I've used Instead and I still do, but basically only when I want to have clean sex while I've got my period. Otherwise I find it really flawed. I wish there was some reusuable method that was good for that but I don't think so.

I wish I could pick two options. I love the combination of a Diva cup and cloth pads. I use these beautiful cloth pads, which I adore and will never switch back from. Totally unsolicited endorsement here.

I wish everyone would try the cup and/ or cloth pads. It's not disgusting - I don't have bloody tampons or pads in my garbage anymore, and I bleed on my clothes a lot less. I have no trouble managing at school all day, and very little has been added to my laundry with a few small cloth pads.

The Diva cup can go through the dishwasher. It is so much more comfortable than a dry cotton wad, and I feel so much better not adding my hygiene products to landfills.

I want to learn more about the Diva cup - I like the idea of something reusable and don't love tampons/pads. Tampons are uncomfortable sometimes, and pads are so messy at night. But Diva cups are expensive!!

Anyone out there use them and want to comment?

i absolutely love reusable cloth pads... they're great, inexpensive in the long run and come in amazingly beautiful fabrics... plus i buy online from young women who do this in their spare time- i feel better about giving my money to those folks than a large company

I'm with lilaeden on this. I like that I can use Instead to have sex during my period without covering my partner, me, and the bed in blood. But that's the only thing I use it for. I've just found it highly unreliable. It's hard to tell for certain whether it's in right until you've gotten up and moved around a while, which makes it impractical for use outside your own home. And even when it is in properly, it has a tendency to pop out if I move a certain way at the most inconvenient times. Has anyone else had these problems with Instead? Are there any other more reliable options that have the same benefits?

I recently decided that I'm over having my period. I got on a birth control that allows me to just skip my periods altogether and that has pretty much made me extremely happy. When I did have a period or when I have break-through bleeding, I use a mix of Always thin pads with wings or ob silk-glide tampons. I occasionally use Insteads, but they really hurt because they are too big.

I'm currently switching to reusable pads. I don't really like wearing a pad, but now that I have my IUD, I'm terrified to use a tampon or cup. My doctor's best friend (who is also an Ob-Gyn) used a tampon after getting her IUD inserted and the strings got caught in the tampon and she ended up pulling her IUD out. :o/

I've heard that after a few months tampons are okay to use with an IUD, but I have too much riding on this thing staying exactly where it is! And I've heard that the suction created by the cup can pull on the IUD too. So... pads it is, and since I don't want to kill the environment with plastic and dry-weave, I'm switching to reusables.

Yeah period talk! I prefer tampons without the applicator, especially the organic cotton kind when I can get my hands on them. I've tried The Diva Cup (nee The Keeper), but find that it sort of pokes out and pinches me and makes me generally (vaginally) miserable).

A note on the Diva Cup, specifically for MyBabyPanda.
If you're concerned about expense, think about how much you spend on tampons and pads every month. The Diva Cup is about $42 and it never has to be replaced! I find it totally comfortable and I can go through a day without worrying about changing my tampon or bleeding all over.

Sometime it gets uncomfortable, and then I switch to Sea Sponges but only around the apartment, because I don't find them very leak proof.

I would love to try cloth pads for overnight, but I was told they are very hto and uncomfortable, so I haven't made the commitment yet.

The Diva Cup and I are on very friendly terms. :) I also add cloth pads (from http://www.matersum.com/ no, I'm not affiliated, I just really like them)

My biggest problem with the diva cup was the little nubby end on it. It always stuck out and poked me in the labia. HATED that. So I cut it off. I suppose it's supposed to be for easy removal, but I don't find it hard to grab the cup, so it's no bother not to have it.

I temporarily lost my cup a couple of months ago. Going back to tampons (which I had to bum off my kid) was awful! I bought a new one, and promptly found the old one. Doesn't seem like the kind of thing for Freecycle. :D

I'm trying so hard to love the Diva cup (I did pay a lot of money for it, after all) but I just can't make it comfortable. I find it very frustrating.

I have been playing with the idea of reusable pads for a while - I think I might give them a shot.

