Hi there ladies
I have just purchased a type A Keeper and used it the last two days of my last period. I was wondering if anyone might be able to offer some advice on the stem? I have left about 5mm left of stem, as chopping it off entirely makes the three month return warranty void, but I am finding that it is rather uncomfortable - fine when I am sitting or stationary, but rubs a bit when I am in motion. I know that some people remove the stem entirely but am not sure if this will work for me or not. The stem sits just outside of my vagina, so it tends to poke me when I move. Can anyone advise about this?

Thanks

Okay, so I'm small... perhaps more accurately: absolutely and utterly tiny. I knew this going in so I found the smallest cup on the market to order and got the after-childbirth size. It was a Meluna Medium Ball end and the rim was too big. It was actually painful to wear... I contacted them and they sent me out a small to replace it (thank goodness!).

I tried it on my first day of this cycle and leaked pretty much constantly, no matter how often I changed. I gave up, figuring I must have been doing something wrong and tried again on day 2. Still had leaking problems which were resolved when I realized I had to change hourly. Day 3 I got up to 3 hours between, more likely 1.5 hours (does flow usually vary like that during the day?) and today I think I'm more towards 2-2.5 hours but the cycle is almost done.

I know its capacity cause the darn thing is always full or nearly full when I take it out. It does have this annoying habit of tilting to the side a bit after I move around a lot which is decreasing the capacity further. It is only 11mL to start so I'm not surprised in the slightest!

Now, the reason I went with a cup so I wouldn't have to drag my cloth pads to and from work. As long as I change often enough I am getting what I wanted with the small Meluna. However, I'd really like to not have to change so much. So I'm wondering a few things... Maybe those of you who have gotten through these issues would be able to help...

Firstly, any guesses as to if the medium meluna hurt because of the size of the rim or the lack of flexibility (it is VERY stiff compared to the small)? Or could it have just been too long (and bumping up against my cervix?) It did just barely fit in there... The pain/cramping was in my lower back and it'd resolve as soon as I removed the cup and come back approx 15 minutes after reinsertion.

Secondly, can the stems on all brands of cups be trimmed completely off? I'm going by the measurement charts on wikipedia and I know 5.2cm is like the absolute max length that will fit (because that's what the medium meluna is and even then I could have used something a bit shorter - the small meluna is just right at 4.6cm). That leaves me with the Fleurcup and Lunette... small for best length (twice the capacity of the small meluna), large for best capacity (3x the small meluna) but possibly not a great fit (per question #1). If I really want to push it I might manage the large lady cup which I've heard is very squishy but I'd only get 2x the capacity.

Help! WWYD?

So, I'm on cycle 2 with my Diva. I'm gettin' the hang of things. My biggest problem was catching it before it overflowed and leaked on my heavy days (much better then the first round) and removal. Before I had to grab my stem and pull it down before I could get my fingers around the base to break the seal and pull it out. Now I dont' have as much problem. In fact, while the stem doesn't bother me (poking and such) I sorta want it gone. Should I? How much is too much (I'm considering totally cutting it off, it's more "in the way" this time around then anything else). I've read where some of you ladies have chopped off the stem or turned the cup inside out. Does it matter? I have to look again to check and see what turing it inside out does, however that idea itself isn't that appealing. The idea would be to get a rough idea what it would feel like without the stem, prior to actually cutting it off. What do you guys think? Suggestions, thoughts?

ETA: So instead of chopping it off, I tried trimming it up to that first groove. It feels much better. I guess it was poking me?? I dunno. It's hard to say in comparison with using tampons. It wasn't uncomfortable and much better then previous tampon experience so I really didn't know any different. The little trim did improve it.

This is my first post here, I'm 24 without children so I went for the diva cup 1.

