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 posted a while back regarding all the difficulty I had with my first cup, the Diva. To summarize: I leaked constantly, I had trouble getting it to seal and it would invariably get sucked up my vagina, catching none of my blood at all! After going through all sorts of troubleshooting on here, we guessed that it had something to do with my tilted uterus. So I ordered a large Lady Cup and used it my last cycle, figuring the larger diameter would be more likely to catch my cervix and that the shorter, softer body would be easier to maneuver into position. I had much more success with it than the Diva, but I still had some leaking (especially after sitting down for long periods of time- probably because this changes the position of my cervix). Overall it was so much better that I was almost satisfied. Almost, because I still couldn't rely on it 100%, and it made me feel achey inside. So I decided to give the small Lady Cup a shot. I'm almost 25 but I know the sizing is more of a shape and capacity issue than anything else, so I figured, why not.

I'm so glad I did! The small Lady Cup does everything I ever wanted a cup to do. It stays put, insertion and sealing are a breeze, and it does not leak! Seriously, I had to empty it in a public bathroom today, and it was out and back in in under 30 seconds. Retrospectively, I think that the problem with the large LC was that it was a little too snugly fit for me, which forced it higher up in my vagina. Since my cervix is tilted, I need my cups to ride low in order to catch the blood. The small LC has a small enough diameter to ride low, and therefore it stays below my cervix.

Thanks for all your help and support on here. I never would have even considered a different brand of cup had it not been for this community.

I previously posted twice about my incessant Diva Cup (small) leaking issues (possibly due to my tilted uterus/cervix, which meant blood was flowing right past the Diva), and I mentioned that I was switching to a Lady Cup (large). I posted some preliminary comparisons when I first received the cup. Well, I've been on my period for three days now, so I'm finally ready to post about the experience. (Yes, I know you have all been waiting with bated breath, haha)

The verdict: Lady Cup has been a huge improvement, with some caveats:

Leaking- pretty much eliminated with LC, so it's not perfect but it's a vast improvement. I have still had some leaking, but usually this occurs when I am sitting down for long periods of time. The LC still zips up my vagina like the Diva did, so when I'm sitting, I think this puts the cup at an angle at which my cervix slips below the rim of the cup. Has anyone else noticed increased leakage when you're sitting down for a while?

Insertion/sealing/popping- oh man, I had never understood prior to the LC how people could just "swish" a finger around a cup to make it open. That NEVER worked with the Diva; if it went in and popped while slightly folded, I'd have to reinsert from the beginning. With the LC, gentle pressure and maneuvering is all it takes, and I can do it in pretty much any position. I attribute this to cup design rather than to experience because I had and used my Diva for six months.

Comfort- although the LC has been worth it because it's made my period almost unnoticeable (and it doesn't make me feel like I have to pee all the time, which the Diva did), the large LC has not been the best fit for me. And I'm not talking about insertion or removal. There is no room for me to get my finger to the rim of the cup, so I've been unable to nudge my cervix into the cup to prevent leakage. Even wiggling it around hurts, and I feel a dull soreness/ache all the time. I chose a large because I'm almost 25 and because it has a bigger capacity, but as a lot of women on here have said, it's a shape rather than a size issue, so I've ordered a small LC that I'm going to try. I'm sure it'll be good for my light days if it doesn't work out for the heavier ones.

Overall, I strongly recommend the LC over the Diva for ladies who've had long-term leakage problems with the Diva and/or who know they have a tilted uterus. The shorter length and greater maneuverability may make it a better choice in these cases. :)

I've posted on here before regarding my overall difficulty and dissatisfaction with my small Diva Cup, which I diligently used for 6 months before giving up. I am 24 and have a tilted cervix. It appeared that the Diva was getting pulled up past it, causing constant leaking. Nothing I did seemed to remedy the problem (and believe me, I tried everything). This community convinced me not to give up and just try a different cup :).

Today I received my LC in the mail, and although I'm not on my period (will post again once I've used it then), I had a few observations for comparison:

Insertion - holy CRAP this is easier with the Lady Cup, even though it's larger in diameter. It seems actually designed to go comfortably into my vagina. The LC becomes warm and bendy to the touch and slides in smoothly, whereas the Diva always felt like a hard, sticky, ridged dome of plastic regardless of temperature.