MyBabyPanda, i agree it seems expensive to pay 50$ for a divacup (which was how much i paid for my keeper - the older rubber version of the diva cup, when i got it), but you'll definitely be getting your moneys worth in the long run.

if you think that each box of tampons costs 8$ or so, depending on how many you use over the course of your period, you're dropping about 50$ with tax in five months... i've had my keeper for 6 years! i'd have spent 576$ on tampons by now, if i bought a box a month over that time period.

the keeper / diva cup doesn't live forever, but it does last a long time... i don't use it for the full length of my period - i use homemade pads a lot of the time, which can be as cheap to find as going to the dollar store and using washcloths or sewing your own. (although there are companies like luna
pads that sell fancier versions.). the diva's great, though! i just find
switching between reusable pads and the keeper/diva works best for me... i like having underwear backup! ;)

I alternate tampons and reusable pads. I make my own pads. I'm still perfecting the pattern, but they work well and I like them way better than disposable pads.

Diva Cup users - is it too big? I have a kind of small vagina and have never had a kid and don't want some big frisbee stuck up there hahaha.

Also, just to clarify, I think in the long run it's awesome, but I wouldn't want to pay $50 and then not like the thing. If they had a money-back guarantee, I think I'd go for it!!

So, I'm really interested in the Diva Cup as well, but I had problems with Instead because of a) the sheer quantity of blood and ick (seriously, endometriosis is not your friend) and b) the fact that my cervix is tilted the 'wrong' way, making a comfortable fit very difficult. Any Diva users have either of these issues?

Ok last Diva Cup question I promise - I I tend to have really light periods and so even regular tampons are too much after the first day of my period. Anyone else with light periods use the Diva cup?

I'm another for the "not having periods." Though, my periods were extremely problematic, and the $20 or so I spend on bcp every month works out as a bargain compared to the $250 I would lose to take off two days every month. (And every time I pee, a boy turns gay. RUN! IT'S THE GAY AGENDA!!)

Every 4-6 months my body just gives up, and I do have to have a period. Those days, I use pads. Whatever ultra-thin pad I can find. Some people complain, but I find that in Japan, the pads are reallllly thin and I can't even feel them most of the time.

Unfortunately, I don't get much of a break--I have an exceptionally, uh, gooey vagina, and so I have to wear pantiliners every day anyway. (No, it's not an infection--been there, done that, my vag has just been gooey since ... I hit puberty.) I get that it is a LOT of trash. Still not as much trash as using a gazillion and twelve pads every month on top of the usual pantiliners, though. I've found a natural cotton brand that's really nice. Comfy. And I don't have to obsessively wash my pants every couple of days this way.

I use Natracare no-applicator tampons. Love them. And because I'm on Yasmin, I don't need anything else.

I got a Keeper a while back (along with some gladrags) and I'm a huge fan of it.

When I used tampons, I would only get a couple of hours of anything resembling protection out of it and I was constantly going to the bathroom to check to see if I needed to change and there was still "seeping" to deal with-- not to mention I was putting something that had been bleached and full of carcinogens into my body (it's really hard to find unbleached tampons in the US).

With the keeper, I can get about 6-7 hours of total protection--I've worn it without any sort of pantiliner underneath and NOT ruined my underwear. I honestly wasn't expecting that--I'd bought it for purely environmentalist reasons and didn't expect it to vastly out-perform tampons. I find my periods don't go on as long (since nothing's actually blocking the cervix) and I'm a lot less skittish about "what's going on" when I'm wearing it.

It's a little weird the first few times you put it in, but it's really not such a big deal--I'm not really super-comfortable with my body in general and even I can handle putting it in and taking it out.

Grrr... sorry if this double-posts -- the timeout on the site is difficult to manage.

Original post:
I got a Keeper a while back (along with some gladrags) and I'm a huge fan of it.

When I used tampons, I would only get a couple of hours of anything resembling protection out of it and I was constantly going to the bathroom to check to see if I needed to change and there was still "seeping" to deal with-- not to mention I was putting something that had been bleached and full of carcinogens into my body (it's really hard to find unbleached tampons in the US).

With the keeper, I can get about 6-7 hours of total protection--I've worn it without any sort of pantiliner underneath and NOT ruined my underwear. I honestly wasn't expecting that--I'd bought it for purely environmentalist reasons and didn't expect it to vastly out-perform tampons. I find my periods don't go on as long (since nothing's actually blocking the cervix) and I'm a lot less skittish about "what's going on" when I'm wearing it.

It's a little weird the first few times you put it in, but it's really not such a big deal--I'm not really super-comfortable with my body in general and even I can handle putting it in and taking it out.

Edit to add:
MsBabyPanda -- I can't speak for the Diva Cup, but the Keeper comes in 2 sizes: A and B -- size A is effectively a "small" and size B is a "large" (they talk about it in terms of whether or not you've given birth vaginally).

