I feel like I wasted the $ I paid for my diva, as I'm too scared to try it out for a third time and possibly have to go to the emergency room to have it removed. Anyway...I know everyone's body is different and therefore what works for one will not work for another but..UGH, I just want to not have to buy anymore stupid tampons and pads!! Is it common to go through several cups that just "don't work" (or in my case, you can't get OUT) before finding the one that works for you? How did you all decide which (other) ones you were going to try out? I have SO many more questions but I think i'll leave it at this for the moment.
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Cup use FAQ:
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Menstrual Cup brands:
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Brands not yet seen/used:
· Alicia
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Cup use and...
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I feel like I wasted the $ I paid for my diva, as I'm too scared to try it out for a third time and possibly have to go to the emergency room to have it removed. Anyway...I know everyone's body is different and therefore what works for one will not work for another but..UGH, I just want to not have to buy anymore stupid tampons and pads!! Is it common to go through several cups that just "don't work" (or in my case, you can't get OUT) before finding the one that works for you? How did you all decide which (other) ones you were going to try out? I have SO many more questions but I think i'll leave it at this for the moment.
My issue is with my cups. My large Lady Cup and Diva used to ride low. Yesterday my Lady Cup went up so far that I could barely get it out - even with bearing down. I finally had to get into a full squat and even then it took a while.Today I'm wearing my large Diva and hoping that it's longer length makes things easier.
I've never been able to reach my cervix, but my vagina is short. Both my cups used to feel too long, but now they both ride very high. The fibroid really distorted my uterus, so I'm wondering if everything has changed position with its removal. Has anybody ever experienced this?
Also, does anyone else have discomfort with removing their menstrual cup? Once I've gotten up to the rim of the cup, I'm not quite sure how to make it small enough to be comfortable removing. It kinda just ... pops out, and it's rather painful. I don't want to squeeze the edges together because I'm afraid that, once I'm using it for my actual period, everything will spill.
Basically, I just need some help. I'm so confused and PMS is making me frustrated to the point of tears with this thing.
A few facts about me… I’m eighteen, and a virgin. I’ve used tampons for a few years now, but a friend told me about menstrual cups a couple of weeks ago and it sounded like a wonderful alternative. Needless to say, I purchased a Divacup last week and it finally arrived yesterday.
Maybe this was a bad idea, but I tried to insert it last night. My period isn’t going to start for about a week and a half, but I was eager to try my new investment out.
To my surprise, it actually went in after only about three or four minutes of trying. The push down and seven fold didn’t work for me, but the c-fold worked fine, and as far as I know I got a good seal.
When I was convinced it was in right, I stood up and walked around for a minute or so, and I couldn’t feel a thing! Then I went back into the bathroom to remove it.
Here’s what happened… I squeezed the tip of my Divacup and slowly tried to ease it down and out. It didn’t feel like I had broken the suction yet, but I kept trying, and after maybe a minute it finally slid out.
Just as it was coming out though, I felt a little pain and maybe a couple tablespoons of blood came gushing out. I stood up to clean it off of the toilet seat, pretty unsure about what had happened, but knowing that I didn’t just want to sit there in a pool of blood. And I don’t know… maybe I stood up too fast? But next thing I knew I had passed out right there on the bathroom floor.
I’m thinking I broke my hymen, and I was wondering if you guys agree. My parents were never open about sex (or genitalia in general), so I’m really quite ignorant about it all. Any insight on the matter?
Note: I’m Christian, and although I’m saving myself for marriage, I’m really not too worried about my hymen breaking (if that’s even what happened). My religion places more importance on the emotional aspect of sex than it does on the physical, and I’m sure a broken hymen isn’t going to matter much when my time comes. So to clarify… that’s not what worries me. I really just want to figure out what happened.
Thank you so much for your help...
I'm a first time cup user using a small MeLuna with a ball stem right now. Using the cup itself has been great, but it's nearing twelve hours so I've been trying to remove it.
The thing is, I've tried maybe three times already and I can't seem to be able to remove it. The widest thing I've inserted before this cup is just my middle finger. My cervix sits extremely low (I have approximately just two centimetres of distance between the tip of the ball and my vaginal opening), but I still can't manage to insert two fingers in at the same time and have both fingers be able to grip the base of the cup. I've tried sitting, standing, and squatting positions, and none have worked. I have also tried to break the suction at the rim, but my finger can barely reach that far, and I've managed only once to even put pressure on the rim.
Does anyone have any tips or suggestions? I really don't want to have to go to hospital just to remove my cup...Should I just keep trying, hoping my vagina will gradually get used to two fingers?
Thanks so much. T_T
Edit: Did it, after 30 long minutes! D: Thanks, everyone, for your help!
