with the contest, and as I am no longer using insteads, I am not even entering for the free box)

I tried my first Insteads yesterday, with moderate success. The only real issue I had was removing it correctly. I couldn't grip it from under the ring, so I had to in from above and stick my finger in the cup to remove it. That was yesterday when my flow was extremely light.

Today, however, I was getting cramps so I decided to remove it for a while. It took me about 20 minutes and eventually had to get my boyfriend to get it out. I think the problem was that my heavy flow had actually made a stronger seal and I just couldn't get around it. My pelvic bone is really long too, so I cannot just slide it out like the instructions say to do.

Has anyone else had issues like this? I really am excited about using the cups, but if everytime is going to be this much of a hassle, I'd rather stay on tampons...

I tried the insteads today. I was able to get it in further than the ladycup and Diva cup and was only uncomfortable but stopped when the ring was just covered by my vag. It never made it to the pubic bone. It gives me more confidence to get the ladycup or lunette in. The only problem is the width. I can definitely do one finger and I know that I'm short. I wish there was a smaller softer instead and it might work the best as it folds so much smaller. I'm wondering if I need to position it differently or I'm just too short. I'm going to be home for a little while tomorrow and might try the ladycup again.

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.

So, I am happy with my reusable menstrual cups but I really want to try the insteads because I think they might by convenient for keeping in my car/backpack, etc. However, I don't know where I can find them. I thought I read on here that someone bought some at Target but when I went to our local one, I didn't see any. So, are they available at Wal-Mart, Longs Drugs, or anywhere else?

Thanks!

I found this box of Insteads in the back of the cabinet.  I don't know how old they are but it has to be a lot of years.  I started using cloth pads about eight or nine years ago and the Insteads might be older than that.  I just know I haven't bought any in a really long time.  Should I just pitch them?  Or is it possible they're still good? 

Hi!
I'm new to this community and cups in general (at least, in terms of using them myself). I've been thinking about buying a cup for a while and decided to buy a box of insteads on a whim yesterday. So far, I'm very happy--unlike some of the other posters I've read here, they fit comfortably and don't leak at all, except when I'm on the toilet. (I started on a medium-for-me flow day, and in general I have a lighter-than-average flow throughout my period.) The only problem I've been having is removing it, since pulling on the bottom rim tends to just pull it into my pubic bone, and hooking my finger on the inside of the top rim inevitably leads to spillage, but I figure I'll get a system with some practice.

My biggest qualm with them is the waste, and after reading posts here, I decided I'll try to reuse them through each cycle. I do have a couple of questions for those of you who do use them multiple times that I couldn't find answers to.
1) I've noticed most people here who reuse their insteads put a bigger emphasis on cleaning/rinsing it between uses than people who go with reusable cups. What do you do when you're in a public restroom? Wipe it out? Bring a water bottle to rinse it out? Dump it and reinsert?
2) The information says not to leave it in for more than 12 hours. Assuming I'm not filling the cup in that period of time, is it okay to leave it in for longer? If I'm already reusing it, it doesn't seem to make a big difference if it stays in for a longer time, rather than taking it out after 12 hours, rinsing it with warm water, and putting it right back in.

Thanks!

I'm new to this whole cup thing and decided to try Insteads before committing to a reusable cup. A little history: I'm 30, no kids, not sexually active, do not use tampons (tried once but couldn't get over the feeling 'full' sensation) and I think I have a more moderate flow except on day #2, which is the gusher. Due to the expense and disposal issues, I switched from 100% pads to pads only while I was out and about and rags for at home. I normally go 8-9 hours at work on a single super pad (when I'm most active) but not sure how much is sopped up in the cloths I use at home. I'd love to get away entirely from pads/rags and deal only with cups if that is feasible.