Prior to going on the Keeper, I had to use "slim" tampons because anything else was uncomfortable.

The cup is made of a very flexible rubber substance. It was a little difficult to maneuver the first time, but I have found it much more comfortable than tampons ever were because it bends with my body.

God, I love period talk.
I was at the store the other day and was sort of tempted to try the diva cup, but it is kind of prohibitively expensive. I get that it's money-saving over time, but I genuinely don't have a spare $50 lying around to fund it right now. Plus, I sort of irrationally love tampons. I use Walgreens brand after Tampax did something stupid to their tampons a few months ago and they stopped working.

Diva Cup Answers:
Size: It comes in two different sizes so if one doesn't work, try the other one. I've never had kids either, so I use the small one (although some women still need the larger size). If nothing's been in my vagina for awhile, it can take a couple of tries, but ease of insertion generally comes with practice. Most virgins don't have a hymen anyway, but if you can't insert a tampon, the divacup will be too big for you to use.
cost: I used to go through whole boxes of pads/tampons and have a short cycle so the diva cup saves me a fortune
Flow: I use it on heavy to very light flow days. It doesn't feel any more or less comfortable(it's not dry cotton after all), I just have to change it more or less often.
Mess: Really not messy at all. Most days you only need to change it a couple of times (and can do it at home). Even in a public restroom it's pretty easy to just dump it out and reinsert.
Cervix: It sits low in your vagina, so your cervix shouldn't be an issue, but ask your health provider to be sure.
Ease: The diva cup actually changed my life. I used to have to double up with pads and tampons, and on a heavy flow day still needed to change them within 2 hours or risk leaks. Now I can sit through long meetings even on heavy flow days. I don't have to cancel trips to the park because it will be a heavy flow day and we won't be near bathrooms for four hours. It's great! I honestly feel like I wasted 12 years menstruating without the diva cup.

Inspired by the last post about the Diva cup/Keeper I went ahead and got one.

I've used it for about 3 periods and so far, I love it!

I've worn it day and night, without any spillage at all. I usually dump it about twice a day. I love that it makes having a period so low maintenance.

Here are the only issues I've had with it:

1: It's a little uncomfortable for the first day or so, then I adjust. Nothing awful, I just feel weirdly...full?

2. Part of that is that the stem's a tad long for me, I'm waiting until I've used it a bit longer to decided if I should trim it up a bit.

3. I got the silicone one instead of the latex one to be on the safe side, allergy wise. The down side of the is it's a little too slippery to remove and dump in the shower, as people have recommended.

Otherwise, I recommend it unreservedly!

I like applicator-less tampons. They're tiny, so they are easy to fit in my pocket, and don't take up much space when I'm done with them. I'm on Seasonale anyway, so I only have a period every 3 months. I tried Instead, but I couldn't make it stay put, and it leaked.

Now, if only I hadn't forgotten to take a pill for the first time EVER the other day, and of course I had sex that day....

I use the Diva Cup and have for the past year and i have found it to make my period that much more tolerable since I have a heavy flow. There is a bit of a learning curve as to how to put it in and I found it much more comfortable to cut off the stem. For any tips on how to use them or keep them clean I recommend the menstrual cup community on livejournal http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups
(sorry, I dont know how to do the whole link thing) which I found via Vagina Pagina which is an amazing site by the way.

I've been using the DivaCup lately, and while I like it, I think it might be a little bit too long. The MoonCup and the Lunette are made of the same material, but are shorter, which might help some of the smaller people out there.

I love, love, LOVE my DivaCup!! On my heaviest day, I seriously only have to empty it once. (I'm on the Nuvaring and stack it, so I only have 4 periods a year, YMMV)

$40 isn't so bad, considering the cost of disposables, both monetarily and environmentally.
I had to cut off the whole "stem" and it's been fantastic ever since. I LOVE this thing and can't recommend it enough!

I registered just to comment, because I adore the Diva Cup SO MUCH. Having one changed my life. I view my period in a totally different way. Most of what there is to say has already been said, but I would like to add that it totally gets rid of nasty period smell associated with tampons, etc. And between my personal experience and those of the others I know, I find experimenting with different folding methods until the right one is found gets rid of whatever complaints there may be.
I think it is 10000% the better way, and constantly urge everyone I know to buy one.
They do have a satisfaction guarantee - you can get your money back if you do not like it.

I love love love my DivaCup. We started selling them at the all-feminist coffee shop at our school, and most of the college has switched over and never looked back. If you have a friend who doesn't have one, it's the perfect present.