I know a lot of people use the LadyCup and love it...so how do you get it out?
I wish there was a cup out there that was really smooth like the LadyCup but had a good, solid base that I could get a good grip on. I don't think it would even really need grip lines as long as the base wasn't so squishy! My other problem with the LadyCup is that the rim and top part is so stiff that I can't try to refold it while it's inside of me, because it won't squish in.
Is there a cup out there that's smooth but easy to remove?
Edit: I got it out! Thanks for all the advice. I'm still open to smooth cup recommendations, though.
I am also considering trying another brand, one that would have suction that isn't so strong and I'm open to comparisons. I'm thinking about perhaps a divacup.
But my main question is: am I inserting the cup too far and that is why I'm having removal problems?
Hi everyone!
I just discovered this forum in the last few days—unfortunately after purchasing my first cup, a Keeper Mooncup (did not know about the ethical issues associated with the company at the time)—and have since been fervently reading as much of your advice as possible before trying it for the first time. A little too fervently, I guess, because despite recommendations for a dry run, before I knew it my period had arrived and I was stuck trying it for the first time a half hour before leaving for work this morning. (It’s amazing how the thought of putting another tampon inside of you can completely turn you off after merely discovering an alternative…).
So, after all the rambling, my question is: Have any of you regretted trimming your stem off all the way, especially for reasons other than removal assistance? Or, did you too experience the same type of sharp, internal poking from the stem at first, but then found it went away? I just want to make sure I’ve thought of everything before trimming it all off and not being able to get it back.
As a side note, a lot of you talk about how high/low your cervix is, or the size/shape of your vagina. How do you determine these things? I feel so out of touch with my own body—I would have no idea how to describe my particular shape/size, with nothing to compare to, let alone choose a cup based on my size without physically trying them. Is there some kind of measurement you do, or is your knowledge more from trying different cups and knowing their respective dimensions?
I also wanted to add that I, too, think it’s crazy how unheard-of menstrual cups are, at least in the US. I come from a very eco-conscious and all-natural family, especially my mom (who has never been squeamish about her/our bodies), but I only just found out about menstrual cups from a friend at age 24, and when I told my mom (who has now gone through menopause) about them she said, “Gosh, I wish they had had things like that when I had my period!”, even though they have apparently been around for decades. I will definitely be spreading the word to my sisters and friends!!
(Sorry for the long post! And thanks in advance for any advice/insight!!)
Getting it out, however, was another thing entirely. It was agony, mostly, I think, because I have tiny hands. Kid-sized hands. So I had to pull the cup down till it was practically in the opening before my finger could reach high enough to break the seal, so it was fully expanded right at the entrance of my vagina. It hurt so much. I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced the same problem? And what solutions would you offer? I've already fallen in love with my cup and am completely converted, but the whole ripping-my-vagina-in-half thing isn't okay, so it and I need to find some sort of compromise.
Thanks in advance!
so do they sell any with strings or can someone possibly make me one? I really dont want to go back to tampons, but its hard enough cleaning it out at school, and now its even harder to get it out of me...it takes forever!
I was looking at other brands too...the yuki seems to have a better grip and longer stem....but i dont really have the money to spend on another one since i just got this not too long ago.
( My first insertion )
Four hours later I tried to remove it. I could barely fit both my thumb and index inside at the same time and when I could feel the stem, I couldn't grasp it at all, even while bearing down. I started to panic and considered getting help, but I gave up and tried again two hours later.
What finally worked was sitting, leaning only slightly forward on the toilet, far back on the seat so my hand could hang through. I grabbed the stem with my (right hand) thumb on the exact left of my vagina and index on the right (my vagina seems wider across than up-and-down) and I wiggled the cup while pulling and bearing down as congruently as possible. Eventually I needed to use my fingernails to grip the stem, and then I could squeeze the bottom of the cup, and then it popped out a bit painfully.
My vulva was painfully swollen but I was more relieved than anyything.
I have mixed feelings about the cup. I have their smaller size and I chose the ball stem. On the one hand, it's the most comfortable cup I've ever worn; on the other hand, it can be more difficult to use than my others.
( Details behind the cut, also picture )
There have been a lot of questions about ordering. When I ordered mine I completed the order process on the website, then emailed the company to ask what email address to use to send the money via PayPal. (Their website says you can use PayPal, but it doesn't show up as an option when you're making an international order, or at least it didn't a month ago, which is why I emailed them to get the address.) That worked fine, and it shipped out quickly.
(Mods et al.: I threw on what tags looked relevant, feel free to add or remove tags as you see fit.)
I looked through the tags but didn't really see a specific label?
