So I found out about cups about six months ago and plunged in head first. I think they are awesome. My first finding was the Diva Cup, before I found this wonderful community. I told my sister about it, (shes 18, and away at school in Idaho) and she thought the concept of cups was great. When she came home last week for Christmas break, she asked for a tampon and I said I don't have any but I have your cup...she was a little intimidated at first but later when I wasn't home, she took the plunge!!! She came to me this morning to tell me of her experience. I was overjoyed because I had no idea of her adventure. She said she used it yesterday no problem, her and my mom found Melissa's folding video on youtube and insertion and removal was easy. She said when she wore it last night she thought that it was in right but during the night she had a little bit of leaking, and she was disappointed. She put it back in anyways and is soldiering on. We did a little bit of troubleshooting and I think she didn't have it completely positioned correctly...we'll see what the next few days bring.

I'm so excited for my second convert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Things went SO much better this time around. I didn't spill blood everywhere, I didn't have a ton of pain with removal, and I only used one panty liner and one pad the whole time! I am so so SO very happy!
Thank you guys SO much for the support! It's such an adventure when you set out as an adult to do something totally new, and it's nice to have people there to help you along the way! You guys ROCK!

I have been watching this community for a long time. I've wanted to get a cup, but I've been troubled by the idea -- reading all your posts has really helped me get used to the idea. Thank you.

So I took the plunge and bought a DivaCup. I got it Saturday and boiled it as per the instructions. I had thought about doing a dry run with it, but didn't because I was worried that if it hurt or was difficult that I would never try it for real. My cycle started last night, so after refreshing my memory with all the different folds, I tried it. I used a C-fold, held my breath and -- it went right in and popped open. I couldn't feel it inside me at all. I tried a couple of kegels and it felt vaguely squishy, but I had no sense of something actually being there. It was no problem at all. I wore it all night, with no leaks or anything, removed it this morning, again with no problem, emptied it, rinsed it and reinserted it. I had to twist it a bit to open it this morning, it didn't pop open the way it did last night, but even that was easy.

I'm astonished at how easy it is. I wasn't planning on wearing it to work today, but if I don't get any leaks before I head out, I probably will. It's very comfortable and clean, without the weird sticky, dry feeling I get from tampons.

I do feel some pressure against the front wall of my vagina, and I'm worried about getting a UTI (I get them frequently). I also feel a more frequent urge to pee. I'm being careful to wash my hands and to urinate after inserting it, and I'm taking cranberry supplements (I take them by the fistful every time I have sex, and they are very helpful in preventing my UTIs). I'm hoping that small problem will resolve itself as I get used to it.

I do have a question: Do you think this more frequent urge to pee will go away? It's not uncomfortable, but it's bothersome. It's exactly like when I have a UTI and constantly feel like I need to use the bathroom, only it's not painful the way a UTI is.

I am not a frequent poster to this forum, but I just wanted to say how glad I am that it exists. If it weren't for the amazing discussions that take place here, I would have given up on menstrual cups!

I'm 26 years old and have never been pregnant. Six years ago, I bought a Divacup and started using it. I followed the instructions that came with the cup, and inserted and placed it as the manufacturers said I should. I had light to medium periods, and the cup always leaked just enough to where I needed to wear a pantyliner with it. But I felt it was still way more comfortable than tampons, and of course less wasteful, so I stuck with it. And so it went for about five and a half years.

Then six months ago, I decided to get a copper IUD put in. That TOTALLY changed my menstruation. Suddenly I had strong cramps and was bleeding about three times the amount I had before. And my Divacup, for all intents and purposes, quit working. It never got full, but it would leak like crazy, and I gave up on it and was using thick cloth pads instead. Soon, I was frustrated with those too. I would always bleed through them, and getting all the blood out of the thick fabric when washing them was a pain. Plus, I had to have a huge supply of them to get me through my periods. I was about ready to give up and go back to using disposable pads and tampons.

