Menstrual Cups

Recently I've been thinking a lot about how much of a waste disposable tampons and pads are. I've really been looking into alternatives and the best thing I came up with for me was the Menstrual cup.

I was looking at the Diva Cup (www.divacup.com) and I'm really thinking about making the purchase.
I've never used anything like this before though, I've been using tampons since I was about 14, and I was just wondering if any of the chicks on here had used one and what you thought...

Also, the reason I'm thinking about the Diva Cup brand is that they mentioned on their site that they were the only " " Cup brand legal in Canada and so I figured it just sounded more credible.

What does everyone else think? Anyone use anything different?
Give me a little insight here chicks!

Thanks,
Gaia

 

My ex used one.
Tampons are all bad.
If I was a chick I'd use one over a tampon any day.

 

That's what I'm saying, I mean, they're just so bad for the environment.
You don't have to change the cup as often, so not only is better for the environment but it's sounds like it would be easier for me.

Such a hassle having to run to the bathroom between classes to change the tampon.

 

i know a woman who loved em and washed them out and reused them.

i hate tampons and am a pad girl myself.

there's also the *old-fashioned* rag method. rags in your panties to soak it up. give em a good bleach and wash and they're good to go.

when i used to wash diapers i kept a bucket of bleachy soapy water in the garage for the nasties and tossed them in throughout the day and washed the load at the end of the day. they came out pretty nice and i did not contribute to disposables in the landfills although there was question about the water i *wasted* to wash them.

 

Less toxic for you, and Earth.
Try and convert every woman you meet!

 

I don't think I could use a rag, as awkward as I think pads feel I would imagine a rag would be worse.

You're some kind of woman, deviant, to wash diapers like that. That's a nasty job. Kudos to you!

 

LOVE THE DIVA CUP! I highly recommend all women purchase some sort of menstral cup. I bought mine at Whole Foods for 38$ and only need to replace it every 12 months. It only needs to be cleaned every 12 hours and can be boiled at the end of a cycle. It is easy to place and remove and so comfortable to wear! IT IS AMAZING !

 

i think they're an awesome idead and i tried it. there was no getting that thing to sit properly. i have an inverted cervix. i suppose if i had deliverly naturally instead of by c-section it coulda straightened out, but no go there. i prefer pads. sticking things up my bits for extended lengths of time that don't naturally belong there wierds me out and i SWEAR, tampons make my periods last longer.

 

i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my diva cup... my period seems to be a lot less heavy and doesn't last as long as it did when I used regular tampons or pads...

do you use mama cloths, kc? i recommend them over anything you could buy in the store... all those weird gels and chemicals they use in those things ooks me right the fuck out....

 

i'll seriously look in to those. i haven't yet, i use Always, which makes me itch only a little bit less than EVERYTHING ELSE. lol. and i can always use a way to save some money in the long run.

 

here's a bunch of links for you regarding alternatives to disposable pads and tampons.... link, link, link

 

check out this badass starter kit!

http://hyenacart.com/HomemadeMama/index.php?c=32&p=77855

 

that IS a bad ass starter pack! I've heard lots of good things about HomemadeMama's mama cloths....

 

yeah, they look look pretty darned soft and comfie.

 

It really makes me feel better to get some good feedback on them here. It makes me more comfortable knowing people like them if I'm going to use them

 

I got one earlier this year. I used it for about 2 or 3 cycles, but the last 2 or 3 i've just been using a couple of those instead cups on the first day, and then nothing the last 2 days because my flow isn't that heavy. I haven't been using it because for me it can be hard to get it to sit in there properly and have the suction close. I never know if it's suctioned right until after a while it either starts to leak or doesn't. I really like the instead cups because they're so much easier to put in and take out and deal with in general, but they are not reusable, which is a big factor.
Anyway, some people say they dont' have a problem at all getting the cup to sit right, and some people have all kinds of trouble.
I'll probably end up trying mine again next month, though. I want it to work.

 

I think that there is a learing curve w/ the menstral cups. I like to insert the cup half way, let it open up, twist it one rotation, and then I insert it the rest of the way. Then I know for sure that it is open. I have never once had a leak w/ the cups. IT IS AMAZING> also I am surprised as to how much I bleed. I used to think it was alot w/ tampons because they absorb the natuarl cleansing mucus that the body produces! YAY. IT"S CLEANER< IT"S SAFER<IT"S GREEN<and it's easy!


I personally do not like pads, even reusable ones. They smell and bacteria is growing in your pants. Also, I feel very restricted and diaper like.

But, to each there own. . . but- try to be green ladies!

 

I can't even do that whole rotation thing, once I get it in there, there's no moving it besides to take it out.

 

i use the moon cup. i had a diva cup, but it didn't fit right. i've had NO trouble with the moon cup... it's softer, and i think it seals better as a result.

there is a bit of a learning curve, because you really have to make sure it's sealed and up cupping around the cervix. mine is a little "off" (my cervix that is) so i have to push the cup all the way up and make sure the rim is all the way around my cervix, and not sitting right to the side of it where it's not gonna do any good.

but you can start to feel the cup a little when it's getting full, which is a sign you need to empty it. otherwise you can't feel it at all. the only times it really loses the seal is if you're having some constipation issues (or just pooping in general), or you've got a full cup and you're lounging in a wierd position, sometimes that'll do it.

my recommendation is the moon cup. and you DON"T have to replace it every year (i'm not sure where that info was coming from), you can use it as long as you want. eventually it might get a little ucky, but i clean mine with hot water, and baking soda or peroxide, and a good peppermint soap to get it nice and clean after each cycle. and i try to always wash it (at least rinse it) really well with antibacterial soap each time i empty it, so i don't get yuckies in the giner.

hope that helped ya!

 

how do you get your hands up in there well enough to get it in place? that always drove me INSANE. and then i found out my cervix is facing the wrong direction entirely when i tried to get a diaphragm. lol. explains a lot.