Pain, Divacup, help!

I can't do it, lol.

I've been looking forward to trying this. even seeing how large it was, I figured it had to be doable since they were made for females bodies. but, after about 15 minutes of attempts, I've given up for this morning. I have difficulties getting it in very far before it tries to unfold, then when it does, it is severe pain. I tried to continue pushing it up, but the pain makes me tense worse and i have to abort. I'm assuming it is related to my muscles not being able to relax, and I try, but it is not working. It hurts like when I got my pap smear, that didn't stop hurting until the thing was removed, lol...

so, any help to make this thing useful, make my muscles relax would be nice. I'm going to attempt again tonight, and tomorrow, and so on and so forth until I get it to work, but if I'd like any advise i can get.

Ouch, sorry to hear about your difficulties. Have you looked at the diva website? There are lots of helpful hints there.
Are you folding it and keeping it folded during insertion? Did you get the right size? There is one for those who have had children and then there is a smaller one.
Try lubricating it with KY or other water based (NOT petroleum based) lubricant.
My very first time I literally had to squat all the way down to open my pelvic floor muscles. At that time I couldn't imagine how I would do that in public since everyone would see my naked butt under the bathroom stall. LOL. Now I can manage the thing while standing straight up.

Also, while you are inserting it, push out with your pelvic muscles. By pushing I mean the same feeling as pushing out a BM. That seems to make the muscles reach out and grab the diva - for me anyway.

When you fold the Divacup, are you doing the double fold that they show you on the website, where you just fold it in half, and then in half again? I have never gotten that style of folding to work.

I learned this "7 fold" from another forum:
http://diane.rokatek.com/hair/diva1.jpg

This way there is only one edge that you have to sneak in there. The vaginal canal has a tight muscle encircling it near the entrance, and then it opens up further in. The trick is getting the top rim of the cup past the pelvic floor muscle before it unfurls. Also, try to hold onto it so that it doesn't unfurl so abruptly, man that hurts!

The way I insert it:
1. Be in a squatting/spreaded position. I can't get my cup in when I'm standing, I have to be squatting. Once you are more confident in your cup skills you can do this right on the toilet, but if there's any danger of dropping it I suggest you practice away from the toilet. A relatively discreet way to do this in a public restroom is to bend forward at the waist and stick your booty out, this achieves the squatting effect without actually squatting in the stall.
2. Use the non-cupholding hand to spread yourself apart a little.
3. Use lube on the cup if you are dry.
4. Make a conscious effort to relax your pc muscle as you're inserting the cup. Remember, if your jaw is clenched the other end clenches too! :p
5. Insert the cup and keep it folded until it is close to the proper depth.
6. Gently loosen your fingers and let it open. Wiggle it around to make sure it has sucked in enough air to fully unfurl so that it isn't suctioning your cervix.
7. Rotate it 1/2 turn to ensure it is seated and won't leak. Sometimes I'll finish off with a kegel.

Removal:
1. Push down as if you're pooping it out. A friend from another forum always says "Check out my mad birthin' skills, yo!".
2. When the tip approaches the outside, pinch the base of the cup to break the suction. Make sure the suction is broken! :eek:
3. Carefully and slowly pull it out, I find that a slight twisting/wiggling motion works well.

Lastly, you may find a MoonCup to be more comfortable. I heard that DivaCup improved their cup design to make them softer and more flexible, but the DivaCup that I owned and used for a year (purchased in spring 2004) was considerably stiff and hard. Also, the MoonCup is a little bit shorter and that seems to work better with my anatomy.

Hope this helps. :)

When I first got mine, I put it in while in the shower...the warm water helped me stay relaxed while trying to insert it.

I posted this on the diva cup thread a couple days ago...

Another Diva Convert (well, maybe)...

Yesterday was the first day of my cycle with the diva. No leaking which is good.

As much as I love not worrying about tampons every 3 hours, it's SOOOOOO painful to get in and out!!! I have a condition called vulvar vestibulitis, which causes redness and a burning pain in the vaginal vestibule ( 3-9 o'clock position, 1 cm wide), it makes sex impossible, but I can handle tampons since they're so narrow. My flow is light enough that I only need to take it out twice a day, but it sometimes takes 2 or more attempts to get it in (have to wait for the pain to subside in between), I really want to stick with it, why can't it be more like a diaphram and go in sideways!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by doc

Ouch, sorry to hear about your difficulties. Have you looked at the diva website? There are lots of helpful hints there.
Are you folding it and keeping it folded during insertion? Did you get the right size?

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I'm folding it, have difficulty keeping it folded. I"m going to try Dianyla's suggestion.

I did get the right size. seems so big, lol.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dianyla

I learned this "7 fold" from another forum:

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thank you! that might do the trick, 2 folds is driving me nuts...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dianyla

Remember, if your jaw is clenched the other end clenches too! :p

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LOL :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dianyla

Lastly, you may find a MoonCup to be more comfortable. I heard that DivaCup improved their cup design to make them softer and more flexible, but the DivaCup that I owned and used for a year (purchased in spring 2004) was considerably stiff and hard. Also, the MoonCup is a little bit shorter and that seems to work better with my anatomy.

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thank you. I'll keep that in mind.


drplasma, I did try that too. got a little further.

runnergirl, I hope that is not the case! but thank you :-)

thanks everyone for responding