I used to have the nubby end stick out too, and it was uncomfortable. However, I found out that it stuck out because I didn't have it in all the way. If you put it in all the way, the nub shouldn't protrude. And all it takes to retrieve it easily is a little muscle. Now I can never feel it, and it's really cool to have something you can leave in while you sleep.

And for the Instead girls, it doesn't have the same problems at all. The DivaCup is made of very sturdy materials, so it doesn't pop out.

I don't know about the Keeper, but I've heard good reviews from people who've tried both.

Roni: go ahead and cut it, I did, the only issue is that you have to grab the cup itself to remove it. If it's full, don't squeeze too hard (oddly I kind of like that feeling;like my vagina's working out)

I can remove it in the shower. It just takes practice, the first few months I could only remove/insert it in a few positions.

Can you tell I'm a super huge fan? ;) The only "problem" I have with it now, is that I sometimes forget over the course of the day that I have my period, and then get confused by my strange stomach pain

Thanks for asking this! I use the Lunette, which is like a DivaCup. It's made in Finland and you can get one from kuukuppi.com, if anyone is interested. I believe I got the larger size, even though I was a virgin and obviously never had kids. The hymen was a little tricky at first but now I'm stretchier and it's no problem. But the smaller one probably would have been ok too, since I'm on the pill so my period is light. Oh, just saw MyBabyPanda's question: yes, light periods are fine with the cup. Sometimes at the end when it's practically nothing I feel like it's simpler to just wear a panty-liner, but since the cup doesn't dry you out like tampons, it's safe to put it in even when you're not on your period, so light is no problem. I think they're especially good (as opposed to tampons/pads) for heavy periods, though, although that's not from personal experience.

From what I've read about cups and my own experience, they have a learning curve, but then they're great. And I really feel like they're feminist (not that you need to use one or anything, it's just something that makes me happy) because through using mine I've learned more about what my vagina and cervix are like, and what menstrual blood is actually like. But it actually keeps things cleaner than tampons and pads, I find. I haven't been wearing it long, but I haven't had any leaks yet, although I wear a pad sometimes just in case.

LOVE my Diva cup! Replaced my old rubber Keeper with the silicone Diva and am SO happy. I also use a pantiliner, but may check out the reusable pads after reading some of the comments here.

For the stem - cut it off if it's bothering you. I took mine completely off, and have no difficulty removing the cup.

I also have an IUD, and my doc said there would be no issue with the cup because it doesn't get anywhere near the cervix. YMMV, but once I explained what it was to my doc (she'd never heard of it) she thought it was a great idea, and probably healthier than tampons. (Duh.)

I never tried a cup before I had my daughter, so I don't know if the cup would be too big for some women... but I've never had any problems. Took some getting used to, but WOW.

I used to use a diaphragm, which was great because you could just take it out and clean it right in the shower. It was cheaper than a regular menstrual cup and the gynecologist fitted me and showed me how to put it in so that eliminated any worries of spending money on it and then not being able to use it. I stopped using it as birth control pretty soon because spermicide irritated my vagina but continued to use it as a menstrual cup until I left it wrapped in a towel on the bathroom table and my dog ate it. I didn't get another one because I realized it was probably the cause of my BV, and that's why I won't get a divacup or anything. I have a finicky vagina. You look at it wrong and it gets something unpleasant.

Now I use organic tampons with no applicators. My period is incredibly short and light so I can get away with using one tampon on the first day and black underwear after that.

I'm a huge menstrual cup/cloth pad advocate. Cups have completely changed the way I feel about my period. No more trips to the store, no more tampons drying me out or uncomfortable pads.

I use the Lunette menstrual cup and another friend uses the Mooncup UK with great success. The Keeper caused us both to develop latex allergies - no fun - and a couple of other folks that I've known have had a bit of trouble with the Diva and leaking.

Also I second the livejournal menstrual cup community. It's a really great resource for those who are curious about cups and includes some great sections about folding techniques and brand comparisons.

Beezneez, I have a "gooey vagina" too, but I don't bother with pantiliners at all. There are only a few days each month (about a week before my period) where it gets so heavy, it's uncomfortable, but I still think it's easier to just change my underwear more often than deal with pantiliners. But I have major issues with pads of any kind doing flip-flops in my underwear....

