Hello Awesome Cuppers,

I'd welcome advice from Fleurcup user, and cup users with shorter vaginas... My novella here:

( Cut for acres of background :) )

So, background on me: I'm 21, have vaginismus (but do physical therapy for it and am improving) and endometriosis. Up until Friday, I have been on the pill for 6 years. I've probably had like 5 very light periods in the past 3 years because I took HBC continuously to avoid menstruation. Friday I got a mirena IUD.

So, I'd like to use a cup. My GYN said it was totally fine to do so.

I've tried a small Diva before and it didn't work for me. I tried it probably twice each period for 5 or 6 periods, then it fell out of my bag and I lost it.
I had kind of a hard time inserting it, but I would get it in after a few seconds, seem to be sealed fine and in the right place, but after like an hour it would be uncomfortable and feel like it had come unsealed or something and slide down lower. I was never able to keep it in for more than a few hours.
I think what might have been happening is that due to the vaginismus, my muscles were involuntarily spasming and breaking the seal.

So, I'm hoping you all can help me choose a cup. I assume I'll have a light- medium flow, although I'm not sure. I have very tense vaginal muscles/ small vagina. Also, I have a pretty low cervix and short vaginal canal.

The issues with the unsealing... do you think my reasoning makes sense? And if so, do I need something with stronger suction? maybe a stiffer cup? Wider cup? Shorter cup?

Do you have any suggestions for what cup I should get? I know preferences are really individual, but it isn't really something I can try out and return if it doesn't work for me. I'm a poor college student, so this is really going to be an investment for me.

Thanks!

 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. 

Hello,  

I am a user of the Diva Cup for about 4 months and I have had no problems.  It is comfortable and easy for me to insert and remove.

With that, I am getting an IUD inserted in about a week.  Because removal is so easy for me, I do not think I will have a problem with the IUD.

However, when I remove my Diva Cup I have to bear down quite a bit and use a lot of my muscles because my Diva Cup goes so high in my cervix.  Is there any way that the IUD will come lose from using my muscles so much when I remove it?  If so, does anyone know of any menstrual cups that do not have the possibility of going so high that  causes me to need to use my muscles?

Thanks for your help.  I love this forum and this community!  

i've been researching tags, but haven't really found much to exactly the questions i have (this is kinda x-posted with iud-divas)

so... two questions:

removal:

my main form of removal is bearing down, since i 80% of the time due to my extremely heavy period have a cup that is in the process of overflowing when i remove it, so all i have to do is bear down and it pops out. would this be like the absolute worst thing to do with an IUD because then i would cause the cup to drag along the strings, or would this be fine since i'm not pulling on anything? anyone else use this form of removal?

strings:

i would ideally like to get them trimmed as short as possible to stop them even touching my divacup to avoid expulsion.

has anyone had them trimmed extra-short? was there severe pokage problems by partners? or should i just keep them normal length and be extra super careful with the cup?

thaaaank you! :-D

This is my second period on Paragard and having my small LadyCup BlueCup! While I keep trying to be a good sport and use my cup, it's just not working. I just don't want to give up on my cup yet.

( Cut for TMI... )

i have a divacup that i absolutely adore, it has changed my life. i'm in the process of changing my birth control because hormones are making my migraines with aura worse, and so i'm thinking i'd really like to get an IUD, the copper paragard IUD, to be specific. however, i checked the divacup.com's FAQ's and they said "The DivaCup is not suggested for use with an Intrauterine Device (IUD). It is possible for the IUD to become dislodged, displaced or removed when the menstrual cup is removed by inadvertently pulling on the IUD string. As with all gynecological concerns, please consult with your physician."

okay, that makes sense, but i've read through the "iud" tags in the community and it looks like there are plenty of women here who have an IUD and use a cup and have yet to dislodge their IUD while using their cup. i guess i'm just looking for reassurance that i can get this paragard and continue to use my divacup. has anyone here actually dislodged their IUD when using a cup? any advice or experiences you'd like to share would be fabulous. thanks! :)

My name is Amy and I've been using Insteads since I saw their infomercial on latenight TV in 2000 and ordered a sample. They weren't so bad until I got an IUD last year, and between that and the part where I'm PCOS and went from 2 periods a year tops to having one a month - and heavier ones at that - I was finding they weren't working for me anymore. I just bought a model 2 Diva yesterday and am in love. No leaking so far, it just popped right into place, and the geekoid in me loves that it's marked for measurements on the inside.