I put the cup in yesterday because I generally start my period between 3pm Tuesday and 3am Wednesday. I know exactly what's happening down there, so getting it in, and positioned was easy. Totally open, cervix totally inside, spins like a dream. After about an hour I realized that the stem was, at least partially, going to have to go, so I cut half of it off. Another hour and I determined that it needed to go completely, I have no problem reaching anything, I have long fingers and a low cervix (which is bad news for me with the diva cup, actually, I did a bit of research, but not enough, sigh) and I can reach well past my cervix, and I can reach well past the cup and am not at all worried about losing it in there. Where would it go?
3 hours and I realize that just the bottom of the cup is painful. Maybe it's just because my skin has been irritated by the stem, but I decide to take it out and try it inside out. No pain at all inside-out, harder to insert (I had gotten really good at the punch-down fold and I could get it in really quickly right-side out), I had to switch to c-fold, which I could feel more discomfort from upon insertion, not much and it worked, so no complaints. 2 more hours and I could just feel it, the base was just resting right at the opening of my vagina and I found myself obsessively kegaling and thinking about it the whole time. Through all of this the persistent need to pee, just a little. I decided to take it out so I wouldn't be thinking about it over family dinner night with the in-laws. When we got home, I took a shower and inserted it in there, c-fold again, went in fine, watched some star trek, attended to my facebook chore games, and climbed into bed with a cloth liner as backup.
Could still feel it, torn between "this is because my vagina is sensitive from all the attention it got today" and "this is because my cervix is crazy low and the diva is crazy long, and that orange meluna would certainly go well with my other menstrual gear, hm hm." Since the persistent need to pee was still there and I had been lying in bed for a couple of hours dwelling on it, I hopped out of bed to try that out and removed and reinserted the cup, very carefully and with much thought. I figured out that I can push the base of the cup back inside of itself a little bit and then the cup sits where I would expect it to. I'm undoubtedly losing some capacity with this, and risking it popping right side out when I don't want it to, but it feels like I expect it to, which means, like not much of anything. I went back to bed, kegaled a little bit because I could feel it a smidge, and went to sleep. This morning I couldn't feel it all, but I was cramping and sure that I had started bleeding. I got up and did a few morning things before heading to the bathroom to look. It had turned in on itself a little more in the night and was farther up (I feel also that my cervix has moved a little, and is less low this morning.) I gave it a little squeeze to draw it back down into it's full inside-outted-ness and gently pulled it out, turning the rim into a quasi-c-fold as it came out. No mess, no discomfort, all the blood collected in the cup, which wasn't much, but it was there. Rinsed it in hot water and tried to see if I could get it back inside anything like I did the night before, and I seem to have had some success. The first time I opened it up this morning it had gone up past my cervix, but I could easily feel this, pull it out, and try again. When it's placed like this, I don't feel the need to pee. Everything still feels a little tired from too much attention, but I expect that's all it is. I still think that things would go infinitely smoother if I got a shorter cup, but I want to give the diva at least 2 cycles before I kick it to the curb.

I would be having a much much harder time without this community (I never would have thought to turn it inside out!) and I think given the fact that the diva is probably not the ideal cup for me, I'm doing incredibly well with it. Is it a bad idea to think I want to go in the exact opposite direction and get a meluna? I might go for small, because I do have a pretty light flow (I'm on hormonal birth control), but since I can make the diva work, the medium might give me a little more freedom without causing any problems.

( here's a picture of my gear, for fun )

So I decided to get the Diva cup cause so many people seem to like that one. I got size 2 because I have a 1 year old. I looked at the sizing stuff and i believe I have a short vagina and need a bigger around because i have had a child. I put it in and got it in the first time no problem. However when i walked or sat i could feel the stem? It was comfortable all except i could feel it at the opening.  I dont know if maybe it wasnt far up enough or i need to trim it. I wanted to ask first because it was $32 and dont want to mess it up! Thanks for any advice :)

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!!)

