Question 1

Have any of you become cup users after NEVER having used a tampon? Or are tampons like cup initiation? lol

Also, which prepares one better for a cup? Applicators or without applicators?


Question 2

You know the relief you feel while/after peeing? I go to the bathroom much more often when on my period because (a) my bladder thinks it has to go more and (b) I'd rather my blood go in the toilet than a pad. I must say, it feels really good to squeeze out the excess blood and not have to worry about it being collected around/inside me. I'm guessing that's not possible with cups, is it? Does the motion of squeezing out blood or urine cause the cup to leak or shift, or does it make the cup fill up faster?


Thanks in advance to all who comment.

This is my 2nd period trying Instead. Today it doesn't seem to want to go in quite as far, and I can't get it lodged behind my pubic bone. The box itself just says "put it completely into the vagina", and it is, but the video makes a bigger deal about getting it up behind the pubic bone. Should I leave it where it is or give up on it for today and use a tampon?

Edit: Well, I did manage to get it in place, and I used them yesterday and today, but I have discovered that it puts pressure on my urethra, making it hard for me to pee. As soon as I take it out I can pee fine. So, no more Insteads for me.

Wondering if anyone else has found urine IN their cup when they go to empty it...
I'm a mother of three, two of the kiddos were almost 10 lbs, so I've got plenty of room in there.  I have had no troubles inserting, peeing or removing the diva cup 2.  I was worried it would leak, since there's so much room, but haven't had any problems there.  I have been Disturbed to find urine in the cup when I empty it.  If the urine can get in, why isn't the blood leaking out? Why is the urine getting in? And eeeeewww! It seems to help if I lean so far forward that my hinnie is in the air and the urine stream doesn't have a chance to touch me, but this strikes me as straight up silly.  
Am I doing something wrong? Can I do something else to solve this problem?

I looked for info under the "urination" tag, but it seemed to be full of questions about not being able to pee... sorry if I'm asking a question that's been answered elsewhere:)

this is my second question today--i'm a new cup user. i really appreciate everyone's feedback!

sometimes i hear air escaping from my vagina. it seems to happen if i get up from sitting/reclining to go pee, and when i sit on the toilet, it leaks a bit. i feel around in there, and the cup is fully open. not sure what else to do. no matter where i place it, it does it's own thing once it's in. sometimes it seems to ride low, other times it gets sucked way up in there and i really have to dig in to remove it. either way, my vagina is always very tightly gripping it, so much so that it's impossible for me to turn it once it's in. so i don't think the problem is that it's too small for me....

last night i had a really, really messy leak--woke up to blood all over at 6 AM (i posted about this earlier).

my cup is a small keeper, btw, and i've never had a baby.

Hi all,

This is my first time posting here.  I'm so excited that this forum exists!

I've noticed many of you post about menstrual cups reducing the flow of urine when you pee.  I have been using a Divacup (small size) for about five years, and over time, the slow urination problem seems to have gradually gone away.  I'm now able to urinate normally when wearing my Divacup.  However, I find that when I am NOT wearing my Divacup, I have trouble holding my pee long enough to get to the bathroom.  That's not to say I actually wet my pants, but sometimes a little urine leaks out and I have to make a beeline for the bathroom.  The whole situation is rather uncomfortable! I'm healthy and 26 years old, so it's probably unusual that I'm experiencing this problem.  I've lately been doing Kegels as often as possible to tighten the muscles down there, in hopes that it will help.

Here is my question: because menstrual cups tend to partially block the urethra, and therefore cause additional pressure on the unblocked part of the urethra as the urine exits, does it seem likely that with a long period of use, the urethra could actually become enlarged, thereby causing urinary incontinence?  I'm not looking for a concrete answer, but I would like to know if anybody else who is a long time menstrual cup user has had similar experiences.