So, a few days ago, I was in the middle of the heaviest part of my period, and I came here and started doing some careful reading on the "leaking" section. I found a discussion about how you shouldn't necessarily listen to the instructions that come with your cup, and for some women, it works way better to wear the cup up high and make sure your cervix is actually sitting inside the cup.

Well...it worked. I put my cup in, using some water based lube to make sure I could move it around easily, pushed it up high, and felt around the rim to figure out where my cervix was in relation to the cup. And it was completely outside of it - the cup was pushed up against my anterior vaginal wall, with my cervix behind it. No wonder it was leaking like crazy! I tilted the cup backward and made sure it was around my cervix, then made sure it was up as high as it could go. I've been using that technique for two days now, and it hasn't leaked a bit. It's also more comfortable to wear this way, because I occasionally used to have problems with the stem and grip rings irritating the opening of my vagina, even after I cut the stem completely off. Now I can't feel it at all. Another plus is, it doesn't block my urethra when I wear it up high, so it doesn't take ages to pee.

So I just wanted to say how cool it is that you ladies are such independent thinkers when it comes to menstrual cups. You solved my six year long problem with my Divacup! You rock.

I just wanted to post saying how much I still think cups are awesome. I had my third run with mine, and I'm really pleased I had it.

I skipped a period because I changed pills, and then my partner and I had an accident, so I was really looking forward to getting Aunt Flo to visit. And come she did, right on time, only with extra mega cramps this time. And gosh, was day three a gusher! I have a fairly light period generally, but I guess the double period hit with a vengence. I usually only have to check once in the mornings and evenings, but that afternoon I felt a worry I might leak, and checked my cup. Not so much a check, as an explosion of blood on to my hand. :P I kind of had a big laugh over it, cause I wasn't expecting it, must have sounded weird to my housemates. :) Anyways, I guess I'm still learning about removing my cup carefully, but I'm so glad I had it, cause my large lady was full, and I would have struggled to cope without her. Hooray for cups!

Also, I finally managed to broach the subject of cups with my mum, and she took it really well. I was worried because we don't usually talk about these things, for puberty she dumped a book on my bed and ran away. Not only was she a bit interested, but said she had even heard of them before! I showed her the pamphlet I made, and she liked it, so I feel so validated now. :) Even though she doesn't need one anymore.

She also asked if I managed to convince any friends to use one - no luck yet. But my doctor is interested, so he'll get some pamphlets, and hopefully let me put some in the waiting room for others. :)

Thanks for letting me share!

i have to say i was a bit unsure when i found this "cup" product. it took me a long time of research and reading this group's forum before i made the plunge.

this is day 4ish of my period and i am hooked, no issues putting in or taking out, i must have bought the right size for my body (over 30 mom of two). i am a heavy bleeder so i have to dump every 2 hours right now, in the beginning of my cycle it was every 10ish. happy to report no leakage yet!

i have become a sort of cup advocate to my friends at work and my family (husband getting sick of details let me tell you LOL)

i think that even if you are unsure and uncomfortable you should make the jump like i did and buy yourself a cup (mine's the diva 2) get familiar with your body and the fit during your cycle, dry runs are a MUST, i spent days off and on with mine in getting used to the feel.

i have to tell you that you ladies made my decision and my purchase and this transition sooooo much easier than it would have been trying to wing it on my own, thank you very much!

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to share a quick story in case anyone else experiences a similar problem:

I love love love my Diva cup but have often experienced irritation starting around day 3 of my period. I made the mistake during my first cycle with the Diva, which caused major irritation, so now I just rinse with water. I do make a point of washing my hands before insertion/removal so I don't get nasty germs in my vagina.

Anyway, I kept getting this irritation and was kind of just chalking it up to hormones or irritation from insertion/removal. This cycle, though, I made a point to wash my hands VERY thoroughly to get all soap residue off....and it's worked! No irritation at all.

So if anyone is getting frustrated with some irritation when using the Diva, remember that it's not just about soap on the cup, but also soap on your hands. I know it's been said elsewhere, but this was definitely my experience. As a rule - if I can still smell the soap on my hands, I rinse more. And I make the water as hot as I can take it.