 

I have heard of two problems in relation to stem position; either it is too high and out of reach or it is too low and "pokes" you. Can somebody tell me WHERE exactly the correct stem position is. Should it be sticking out slightly, flush with the entrance to the vagina or further in. I don't think I can fit both a finger and thumb in to pull it out if the stem goes all the way in. I could fit one finger in to break the seal, I think. I am seriously thinking of buying a small lunette in the next couple of days.

Hi All! I have been happily using the Keeper for two cycles and thought it would be nice to have a spare. I bought a Diva Cup since they are so easy to find in the US.

I decided to give it a try this past Friday and COULD NOT GET IT OUT. I was mortified. I tried squatting, bearing down, laying down, etc... I could feel the stem, but it was *just* out of grasping reach (I admittedly have short arms and short fingers so that doesn't help matters any). I tried on 4 different occasions but had no luck. I finally had to swallow my pride and enlist the help of DH. He couldn't get it out either. He could feel the stem but couldn't get a good grip on it with two fingers. I finally decided to give up and go to bed. 
I tried again in the morning with no luck. Finally, after two more failed attempts, DH was able to get it out...poor guy.

With my Keeper, I am using the stem to remove it. I don't break the suction first. Someone on another board mentioned there could be "implications" from not breaking the suction first. What are the implications? Am I doing some kind of damage? I CANNOT reach the base of my cup to break suction first...I always use the stem for removal. Is this a problem?

Hugs
Helga

I seem to remember there being a company that offers cups with the option of it being stemless--can someone remind me which one it is? is it one of the smaller cups? or is it a higher-capacity one?
Thanks! and I'm sorry if this question has been asked before.

Hi all! I have been reading THE community, and I have to say it is amazing and just great! I found the answers to all my questions! This is my second period trying to use a cup and I am so excited, I really want to be able to use it, I don't ever want to put a tampon on, but something is not right!

I had a large Diva last month, and I experienced a sensation of light pressure and tickling on my throat and light pressure on my head, and light nausea and dizziness. I read here that too much suction or pressure on the cervix could cause this reaction; however, in the entries I read the reaction was really bad with pain and fainting, I never experience any of this.

After reading up I enlarged the Diva wholes, and cut the stem (so that it would not be so high up) and this helped a bit. But I still had the reaction so I got a beautiful Large LilacCup, I thought squishiness and larger wholes would put less pressure and suction. I tried and it was fine, then when I took it out (5 hrs later) and put it back in the reaction was really strong! ;( I could not leave it to sleep with. I tried again this morning and I have the reaction very light, I think I have to put it in a way that does not push or suck up so badly on my cervix. The thing is I don't experience any pain or discomfort in my vagina! And it is a lot better than with the Diva, but I cannot reach that high up to check if it is pressure or suction.

I have tried to pinch the bottom and suck the cup up a bit with my muscles, move it to the sides to let more air in so the suction or pressure will be less (mind you, the pressure on my head and throat), but I cannot accomplish it. My finger won’t get all the way up to the rim to let more air in...

So my questions after a long story...

1 - Has anyone experienced this, does it go away? It is not really something I want to get used to.

2 - How else can I get more air in the cup to release the suction? Is it that I am not doing the pinching, sucking, and moving for long enough?

3 - How would you check if the problem is pressure or suction if you can get your fingers up to the rim (and I can get at least 6 cm in) to check where the cup is with respect to the cervix? Never had any leaks so the rim is all the way around the vagina walls

4 - Maybe I am putting it up too high? How do I know that is high enough (just at the entrance of the vagina?) I would like to wear it as low as possible. I already cut the stem off the LC

5 - Would a stiffer cup help?

Thank you so much! And sorry for the long post!

I am using my Diva Cup for the first time, and it's been OKAY.  The first day I had some leaking, but today I didn't have any, however, while I was at work I kept freaking out that it was leaking so I felt like I wanted to hide in the bathroom the entire day!

I have a few questions:
1.)  I've read that some people have a problem with not being able to reach the cup when its inside them, my problem is the exact opposite.  My cup's stem almost sticks out, its an inch or two shy, does this happen to anyone else?  I don't want to cut the stem because I use it to insert it.