The next time I visit my ob/gyn, I plan to mention this to her for a more "authoritative" answer.  :-)

well my cup has arrived and i have tried ti insert it. my periods have not started but i will be on holiday when they do so i wanted to try and get used to inserting it before i go. 

i have only tried about 4 times, with lubricant, and i´m having problems already.  it doesn´t feel like it´s a problem getting it in, but the one i´ve got is a size two lunette selene, and it is VERY stiff.  i have only tried one fold as it´s the only one i know and is the one that was described in the leaflet. 

to cut a loooong story short, basically, what happens is that i get it so far, lose the grip (my hand starts to cramp up) as it is very stiff and hard to handle, i used both hands which didn´t help me at all... and it pops open before i can get it in all the way.  the bottom part and the tag are still sticking out and what i get is a suctioning feeling (and sound), then i panick and give up and now i´m scared to try again.

now it may be that that is how it happens, but i´ve not got a clue.... if so, do i just carry on pushing it in?

thank u xx


UPDATE: i tried a dry run again after watching the video with different folds. i kneeled on the bathroom floor, used i tiny bit of lube,  and used the punch down fold (as it was the only one i could remember at the time) and it worked perfectly! i was scared to let go of the fold as i was expecting discomfort when the cup would pop open, but decided to be brave, and all i could feel was a little sensation and my face got all hot and flustered. i didn't cut the stem straight away as i wanted to see how it went first, but when it came to it, i couldn't feel it at all so i've left it as it is.

i didn't feel anything at all with it inside, other than a little bit of pressure and a full-like feeling but that disappeared after an hour or so. i also went for a wee with it in (as some had mentioned they had problems with urinating with the cup in) but it was no different than had it not been in. so all in all, a successful insertion and comfortable 2 hours i had it in.

when it came to removing it, that was it bit of a struggle.  i could feel the stem but struggled to actually get hold of the cup. i didn't want to pull just the stem and end the successful dry run with a horrible removal experience, so i persevered.  i wanted to be able to nearly use the punch down technique to break the seal and then pull it from the bottom, but i have yet to master that tecnique.  after a while i decided to try another position, so i stood up with one leg on the bath and started pushing a little. i finally got a hold of the bottom and managed to move one finger up alongside it to break the seal and pulled.  it went fine until it got to the rim.  that's the only bit that hurt really, but i'm guessing that after a few tries that problem will only be minor.

so all in all, good dry run experience, am very looking forward to my period and to able to go in the hot tub whilst on holiday. 

just figured that success stories would be good to read as well as the problems :)


and a BIG thank u to all that replied, and to all that share their stories here, it is so comforting knowing that if i need any information, looking trough the tags will answer all my questions.  (i am also guessing that my partner does not reeeeally want to hear more about my cup :þ)

xx

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....

Hi--I've looked around in the archives, but as I have so many different problems with this cup, none of the answers seem to solve it. I've been stubbornly using the Diva Cup for about a year now and am getting so fed up and upset with it that I am on the verge of throwing it in the garbage. I'm 39 and usually used tampons with no problem at all, although I used a sea sponge when I was younger, also with no problems. I've had 2 children but not vaginally. I'm told my uterus is tipped. I think I bought the larger size Diva Cup because that was what was recommended for women over 30. I really want to make a cup work but it just makes me cry every single month! Anyway, here are the main issues:

1) It is very painful to insert. I use a C fold and can make it rotate a little bit once it is in but it is painful to make it do that and there is just no room to get a finger alongside it. It certainly doesn't twirl easily. Am I too dry? Too small? I read about people having sex with a cup in and...I just can't see how on earth that is humanly possible?

2) It leaks. Sometimes (not often) it is ok, but I can't ever trust it as I never know when it is going to randomly start gushing. For the first 3 months I had to do washer loads of stained clothes and didn't dare leave the house. i finally gave up and wear a pad constantly now in addition to it, which rather seems to defeat the purpose. Occasionally it is ok, but it often leaks when it has next to nothing in it, when it's half full. It also seems to fill up ridiculously fast. I don't understand how it could be left in for 12 hours without emptying it; I have to check it every hour on my heaviest days. Overnight there is blood everywhere even if I have a pad because it fills up and leaks in a way that a tampon never did. I have no idea if I have heavier flow than most people; I would have to change a super tampon every hour or two during the heaviest days. Is that a lot? (ok, I just googled and I guess that is maybe a lot. Maybe that explains my very low iron levels...?)