The only issue I've had is trying to remove it. I'm kind of automatically trying to pull it out the same way I would an Instead, which is not working since it has stronger suction and ow, also I'm afraid I'll pull my Paragard out with it. The best I've been able to come up with is to kind of pinch the bottom a bit to break suction, what other ways could I try? Thanks.

 Ok so I just used my BlueCup for the first time and, as was expected, I had a few insertion problems and could use some helpful suggestions.

I seemed to get it in fine but the first time there was a LOT of pressure, sort of like a speculum feeling. Then it suctioned perfectly but the bottom of the cup was sticking outside of my vagina. So I got it out and tried a few more times. 

Trying the C-Fold (first time was Punch Fold) I got it in but I had to pee REALLY bad. Then I couldn't. This led me to thinking that I inserted it straight up as opposed to back so I took it out, washed it because it was a tad messy, then re-inserted it.

As of now I am in the bathroom and not feeling too comfortable. The bottom of the cup + stem are sticking out of me and I can definitely feel it when I am sitting down or even walking. It's not that uncomfortable, but a tampon is looking pretty good right now. Should the cup be sitting this low? Should I try getting it higher up? If it's that high I have a problem fitting my fingers into my vagina to check for the rim and I don't want to accidentally hit my IUD strings. 

I'm going out of town to a wedding this weekend and want to be able to use it. I will definitely bring tampons and pads just in case. Some help will be much appreciated. I'm not ready to give up yet and will try again in the morning. Thanks!

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!

 Hi all! So I finally got my BlueCup late last week and my stubborn first post-IUD period seems to be starting, about a month over do. I've had spotting for the past 4 days which finally got heavy this afternoon, but once again tapering off to near nothing. Hmm...

Anyway, so because it seems as if I'm starting I would like to try using my menstrual cup. At the very least to catch the spotting fluids I've been having that has ruined several pairs of panties. I've been looking up videos on how to do folds and insert the cup properly. Are there any tips on inserting the cup with the IUD? What should I do with the strings? How should I insert it? What should I do upon removal? 

I've already used a couple tampons with no problems so I'm hoping the cup goes the same way. Any IUD users out their with their input would be much appreciated. Thanks! 

I am twenty-one years old, sexually active, and have never given birth.

When I first began using a menstrual cup I was using Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo birth control pills. As these pills made my period extremely light, a small LadyCup was more than capable of handling my flow. I only had to empty my cup once or twice a day. Disliking the hormones in my bc, however, I quit taking the pill and had an IUD inserted. I love my IUD, but my flow has increased considerably. My period last longer and produces much more blood and tissue. As a result, my LadyCup no longer works as well, and it needs to be changed several times throughout the day, somewhat defeating the purpose of using a menstrual cup.

After a bit of research, I believe that a small Lunette cup would work well for me. Though its dimensions are only slightly larger than those of the small LadyCup (narrow vaginal canal), it has a much larger fluid capacity. I also like the the shape of the Lunette is very similar to that of the LadyCup.

My only issue now is how to obtain a Lunette. As I live in the states, it is difficult to find anyone who is willing to ship the Lunette to me. I have heard that the reason for this is due to the Lunette company seeking FDA approval. Is this true? If so, does anyone know how long it will be until the Lunette is available to Americans again? Are there any companies or online vendors who would still ship a Lunette to me discreetly?

Thank you so much for your help, ladies!

Update: June 29, 2009

Just received an email from the Netherlands online vendor, All in Wonderland. My Lunette has reportedly shipped! Fingers crossed that it makes it past customs!

I will update again when I receive my Lunette, or if there are any issues.

Update: July 13, 2009

All in Wonderland told me that my Lunette should arrive within one to two weeks after being shipped out, though it was possible that it would take up to thirty days to get from the Netherlands to Washington state. Today was the fourteenth day, however, and I received my Lunette in the mail!

