Enable me or talk me down (Diva cup) - Page 2

[GardenStream]

Originally Posted by nia82 

Is there a trick to get it out more easily? I felt like I had to bear down and the grasp the stem at the same time and I couldn't fold it at all so it came out all opened which is quite huge and ouchie? Sorry TMI...

I wear mine inside out because the stem was poking me. Anyway, I pinch the base of the cup which causes it to fold a little and slowly pull at an angle. That way, one edge of the cup comes out first and it dumps into the toilet. Once I have it a little bit out and it's dumped, then I pinch it a bit harder and force it to fold in on itself a little more which makes it more comfortable to pull out.

That makes it sound really complicated but it only takes about 2 seconds.

[swd12422]

I think I'm convinced! Thank you all. I'm waiting for my gyn visit next month to make sure there are no issues that might make it a bad idea, and maybe she can help me figure out what size/type I need, since I have NO idea if I'm "short" or "long"!

[lunagal]

I think one mistake a lot of women make is inserting the DivaCup too far up in the first place. It is supposed to sit low in the vaginal canal with the stem 'almost' poking out.

As for removal, the few times I've had trouble getting it out, I did need to bear down. But, once I learned not to insert it so high in the first place, it didn't 'migrate' higher or disappear.

If it is truly stuck, relax, and try again later. I once tried for 15 minutes and had a bit of a panic like you. But, I went for a relaxing walk/bath and tried again later. It sometimes helps if your flow is heavier. Are you able to break the seal when you remove it? That can sometimes be an issue.

@dia: I totally get what you mean and agree it is an unmentioned benefit!

[Katie T]

You have already gotten a lot of great responses. I didn't read all of them but had to comment. 

I had been researching the diva cup for 7 months and was so scared to try it. Mainly because of the price. I only knew one person in real life who used one and hated it. I too can't do tampons and that made me even more nervous. But I love it! I forget I am even on my period! For me I got the hang of it right away but it wasn't comfortable because it was too long. But I had read of people trimming the stem or even turning it inside out. So I trimmed the stem all the way to the base of the cup (I just bear down to get it out) and that didn't fix the problem so I flipped it inside out. Perfect!! I couldn't even tell it was there. Let me tell you I have had mine for around a yr and will never go back! 

[LeahBoo]

I had one, it was ok.  I didn't love it, but it served its purpose.  It didn't leak, and I couldn't feel it.  Getting it out was a pain.  I couldn't ever do it without a major mess (and I had the thing for 3 years).  Sometimes it would cause cramping, but nothing major.  

Then I lost it.  I packed it for a trip, and never saw it again, I looked EVERYWHERE.  

About a year of just pads, and sometimes tampons, I got sick of dealing with those, I was about to buy another Diva. Then I remembered the Instead Softcups, and decided to give them a try.

They are disposable, you're technically supposed to use it once and toss it, but no one actually does that.  I wash and reuse for one cycle.  They have all the conveniences of the diva cup (wear it for 12 hours, can't feel it, doesn't dry you out), but are much easier to remove and insert, and they're cheap, about $7 for a box of 14.  That lasts a year!  Still messy to remove (maybe I'm just uncoordinated), but there's a trick to emptying it without removing it (if you have heavy days).  You can bear down and get it to empty, then it slides back into place, and and hands stay clean.  Takes some practice, but it does work.

[Ola_]

Originally Posted by azhie 

Just curious-- so do you HAVE to buy the new size after childbirth or after you've reached 30? I gave birth last month and will be 30 soon. I was hoping I would be able to still use the same one.... 

Give it a try, it worked fine for me - I'm 31 and just had a baby in March.  I was worried it wouldn't suction or would slide down after I insert it but it seems to work just the same as before (I tried it right from my first PP period at 2.5 months post partum).

[LunaDiva]

@swd12422 I just want to assure that that tampons and the DivaCup are totally apples and oranges (more like pineapples and spaghetti!) when it comes to use and how they feel. So, just because tampons are a no-go for you does not necessarily indicate the same being true for cups. I was actually afraid to try the DivaCup (and prior to that, the Keeper) because I had been allergic to tampons, and am also fairly petite with light periods. As most of the women who have posted have said, I agree that it can take some getting used to, however the important thing is to keep trying and to give it time. I reckon that it probably took me about 3-4 cycles both before and after I had DD to feel really confident using it - now it's not a problem and I LOVE it, especially for the reason you state: swimming with kids in the summer!

@nia82 About removal, I have found that it's most comfortable for me to take it out on an angle (ie so the opening is almost vertical), fairly quickly, with my other hand just below to catch any spills that may happen.

Good luck, everyone!