3) It often seems to press on my urethra and I can't empty my bladder completely. On a number of occasions where I was several hours without access to a bathroom this has become excruciatingly painful.

4) Sometimes the stem sticks out and I simply cannot make it go any further up. Other times it migrates so far up I can barely get it out again. What is going on?

4) It is horribly painful to take out (I pinch it but it is awful getting the seal to break and the edges of the cup dragging along my insides is a terrible sensation) and when I finally get the open end out, it usually pops open and sprays everywhere (sorry, tmi!). Probably because I do it too fast because the removal process hurts. It is just horrifyingly messy. I never had that kind of problem with a sea sponge (or with a tampon unless there was some big clot or something but at least that is easier to contain).

You know, reading this I cannot believe I have persisted as long as I have! My sister has a different brand (Keeper, I think) and loves it. I so want it a cup to work for me. Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to improve matters? I haven't tried cutting off the stem. Sometimes that seems like it would be a good idea because it pokes out and then I end up having a 10 minute session next time trying to push the thing out and think, no, the stem is my only hope! Should I try turning it inside out? Do I need to try a different brand? This one was $50 and I can't keep spending money trying out brand after brand if it turns out i just have some weird and twisted anatomy where it won't work. I didn't even try using it last month because it is such a stressful and uncomfortable experience; I just bought tampons and it was such a relief knowing for certain that I wasn't going to be covered in blood after 2.5 minutes. But I don't want to use them if I don't have to. Help!

I just got the Mooncup. (Keeper, i guess? Got it from mooncup.com)

I'm on my 2nd day using it. Insertion is very awkward, I'm using the C fold at the moment. I can't seem to push it in far enough. I believe this is because I'm obese and my stomach is in the way. I also seem to have a little bit more flesh down there than most women so everything is kinda cushioned i guess. (I can't really explain it.)

When it's finally in, it keeps moving up until its almost completely inside me. I've read it's supposed to do this, but I can barely reach the stem even when pushing. (If i cut it, i would of been screwed.)

Removing it is pretty weird too. I have to pull on the stem pretty hard until i can manage to reach the cup. It seems like the rim is irritating me when i remove it. (I can't reach that far inside so i can't fold it.) The real irritation happens when i have to pee, it's not my urethra that's burning but the skin further down. I think the lack of moisture is screwing everything up.

Right now I'm using tampons because I'm afraid of hurting myself more. I'm not really sure what to do about the irritation problem. I've only used lube once with painful results, so I'm kinda afraid of getting an infection. Any suggestions for a water based lube or any other suggestions as to how to stop the irritation? I really want this cup to work, it seems like it would be great if i could get used to it, lol.

Hi!  I just got my first Divacup, after ordering it on a whim last week.  I was somewhat afraid of it not being the right cup for me, since I didn't do any research on other brands before ordering it.  Luckily, the Diva appears to be working very well for me so far.  I'm on the last days of my period, so my flow isn't has heavy, but I just took the Diva out after three hours, and there was a small but successful collection of blood in the bottom.  I found the punch-down fold works for me the best.

However, I do have a question.  When using a cup for the first time, is it common to become sore after the first couple inserting and removing trials?  And has anyone experienced it to be slightly painful to urinate afterwards?  I'm a virgin, and have no reason, or have never had any type of infection.  I've experienced the same kind of soreness and urination discomfort after landing in the horse saddle wrong after going over a jump. :P  I'm pretty sure the pain is just caused by my body adjusting to the new intruder, so to speak, but I'm just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience.

I have a Diva and have been using it since August 2008 and on my heavy days it is great.  I empty and clean my Diva morning and night and it takes me all of 5 minutes.  I almost forget I have my period.  I do get some leakage from the Diva (but I always did with tampons too) but I just wear a pantiliner with it and all is good.

But after day 3 my flow just seems to trickle out of me and I find the Diva uncomfortable.  I am not sure if my cervix shifts or if it is a lubrication issue but I have been just taking it out and using my lunapads instead during that time.  The other issue I have had with it is that sometimes I can't pee with it in (no matter how hard I try) if it is sitting too low but if I stick it in quite high then it is ok. 