HELP!

Okay, so it's my first period on Paragard, fourth day, and I am freaking flooding! Holy crap, I can't believe how much I'm bleeding. I always used Instead softcups, and though I might risk it with them in the future, I'm not willing to try them this early on. I need to get my gyno to trim my strings shorter before I can even think about it anyway. I ordered some cloth pads about a month ago but I obviously didn't order nearly enough because I am going through them faster than I can wash them and use them again. I've even had to swipe some tampons from the stash at work and from my roommate, and I go through a Super Plus tampon in a matter of a few hours. Once upon a time, that would last me up to 12. Anyway, the tampons really feel icky after being used to cups and I just don't like using them.

Here's the worst part! I'm a massage therapist, and I'm leaving in just a few hours to drive all through the night from Huntsville, AL to Asheville, NC for a weekend long Shiatsu workshop. These tampons are making me dry out and cramp, and I can't really buy disposable pads because when you're wearing one of those lying on the massage table they make crunchy noises!! Embarrassing!! For this reason, I'd also really like to find a cup so I can completely undress or wear a thong in order to receive massage.

So my question is, where can I buy cups or pads in person??? Do any of you reading this happen to be somewhere along my route and feel like selling some pads or cups (even [clean] used!) Do places like Trader Joe's sell any reusable menstrual products? I've never been to one because there aren't any near me, but I bet there might be one in the Asheville area. ANY help and/or advice would be much appreciated! I'll be keeping up with your responses on my phone the whole way! THANK YOU!

X-posted to menstrual_cups, cloth_pads and iud_divas, the latter mostly just to share my experience. For the record, this is the only negative part of having the Paragard so far. Other than this, I love it!

A newby here... and I can't get the darn thing out!!

I learned about menstrual cups as I was researching my IUD, and thought they were great from the start, but I was a bit scared, so I decided to go for the small LadyCup since it's the smallest to get the hang of it first... maybe that was a mistake?

( More info... )

Thanks!!

UPDATE: SUCCESS!!

I got it out about a minute or two ago, and it's been about 24 hrs since I put it in. So far, so good. I decided to defer my next cup use to the next cycle. I was tempted though, to put it straight back in :)
( The Removal )

I'd just like to say THANK YOU to everyone here!! I would definitely have panicked if it weren't for you wonderful people!!

Well, I'm super, super indecisive, so I've been stalling ordering a new menstrual cup. That, and I'm supposed to wait a few months before using a cup with my new IUD. But when the blood started flowing today and I found myself pad-less, I had nowhere to turn but my good old Diva.

And it was a success! I'm extremely glad to say that my Mirena is still right where it should be!

But how bad do you think it is that I had to leave the cup in for nearly 24 hours? I was going to take it out when I got home from my boyfriend's birthday party, but then his car died in the middle of nowhere and I ended up being almost 10 hours late in changing the Diva...

I feel bad--his birthday presents from me ended up being a ride in a tow truck and a new car battery...

Hi there. I am new to the community and have been slowly observing the cloth pad and menstrual cup community. Basically, I just got a Paragard inserted about 2 1/2 weeks ago and am due to start my period in just over a week. I am thinking about trying out a few new methods besides tampons and pads. I ordered a few cloth pads to try those out but I'm really interested in a menstrual cup. I am just concerned about using it with an IUD (very long strings, I'll get them trimmed at my check up in a couple weeks). 

So I am petite, 5'2" and about 114 lbs. My vagina is pretty narrow, my finger can easily touch my cervix when checking for my strings (so opening to cervix ~ 3 inches). I am just wondering if anyone has suggestions for what menstrual cup to try. I know there are quite a few out there. The only one I know about is the Diva Cup and they do not recommend using it with an IUD.  Also, what is the risk of expelling and how do you recommend inserting and removing the cup?

I'm completely in the dark about menstrual cups, I know very little. But I'm open to trying new methods for absorbing (or collecting!) menstrual fluids. Thanks for any helpful suggestions!

