Diva Cup

[CorsairMac]

One great piece of wisdom someone here gave me: when we first started using tampons there was a learning curve so give yourselves some time to get used to the cup. I'm just sorry I didn't know about this sooner! (like 20 yrs ago sooner)

As for the tipped cervix: mine is also tipped. I bought the Instead since I'm pretty much done with my cycles (yippee!!). If you still feel like you just can't seem to get the Cup to work for you, try the Instead instead! (ain't I the clever one!) You don't need to spin it and - although the instructions say use and toss - I rinse mine under hot water just like the Cup and reuse it, 1 per cycle. That way instead of a million tampons I have 1 cup. Instead is available OTC at any drugstore.

[doc]

[QUOTE=CorsairMac]One great piece of wisdom someone here gave me: when we first started using tampons there was a learning curve so give yourselves some time to get used to the cup. I'm just sorry I didn't know about this sooner! (like 20 yrs ago sooner)

I agree 100%. I initially had to do minor acrobatics to insert the darn thing. Now I can do it almost standing straight up. Like clipless pedals, and everything else in life, a little practice and it gets much easier.

[drplasma64]

I agree 100%. I initially had to do minor acrobatics to insert the darn thing. Now I can do it almost standing straight up. Like clipless pedals, and everything else in life, a little practice and it gets much easier.

woah! Does that mean someday I'll be able to do clipless pedals since I've mastered the Diva cup??

Seriously, I definitely had a learning curve with the Diva cup - started about a year ago, now it's second nature.

[emily_in_nc]

I'm using the Diva Cup now for my first full cycle. I wore it w/o taking it out all day at work today, and it did just great; I totally forgot I had my period! Forgot it so well that I came home, took a walk with hubby, prepared dinner, and then thought "Oops, I really need to take it out!" It was, how can I put this delicately, FULL as it could be - glad I didn't forget it any longer! Fortunately, our powder room makes for easy washing with the sink within an arm's reach of the toilet, so I got it washed and reinserted, but once again, the spinning thing was just about impossible.

It hurt coming out as it opened up. Owweee! And it also pinches/bothers a bit after I first get it in, though it later seems to settle in and doesn't bother a bit after awhile, but at first I'm never sure it's in right or open. It took me a good ten minutes in the bathroom dealing with it tonight, and lots of slurping noises, so I still can't see removing and reinserting it in the restroom at work until I'm better at it, but once in, I must say that it really does do the job.

I also have a tipped cervix, actually a bit off to one side, so the speculum always hurts as they sort of pull my cervic into place for viewing. Perhaps if I just can't get the hang of the DivaCup (I'm not giving up yet), I might do as CorsairMac suggests and try the Instead cup. Does that go up higher, like a diaphragm? Used to use one of those many, many years ago and did not have any problems with it.

Emily in NC

[maryellen]

<<Like clipless pedals, and everything else in life, a little practice and it gets much easier.>>

whoa, this does not bode well for me going clipless

[CorsairMac]

I'm using the Diva Cup now for my first full cycle. I wore it w/o taking it out all day at work today, and it did just great; I totally forgot I had my period! Forgot it so well that I came home, took a walk with hubby, prepared dinner, and then thought "Oops, I really need to take it out!" It was, how can I put this delicately, FULL as it could be - glad I didn't forget it any longer! Fortunately, our powder room makes for easy washing with the sink within an arm's reach of the toilet, so I got it washed and reinserted, but once again, the spinning thing was just about impossible.

I also have a tipped cervix, actually a bit off to one side, so the speculum always hurts as they sort of pull my cervic into place for viewing. Perhaps if I just can't get the hang of the DivaCup (I'm not giving up yet), I might do as CorsairMac suggests and try the Instead cup. Does that go up higher, like a diaphragm? Used to use one of those many, many years ago and did not have any problems with it.

Emily in NC

Good for you - I know you were concerned about using the cup at work, glad to hear it worked for you! I have the same problem you do - pap smears are painful because my cervix is tipped "they say" so far up. As for the Instead being higher??....I never used the Diva so I don't know. What I do know is there isn't any spinning to get it to seat and once I got the hang of it (about 2-3 days) I went 8-12 hrs without having to change it. I was like you Em - I actually had to leave the package on the bathroom counter so I would remember I was on a cycle and change the darn thing. And there weren't any extraneous noises when I emptied it. I would have given the cup a try but felt the cost wasn't worth it with cycles that were happening about every 8-12 wks.


and I was rofl about the whole learning curve seque from the cup to clipless pedals! that was just too precious! TRUE - but precious nonetheless!

[Raindrop]

After reading all the testimonials about the Diva cup here, I ordered one a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, even though I did a "dry run" before my period was due I couldn't get it to work during my period (it leaked all over the place) which was a real pain since my period started during the Hood to Coast relay race.

So...now I've re-read everyones tips and I'm going to try, try again.

[doc]

Raindrop
I am sorry to hear about your misadventure with the diva. As has been said before there is a bit of a learning curve so don't give up. A few hints: Don't insert it too high. It should be as low as possible while still being comfortable (i.e. you can't feel it at all). It needs to open up after being folded for insertion. I find that i can easily run my finger around the bottom after it is inserted and tell if its open (round) or still folded. Really embarrasing, I found being constipated made it leak too. Too much "stuff" in the pelvis I guess. Plus the diva website has a number of helpful hints.
Keep plugging away at it (pun intended!)