[Amanda Herman]

go for it!  i started using my diva cup a few months ago and i went swimming with it the first weekend!  i still back it up with cloth pads just because i am still getting the hang of it and i have a very heavy flow.  i talked myself out of it for YEARS because i have a heavy flow and i figured i wouldn't be able to use it.  that is totally not the case at all.  i wish i would have purchased one years ago because it is amazing!  as others have said, yes, there is a learning curve but i would just back it up with a cloth pad for the first few cycles and you will get the hang of it.  i actually just recommended it to a friend of mine and she loves it!  i haven't ever heard anything bad from people who actually use them.  

[cameragirl]

I LOVE cups compared to tampons or pads. I don't have to worry about leaks, and they don't have to be changed every couple hours. It was a little tricky to get in the first few times, and I did need to trim the stem. After awhile I figured out that getting the cup wet helps it go in easier. I don't think I'll go back, except for the postpartum period when I can't use cups.

[jarcar]

I have been using my Diva Cup for 4 years.  I was a tampon user before taking the plunge and giving the cup a try.  I love my cup for every reason mentioned above, but also because there is no waste.  I live in the country and am on a septic system.  I can not dispose of tampons in the toilet.  I used to use half a roll of toilet paper to wrap up my used tampons so they could go into the garbage can and pray that the cat or the kids wouldn't accidently find it.  I love that I don't have that worry anymore!  I also can use the toilet many times between cup dumps, where with tampons I found that every time I used the toilet (#1 or #2) I'd need to change my tampon.  (poop moved the tampon down and almost out, and pee on the string is GROSS)  I plan on introducing my daughter to her own Diva Cup as soon as her menstrual cycles begin, and I think she'll love me for it! 

[Dracaena52]

I've been using the diva cup for several years now and I have had no problem with having sex with it in. It is soft and my hubby hardly notices it. I have tried using the "Insteads" but I don't like the dispoable part and they hurt my hubby during sex

[swd12422]

Decided not to wait.... I'm on day 1 and so far so good! I cannot for the life of me figure out why these things aren't more popular. I have only one issue so far (well, maybe two, we'll see how things are by the end of my cycle), but OMG!!!! SO EASY. So much easier than tampons and WAY easier/cleaner than cloth pads, which I loooooooved when I first started using them.

LunaDiva is right: it's like comparing pineapples and spaghetti (assuming you're a celiac fruit fiend)!

PS - We had a "free" morning today and DS wanted to go swimming. So we did. And I didn't have to think twice about how I was going to be able to make that happen. Thank you all for convincing me to give it a try! I think I'm going to love this.

[nia82]

Hm I don't think I put it in deep at all - only so that the stem wouldn't bug me and then it migrated upwards by itself (it's like my muscles pull it upwards). I don't think it bothers me though as the bearing down works fine! I had no chance to try again this cycle as we had dozens of visitors and I was so busy! I did notice though when I tried it last month that I filled it up super quickly - the half hour I wore it (size 2) it was half full. Is that not unusual for post partum periods or should I be worried (I still have tampons around and used some and I only feel comfy with smaller sizes, like OB normal, everything else is too big but I had to change every 90 minutes)?

[cameragirl]

If the stem is bugging you, you can trim it with scissors. I trimmed most of the stem off of my cup for that reason.

[Arduinna]

Can anyone compare how the Diva sits verses instead? I actually really like instead, because it is wide and flat with a flexible cup and sits like a diaphragm up high. I'm worried about the diva cup needing to sit low. Tampax brand tampons are uncomfortably long for me, for example. I'd like something that I could use continuously though and not throw away.

[cameragirl]

Yes - the Instead fits snug against the cervix area. The Diva cup doesn't, and there is a little gap between the cervix and the cup. The muscles in the vagina hold the diva cup in place, where the Instead is above the muscles. I find the Instead harder to get out, especially if I can't squat.

[Ola_]

Originally Posted by Arduinna 

Can anyone compare how the Diva sits verses instead? I actually really like instead, because it is wide and flat with a flexible cup and sits like a diaphragm up high. I'm worried about the diva cup needing to sit low. Tampax brand tampons are uncomfortably long for me, for example. I'd like something that I could use continuously though and not throw away.

Yes, it does sit lower than the Instead but that doesn't mean it will bother you.  I couldn't use Tampax tampons either, especially as they absorbed they would get longer and irritate me, but the Diva cup is not an issue, at least in my case.  Plus you do have some flexibility to put it a little higher or lower to suit you, it's not just one exact spot it has to be in.

[nia82]

I'd rather not cut the stem as it helped me to pull it out... It's easier to grab it by the stem!

[Arduinna]

Thanks for answering my questions. 

[beru]

I know this is an old thread but I just had to post. I just got a Diva Cup and I find it so simple and easy. I kept hearing it "takes getting used to". But I haven't found that at all. It has been fine.

I actually was searching for Diva Cup threads because I had a question. Does anyone with an IUD use a Diva Cup? I am wondering if that could pose a problem since there is a thread from the IUD hanging into my vagina...