Popping open - some on here have found that it's harder to get the LC to pop than the Diva, but I found the opposite- and I tried several different folds, all of which worked immediately! Because (a) the air hole are distributed in a kind of zig zag and (b) the rim is stiff, moving the cup around just a little bit with my finger caused it to pop open within moments. I always had a hell of a time getting the Diva to pop, resorting to bizarre insertion positions combined with squatting, Kegels, drowning my sorrows in ice cream, etc. Even then, sometimes I just couldn't do it.

Suction - once I insert it, the LC has a death grip on wherever I put it in my vagina. This may be due to the larger diameter, but it seems to be more than that. I think I get way better suction with it than with the Diva, period. Sometimes just tapping on the Diva would make it lose its seal. I think this has to do with the fact that the cup is softer and shorter, which allows it to more easily maneuver into a position in my vagina in which it can open and suction. Because the Diva was so stiff, I couldn't get it into a good position.

Comfort - although the LC is softer than the Diva, I can definitely feel the difference in diameter, and so far, I'm not a fan. It feels uncomfortable, not just "present." Then again, I always felt the Diva too, which was super uncomfortable at times because it always made me feel like I have to pee. So the jury's still out on this one.

Removal - yep, the LC lives up to its reputation as being very difficult to remove because it is softer and therefore the seal is much harder to break. But on the plus side, it is worlds more comfortable to remove, again due to the soft material.

Based on my experiences so far, the LC might be a superior choice for women with tilted cervices and/or who experience consistent, unexplained leaking with a stiff cup like the Diva. Jury's still out until I have a leak-free day on my period, though!

The other observation: does anyone else get g-spot stimulation from wearing a cup? I walked around while wearing the LC for a while, and I nearly had an orgasm. Maybe it's because the cup sits lower in me than the Diva, but hahaha, I have to say, I wasn't ready for that surprise!

First off, thanks for making this community SO helpful for cup users! I've used many suggestions that I've found on this community, which is why I decided it's time for me to finally post and ask for advice.

I've been using the Diva Cup (Size 1- I'm 24 and have never been pregnant) for six months now, and after a valiant struggle with it, I am ready to go back to tampons and pads. Insertion and removal haven't been huge problems for me for the past few months (although there was a painful learning curve at first :P), and I've finally figured out how to get it to open and how to make it seal. But despite all that, after about an hour of successful wear, it suddenly starts to leak EVERY TIME. I check that it is fully opened (yup), that it is still sealed (yes) and that there are no dents/puckers (none). I've used every fold possible. I've used every insertion position on here and have tried tons of methods for creating a good seal (spinning, stirring, pushing on the walls to let in air, etc.). I've tried keeping it very low and inserting it higher. It doesn't seem to be a size issue, either- the cup is held so firmly in place that it's sometimes a bit of a battle to get it out (yay Kegels).

The one thing I've noticed is that no matter how I insert it, after about an hour of wear (depending on what I'm doing- biking seems to be the worst), the thing gets suctioned all the way up my vag as though my vag were a vacuum cleaner. It still seems to be sealed and fully open, but since my uterus is tilted far to the left, I think that the Diva may be getting suctioned right up next to or past my cervix.

I think the Diva is just not a good fit for my body. But after having read hundreds of posts on here comparing the different brands, I still don't know (given my overactive vacuum cleaner of a vag) if it's a better idea for me to go with a stiffer cup (Lunette), a shorter, differently-shaped cup (Keeper Mooncup), a softer cup (Lady Cup), or to just give up, become a hermit, and sit on a pile of straw throughout my period. Or the next worst thing, use pads :(.

Advice about which cup may be best given my particular problem would be awesome! :)

1 ) 
I just started using my Diva Cup.  My period is usually heavy.  I had a baby a year ago (vaginal birth) and I'm using a size 2 Diva Cup.  My muscles may possibly be very loose because I had an episiotomy and a 4th degree tear during the birth - the baby came out with her hand on her head!   After I inserted my Diva Cup for the first time, it started leaking after 4 hours.  When I removed it, I realized it was leaking because it was filled to the brim.  Is this normal?  This was day 1 of my period.  It has slowed down since.

