lost my diva cup intructions! help!

[ccasanova]

hi all! didn't know where else to post this i just got my diva cup, but can't find my instructions! i checked the website but it doesn't have detailed instructions. can someone help me with this? i pretty much have the general idea of how to insert but how far is it supposed to go in? And it i can feel the stem when i bend over or sit, what does that mean that i did wrong? hopefully someone here knows! i'm starting my period any minute and don't want to have to run out to get more tampons! thanks!

[Trishy]

http://www.divacup.com/

[hubris]

What I do (when I'm not pg :LOL)...

1. Put a little KY around the rim. This just helps with lubing it up a little.
2. Fold it so that the rim is together/flattened, then fold again so that it's sortof in fourths.
3. Lead with the most folded edge (does that make sense?) and guide it in. I try to get the whole rim about an inch in or so before letting go. It's pretty springy so it starts to open up right away.
4. Coax it in farther with a finger or two.
5. Use a finger to release a little suction from the rim - otherwise it's uncomfortable for me.
6. Push the bottom up a little more, then tug down to make sure it's secure.

That sounds really complex, but I'm trying to really picture what I do. The whole maneuver only takes a few seconds.

If you can feel the stem, first check the position - see if you can get it in a little farther. If the position isn't the problem, it might be that you need to trim the stem a bit. I occasionally can feel the stem right by the most posterior part of my vaginal opening - at the perineum there - especially if I'm sitting. When that happens, it usually means that I didn't get it in quite the right place. I knock the bottom of the cup around with a finger and all is well.

Hope that helps a little...and wasn't too graphic...

[mzfern]

I'd like to add an addendum to step 4 (from the pp above): when you're coaxing your cup with your fingers, also contract your Kiegel muscles to sort of suck the cup farther up inside you. Hope that helps a bit!

[ccasanova]

so is the stem supposed to be totally inside? or should the end of the stem be right at the entrance to the vagina? thanks!

[hubris]

I prefer the stem inside, otherwise I can feel it and it causes irritation. I'm not sure there's a definite answer about how it SHOULD fit...if it's comfortable and holding your flow, that should be fine. If it's not comfortable or it's leaking, you need to fiddle with it until you find something that works. That could mean inserting it farther in or less far, emptying it more frequently, adjusting how much suction you get when the cup opens, experimenting with different ways of folding, etc.

It took me about 2 cycles before I really got it down. I'm sure I'll have to learn it all over again when I get my first PP AF!