2.)  How do you really know that it's sealed?  I blindly insert it and push up, almost like a plunger and more or less hope it's okay.  I can't do the circle or turn thing to make sure its sealed.

3.) Does anyone else experience pain when using a menstrual cup?  The general area of my lady parts hurt whenever I use the cup.

4.) How do I get the cup to completely open once inside me, I kept feeling that one side of my cup was folded in?

I reaaaaaally want to be able to use my cup but I feel like giving up!  If anyone has any tips or suggestions please let me know!

Also, I am in a club, the ______ College Women's Center, and was planning on having a meeting where I lead a discussion about alternatives to one time use pads and tampons, anyone have any ideas as to especially important things I should cover?

I also use pads from party pants pads WHICH I LOVE, but I am trying to use the diva cup as to cut down on having to buy more and wash pads.  I started out using Instead Cups, which I think really helped.

I would love to be able to use my cup without fear of leakage or having to use a pad as well, and as today went well with no leaks I am feeling somewhat more hopeful.


Also, I am verrrry new to live journal, so forgive me for any mistakes and my lack of a photo/icon.

ps THIS COMMUNITY IS FABULOUS.

Hey girls,

First, i'm from Austria and therefore could have a kinda bad English, i'm sorry :(

After stalking your website for quite a while, I've ordered a Size B-Mooncup from Ebay and i'm waiting for it to arrive. :D

But I want to ask you girls a few question first:

1) How does the stem cutting work? I've got little to no fingernails at all due to massive nail biting, and so i'm afraid i can't pull out the cup if i only leave half a cm of the stem. Do you need fingernails at all?

2) I guess it isn't compatible with tampons, so will i have to buy some pads when using it for the first time? I'm afreid of leaking :(


3) How does cleaning work? I haven't ordered any of the cup cleaning products. Should i do this, or are there any other products i can buy in normal stores?


Thanks in advance!

First, sorry for the scaring title (it's not meant for new users to run away ;_;), but those really were the only words that came to my mind while I was struggling to remove my small Ladycup...

Bit of recap : I've had a small Mooncup UK for more than a year, and have been very happy with it. I've never had any problems, and I'm used to saying that it came as a revolution in my life ! But I found the material quite stiff, pressing too much (I admit being fussy) against my urethra, and I wanted to give the super soft Ladycup a try, so I ordered one last week and received it yesterday.

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 !

Hi there,

I have just purchased a Diva Cup, and so far so good. My only problem is the stem poking me. I am quite tall (5'10"), and the cup sits fairly far inside of me (I'm guessing my canal is long). The stem sits inside of me, rather than right in the opening. I find when I move around the stemp pokes me inside, or pinches a little. I don't think I can trim the stem at all, because I would never be able to get the cup out (the stem is vital in my removal, because the cup sits so far up in me). 

I am hesitant to try the larger size because I am quite slim, and find even size 1 is a bit wide for me.

Any tips from women with the same problem?

Thanks!

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!

Well first of all, I want to thank you all for this wonderful forum. I wouldn't have had the guts or the knowledge to go ahead and purchase my Lunette, size small, without this website. So, thank you!!!

That being said, this is my first cycle with the Lunette and I'm having a few issues. I'm OK inserting it (c-fold) and even getting it out, which I'm pleased about. (No doubt i found success thanks to all the info on the site).. But, I actually think the cup might have overflowed! I left it for 5.5 hours and it started leaking and when I took it out, it was really full and a bunch spilled into the toilet. Does this seem like an overflow? I am pretty sure that it is, because I checked to make sure the cervix was "inside" the cup. (I also used it earlier that day and checked after 3 hours; no leakage and I just dumped out and re-inserted).  Does this mean I should have gotten a larger size? I'm 24, but not sexually active. I didn't want to go with the larger size for my first cup, but I have to say that I'm pretty disappointed that the Lunette only lasted as long as a super tampon... Will a larger cup fix this problem, or am I just going to have to relinquish the idea that a cup can stay in and hold everything for hours and hours?