So I inserted it again.  I had some spotting on a pad that I wore (just in case).  It didn't fill up as quick, it was comfortable, and I was very happy.  I suspected the spotting would stop after I tried inserting it a couple more times to get the hang of it.  I don't mind spotting - my periods are so heavy, it is nice to not have my period leak on my underwear and clothes! 

Any advice to prevent spotting?  Do I not have it suctioned?

2 )
I took it out and cleaned it right before I went to bed.  I inserted it and wore it to bed with a pad.  I had some spotting when I woke up in the morning.  the cup was half full when I woke up.  But I had a horribly difficult time trying to remove it.  Through the night, it had gone up so high - I couldn't find it!  I started to get really nervous.  I was squatting in my bathroom, pushing with my kegels, working really hard for about 15 minutes...  When I could finally feel the tip (which I have not cut), my hands were so slippery, I couldn't get a grip on it.  I wish there was a string attached (like a tampon) that could help me pull it down.  I'm so scared, I haven't worn it since Sunday.  Does anyone have any advice?  Does it get better with practice?  I couldn't squat like that if the Diva Cup got lost while I was in a public bathroom!  Would Kegel exercises help?  How can I prevent it from going up so high?  Does this usually happen at night?  If I change it more frequently, would it give it less time to ride up really high and less of a chance of getting lost?  I understand it isn't lost for good - but it is scary to put my finger up and not feel the Diva Cup!

3 )
Also, how would I know if my uterus is tilted?  I see a lot of people on this post have said that there are different tricks for a tilted uterus.  But I don't know if mine is tilted or not.

First and foremost, thanks everyone for being so supportive! Everyone here has had a hand in helping the love for menstrual cups to spread!

Now I have a few questions with regards to leaks and positioning with regards to the cervix and retroverted uterus. I'm trying to familiarize myself with what's where down there, but for the moment, it feels like a whole bunch of fleshy stuff! So I'm arming myself with diagrams so that I'll have a better idea. I know for sure I have a retroverted uterus (it made my IUD insertion hellish!!), but after looking at these diagrams (http://www.revolutionhealth.com/articles/tilted-uterus-can-it-prevent-pregnancy/20334091-273F-4DC3-B43F5BF51DC6EEBF) I don't understand how or why cup positioning is so critical. It seems to me that as long as it's in the bottom part of the canal, it'll catch the blood either way. I don't understand how it can suction "on the wall" or "away" from the cervix. To me it looks like a fairly straight path. I understand that this is a diagram and that it's probably not so cut and dry in real life... and I guess that's where you talented people come in. Please help me understand how this works. I'm getting so frustrated with these leaks. It leaked alllll day yesterday and allll day today!! I'm determined to make this work. *Off to do some exploring*

PS) I've never been one to get all into the idea of getting a speculum and checking myself out, but I've been considering it. Where would I find such a thing for purchase?

EDIT: This is now my fifth leak for the day... about 9th for this cycle. Obviously, I'm doing something VERY wrong. I'm a former Diva user, and I don't remember having this many problems when I started using that one. I don't know what's going on... I've been trying all of the tips on here. Is it possible that my IUD has altered my anatomy so much that it won't work anymore? I know that sounds silly, but I don't know what else to suggest. I'm *SO* frustrated I'm practically in tears. UGH! I've tried to do the whole swirl to make sure it's open, but it feels like my pubic bone (or whatever that is) gets in the way so I can't even get my finger around. Anyway, I'm crampy, frustrated and more than a little sad. Thank you SO much to those who offered their support and advice. I'm not giving up. I'm going to make this work. *Thrusts chin into the air and decides to show her new menstrual cup who's boss*

I'm a little scared, I've tried six times to get this thing out.  I have the size 2 and I wonder if it is too large for me.  I can barely feel the tip, I definitely can't get a grasp on it and I can't reach the top of the cup either.  I've tried bearing down and relaxing and pressing the suction out but it stays right in the same place.  I've read everything I can about it getting stuck, and all I see is "oh there it came out!" and "haha you can't get it stuck" but it's been almost 24 hours now of trying and I am desperate.  It seems to be up past the vaginal canal, is that possible?  The tip is also behind the pubic bone.  I can barely get two fingers in, much less pull with two and get another in for squeezing.  I'm frightened of having to go to the hospital.  I don't know what else to try, my vagina seems swollen too and that doesn't help.