Yay!!! :)

They put something in the silicone to make people less inhibited talking about their vaginas, I swear, because I wasn't going to make an "I'm sooooo happy about my new cup!" post. And yet here I am.

( And here is the post! )

Like any new cup wearer, I do have a few questions I hope you lovely ladies can answer:

(1) I normally wear a Nuvaring, and usually have to insert it a day or two before my cycle is over. Aside from seeming like it'll be a bit crowded in there, what is the best way to REMOVE the cup without pulling out the Nuvaring? I remove while I'm in the shower so no worries about it dropping in the toilet, but since my entire vag is angled sharply to the left getting correct positioning on the darn thing is a hassle ANYWAY.

(2) I got some feminine wipes to keep with me in case I have to remove my cup in public and don't have the luxury of a sink in the stall with me. They say that they are gentle enough for ladybits, but are they gentle enough for the INNER ladybits? I've only had one yeast infection in the two and someodd decades I've been alive and I'd like to keep it that way for as long as possible; it was not an enjoyable experience that I'd love to relive again and again. I'd like to avoid taking a bloody lump to a public sink to rinse, but I'll do it if it means avoiding a yeast infection caused by residue from feminine wipes.

(3) I don't expect this to be a problem since I've had no problems thus far, but what is a good water-based lubricant that I can use in case I need one? It turns out that all the personal lubricants I have are silicone-based.

Thanks, ladies, and THANK YOU for such an informative community! I probably never would have gotten the courage to buy and use a cup without the wealth of information available here.

Following up on my somewhat effusive post from last week, a few more newbie thoughts on using the Diva Cup.

( Read more... )

OK, I felt obligated to post SOMETHING here, because I'm the kind of person who researches things before buying/using them, and found this community a huge wealth of info before purchasing my cup. If you are a slightly crazy person who does this too, this post is for you...

I've had my diva cup for about two months, and I will never, never, never go back to using anything else. OMG does this make having your period almost nice! I feel SO much cleaner than I ever did using tampons (never mind pads, those, IMHO, SUCK). There is no noticable smell using the cup, which I love (working with men, I'm always worried that they will smell the odor produced when using a tampon). I even use my diva when I'm not on my period sometimes, just to collect the discharge I produce on a daily basis (yes, my vagina hates me, apparently). It's perfectly comfortable, and I forget about it often, and wake up in the wee hours of the morning and freak out because I haven't emptied it since I put it in the previous day...oops.

The only downside I can think of is that it's larger than a tampon, so it's less discrete to slip in your purse when you're not sure you'll need it (unfortunatly, I forgot to insert when I thought I was going to start my period, and had to have my boyfriend bring me a tampon at work because they are so much smaller). Mine is also tinged a brownish color already, which bothers me a little bit, but is to be expected, I suppose. I'm seriously considering buying a diva for my little sister for Christmas, because I love, love, love mine so much!

I'm so very excited about my cup and getting through my first cycle! I want to tell everyone they should be using a cup, it's blowing my mind how awesome it is!
( Conversation starter! )

Ok, so I know I've said this before, but this period it just hit me again - I LOVE MY CUP! It makes everything so much cleaner, easier, convenient, lovely! This is my 11th period with a cup and I wish I had found out about cups when I started menstruating 9 years ago! So far I have converted both my younger and older sister to the cup and my mom is totally OK with my little sis using one! Also, I have told a number of my friends and they were all interested in cups when I told them.

Well, my 1-year anniversary for successfully using a cup is coming up in January and I want to do something to celebrate. Just a little private celebration for myself. I was thinking about buying a new cup but I don't *really* need another one and money is tight. Do any of you ladies have any ideas for what I could do? Have any of you celebrated your cup anniversaries and if so, what did you do?

OH MY GOD.

First time poster, first time user... enlightenment and all.