I have been reading the posts on here for the last 2 days and am thinking that I would like to buy another cup for the light days or a replacement one altogether perhaps.  I am kind of torn between the lunette and the ladycup.  I am 34 and have 3 kids and don't have the best pelvic floor muscles. 

I  notice that some people seem to have both sizes of their cups?  Would a size one just "fall out" of someone like myself cause the 11ml capacity of the smaller ladycup would be sufficient for every 12 hour empyting for me after day 3?

Which cup would you recommend for really light flow and why?? 
Thanks for your advice.

I've had the Diva cup for about five cycles now, and up until now, I haven't had any problems.  Seriously, none.  The first time I ever put the cup in, it took me two tries to get it in & there weren't any leaks.  It almost seemed too easy.  Typically I can always get the cup in right away and it adds 30 seconds, if anything, to my bathroom time.  But this cycle has been nothing but problems.  It hurts going in and coming out, the stem has been poking me, and this morning I started leaking all over after only having the cup in for 20 minutes.  Oh, and last night when I was taking it out, it snapped open on me and splattered blood on my pants.  Grr.  I still love my cup and I'm not going to get discouraged, but why would all hell break loose suddenly after months of perfect use?

And here's something you may find amusing:
Normally, when I have a BM, I take my cup out.  I can feel it shifting around if I don't remove it, so I'm paranoid about it breaking the seal.  As I mentioned before, I've never had problems getting my cup in and out, so it's not that inconvenient to just take it out.  Well, I was at work the other day and was super busy and late for a meeting.  I went to the bathroom in between projects for #2.  Because I was in such a hurry, and because I had just emptied my cup recently, I decided not to take it out.  I could feel it moving a bit, so I remembered that women on here occasionally say they put in a finger to anchor their cup when using the bathroom.  So I did, angling my hand forward in a cupped way, to keep my hands clear of my rear.  I strained a bit, and next thing I knew, I felt something...warm.  And wet.  In my hand. I HAD JUST PEED ON MY HAND.  It took my brain a second to process what was happening, so by the time I was like "oh hai, i peed on my hand" I had like a whole handful of pee.

So that was a new one for me.  My Diva has been quite the prankster this cycle.  :/   Feel free to share your own stories of your cup trying to make your life interesting. 

Hi everyone, I've been reading the posts on this forum (such a great community!) and I'm considering getting a menstrual cup. I'm 25 and not a virgin. But I also have IBS and trouble with my bladder, and I am wondering whether a menstrual cup could make these problems worse? During my period I already feel a fair bit of pressure down there. Has anyone had experience with this before? I'm considering getting a LadyCup (large) because I heard they are quite soft and I thought that would mean less pressure and more bending with the body. What is your experience with this?

I was also wondering if anyone knows which (if any) of the menstrual cups are tested on animals. I've heard some of them might be. I know the Lunette and MiaCup aren't, but what about the others?

Hi Gang.

 I'm 33, petite, with no kids so I ordered the small diva cup. I struggled with insertion, but lubed it up and got it in although it felt uncomfortable and put a lot of pressure on my urethra. I wasn't sure it had popped and it was way too tight to feel around in there or give it a spin. No leakage so I thought it was ok. I left the tip protruding thinking I'd trim it after my first-go-round.

Issues:

1. Urination was really difficult. I'm sure I was peeing in the cup. I tried pushing it up a bit like others suggested, but worried I would push it too high so I left it low. Do people push it in so the tip no longer protrudes and then pull it out again after urination?

2. When I went to remove it a few hours later, there was leakage and the tip was nowhere to be found. I ran down a list of people I'd ask to help with some deep exploration. After trimming my nails and some careful digging, I got in the shower and used hot water to relax the muscles. I squatted and pushed and eventually found the tip. It was a real operation to try and pinch it, and while I was trying to get a grip, it popped out with a bang! It hurt so much I almost passed out and I'm fairly pain tolerant. I had to lay in bed for an hour with my vagina throbbing "Thanks for the shitty gift!" waves through my body.  I want to understand anatomically why it was so painful. Was it blunt trauma to my cervix?

3.  Does its migration upwards mean I need a bigger cup or kegel exercises? A smaller cup? I'm confused because it was so tight in there I could barely grip it to remove it. If I cut off the tip on the diva cup, I'd never find it.