So I have to admit that over the years I've had both a Keeper and a Diva and I managed to try each one only once before giving up completely. I have no problem with insertion and they're comfortable to wear, but getting them out was a complete disaster. I could barely reach the cup with a fingertip and there was no hope of getting two fingers anywhere near the stem - i ended up using a cansten applicator to painfully lever it out.

After reading around on this site I tried and figured out that even squatting AND baring down I can only barely touch my cervix.

I just recently bought a pink cup to try - thinking maybe the softer silicone might be easier to work with - but after trying the cervix thing I'm thinking that maybe my fingers are too short / vag too long - and I'll never get it together.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

thanks

I used to use The Keeper but had problems with it. Then I had babies and nursed them and really didn't get a period much for awhile. Now that I am back menstruating regularly, I ordered the Mooncup (UK) to see if a different design would help me avoid problems I had before.

Day 1 and 2 I had TERRIBLE leaking. I was having to wear a maxipad, which of course defeats the whole purpose. Every time I sat down, if I concentrated hard, I could feel the cup denting in on the bottom side, losing its seal, and leaking everywhere. When I would remove it, there was hardly anything in the cup. I was trying to sit funny, or stand at my desk, and I still had problems. It was awful. I was very disappointed.

On the night of Day 2, I went running. I wear my cup high, above the pubic bone, and when I got home it was so low I could feel nearly the entire back side of the cup sticking out along the vaginal opening, and the rim was just millimeters from slipping out. Thank goodness it didn't, because it was FULL.

Each time I inserted, I was feeling a dent on the underside of the cup, and actually using my finger to push the vaginal wall out toward the rectum until I felt the cup unfold fully. So that wasn't the problem. I was also doing my best to run my finger around the rim, although it was difficult to reach that far.

After the running incident, I reinserted and went to bed. By some miracle, I woke up in the morning with no leaking, and I felt like the cup had found its correct place. I remembered reading on here a tip about trying to get the cervix inside the rim, which is difficult if the cervix isn't exactly centered at the top of the vagina.  If you think of the cervix as a soft, squishy light bulb hanging down at the top of the vagina, with the opening being the little GE symbol on the bulb, you can imagine what I am talking about. I think my cervix is off to the side a bit, and I was smooshing it but not having the opening actually inside the rim.  I emptied the cup in the morning and reinserted, working really hard to feel my way around the rim and try to push anything that felt like my cervix toward the center of the cup. When I was done, I noticed that the tail of the cup was at a diagonal, not in line with the labia, but pointing somewhat off to the side! So I was right! When my cup is inserted correctly, it is not symmetrical or centered. And getting it over the cervix allows it to move up higher, and not be squished when I sit down.  When I was done inserting, I actually felt the worry about leaking go right out of my mind. I just KNEW it would be fine. I rode my bike to work and when I got there, no leaking! Sat down - no leaking!

I wanted to share this with all who are having problems, because although I saw the links about "tilted cervix" I never thought to click on them as a solution to my problem. I am very happy that I can now use my cup the way it was intended.

I'm sorry if this is too much of an "update" post, but I just wanted to thank everyone for all the info on this forum. I wore the Diva for a few hours this morning before work, and it was perfect. It only took about 10 minutes of fiddling for me to get it right. I'm too scared to leave the house with it yet, but I plan on popping it in tonight when I get home to see if I didn't just have beginner's luck.
This is good news for me because, as I've previously said, I didn't think that I could wear a cup. I have a funky shape (tilted uterus, flat pelvic arch) that made tampons and the NuvaRing impossible to wear, and my doctor wouldn't prescribe me a diaphragm. Sadness! So...if anyone else has an uncommon shape, don't be too wigged out...it can work.
I'm also wondering how this went for you ladies...once you figured out the cup, how fast did you incorporate it into your life? Did you start off just wearing at home, then move on to using it during the workday, or did you wear it full-time immediately?
Thanks!

I'll throw this behind a cut because it might get long. But the short version is that I like my Diva Cup.

( Me and my Diva )

Edited to add: I do have a "very" tilted uterus (at least that's what they tell me) and it has not affected the use of my cup.

I've posted here numerous times, still with the same problems. Anyway, I started trying my small size Divacup again, since I've found part of the weirdness of my large size Mooncup UK is that it slides up and to the left when I wear it, and since the Diva is longer, I thought it might do better.