A little while ago I was referred here by a member (hiiiiii). I'd vaguely heard of cups before, but never really considered using them. Well, I did some research and ordered a small Ladycup "Lotos" - the first couple of dry runs were painful and disappointing (despite using lube), so I decided to put it away for a while. I think I'd been rushing it... definitely needed practice. Aunt Flo finally showed up this week, and I figured out the triangle fold works perfectly. Yay for periods being significantly less gross with no risk of TSS! I can't feel a thing, but the real test was using it during training today. I'm a weightlifter/strength athlete and I take my training seriously. Absolutely ZERO leakage or pain, and I could front squat like the hardcore meathead I am.

( Pictures of the Ladycup Lotos! ...and the hilarious sticker that comes along with it. )


In conclusion, this community is extremely kickass, and menstrual cups have officially opened my eyes. THANK YOU. <3

( Some background )

( Becoming a Diva )

( The rave review bit )

( A Caveat )

I just wanted to thank everyone in this community for all the information and opinions available! I haven't used my LJ account in 4 years and had to reset my forgotten password so I could get on here and share how happy I am!
I was looking into cups after getting so sick of cloth pad laundry and this is by far the best and most informative source with so many of you wonderful women. After browsing around for hours and hours, I finally decided on a larger size Lunette (Selene, because it's pretty blue!) and I was able to find a link to a site that sent them to the US.
I'm not even done with my first cycle using the cup, but I am so hooked. With all the insight available on here, I was able to get things worked out within hours. Got it in perfect the first time, not so perfect the second time, and after about 5 minutes of trial and error the third time, figured out how to fold and the angle to insert to get it in there just right!
It's so great! I was a little nervous because I was out and about and active all day the first day, but other than that one tweak (which I was at home for, much easier to deal with) things went awesome.
Thank you every one!

I used my MCUK for the first time today.

So far so good.

Insertion was absolutely no problem: I used the c-fold. It was even easier once I figured you only need to push the top rim past the pubic bone, and not the entire thing! Once the rim is past the pubic bone and I let go, the cup opens out and rises into pretty much the correct poisition and seals instantly. I usually push it at the base a little more once in though, just so I can't feel what little of the stem is left outside my vagina. I haven't cut the whole stem off just yet - although I think I will eventually - as I wanted to get a little more practise at removal first.

Wearing it has been a dream - can't feel a thing. In some ways I'm even less conscious of the MC than a tampon, because you don't have anything hanging out of your vagina and are not aware of being dried out inside. I'd say the only flaw I can think of at this point is that it seems to make me cramp a bit more than usual; this is probably just because it is bigger than a tampon. I'm also not fond of the air-sucky feeling when the cup opens out inside. Ugh.

Removal is definitely the most tricky part. So far, I've been having to full-squat  in order to get a grip of the base properly, but then I stand up while I ease the cup out. This isn't always easy, and can sometimes be a bit painful, especially if I don't angle the cup enough and it stretches me out - ouch.

I have had no problems with leaks yet, and i was really easy to clean it under the tap. Might be a bit trickier tomorrow though, once I'm back at work and in public, rather than at home.

I like it!

Finally realised after 2 leaky cycles that my low cervix must have been either sitting on the rim of my cup or hanging outside of the rim slightly.  Even though I did a finger sweep each time, I must have missed it sometimes (how??). 

I made a real effort this month to position my cup properly and it now sits much higher than before and I've only had leaks when it's been full.   Also have been able to use the Large Lunette this cycle, the higher position makes it way less uncomfortable.

( Read more... )

So, I actually used my Lady Cup for the very first time today. It's AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This morning, I hadn't started bleeding yet, but I figured that I would later today and decided to try my cup. At first, I tried to put it in standing up and failed miserably. So, I put it in sitting down, and had a little trouble, but finally got it in. It was a little uncomfortable because of the stem, but, I decided to leave it and just see if it was something I could get used to.

So, this evening (I wore it all day :)), I was in the shower, and I decided to just try to remove/reinsert it in there. I took it out, and when I checked, there was blood in the bottom of the cup! I was SO excited because normally, even using tampons, I would leak ALL the time. So, I washed it, trimmed the stem a little, and decided to try to reinsert it standing up again.