Also, I need a bit of help regarding the stem. It was poking out past my folds, so I trimmed it (a little at a time, as suggested), but my nail file on my clippers aren't sanding the edges, so the stem is really sharp! Any other suggestions for how to smooth out the sharp corners? Also, I remember someone drew a diagram of how the stem tip should sit, like this (( | )) not (( -- )). My problem is that it sits like this: ((| )). It's always rubbing and poking on that one side more than the other, and I can't seem to move it over. I think it must be the way my vagina is shaped. I'm a little scared to take off the stem entirely. What would you suggest?

Also, how much of the cup are you really supposed to feel? I feel "full" in there  - is this normal? It also makes me feel like my bladder's full, which I'm disappointed about, since I thought the Lunette was supposed to be a good one for bladder sensitivity. What do you think about this?

Thanks in advance for your help! I really have learned so much about this stuff from reading the site, and I'm determined to make the whole menstrual cup thing work, but I know it can take a few cycles to get the hang of it....

My small LadyCup came in the mail Thursday, and happily, my period showed up the very next day, on Friday afternoon, so I have the whole weekend to work with it at my own pace. Couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to get started. Put it in for an hour Friday afternoon, and removed it before going out for the evening. Put it in again Saturday morning for a couple of hours while around the house, and took it out before going out in the afternoon. I feel these kinds of baby steps are the best way to get started. Will probably try it overnight tonight (Saturday).

My first attempt at inserting it went far, FAR better than my last try a couple years ago with the large DivaCup. I find a bit of lube indispensable. I started off with the basic C-fold, but I find it so darn difficult to hold onto it while inserting it, it's just impossible. On one attempt, it popped out of my hand and flew a foot! (BF walked into the bedroom just in time to see this and cracked up laughing.) The punch-down fold was a big success-- much easier to get the leading edge in quickly, so that when I lose my grip and it starts unfolding, the rim is inside and it unfolds and just kind of sucks its way up in. And I'm so grateful to everyone for all the helpful photos and videos of folds and insertion techniques.

Didn't have too much trouble getting it to open, at least I think it's open. The "stirring" and "spinning" techniques I've read so much about don't seem to work for me-- I can't turn the thing inside me at all-- but it seems to gradually open itself. I rechecked a couple of times, and it felt round on the second or third check. My flow comes on very gradually, so it's still just spotting right now, but when I remove it, the little bit of blood that's there seems be all on the inside of the cup, so I guess it's working.

One concern I have is that I FEEL it a lot when I'm wearing it. Walking is... odd, and sitting can be difficult. Some of this is the stem, but I think it's the body of the cup as well. I feel almost like I'm walking around with a ben wa ball inside me. My first thought is that it's riding too low, but I'm fairly sure it's up about as high as it's going, because it sucks itself upward pretty aggressively as it unfolds, and I shoved it a little and did a few kegels to try to get it up a little more, but I still can feel the knobby bumps just inside my vagina, and it's all right for a few minutes, but I fear that over the course of a day I'm going to develop a lot of irritation. And the least little "pushing" with my muscles-- say, if I cough-- sends it pushing downward. I feel almost like I'm having to "hold" it in place.

Removing it was also not too bad, and I'm so relieved after reading some of the horror stories here about girls struggling with it for hours on end. It was a struggle, and wore me out a bit, but only took 5 minutes of work. I think watching Melissa's insertion/removal video a few times and reading all the posts here has been a huge help. Breaking the suction is a bit difficult, and I find that bearing down hard and continuously is necessary as I pull it out. I didn't do too well with semi-folding it to remove it, and it came out more or less fully open, but fortunately, with the soft, small LadyCup this was only moderately uncomfortable. I think the most uncomfortable part is all the digging around I have to do inside me with my fingers and thumb!