Hey all! I just had a Mirena IUD inserted yesterday, and now I'm thinking about getting a new menstrual cup. I've had my Diva cup for a couple years, and its getting a little ragged, so I guess it's about time to get a new one! But I'm kinda worried about the suction/IUD string-pulling issues that I've read about on this board.

Do you have any suggestions for a more IUD-safe cup? As I said, I'm looking for something a little less suction-y than the Diva. I can also handle something a little smaller. I've never bled enough to fill the Diva more than halfway, and I did have issues with the stem poking out of me at certain points during my period, even after I trimmed it ...

I actually didn't know cups other than the Diva existed, so I was pretty excited to find this community!

After reading some posts on here, I'm thinking about the Lunette, but I'm in the USA. Have shipping restrictions been lifted yet? Or any news about when they might be?

Oh, and I'm 23, np.

Thanks!

I have been using my femmecup for my last two cycles and I love how clean it is, even though I leaked once or twice, I had on a pad for back up, but I still felt it to be very clean. But I am wondering if this is the right cup for me. My main concern is the capacity and the hardness of the top ring. My first concern about the capacity is not to do with my periods now, more to do with when I get my IUD inserted and the amount of bleeding will increase, but since the femmecup can hold 15mL and the bigger cups go upto 20mL, how much difference is 5mL going to make?

My other concern has to do with the hardness of the top ring. I think I like that the top ring is hard, because it makes it easy for it to pop open, but when I take my cup out, I tend to take it out fully open, but slightly tilted. I feel a little pain when the opening comes out, I am not sure if this is something I will get used. But a worry for me is, will the cup make my muscles loose from removing the up fully open? Is this something I should be worried about, or not?

Other than these concerns I love my cup, I can't really feel it when it is in, but I am sad that my cramps have not decreased when it is in, I think the cup gives slight pressure on my cervix, because I have cramp pains on my third day of bleeding, when I only usually have cramps on the first day.

I asked my gyno about using my cup with the IUD and she said that it is fine, and I asked about the strings being pulled out by the cup and she said it is nothing to worry about.

hello everyone! let me start off by saying if disposable pads work for you, i am *not* in any way criticizing or judging. hell, i used them for years myself. this is about my own experiences and how i feel personally about disposable pads.

i'm getting an iud (mirena) placed today and for my own peace of mind decided to use pads for the first couple months. i want to give it a few months to settle in before i try to use my cup with it. i have a lunette, so i'm not worried about it causing expulsion, i'm more just worried about my own learning curve with the iud + cup.

the doctor gave me a misoprostol pill to insert vaginally this morning to aid with the procedure (it softens and slightly dilates the cervix). i decided that might be easier to keep in place if i used a pad instead of trying to have my cup in with the pill (i have to be on my period for the procedure as per my obgyn). i wish i had thought ahead to buy some reusable pads, but i didn't. so i ended up buying pads for the first time in a year today. i've never had to use pads w/ my lunette, even as a backup, and... i know this sounds silly, but i almost felt like i was betraying my lunette. not to mention i didn't remember just how much my skin hates disposable pads. within an hour of putting on the pad, i was miserable.

i guess the whole point of this post is to say that i guess i never truly appreciated the freedom and cleanliness of my cup until i went back to a pad. i'm so glad this is temporary! i'm already dreading having to have pads in my purse and carrying into the bathroom. not to mention cringing every time i throw one away and realizing its going into a landfill. i miss my cup :(

I am completely new to both IUD's and cups. I just had my Paragard inserted yesterday, and now feel like I should look into using a menstrual cup after the 3 month wait time. This gives me some time to research, I know, and I have looked through all the posts and... wow. I have NO idea what to do.
I'm pretty sure my cervix sits low, but I guess I'll have to keep checking to see if that varies. I've never given birth and I'm under 30 (just barely, 28). Any advice as to which cup is best? I live in the U.S. and have already read the sad stories about mooncup and lunette. I think I'd probably need something that isn't too big, but again, I don't really know. I read the helpful post that charted sizes and capacities, and totally appreciated it, but also felt...lost. Utterly. Anyone about my age, with Paragard, and a vagina that isn't especially deep (in my opinion, at least. it's not like i've measured it.)