Anyways, is there any way for my cup to go so far in that I can't get it out? This is the only thing i'm worried about. I'm terrified that it will move all the way back and I wont be able to remove it!
Anyone else had this problem or and i'm just being paranoid? TIA.
I'm 30, a virgin (no, this is not the problem ;0) ), and got my small size mooncup a few years back.
I used it for a few months, getting used to it, but could never get it out without a degree of discomfort, ranging to pain on particular bad goes.
I have read so many posts about removal - they talk about rocking it back and forth, and slipping it out at an angle; or folding it over inside, and pulling it out from the bottom. I don't seem able to manage either of these properly.
Reaching it is no problem - the cup sits quite low (actually, uncomfortably low - see below). I have cut off the whole stem, but find it too tight to grip at the bottom with finger and thumb. I therefore have to slip my finger up inside to break the seal. I attempt to fold it and pull it out so that the whole rim is not coming out at once (happened a few times - VERY painful!!) but tend to end up with it still feeling too big anyway. The result tends to be my hand covered in gunk (which I don't mind so much, though not great for public toilets), the blood spilling everywhere, and worst of all, a lot of pain. Once or twice, I know I have torn skin/tissue at the bottom of my vaginal opening (?? would this have been my hymen??), as I have felt the sensation, and seen fresh blood on my fingers.
I do worry about removal each time, but remain calm and relaxed - nothing feels particularly tense, just very tight, like there's not much room down there. I can just about get two fingers in (without the moooncup in, and with lubricant), so wonder if size is the problem?
The other thing I've noticed - as opposed to many people whose cup seems to disappear off up inside, I find mine sits very low. I can feel it when I sit down. This is despite giving it a good poke once I've put it in. It just seems to slide back down. I'm pretty sure it's sealed, as it doesn't leak.
I would so much appreciate any advice on less painful ways to remove it. Having read some of the posts here, I'm now also thinking maybe I should try a smaller cup, like the colour Lady Cups. Could this be a solution?
Many thanks.
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...
Also when I try to remove it it hurts like crazy. Like and unbelievable amount of pain. I try to break the seal but maybe I'm not doing it right?
The only problem is when I wake up in the morning my cup seems to have disappeared up inside me and I can't reach the stem or base to pull it out. I think it's because on the second day of my cycle my cervix move up quite a bit. Usually it's okay to spend 5-10 minutes to get it out but sometimes that's not always possible when I'm in a rush to get out of the house in the morning.
I've read that doing kegels will get the cup to come down farther. But that only works sometimes. Maybe my muscles down there are weak? What else can I do to get my cup farther down so I can reach it? Thanks :)
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!!
Sorry in advance, this post is pretty long...
I just had a pretty awful experience with my cup. I don't want to scare off future cup users or anything, but I'd like to know if anyone else has experienced something like that...
I've been using a DivaCup for about 3 years, and 3 or 4 months ago I switched to a Lunette. I've been happy enough with the Lunette so far. I got my period last night, so this morning, I put in my Lunette, and all was dandy, until later when I took it out and put it back in.
All of a sudden, it was ridiculously painful. I figured, from posts here, that the cup was hitting my cervix. TMI, but I tend to be slightly prone to constipation, and it was the same feeling (could it be that that feeling is from my cervix and I never realized? I do eat a lot of fibre, after all).
I tried to take it out, but I couldn't, it hurt too much. It felt like it could be the suction that was making it painful (even though I usually never feel suction), but the weird thing is that the cup wasn't open, it was folded in half, so I don't know where suction came from?
I tried to move it around the release the suction, pull on it, do something, but it hurt too much. I tried to walk around to give it time to open up, but I started to feel really sweaty (as can happen when one's in pain). I kept alternating between standing, sitting and trying to get it out, but nothing worked, the pain was too strong, especially when I tried to get it out. Then my hearing got all fuzzy, like I was under water, and I was shaking a lot, and I could tell I was about to faint.
I don't know if the panic was enough, or if the pain stopped, or if I just got numb (I was completlely out of it, my hearing and vision were odd, I was sweating and shaking, I couldn't stand properly), but the cup, thankfully, came out. I almost instantly felt better and lay down, and now all's fine.
Does anyone know what happened? (I'm sure no one knows for sure, but if anyone has an opinion, I'd love to hear it.) Was it the beginning of toxic shock syndrome? Was I about to faint because the cup was cutting off blood flow or something, or because of the pain, or just because I panicked? (I have fainted once before, and it was after feeling VERY slight pain --a small cut on my arm--, so I'm not sure what happened then either.) And the scariest thing: what would have happened if I couldn't get the cup out? I would have fainted, and then what? Would there have been permanant damage?