It practically placed itself! While I was standing!!! And I barely even knew it was there. I can actually bend over and sit down without worrying!

In any case, I just wanted to say thanks to everybody who helped me figure this out. :)

And, if anyone is thinking about getting a cup and hasn't yet, it's awesome!

Not sure if any of you remember, but I posted last night (I think it was last night :/) regarding my Diva Cup and the trouble I was having with putting it in and taking it out. Well, I just wanted to let everyone know that I took all of your suggestions to heart, put them together, and voila! Today (and I'm still on my dry run, so I'm guessing it'll be even better once my period actually starts) I had very little annoyance from my Diva Cup. I put it in so that it was comfortable right away, and have figured out how to fold it when taking it out so that it doesn't hurt. I'm very excited by this, and just want to thank the mods of this community for having such a helpful place to come to regarding this stuff, and those who commented on my post and offered encouragement and suggestions. Thanks, you guys! ♥

Today was my first time using my Diva Cup! I started my period at work, and raced home on my lunch break to grab it (I didn't know I was starting today). It's in, I used the punch down, it's kind of an eerie sensation when it pops open! lol. The stem has be jabbing me all day! I just went to the loo and checked it out, yeah, it's def stuck into my labia. The plan is to cut it as soon as I get home. I'm going to follow the directions and cut only a little at a time, while I am def tempted to cut it completely off! lol. So, I thought I would share my triumph! Let's see how removal goes...

Hi! (and sorry for the long post)

I'm a 21 year old Israeli virgin. I first came across menstrual cups a year ago while reading an article in the news paper about families in the big cities, who live their lives as environment friendly as possible. It said that one of the women was cloth diapering her baby and was using something reusable for her period, that she had to empty and wash.

Hhhmm… interesting I thought. I never liked pads and tampons but didn't know better. Not long before that day I was wondering, if it was possible to invent something you could put inside the vagina that would only hold back the flow rather than absorb it and create a perfect seal. I assumed that for it to stay in place it had to be shaped like a cup… and then it could collect the flow. I didn't know that what I was "inventing" already existed for about 70 years!

So I researched on the internet for "reusable tampons" (yes… I know, it sounds gross) because I didn't know it was called cups, and found the MCUK first (it's the only cup you can buy here). I was instantly hooked!! My dream came true!! I kept looking for as much information about them as possible. I couldn't find anything bad about this product.

A week later I bought a small MCUK and was a bit intimidated because of the size (six month later I became a proud user of a large lunette without any size problems). I used the C fold and it once poped open right at the entrance… try telling me about pain!! After a few attempts, I finally had success.

The C fold is my favorite fold, it never disappoints me! I prefer having the whole rim inside me at the same time while inserting only half of the cup and letting it pop open then. After that I push it gently in the right position, my suuuper low cervix sitting inside the cup.

For those of you who have troubles getting the C fold to pop open: Try to push the still C shaped base/ low middle section of the cup with your thumb and middle finger from the top and the bottom of the "C". It works wonders for me with the large lunette.

Removal: I prefer the gentle rocking from side to side while pulling down and letting one side of the rim out at a time. Never had problems with it with both cups. At the beginning I use to push the cup back to a C fold, because of thinking the rim part was too big to get out. But it ended every time in spilling blood over my hand and pain when getting the rim out. I recommend relaxing and rocking the open cup out.

To prevent the light leaking stains some of you have: I stir with a finger a few times around the cup on heavy days, until there is no residual blood on the walls in my vagina (it was suggested here before).

Leaking when the cup is not full: Never happened to me! But I read here many posts about this problem.  Possible answer: Not having a good seal + being in a position that allows the blood to reach the holes (like lying down ect.). I noticed that when I fill my cup with water above the holes and touch a hole with my finger, water comes through the hole and runs down my finger. In a real case it is the vagina wall "touching" the hole + not having a good seal. Please comment on this, so I know what you think about my "theory".