Which leads to my question: I always use tampons to avoid the inevitable yanking out of my pubic hair that comes with pads, but I'd love to be able to do something more environmentally friendly, so I'm curious about reusable pads. I know disposable pads use sticky stuff, but it seems like that wouldn't really work for washable, reusable pads. How do you get them to stay in your underwear?

I'm a big fan of the Keeper (Diva cup). As for it being too long, you might want to make sure it's up far enough. Totally relax, think positively, and don't assume it's perfect until your vagina sucks it in with a noisy *slurp*. It's just like a tampon-- mostly uncomfortable due to improper application.

I like the Keeper because it forced me to touch my menses and figure out it wasn't gross, but kind of awesome.

mybabypanda - the diva cup people used to have a 100% refund if unsatisfied policy, but it doesn't seem to still stand.

if you're concerned with shelling out the cash and not liking it, it might be a good idea to check individual stores' policies on the diva cup and refunds (as they may give a full refund though the company might not), or check out some of the other companies that make similar products and see if they'll do full refunds.

here's a site that does a bit of a review of some different menstrual cups, what they're made of, where to get them, etc.
that looks like a good starting place.

@judgesnineteen: Yay! Another Lunette user! There aren't that many of us.

@Ailei: My friend has a tilted cervix as well and the cup sits low enough that it doesn't cause a problem for her.

Unfortunately, I don't get much of a break--I have an exceptionally, uh, gooey vagina, and so I have to wear pantiliners every day anyway. (No, it's not an infection--been there, done that, my vag has just been gooey since ... I hit puberty.)

Oh, i am so glad to hear someone else say that!

I just switched to the Diva Cup I love it SO much. (I got it for $32 at whole foods, but I just saw something about coupons the other day on the live journal site. Of course.)

I am completely normal, but a bit on the small side, and my periods are fairly light. I didn't find any of that problematic. Also, I didn't need pads at all. It was awesome!

I mostly love the DivaCup, but does anyone else find that it gets sort of pushed out if you have a bowel movement?

Nevermind about my question. I just found the "how-to" on the Lunapads site.

I LOVE my DivaCup. I have a whole different attitude about my period now that it doesn't involve brownish mangled feminine products (shudder).

DivaCup is comfortable and convenient for me. The only problem I have with it is if I have to change it in a public bathroom -- because I prefer to wash it out -- fortunately, it doesn't have to be changed nearly as often as a pad or tampon, just once or twice a day, so I can plan. Using cloth panty-liners helps.

(BTW Am I the only one who has used the cup and, upon emptying it, thought that its contents were actually... quite pretty? :) )

And about the price -- it pays for itself in three or so cycles! Totally worth it. Plus, it works so well, there's no need for your C-game undies anymore. You can always wear your good stuff!

Oh, and to the poster that was worried about using a cup with an IUD - I think it would be very easy. There is no absorbent cotton to get the IUD strings tangled in. The cup fits lower in the vaginal canal and makes no contact with the cervical opening.

I don't think it would matter which way your cervix tilts, also because it isn't a cervical cap. Most women's cervices are really posterior, pointing back towards their vaginal wall. They don't point towards the cup, which is anterior.

I use a Mooncup, which is a UK brand similar to the Diva. It's medical-grade silicone (as opposed to natural rubber) and I LOVE it. I've never been a fan of pads, as they're just so messy and bulky, and I hate the waste of tampons. I love that now I have my Mooncup, I have for the forseeable future, and it's so convenient. It's been much easier for me when travelling (no need to find a bin, and I can wear it for longer than I would wear a tampon) and I've never had any problem with it leaking / slipping / etc.

To answer some of the questions in the thread:

#1. I have an IUS and wore my Mooncup almost immediately from having it fitted, and not only has it not sucked it out, my IUS has moved up! (Which is unrelated to the Mooncup, obviously, but shows that's not really an issue.)

#2 I also have a very light flow, and the Mooncup has been much more comfortable than tampons from that POV, as it's not soaking up any moisure.

#3 It's awesome for going swimming - there's none of that tendency towards sogginess which tampons have.

All in all, it's so good that I have to restrain myself from proselytising to all and sundry about it! It took me a few goes to get used to it, but now I'd never go back!

I love the Diva Cup. It can be a bit awkward at first, but once you get used to it it's easy to use. The upfront cost is high, but it pays for itself pretty quickly because you're not running out to the store every couple months. Plus you're not adding to landfill waste. Plus you don't have to worry about bringing enough with you if you're out or away for a while. Plus you can start using it a few days before your period, thus minimizing accidents. I generally use pantiliners as a back-up, but I'm thinking of switching to cloth pads in the interest of reducing even more waste.

