keeper problems, please help me

[mavery]

I've had a keeper for a year and have never got it to work well. It often leaks (in spite of twisting, etc.) and the stem would dig into me, so I cut first half and then all of the stem off. Well now, it feels fine when I put it in but the suction feels stronger than it used to (before I cut off the stem) and over the course of about half an hour I start to get bad cramps. From the suction or something else, I don't know.

So my questions are:
1) Is it possible that cutting off the stem affected the suction - maybe just by making me place it lower?
2) Does anyone else get cramps from using their cup? Does anything help?
3) I'm really tempted to assume that I messed things up by cutting off the stem , and also that the leaking is due to the keeper just not being the right "fit" somehow, and that I should try a Diva. But I don't want to toss away more money if it's not going to work. Has anyone had bad luck with the keeper but better with the Diva?

Thanks!

[mama_daba]

i use a diva cup and haven't had mine very long yet, but i can try and answer your questions and someone else will come along with better answers

1, i don't know maybe but i don't see how
2, in the past anything inserted would cause cramps, since getting my diva cup i have noticed mildly worse cramps the first time i used it but none since
3, i have never used a keeper, i love my diva cup but they seem so much alike i'm not sure if switching would help at all

good luck

[melissel]

Only have a sec, but the Diva Cup site says if you have leaking (I do), do Kegels to tighten things up, IYKWIM Don't know about the other things, good luck!

[mavery]

Okay, well I sorted the cramps. It was related to too much suction, and putting it higher seems to help.

As for the leaking, I can imagine kegels would help. I hadn't heard thaty before! I try to do my kegels but my pelvic floor is still weak. Yet another motivation to do them now.
Thanks.

[Apryl Srissa]

I was looking forward to trying my keeper out for the first time, but last night, when I did, I was SOOOO uncomfortable. I cut part of the stem, then cut even more, and that helped with part. But I do think I felt more crampy, and just uncomfortable. A mom in our local group said she had to adjust when she let it unfold, that it made a difference in her comfort level, but that it took her a couple cycles to get it comfortable.

Honestly, I had kinda given up, I tried again this morning and was just so uncomfortable, I wasn't sure it was doable. Dumb question, but if you cut off the whole stem, is it harder to remove? I had thought of cutting off more, but was afraid of problems removing it.

Looking forward to reading more answers,

[mavery]

I don't find it any harder to remove without the stem. I always gripped the base of the cup anyway, and if I need it to move down a little before taking hold of it, bearing down works better than tugging on the stem.