I finally after about twenty tries got the Diva to pop open fully. This is definitely why I switched to Mooncup. It's amazing how much more the Diva scratches the vaginal entrance when I insert it than the Mooncup. Anyway, I wore it for about twenty minutes without problems or leaking. Suddenly? Air released and I felt around, and, sure enough, it lost the seal as it was trying to slide up and to the left like the mooncup does.

This is probably why I NEVER got a seal with the Diva, because after a time it tries to suck around my left-tilted cervix and, since it can't tilt due to its length, I lose the seal.

So, score one for the Mooncup, but I've found that I still have problems when the cup sucks far up and to the left. Not only is it hard to reach, it causes a LOT of cramps and discomfort. I guess what I'm asking is if anyone has any advice or techniques to keep it from sliding upward. It's hard enough to get either cup to seal, and on the rare occasion that either does, I lose the seal eventually due to my tilted cervix. I've mostly given up on the cup, and Instead made me sick (something to do with the materials), so barring my asking for a diaphragm at my next gyno visit (which I am actually planning on), I am pretty much switching to cloth pads at this point. But, if anyone has any advice that might help, I'd appreciate it. For a long time I wasn't getting either cup to open, and now that I can, I see that it's not the only problem.

Thank goodness I found cloth pads, because after trying cups for two years with limited success I was starting to get pretty frustrated.

aww man i freakin' had this all typed out then it erased as i was trying to add tags!!!!!!!!! argh now i have to type it again!!!!
ok i'll try to be quick.
1. wished i had found this site before i order my diva cup may have ordered differently.
2. got the Diva cup on first day of mesus so no chance for a dry run. through this site found out about cutting of steam and the punchdown stlye, much improvement.
3. however... i can't get the cup in enough the the little bit of stem i left for griping doesn't stick out and rub against the left side of my vaginal opening.  if i try to push it higher i swear it's hitting my cervix!!!!  i'm short (4'11") if i bend sideways my ribs rub against my hipbone so i'm sure theres just not alot of room down there. that and through self explorations i've determed that not only is the varginal opening really tight, but i think my cervix tilts off to one side. which brings me to
4. i came across the terms titled uterus, retroverted uterus, and shifted uterus. googled alll three, found ifromation on the first two but not the third. what is a shifted uterus?
5. i normally am bloated and have bad cramps my frist day only, but with the cup i have felt bloated and had bad cramps all daymy 2nd day (today, will see about tommrow). now from reading around i'm hoping the cramps will go away, but if anyone has any other opinion please do share.
6. it's still leaking, about the same as if i tried to wear a tampon (which always hurt, i could always feel it, and always had to wear a pad with it anyways, so i just wore pads.)
7. now these answers i may find on this site yet, but as of yet haven't gotten through the whole site. A. i know you can return the DivaCup upto a year, does that include if you've cut the steam. and B. people were talking about cleaning holes in the cup.....WHAT HOLES??!!??.
8.  i can feel the cup. it feel like i'm walking around with a small dildo shoved up me (not that i would know what it feels like to walk around with a small dildo shoved up me, but work with me here :D
9. ok just some background stuff. my mesus is really heavy (i love the measurments on the cup, so far only two days in i've bleed out 1 and a quarter ounces and still have two more days of heavy-ish flow before it'll petered off) and i have lots of cloting my 2nd and 3rd days.  cept the clots are red not black or brown like people say they should be. i'm 23 but have never had a pelvic exam....i just can't bring myself to let someone i don't know go digging around down there with somthing that looks like a freakin' duck head!!!!! my mom is on my case about it so i sure i will eventually break down and go....maybe..... and finally
10. besides all this i really have enjoyed the freedom having a menstrual cup  brought. last night was the first time in forever that i had my mensus and didn't have to sleep on my stomach with a big overnight pad and still fear leaking out. i've gotten away with just wear liners on my heaviest day and that has just shocked me, i really hope i can work out these few kinks, or order the a different cup if need be because i really am glad i got told about this alternative!  now let's see if i can get this posted without it getting deleted again. :)
~Bug
(::)0<

Hello all, I've just joined. I hope I'm doing everything right, because I'm pretty new to LJ (can't do a cut thing & I'm hoping I do the tag thing right). I'm assuming that there's nothing much too TMI here?