I'm going to use pads for a few days and will try the cup again after I recover. And have a friend handy.

What do you think?

Happy holidays!

Hello Ladies!

So I've narrowed my search down to either the large LadyCup or the large Lunette. I was a Diva user who has decided not to use the cup anymore due to the risks it *may* pose to my IUD being stiffer and longer. (I am aware that all cups may pose a slight risk, but it's a risk I'm going to take as I can't do without a cup!!)

I am most definitely a size small, but due to my heavy IUD flow, I've decided that I'm going to make a large work. Now I'm having a hard time deciding which one (I'm SO indecisive sometimes!) and I was wondering if you ladies could PLEASE give me a hand. I can get the LadyCup for cheaper (which is a big issue right now), however, I don't want to become a cup collector as I can't afford to. So I need to chose which one. This is what I'm looking for in a cup:

1) Easy to pop open
2) High capacity- I've been bleeding through super plus tampons like crazy!
3) Doesn't make it difficult to pee

These are pretty much in order of importance. As I said, I can get the LadyCup cheaper, but for some reason I feel like I should go for the Lunette because of the slightly higher capacity and ease of popping open. Does anyone have any other opinions? Please do offer them! REALLY appreciate any advice you can offer.

 

Thanks!

Hi, All,

I am having some issues with my Lunette cup and thought maybe someone could offer me some help and advice on how to deal with them.

This is just my second period since receiving my cup.  The cup arrived in the middle of my last period, so I only used it for the last few days (after the heavy bleeding was over).  I found it comfortable and really didn't have any issues with it, except for getting over the learning curve of how to insert it comfortably, how to remove it easily, etc.

This time, though, is quite different.  This is day two of my cycle and already I am questioning if what I am experiencing is normal.  One issue that I have is this:  I can sneeze and cough with the cup in and have no problems with it.  The cups doesn't move or anything.  BUT - when I go to pee, the cup actually falls out!  I am not straining or pushing in any way to go, just that by relaxing enough to be able to relieve myself causes the cup to fall out during the process.  Twice now I have had to fish my cup out of the toilet.  Both times I have had to boil the cup to sanitize it before reinserting it.  Is this normal?  Does anyone else have this problem.  I have just tried to remember to remove the cup every time I go now to avoid having it fall out.

My next issue is this:  I have done all I can to remove as much of the stem as possible, but I still feel poked from time to time, especially when I sit down.  Is the end of the cup supposed to stick out of the vagina during use, or am I supposed to have the cup high enough that it is completely inside of me?  In order for it to feel completely comfortable, I usually have it all the way inside, but then my vaginal opening closes around the bottom of the cup and then when I sit down the pressure of me sitting causes that delicate skin at the vaginal opening to get poked by what is left of the stem.  It is very painful and can be rather embarrassing when I am in certain company.  Any thoughts?

And finally, my last issue is:  With my last period, since I was only using the cup on those last few days with very light bleeding, I had no problem when removing the cup.  Only a tiny bit of bloody liquid was in the bottom of the cup and was easy to just pour out onto a wad of toilet tissue and flush.  This month is quite different.  Yesterday and today was rather heavy, thicker bleeding.  Every time I have removed the cup, a long line of thick, mucus-like blood will be connected from the cup to my body.  I end up having to take a wad of toilet tissue and wipe the blood from my body to disconnect it.  Because of this, when I reinsert the cup, my hand gets practically covered with blood, and also I am finding that I still need a panty liner as a back up to catch the little bit that sloughs off from beneath where the cup is.  Any thoughts on how to avoid this happening?  I don't know if it is because of the method I am using to remove it or what.

Thanks in advance for your help.