I could go on and on in my excitement about cups. I've told literally every woman I know about cups and bought a MCUK for my younger sister. But sadly my friends still don't share this excitement.

Thank you, all of you!!! You have been an awesome help in my one year journey with cups, that will continue until I hit menopause.*grin*

Hi. I'm a 13 year old virgin who has been using cups for 4 cycles now and I love my cups. So I went go kart racing today with my LilacCup in and I didn't get one leak. Cups are awesome all those bumps and sharp corners yet no blood got on my panties.

Hi, my name is Sarah. I just wanted to say that I am glad I found this group. I ordered a mooncup by keeper and some cloth pantyliners for back up.I am happy to say that today I started my first 'green' period! I have been reading various postings here and the tips have really helped me. It's too bad more women don't know about the cups, because I'm glad I found out about them. No more sticky,icky pads or tampons, and I never have to worry about running out of supplies. Again, thanks and I look forward to discussing cups with you ladies in the future.

I wanted to thank the members of this community. I know this is my first time posting but I have been lurking since this summer. I am 24-years-old and not a virgin. I struggled with pads and tampons my entire life. I eventually switched to OBs but even those leaked for me. I have known about menstrual cups for years but I was skeptical to their efficiency. My uterus is tipped which made me even more doubtful.

My first cup was the diva. At the time, I didn't know any other brands existed. I liked the concept of the cup, (actually seeing a cup in person is makes the whole idea much more disarming). But the Diva was too long, even after turning it inside out. It was also difficult for me to get it to pop open. Luckily, I found this site and discovered other cups existed. I eventually decided to get the Femmecup. (It seemed the easiest cup to get into the states.) I like the Mooncup UK and Lunette but I didn't feel like pestering my Swedish friend to smuggle a cup across the Ocean to my vagina. I knew I needed a shorter cup that was easier to pop open.

So far, it has worked out great! I received it in less than 2 weeks. With the shipping and handling only cost me 22 dollars. I was also happy with the no nonsense packaging.

Femmecup envelope.



Here is the bag it came in.



So far, I have had 2 leak free cycles with the Femmecup. I cut the stem completely off. It also tilts in the direction of my uterus. My cervix is on the left side. But it works! I could never see myself going back to tampons again. Sometimes I have to do a bit of a dance to make sure it is in correctly but I haven't had any problems so far.

I also wanted to thank you guys for the different folds. Most of these directions only illustrate the C and punch down fold. The C is never going to get into my vagina. The punch down fold doesn't always open. Learning about the 7 and Origami folds have saved my life. Without this community I probably would have gotten discouraged and gone back to tampons. I really wish that cups were taught in schools so girls would know they have more options. I also wish American women had more options for cups.

I moved from a rubber Keeper to a Lunette a couple of years ago, and with both I found the same thing: I would forget about it for a day, sometimes, and a horrible smell would occur which would cling to the cup -- and my hands, which even soap would not budge!

This happened again last week, and in the past I have tried methods mentioned on here, except for the neem oil and rubbing alcohol ones, because shelling out $10 for a bottle on the offchance it would work when I would only use it for the one thing wasn't really cutting any ice with my budget.

Neither have I ever gone with peroxide, what with it not being recommended and all that.

Tea tree oil didn't work; it made it smell tea tree-y and bad smell mixed; ew.

Vinegar didn't work, although I had high hopes; it mellowed it a bit, not so funky.

Baking soda and boiling water didn't work, even being soaked for a day.

Someone mentioned leaving it out in the sun, so I washed it out well with hot water and soap and put it outside in full sun ... and, going with tradition, forgot about it. Three days later I remembered it and fetched it back.

It's a MIRACLE. Not only does it have no smell at all, but the sun bleached it back to its original translucent whiteness, as it'd been developing a distinct yellow tinge. It felt all right, not sticky or anything, but I figure if you can put silicone bakeware in the oven a bit of sun won't hurt it, right?