I've only had it a day and used it twice, now, but it's already obvious I'll have to trim the stem. At times it's really painful when it pokes, me, especially sitting. I just now cut off 1mm (up to the first ridge of bumps), and used my tiny sewing scissors to bevel the edges a bit, and then took the rough side of an emery board to it. Filing it like this makes the plastic whitish instead of clear, but I'll take that over sharp/hard edges any day.

Anyway, this was kind of a spew, but I hope it's helpful to someone, and I would like to hear your opinions and experiences on feeling it inside you when you're wearing it.

So I've been reviewing the posts on this community and it seems to me that there's a large number of cup-users that end up cutting the stem completely off the cup.  I know when I cut mine, I had to work to make it be smooth and it's still not perfect.  One of my friends had a huge issue with making it comfortable after cutting the stem off.

Given the large number of different brands and colours now, I was wondering if anyone had heard of a cup that had a "stemless option."  Some of the cups have removed the raised lettering for somewhat of the same reason and easier cleaning.  I'd imagine the same could be said of a smooth, no stemmed cup.

I guess I also mention in the hopes that maybe some lurking cup company will hop on this bandwagon. It would certainly entice me to replace my cup :D

Have you heard of a stemless cup?  Would you buy one?

Hello everyone. :) I started using my small Divacup for the first time on my period over Saturday night. So far I really like it, but I do have some questions and would appreciate if anyone had any suggestions/answers/experiences/you get the point. :P
 

( My Q's )

 

Thank you!!!!

You guys have been so much help! The removal tips you guys gave me were perfect. I can now remove, clean, and reinsert my cup in less than ten minutes. How awesome is that?

( Read more... )

Here’s my question: do any of you have any tips for removing and reinserting my cup in public?

Though I’m switching schools in the summer, my current school doesn’t have the large stalls with sinks in them (I haven’t been in a bathroom at the new school). Also, I have a hard time removing my cup while standing/crouched over a toilet (it seems to make me more tense) and I’ve not yet been able to insert my cup without lube. Any suggestions?

Thanks again ladies! Hugs for all!

I'm starting my third month with my Lunette today. My second month was kind of a disaster because I was travelling and using a different lube that irritated me *a lot.*

However, I'm still having a few issues with the stem (my Lunette rides a bit low, the stem sometimes sticks out, but only sometimes). I trimmed it a very tiny bit the first month. (Again, the second month after two days, I needed to switch back to pads because of my reaction to the Vagisil lube, which at least imitated an allergic reaction.) Since I use the steam for removal, I'm a little wary of just chopping it all off.

How quickly do you trim your stems?

I have recently become interested in menstrual cups. The idea has been coming into my head more and more often. I am sick of stained underwear. I am also about becoming more environmentally friendly. I therefore went out and purchased a Diva Cup. I enjoy the "clean" feeling while on my period, but it isn't all that comfortable for me. I also loved that it was at most 3/4 filled after 11 hours. The first time I used Diva I was in pain as the stem was definitely sticking out of me. I trimmed it a little every time I emptied it until I was left with no stem. Having no stem is not a problem for me. I don't mind sticking my fingers up my vagina. Even without the stem, the cup is still migrating its way out of my body. I don't feel it in my body, but I feel it at my vaginal opening. Should I invest in a shorter cup? Which one? Is there anything else I can try? I have tried shoving it up as far as possible. Thanks so much!

   

Alright guys, so my Lunette Selene size two came in the mail a few weeks ago and I've been playing with it ever since, impatiently waiting for the arrival of my period. I decided not to do a dry run, because I didn't want to get hurt and then scare myself into thinking that it wasn't going to work.
 

Today, my period started right after my first class.

So, my overall verdict is this: I'm not ready for my cup yet. I need to spend the next month stretching out my muscles and learning to ‘loosen’ my PC muscles at will. I love my cup. It really is going to be the perfect cup once I’m stretched out. I also need to actually *find* my cervix because I don’t think my cup is supposed to be quite so horizontal.