I COULD be just losing my mind, but I thought I'd run this past you all and see if you have any advice for me.  Last month was my first month with my Mooncup(US) And I did love it, although it took a little, ok a lot, of trial and error.  My last day of my period, I couldn't pee with the cup in though.. It was strange. I thought maybe I'd gotten something important "folded up" When I put the cup in, so I'd take it out and immediately I could pee. I Know TMI right?  Anyway this month Same thing the first couple of times, I'd have an insane urge to pee, but couldn't, took the cup out and I could go.  So I made extra effort to get it up in there good and High, and it seemed to be ok, but I woke up this morning around 5, took it out & CLeaned it, put it back in and when I woke up at 8 I had been leaking. Took the cup out and it was full! It looked like pee, which I could be wrong of course, but how in just under 3 hours did the cup get full of a non-blood substance?   I know it was in there good enough, it was more than comfortable, but that was so strange!  This happened yesterday morning too, I'd woken up w/ spotting and it was 1/2 full of blood and 1/2 of the clearer liquid.. Any ideas what this could be?  Could it be urine? Or am I losing my marbles?

I've been using a DivaCup since February or so... I love it, but I can't pee with it in. Well, I can, but it takes literally about 10x longer, no matter how it's positioned. It's also nice because I never notice that I need to pee until I'm ready to burst, so I usually end up having to estimate when I think I should pee just so I don't hurt myself holding it in/leave a trail from my dorm to the floor bathroom.

So this along with the fact that LadyCup is releasing the BlueCup soon has me considering buying one of those and using my Diva as a backup. I was wondering, though... Does anyone notice any difference with urination when they use different cups? It seems like LadyCups are a lot more flexible and thinner (?), plus the size is slightly smaller, so I'm wondering if that might help with my problem.

Anywho, thanks in advance if anyone helps! I tried finding some stuff in the memories (heading to class in a few so I didn't look through all of the comparisons/urination tags), so sorry if this is a repeat.

I was thinking of purchasing the shewee (the  "moulded plastic funnel that provides women with a simple, private and hygenic method of urinating without removing clothes whilst standing AND sitting" for camping. My question is if I use it, would my cup leak? I know tampons sometimes leak when I go to the bathroom. I don't want to use it and soil my clothes! I'm purchasing a lunette, if that matters. I looked on the instead website (which I'm planning to use for cup back up and it says "You may notice some leakage when going to the bathroom. This is because when you void urine or your bowel the muscles "bear down" and can push the rim slightly forward, allowing some fluid to leak out and into the toilet." Well, I dont have that option! If have used instead, did you experience this? The company said it was rare, but if it was rare they might not have it on their site!

Any advice you could give would be helpful!

Hi girls,

I'm a new user to the wonders of the Mooncup (on my 2nd cycle) and I have a question which is making me a little anxious.
I'm prone to getting UTI's and I'm worried because everytime I use my Mooncup (B Size) I feel like I want to pee all the time. I'm not sure if this is in my head because I'm still new to it, or if it's actually a problem with the way I'm positioning the cup? Or I've also read that the cup size could be too big? I'm not sure how to solve that one short of buying a different brand, and that's going to be a little pricey. Has anyone had the same problem or have any suggestions?

Also, I have another question about sterilization. How often should I boil my cup? At the moment I boil it right before and soon after my cycle. Should I be boiling it in between or is my current 'routine' enough?

Thanks

So I'm a 1st time Lunette user and although I like the  cup better than pads or tampons, I'm not so sure the Lunette is the best cup for me.  I got it because it sits lower and I figured with an IUD, it woud  be the best cup for me.  Now, I'm not so sure because it almost sits too low.  I know you can feel it coming down with bm's but I can sometimes feel it coming down when I pee and I don't think that's supposed to happen.  Also, I'm not sure if it's psychological or what but I feel like I can feel it dripping into the cup.  Although I like sleeping in the cup, I chose not to last night because I needed to give my "cookie" a break from having to push the cup back in so much yesterday.  I said it before and I'll say it again, I've never had to touch myself so much in one day.  I really want this to work so I'm going to give it a try again next month especially since I've had no problems with inserting & removing.  If I still feel uncomfortable after trying next month, I'm gonna switch to a different cup.

So this is my first cycle using the Diva cup. I'm still trying to figure out if it really works for me or not. I've already trimmed it down so it is at least comfortable, and it took me a bit to master getting it in (the 7 fold is the only one that I can get to work -- origami was actually excruciatingly painful for some reason), and it still leaks sometimes, so I'm hoping I can get the hang of it soon. (I also am hoping to figure out how to remove it without quite so much discomfort. The main reason I don't use tampons is due to the discomfort in removal. This is better, but not perfect.)