Should I stop using a cup? I definitely won't use it again this cycle, but after? I would be so sad to give up cups, but I definitely do not want to go through this again, and it's likely that I will be too stressed to put it in next time. Maybe I should switch back to the DivaCup?
And a last question, I was thinking of getting and IUD in a couple of months, do you think this experience means I should leave my cervix alone for a bit? I usually have a high tolerance for pain, but this doesn't seem like a good sign.
Thank you so much!
But I can't really get that to work either.
Any other ways of removal you like?
Bit of recap : I've had a small Mooncup
I put it in yesterday, and the time for removal went this morning...
Well, I thought "the smallest, the best" but I guess I was wrong : the small Ladycup is super tiny, and though I'm quite petite (5ft, 88lbs) it has proved TOO small !
That was my first mistake. The second one is that I assumed, before putting it in, that the stem would bother me, so I cut it off entirely, as I did on my Mooncup UK without encountering any problems with that...
Well, that was without considering the super smooth surface of the Ladycup, making it difficult to grab. But that was not an insurmountable problem, as using nails would have done anyway.
The thing is that my cervix was completely inside the Ladycup, leaving it airtight !! So it was impossible to release suction by either squeezing the bottom of the cup or reaching the rim with my fingers (fortunately I don't have any problems with putting my fingers in xD)
I had varied thoughts, such as piercing it with a pin...
I eventually brainlessly pulled it out, in a horrible pain x_x (but at least it's out...)
I'm happy that it isn't my first cup, otherwise I would have been completely traumatized !! (again with the scaring words >_< don't misunderstand me here, I really LOVE my MCUK !!!)
So here comes a question : for those who own a Ladycup, how do you remove it ? I mean, without having it slipping off of your fingers (I'm not necessarily talking about a suction problem) ? Did you leave the stem untrimmed ?
After this dreadful experience, I’ve come to this conclusion : not disdain the biggest size, and TEST it out before trimming the stem completely !
I was able to insert my Diva Cup model 1 with no problems (I admit, I brought my laptop into the bathroom with me and followed the tips and instructions I found in the archives). I was afraid I wouldn't get the suction right but I could definitely feel it when the cup opened and formed a seal. The cup sat fairly low--the stem bothered me a bit when I bent over and sat down, but i figured I could trim it the next day.
The next morning I went into the bathroom to remove the cup and had no problems bearing down and grabbing the stem and then reaching the base of the cup. I pinched the cup (hard) and nothing happened. I wiggled the cup a little (which was super painful) and the suction still didn't release. I tried reaching my finger along the side of the cup to break the seal from the top, but that was super painful as well. I continued to wiggle and tug until I had the bottom 1/4 of the cup outside me. The cup STILL hadn't released its death grip on my ladyparts.
As I was sitting there, with half the cup outside me I contemplated grabbing a pair of scissors and cutting the bottom out--it really hurt. I was finally able to squeeze one top corner out and the second it was out the rest of the cup fell out.
What the hell went wrong? I know the diva cup is notorious for having tight suction, but this was much more than I was anticipating! Any advice? Should I enlarge the holes at the top? Is the cup too big? Anyone have ideas for a different removal process?
Updates: Removal took forever because I don't want it to hurt like the last two, I managed to fold it when half of it came out. My only concern is when I DO have my period I do not know if I can fold it. Blood will surely spill out and probably every where on my hands, seat and perhaps my pants. (This is if I do i outside home)
Before I go into the question, I recently posted my first time (scary) experience with the cup. I am not planning to try it again for awhile because it hurts down there right now. What happen was I tried it again next day and the insertion was not that bad but still uncomfortable. The removal was painful,still, or even more.
Note that I could only insert one finger in there (after the first application I could fit two fingers more easily but still not manage to make use of it besides making the path way a bit wider)
I push the cup down with my muscle and tried to pull the stem when it sticks out. I break the seal with my index while holding on to the stem with my thumb and middle fingers. What happened was I had a hard time to get it out because my hymen was in the way which hurts like... I could not fold the cup while it's in there because if I let go of the stem it will go back in, plus I could not hold to the base instead of the stem because the base would be inside and I could not put three fingers in there. Only my index was pushing the cup to not make it seal. I could not take it out easily. I had to pull it knowing that it will hurt and there was no other way at the time. It came out creating a seal right when i was almost out and made a "pop" sound. OMG It hurts like I would never try it again...I really want it to work but I would need more time for it.
Today it is very sore and hurts all the time :( ...
Question for the future use
I think I have quite a heavy flow the second day.I don't think it's a good idea if I will be having to empty it when I am not home. If I use pads with it to help when it leaks and I cannot empty it, would that be OK? Or it's goign to make weird noise.
I have a small lady cup.
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