I'm hoping those who use their cup with an IUD can answer a question. Where does your cervix sit in relation to your cup? Inside the cup, above it, or somewhere partially inside the cup but not all the way?

( I've had my IUD for about 3 months and this is the first cycle where I've introduced my cup back into the picture... )

I was wondering if the ladies with IUDs & cups could pass on some tips about removing a cup when you have an IUD. I'm a little paranoid about the lip off the cup or my finger catching the strings when I release the suction when the cup is right up near my cervix. Do you recommend breaking the seal at the "top/cervix" side of the cup or "underneath/away from the cervix"? I'm relatively short so there's not really any chance of the cup sitting any lower & away from my cervix.

As an aside... after reading the post about having cup dreams I had one of my own that night... & I didn't even have a cup!! I made the comment on that post that maybe it was a sign that my cups would arrive that day... & they did!! So now I'm waiting for my period (should be next week) so that I can give this whole idea a try! :)

I was wondering if anyone has made a list or chart comparing the total length, including the stem, of all the cup currently available. I think this information would be helpful for those of us who are a little longer.

I have a fairly long vagina and during the last few days of my period I find it difficult to reach my Miacup to remove it. Pinching the bottom of the cup doesn't work for me, I have to get my finger over the rim to break the suction and bearing down while holding the stem helps me hold it low enough to do this.

I'm thinking of buying a second cup that is longer to make removal easier on those days. I got an IUD about six weeks ago and want to make removal as trouble free as possible to avoid disturbing it.

Just from look at photos of the different cups it appears to me that the Femmecup has a longer stem than most other cups but the cup itself is shorter than my Mia. Do you ladies think that would be a good option?

Any advice from users who have worked through a similar problem would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

For the past 30 days, I have been waiting anxiously for my period to start. It's been a crazy month of many ups and downs in stress, eating, sleep, exercise, etc, so I'm not at all surprised my uterus held on a little longer than usual. Anyway, last night, I started spotting! I was thrilled because I got to use my Lunette for the first time! I have a paragard IUD, so I quickly tucked my strings behind my cervix and inserted the cup (using the 7-fold. I can't seem to get the punch-down method to pop out as well as the 7-fold. I'll keep trying other folds). I left it in until this morning and was so excited that I had no leaks! I emptied it this morning and reinserted it. It's been sitting there all day now! Here are some things I've noticed:

1) I think it's actually helping my cramps.
2) The seal seems fine and I have not noticed leaking
3) I don't have that awful dry feeling inside. I had no idea what a difference it made
4) I can barely feel it!

Just my 2 cents :) I'm one happy camper!

I finally got my Lunette Selene in the mail yesterday! I ordered it JUST before Leastore stopped shipping to the United States, and was very happy that I didn't wait until the next day like I was going to. I was very excited to get it, and popped it in as soon as I got it. Inserting it was a DREAM compared to the Diva, and removal was about the same. For whatever reason, probably because I modified the holes, my Diva suction is easy to break but its hard to get the damn thing to open right when going in... without having to change a thing about the holes, the Lunette worked wonderfully! The suction is stronger, but the different feel of the silicone makes it easier to pop, which is what I like.

Unfortunately, I also just got my IUD inserted today as well. I asked my gynecologist if it would be OK to use a cup with the IUD in place, and she said that its best to wait until after this period and the next, since if its going to expel that will be when it happens, but mine most likely won't because insertion was so easy. I almost can't believe I actually got it, it wasn't nearly as painful as I expected it would be! I am super excited for the next two months to happen, because I just want to be able to use the Lunette for more time than just over night. Oh, and being the silly girl I am, I left my Diva at my house with the Lunette Selene bag, but left the Diva bag in my purse, which came back to college with me, and brought the Lunette itself back as well. I just realized this... it made me giggle so I thought I'd share.

Now my only worry is remembering how to sleep with a pad on... something tells me this is going to be a messy night(or morning!). I made some cloth pads myself... I'm not so worried about bleeding through them, but more about bleeding off of them... But I guess I'll just see how it goes and hope for the best!