I finished my first cycle using Insteads today but I experienced a few big leaks throughout the week. One I know was caused by a coughing spell and I ran to the restroom immediately to check/empty/reinsert, however the other leaks are a bit more troublesome.  I must laugh at the ‘you can wear an Instead Cup for 12 hours’ bit, because while it is physically possible, it is not hygienically sound! I was checking mine every 1-3 hours during the day to catch leaks before they got too far started. Day #2 the cup definitely got full and was probably leaking due to overflow after a couple hours, but the others are somewhat of a mystery. I seemed to get leaky when I was climbing, bending, pushing and pulling (i.e.: cleaning house and at my job) and those are things I do all day. I know from reading here that the Insteads can be fairly easy to accidentally empty, but I don't think I was doing anything strenuous so I'm wondering if there's a way to screw up the placement. Initially I thought I should be able to push it further in, but it locked in behind my public bone, wasn't uncomfortable and seemed to catch a lot. It’s supposed to just sit under the cervix and catch the fluid so I’m not sure why it would leak when it isn’t full unless it wasn’t placed right. I made sure it had opened by feeling around the rim and I rinsed it in between each placement to be sure there was nothing on or in the cup that could give me a false positive leak. I also checked to be sure the cup wasn’t leaking through puncture or something.

Placement isn’t my only concern; I noticed my cramps were a lot worse. Normally I have cramps the first two days and then just a minor achey back the rest, but this time I had pretty bad cramps for all 5 days and even more severe back aches. I also had a full bladder sensation much sooner than normal, but I did kind of expect that since the cup would be taking up some room in there.

I’m going to try the Instead cup again but I’d like to clarify on reusing them. I didn’t die this time so clearly for the short run only rinsing in hot water is OK, but should I use some other cleansing technique between placements? Since I had some issues with this one Instead cup should I toss it and try a new one next month? If I do reuse this one, what is the best cleaning technique before storage and again before using it next month?

I’d really like to get a silicon cup and I was contemplating a Lunette before the US/FDA thing happened, but I wasn’t sure, so I tried Insteads first. I really like the clean feeling, but I’d prefer not having any leaks! I’m wondering if I have enough room inside for a silicon cup. The Instead went in with some effort and took a good bit of bearing down and tugging to pull it out and I could kind of feel it inside. I’m not sure if my difficulties inserting are caused from my insides being so tight or my inexperience with inserting since I don’t do tampons, but removal and insertion is a big concern. The silicon cups seem a bit daunting since they are stiffer and would need to be tilted out, not to mention all the insertion folds. If I can barely get an Instead in/out (which is flat to me) how on earth will I get a non-flat variety in and out without dumping it everywhere? Feeling around inside I can almost reach my cervix but I’m pretty tight in there past the pelvic bone, so this further increases my insertion/removal concerns. I’d love to go full reusable, but I certainly want to be sure I can use the thing before getting it. As it stands, the Insteads are a good compromise with minimal waste and expense, and even with the leaks, I did enjoy the no-pad feel. I’d really be happy to figure out my leaking issues and go from there.

I just recently heard about menstrual cups and have been reading quite a few of the posts here in this community. Since I'm just about to start my period and I don't have enough time to get a reusable cup I decided to try Insteads. My question is how do you know when it's in far enough? I inserted it the way that the product instructions said, and when I first put it in it felt like it was behind my pubic bone. But when I went to check on it, it had kind of moved down. Not like it was being pushed out, just sort of more towards the bottom of my vag. Is this normal? Should it always be tucked behind my pubic bone?

Also on a side note, I was trying to find my cervix to see how deep it is and it was nowhere to be found. I don't know if I'm just not able to reach far enough inside because my belly gets in the way, or if I just have a really deep vagina. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

I'd never heard about menstrual cups (or any other alternatives for that matter) until I saw this community. Read up about all the different choices there were and finally settled on Insteads as an ice breaker of sorts. Took me a while to find them but I finally saw them (last box! whoo!) on the bottom shelf of CVS. It was only about 8 dollars.