I'm 25, a long time cloth-pad-user, but in the past 6-9 months I've started getting really bad clotting. There are times when I can even feel the clots slipping out, and lying down on my back for the first two days of my period is a no-no, unless I want to leak over the back of the pad. I've been wishing I had a cup for a few months now, so bought a Mooncup (UK) at the weekend (for only £13.99 - this is the cheapest I've seen them!).

The problem (why I didn't get one sooner & why I haven't tried this one yet): I have vaginismus. This is a condition where the vaginal muscles involuntarily spasm, or stay in a tightly contracted position. I don't have the psychological issues that women with vag. often have (I have a healthy attitude to sex & sexuality, etc), but I do have vaginal muscles that do not want to open. For the past 6 months since my diagnosis I have been working on dilating - this is where you slowly introduce penis-shaped things into the vagina, gradually going up in size. I started off with a tampon applicator that was 13mm in diameter, and I'm now on a dilator/vibrator that is 35mm (though that one is still a squeeze and rather painful - I have to convince the muscles to open up with a smaller dilator first, then switch). (Oh, and I also have a retro-verted uterus, but I'm hoping that won't be an issue).

I just wondered whether anyone else has been in the same situation as me? I've done a search for vaginismus and nothing came up, but when I looked through the memories there were a couple of comments. However, everything I've seen has been people who haven't been diagnosed with vag. wondering why their cup won't go in. Are there any vaginismic women or ex-vag. women here who have successfully used a cup?

I'm not too worried about inserting it for a practice (although I haven't tried yet), since I'll try it after dilating first, and a 'C' folded Mooncup has a diameter of 25-30mm. I've also been reading through this community and experimenting with some of the other folds. My main concern stopping me from trying it out initially is that after it pops open I may not be able to get it out again because I won't be able to fold it down as small (and a concern for once I can insert & remove is that I won't be able to insert it 'on the fly' without dilating first). I cannot insert two fingers together on the outset - I have to insert one, then the other, then gently convince the muscles to let both in together.

However, I am determined to be able to use a Mooncup eventually!

Ok, so I'm pretty sure I'm switching to a menstrual cup (probably the Divacup or Mooncup) after this period (thanks vag pag and menstrual_cups for showing me this wonderful product!) so it shouldn't be a problem anymore, but I was wondering if anyone ever felt a burning feeling in their uterus before while wearing tampons. I usually use Playtex Gentle Glide tampons, but this month I have some free samples of their Beyond tampons (the only difference is that Beyond has cardboard applicators) and when I'm cramping it's not just achy, but almost feels like burning. It also really hurts when I insert the tampon in, it feels like it's hitting my cervix and then it's just sitting there, feeling uncomfortable. I'm wondering whether this is a new thing or whether it's always been happening and I'm now more aware because I've been thinking about my menstruation so much lately (and have heard about the bleach in tampons causing more bleeding and cramping).

BTW does anyone have a source I could show people about how tampons can be irritating, etc.? I told my roommate about the bleach thing last night and she wanted some evidence...

I don't know whether to get a Mooncup or a Divacup! The Diva has the guarantee back, and the Mooncup doesn't. I don't want to waste money, I don't have very much of it. But the fact that the Mooncup is shorter appeals to me...is the Mooncup much wider than the Diva? My gyno told me once that I have a small vagina but I don't know whether she meant lengthwise or width-wise (doesn't it figure).

Also, just wanted to say that I also told my roommate about menstrual cups and instead of saying "GROSS!" she said "wow that sounds interesting." She didn't think it was gross and was very excited by the idea of saving money (we're cheap). Finally someone who doesn't quickly change the conversation!

( I also posted this in vaginapagina but wasn't getting many replies and also wanted to add some stuff to it for you guys)

Hello-

I have a drastically tilted uterus and I'm interested in using a menstrual cup. Has anyone has any success using a cup painlessly? Was it easy to create a seal? Which brand did you use? I tried Instead Cups but they caused A LOT of pain, so I'm worried I wouldn't be able to use anything else.

I checked the memories but there's not a lot of info on this topic there.