But I have found that while wearing it, particularly shortly after inserting it, but even much later, I have the urge to pee, even when I don't need to. Is this a normal "side effect" or is it just me?

 I'm on cycle 1 with my Diva Cup (Model 2) and I'm doing pretty well. I'm super excited and really enjoying not using pads. BUT, I have a slight issue that I'm wondering if you all had experience with.....

I'm at the end of day 2 with the cup and I'm starting to notice some irritation to my 'pee hole' (LOL! I can't believe I just said that, that sounds so dumb, but it's past 2am right now and for the life of me, I cannot remember the right name.) It kind of has a light burning feeling when I'm about to go to the bathroom and when I do pee, it doesn't flow like it normally would if the cup wasn't in... it's kind of like a thin stream and I have to push a little more to get it out. I'm not sure if that makes any sense to you guys or not.  

I did cut my stem off last night and it's been smooth sailing ever since until now. The cup isn't too high, but it is in correctly.. it's all the way inside, but the base sort of leans against the hole. I'm not sure if it's just irritated because having the cup there in is something new, and if so, will it go away? Or is it the grips on the base that are doing it? And if that's it... do I just need to accept that it's the Diva that's the problem for me and it'll always feel that way? If so, I'd rather get a new cup, but I'm not sure which would be best for me. 

I'm also mildly concerned that the irritation could cause other issues... I'm not sure if it's possible, but could it give me a UTI or some type of infection or something? (Pretty sure that's not the origin of my problem now though, I distinctly feel this at the opening of the whole.. no other pain.) If it's safe to keep using the cup with the irritation, then I'm going to until I can get another cup (if that's what I need to do) but if I wasn't sure if that was what's recommended in a situation like that.. like a 'discontinue use if...' type of thing.

Thanks in advance to anyone who is able to share any insight with me. :) 


ETA: I've been doing some more reading about comparing the brands.. here are my thoughts, someone please help me come to a conclusion! Hahaha

Diva.. I read a lot of people complaining about the suction. I personally LOVE the suction, I can't imagine a cup with low suction doing a good job. I have no issues with it popping open using the C-fold and I also don't have too hard of a time cleaning the holes, I did the water squirt thing and it works fine. I love everything about it, except it's ridges are causing irritation...

So, if I have to get another cup, I want one most like the Diva. I like the way it works and feels and I don't want to spend money on something totally opposite if the Diva is working for me. BUT, there seemed to be lots of complaints about the Lunette and the Mooncup UK seems like it has less suction.

I'm just so confused, I'm not sure what to do. Should I stick to the Diva and hope the irritation clears up? Or should I count on it not clearing up and decide on another cup soon so I can get it before my next cycle starts?

Sorry for rambling and asking so many questions.

So on top of a long tough day, I find out at the end of it that apparently I somehow managed to get a lot of urine in my divacup this morning while rushing around with this and that (don't ask) and it had been in there for like 6 hours and did NOT smell good.

:-(

Now I'm all worried about TSS and crap like that. This isn't going to get me sick, is it? On the one hand I figure if the cup is clean now (or even if I put it away and use a pad for a few days) the vagina is self-cleaning and even though it stings a bit now it'll be OK. On the other hand I'm really tired and I can't tell if my sore legs are from standing up and lecturing for three hours or because I'm gonna die die die of TSS. Crap.

Any thoughts/advice? Urine can't be THAT bad for your vagina, can it?

Not a good day.

Hey!

I'm a happy diva cup user... but lately, I've been noticing that I'm having issues peeing with it in. My pee comes out much slower and I fell like I have to really force it out. In order to get it all out, I've had to take my cup out. This was particularly annoying when I went out last night, and had to pee multiple times (darn alcohol!) and had to keep taking it out in a gross public bathroom! I read up on some of the posts about this, and tried to stick it higher up like suggested, but got a MAJOR leak (first leak EVER) when I did!

Any suggestions? I don't want to have to resort to tampons when going out to avoid this problem. I would rather find a way to work with the cup.

Thanks ladies!