Questions:

-Are there any suggestions other than stretching with fingers and kegels? I plan on doing these but I wondered if there were more things to help?
-Does anyone think that my cup was suctioned to my wall rather than my cervix? When I took it out, it had blood in it, and there wasn’t any leaking from the cup when I swirled my finger around it. But, is it supposed to be horizontal like that? I mean, typically, where is your stem? It seemed to be just inside, but not quite. It stuck out just enough to poke me and hurt.
-I’m not sure if I should cut the stem. I *like* my stem but it kind of gets in the way. Should I wait until I’ve given it another try before I trim my stem?
-Any other tips for removal or insertion that I seemed to have forgotten while I was fiddling?
-Oh, is KY an okay brand? Someone said to be careful about glycerin?

 Thanks guys. You have been so much help. I love my cup, and I’m pretty sure that I picked the right one, so I can’t wait until I can use it!

Ha! My cut works.

I got my diva cup a few weeks ago, and couldn't wait to try it out, but I wanted to wait for my period, not do a dry run.  As it got closer and closer to my period, I started getting anxious and thinking what if it goes up  too high and I can't reach it.  When I got my period on Tuesday night I completely chickened out.  The thought of even trying made me mildly panic.    

Since buying the diva cup I also switched to cloth pads , so I figured I would shelf the diva for a while and just use the pads.  Well, yesterday was great with the pads (sure it was a light to medium day).  Today is one of my heavy days, and I remembered why I have been such an avid tampon wearer.  I hate the feeling of my period flowing out onto a pad.    The cloth is definitely better than disposables, but I prefer to keep my period "contained".   

Suddenly the need to not feel  that feeling anymore superseded my mild panic. Thankfully, the bathroom in my office is a one person bathroom...no stalls!  My first try was ok.  I used the origami fold (I call it the rosebud fold because that is what it looks like to me)  But I don't think it popped open or was completely seated in place.  I had it in for about an hour but felt low, too low.  Removal was no problem..probably because it was low.  The second time it seemed to go in  a bit easier, and little higher.  I've had it in for about 4 hours now.  

The stem is at times pokey and I think I'm going to have to trim it. It's not a huge deal, just a bit annoying.    However, I keep getting these sensations like leaking felt with a tampon, but I checked and no leaks.  I'm wondering if it is normal moisture but since I'm used to being all dried out from a tampon  it feels foreign?  Also, for the first hour or so  I  would occaisionally feel   pressure and spontaneous stem pokage, almost like the diva was  going eject.  Then it passed and everything was fine.   Anyone else ever feel that?  

I gave my new Diva Cup a dry run last week.  It went great.  I got my new Femmecup today, and decided to give it a dry run too.  It's a lot softer than the Diva.  I've had no problem with the Diva opening, but the Femmecup did not want to open.  I learned two things with it.  I can insert a finger directly across from the fold and push it out by pushing down on the fold from the top with my finger through the cup, or insert a finger directly under the fold or crease and push away on my vaginal wall until it unfolds.  The Diva stem feels comfortable to me, however the Femmecup was trimmed in minutes.  What I did was a little different I think.  I didn't want to pull the cup all the way back out again, so I got a mirror with the magnifier on it, and squatted down over it.  I spread open my labia, and found the exact spot where the stem just dissapears.  I pulled the cup down until the bottom was hanging out and I cut the stem at the point where it had been just inside my deepest fold.  This ended up being about four lines up.  I think that was about just over half.  No pokey after that!  Now I'm just waiting for my LadyCup and Lunette I ordered from www.leastore.com.  They should be here anyday.  My period on the other hand, won't be here until the 15th.  And I actually can't wait.
 

My question:  You know how sometimes a girl queefs? (I f-ing HATE that word)  Does anyone think that would mess up someones seal?  I'm not even sure how that air gets there to begin with, so maybe it's not even possible if you wear a cup.  Just wondering if anyone ever though of that before