Hello all of you lovely ladies! You may remember me from this post, or this one, or my most recent one here. Yep. I have been having troubles trying to make my (pre-birth size - I am 24, nulliparous and tiny - 4'10'' w/ only 1 penatrative sexual partner) Divacup work for me for the past four cycles. I was so excited to find out about menstrual cups, and even more excited that I could be supporting a local business (I'm in Canada and live near Diva headquarters - the girl who started it is a former grad of my old school). My excitement kept turning into more and more disappointment, however, when everytime I used the Diva I would leak (a lot). At first, I wrote it off as just growing pains and that, once I got the hang of this, my leakage problems would go away.


I may drink my good ol' Canadian maple syrup by the jug, but it turns out that my vagina hails to the Queen! :)

Moral of the story: If your cup isn't working for you after much due time and plenty of effort, (remember - these things take lots of time and practice)  it might not be your fault - it might just be your cup. Don't give up on menstrual cups completely because of one cup, just try switching brands and sizes and you will find one that suits you. It certainly worked for me, and I couldn't be happier!

Thanks again, Vikki, (aka __wench) I really can't thank you enough! Also, thanks to all of you ladies in this community - without you, I would have given up long ago!

Hi again, everyone! It's me, the girl with the tilted, shifted, uterus who can't get her Divacup to stop leaking! Hi! :)

I'm just a little confused about some of the advice I've been given here (though you guys have been amazing!) and I'm wondering if someone can clear it up and assure me that I'm not crazy:

The first time I came on here I asked about leaking (fully sealed - cup never full), and I was told that it may be because the cup was not in/under my cervix. Fine, I tried that - but my uterus is tilted, and my cervix is way the heck off to my right side, far up, and toward the back. Needless to say, I still got leaks. So, the second time I came on here to whinge, I was told that it may be because I was wearing the cup too high. Fine, but the thing is - if I'm inserting it to make sure my cervix is in/over the cup, then I need to insert it to the side and toward the back, so I'm just a bit confused - or maybe a little stunned. Also, whenever I've worn my cup, I've always made sure I can still feel the bottom of the stem just inside my opening (like, not even a half an inch) - it just seems to migrate there, and it always settles in a comfortable place throughout the day (I bike a lot and am pretty active) in this position, sometimes higher (like when I'm sleeping). Do I need to be wearing it so it's hanging out of me or something?

Eep! sorry if I'm sounding hostile, I'm really not trying to be at all - I'm just at the point that, if these problems don't clear up by the end of my next cycle, I'm going to look into either getting a Mooncup or the larger-sized Diva (maybe both - I'll start a collection of cups that don't work for me). I'm starting to feel that using a cup with my wonky uterus is just hopeless. It's really discouraging when you try every different position you can think of for insertion - you spin, you hop, you hear the pop, you're sure it's placed properly and you know that it's open,full suction, and still the majority of the blood just goes right passed and onto the pad you've been forced to wear constantly because of this mess, leaving the cup only 1/4 full at the very most, every time - that's just not right. What's the point in having this cup if it only catch 1/4 of my flow and I'm just wearing pads anyway?

I'm phoning Divacup tomorrow to get things sorted - and I'm not hanging up the phone until I'm confident that the next time I try, I'll get it right! If not that, I'll go to a doctor who can teach me. I'm determined to have menstrual cups work for me, even though I'm really discouraged right now, and even after my doctor told me it probably won't work for me - something has to work, right? Right?

Again, sorry about the rant ladies!

Hi again, everyone! I've posted a few times so far about my troubles with my DivaCup in the past while - in sum, I've gone through a few cycles and have experienced leaking all the time. I fold, I twist, I wiggle, I walk, I insert it on different angles, I wear it higher or lower, and it still leaks.

I am currently on my 4th cycle with the DivaCup, and I wish that my cycle would last more than 4 days so that I could try more techniques to remedy the situation since I am still leaking! It is never full when I take it out, but the cup does catch a bit of the fluid - I'd say about half of what comes out, maybe a less - but the rest just leaks out. I have to wear a pad to catch the rest of it, and that just seems ridiculous to me (since why the heck am I using the cup then?)

After getting advice from some of you here (thanks, all of you, by the way!), I found my cervix (yay), but I also found that mine is very much off to the one side of me. I've been told by my doctor that I have a tilted womb - a retrograde uterus, so my whole junk is positioned more downwards and to the back (toward my bum bum), but also toward my right side. When I reach a finger in with my right hand, I can touch my cervix when my middle finger is a little more than fully inserted and almost completely bent toward the palm of my hand (just so you get an idea of the severe angle I'm talking about), and there is room for my knuckles to sit on the other side. So yeah - tilted and wonky. I figure that this is the reason that I just can't get the cup in a position that would prevent leaking.