I had read about alot of the problems other users had with them so I expected them to give me some trouble but no. Aside from a bit of discomfort when I first put it in it seems to work perfectly for me. I've had no problems with leakage to speak of and after a bit of adjusting I figured out how best to insert with very little to no discomfort at all. I can't even feel it at all once it's in there. A drawback is that I can't seem to find a way to make a completely clean removal but done properly you should only get a bit of blood on your fingertips and that's nothing compared to the mess you would have with a pad so I'm ok with it.

As far as cramps go they've gone down alot compared to how it used to be with tampons (and even pads which is weird) so I'm loving them. I used to get so anxious prior to my period but even that's gotten better as well.

I use 1 cup per cycle (rinse with hot water inbetween) since I'm still not comfortable with the idea of boiling/storing cups. It'll take me a while to mentally get used to that but maybe sometime later on I'll be able to move on to a more permanent cup. Until then I've got a packet 14 soft cups so at 1 per cycle I'm set until next year.

This is my mother's amazing story of her journey with Instead (behind the cut).

( Read more... )

I picked up a pack of instead cups today and followed the instructions to insert them.  I pushed down and back as far as I could, while sitting on the toilet, slightly leaning forward.  I pushed it in so that the outer ring was back behind my pubic bone, but as soon as I sat up straight it slid back out.   I tried to insert the damn thing about 2 dozen times today.  I didn't feel uncomfortable, but it leaked all over the place.  I know it wasn't in there right.  I ended up taking it out and wearing a regular pad.  I was so frustrated  that I can't get this thing in, I was almost in tears.  I would like to get a Diva Cup, but I can't even insert the Instead Cup.

I'm wondering if softcups are better or worse for the environment than tampons.

Softcups are made from plastics and disposable, but at the same time you use less than with tampons due to how long they can be worn for and they can be reused multiple times. Also people think it's okay to throw tampons down the toilet, which can cause multiple problems, people are less likely to try to flush softcups.

With tampons there is manufacturing, non-organic cotton, synthetics made from paper which wastes a lot of the wood forested for this purpose. Chemicals used to treat and bleach the tampons, and how these chemicals are disposed of, also additional energy used in the various processes in tampon manufacturing.

Is it a six and two threes situation or do you think that one beats the other on it's green credentials (or lack of)...do softcups at least make up some by helping make women aware of the concept of menstrual cups? Is it 'okay' to forgive environmental issues with softcups if they are at least saving womens health and combating menstrual taboos compared to tampons?

I havent had an account or posted here until today, though have lurked since early last fall when i started looking at menstrual cups.  I've since gotten a Diva Cup and Insteads, both of which I love.  Prefer the Diva cup, but do lik...e the insteads as well.  Am actually only on my second one as ive been using it like a semi reusable cup.  But since i initially ordered the trial pack through the softcup website, I ended up getting this email the other day.  Thought maybe some other ladies here might like to do this but have only gotten insteads at stores.  And it says every entry gets a 24 count box....so if using one for each period, that would be good for 2 years.......longer if using one for a couple periods before tossing.  Cant imagaine how long a case....or 3 cases at that would last if using them like semi reusable.

( See contest email )

I'd just like to quickly post this link: www.gurl.com/findout/guides/articles/0,,716773-1,00.html

It's a history of menstrual products, and it mentions cups twice, both times pretty thoroughly. I thought the community might like it.

I keep seeing all these posts about awesomely cute menstrual cup pouches & bags (I think my fave, so far, has been the crocheted uterus bag), but they're all geared toward the reusable ones. Thing is, I reuse my Insteads & I'd love to have a pretty cool & snazzy* pouch to slip it into in between uses.

Anyone know of anyone making anything that might be appropriate?**

* Edited to clarify that I'm NOT a girly-girl, that the only things I think should be pink are sunsets & body parts (which, though permitted to be pink, do not have to be such a hue) & that I was really thinking more along the lines of "sleek" & "sexy", rather than "pretty".
** SPECIFIC examples, including links, are preferred! :D