I asked my doctor about this on my most recent visit, and she basically said that 'if that's how my body works, then you can't do much about it', which makes me really sad and frustrated. There has got to be a way to make this thing work, and I refuse to give up on it! I try angling the cup toward my cervix as I insert it, and try wearing it a bit higher, but nothing seems to work. I've also been practicing kegels for the past few days to see if that might start to work over time, and I'm even considering getting the bigger sized cup (I'm currently using the pre-childbirth one) since it has a wider brim (?). Ugh. I'm just so frustrated with this because I so desperately want the Diva to work for me - I refuse to be defeated!

So, does anyone out there have a tilted uterus as well and can give me advice on making the cup work for me? I really need advice from those of you who also have a tilted/retrograde uterus/severely angled cervix, since the standard methods just don't seem to be working with my condition. Can anyone out there give me their success stories/advice on a DivaCup and their tilted reproductive parts? Please, give me hope?

Hello all. I'm new here. I just found out about these cup products today actually (can you believe that?!)
Anyways, I am very interested in these as I really dislike the costs of disposable products, they irritate me, they harm the earth, etc.etc.etc..
I have some problems though:
1st off, my uterus is backwards.
2nd: I was unable to go into full labor when giving birth to my son and ended up having to give birth to a huge baby almost 2 months overdue. They gave me WAAAAAAY too much pitocin and my cervix literally ripped open (I almost bled to death giving birth). It has caused damage to my cervix in the sense that most women have a perfectly round-ended cervix with a small hole in the end, mine however, is now slightly mis-shaped and the hole is very wide open, scarred badly, etc.
3rd: I currently use a Nuva Ring as birth control (although I must say I may switch soon as my hair is falling out badly and it's making me very moody - almost insane!)
I am wondering if any of these problems could cause me to not be able to use or have aggrevating difficulty using a cup?

This is my first post here. I have used the Diva Cup for one cycle and my second is quickly approaching. So I thought I should ask my question sooner rather than later.

I have a tilted uterus which puts my cervix VERY near my vaginal opening. The problem I am having is that when the Diva 'pops' open it usually hits the side of my cervix as opposed to covering it. I have tried the c-fold and the punch down method and both seem to cause the problem. The only way I have been able to get this to work so far is to c-fold the cup and put it in a tiny way, then let it open and push it the rest of the way in (no suction created). Once I get it in then I squeeze it and the air escapes so when I let go it has a little suction. It still tends to slip throughout the day, but not too bad. I fear, however, that in doing it this way I may be forcing air where it isn't intended to go and may cause myself some problems.

Anyone else have this problem and found a solution, or anyone have some ideas for me on how to fix this?

Thanks.

I am bleeding like a maniac right now...soaking a tampon in less than an hour. I want to order a menstrual cup but am waiting till march to see my midwife/doctor...I can't stand leaking tampons right now and would like to get some soft cups until I can order a mestrual cup. On the package it says not to use with an IUD or a tilted uterus and I have both. Has any one used these insteads with and IUD. Also for the future what kind of mestrual cup would you recommend for use with an IUD and tilted uterus? thanks.

Hi! I think I'm finally getting the hang of the Keeper.

I discovered that the secret to using it with my tilted uterus is to put it almost parallel to the floor and with the opening pointing back and to the left. When I try to point it "up" towards my head, or forward towards my pubic bone, I get terrible leakage. When it works, it's fantastic.

I have a problem, however, that has been plaguing me, and I doubt there's any solution to it, but I thought I'd try you guys. It's a little gross, so please bear with me. Or bear down with me. At any rate.. Every time I have a bowel movement with the Keeper in, I wind up pushing it out. Thankfully, I have managed to catch it each time before it plunges into the toilet bowl. How does one prevent this from happening?! I mean, what I wind up doing is just taking it out, rinsing it, and putting it back in before I get off the toilet. But I really wish it would just stay put.

Thanks in advance.

I switched from using Instead to a Divacup two cycles ago, and have been meaning to compare the two since my last period ended.
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