I'm another period-free gal thanks to birth control. Love it. No PMS, no muss, no fuss, no cramps, no worries.

I'm really curious about the Diva cup. I'm breastfeeding and on the minipill, so occasionally I get bleeding that's too heavy for a pantiliner but too light for a tampon.

Previously, I've been a big fan of not having periods when it can be actively avoided - I "stacked" BCP packs to only have a period every 4-6 months for years. And now, with having two kids in two years and full-time breastfeeding, I haven't really had to deal with it since early 2005. Works for me, but I wouldn't recommend it in general!

This is actually something I've been looking for advice on for a while. I feel bad about the amount of waste I create every month with my period and I'd love to use cloth pads/a cup. But good god is my period heavy. On the first two days I bleed right through overnight pads within three/four hours. It does lighten up considerably later on, so I could use different things then, but anyone out there with heavy periods who wants to help me out?

(I think my main problem with the cup at the moment, because it seems like it would be best, would be getting over my squeamishness about it...)

I currently am a Diva Cup user, and it rocks for light periods.

I used to be a 4 periods a year girl through Nuvaring, and I am about to become a no-period girl b/c my endometriosis grew into endometrial cysts. If I had stayed on the reduced period strategy, I probably wouldn't have cysts, and I wouldn't be having surgery to remove them. No periods has a lot to recommend for it.

For those of you who have "eliminated" their periods with HBC, what kind are you using? I have endometriosis and ovarian cysts which give me very heavy periods and usually necessitate a day or two off work/school. I've talked to my doctor about menstrual suppression but she didn't seem to think it was right for me.

I've been toying with the idea of using my bc pills to eliminate my periods, but now that I'm having regular sex, I like knowing for sure that I'm not pregnant each month.

And this discussion has officially sold me on the Diva Cup. I just went and bought one on Drugstore.com ($32). So thanks, everyone, for enlightening me! :)

I tried the Diva Cup but it hurt like a mofo to get in. And then I tried to contact them - there's a 90-day guarantee - but by phone, fax, and email, I heard nothing. So I sent it back with a letter, asking for my refund. And nothing. So while I'm glad it works for some women, I have a bone to pick with them. I'll stick with my landfill-filling tampons for now.

I bought my diva cup online at half price using coupon codes.
for $24, totally worth the investment.

SEA SPONGES! SEA SPONGES! SEA SPONGES! SEA SPONGES!
You can get them from LunaPads.com.

Sea Sponges have been my favorite for years. They are comfy, reusable, eco-friendly, and good for my vag. also, i get a kick from squeezing the blood from them every few hours.

i HEART them soooo hard.

I *love* my cloth pads. They come with and without inserts, so you can change the thickness for heavy days v. light days, and just generally they feel better and have prettier fabric and just kick regular pads' ass.

I don't actually have enough cloth pads yet (I bought two to try), so I have to switch them out with thin Kotex, but I want to get more and go disposable-pad-less.

I've never liked tampons, and have a teeny tiny yet extra long vaginal canal, so I'm hesitant about all internal stuff. As others have mentioned, the Keeper or Diva cup is too expensive to try out and hate, so I haven't tried it.

I use sea sponges and I love them!

I'm a total DivaCup fan. I bought one three years ago and my periods have been much more enjoyable ever since. Plus, I'm super-cheap so I like the fact that I haven't bought menstrual products in three years.

One suggestion I have for people who have pain/trouble with it... try using lube when you're first inserting it (this is just a theory, I haven't tried it yet but plan to next period). I think the reason it hurts during the first couple days to put in, but not during the heavier days is b/c of blood acting like a lubricant.

@Sarah - yeah, the DivaCup definitely moves around for me with bowel movements. But, for me it's a small price to pay. I just try to be aware and take it out if I think it's going to be annoying.

those who use reusable pads, what do you do to wash them that avoids too much smell or staining your other laundry? Do you rinse right away and then launder? Do you keep them in a separate basket? I'm interested in a more eco-friendly plan, but afraid a diva cup would be uncomfortable in my small vagina.

hey...I just got a Diva Cup online for about $33.

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=170328&catid=9586

Shipping is free too. Thought you guys might want to know...

P.S. I don't have any sense of what a "small" vag is, but mine is certainly not very large (judging from the fact that I have pain during vaginal sex even after 4 years with the same guy). I think a lot of times the DivaCup pain might be due more to putting it in when you need to go #2 (or will need to go in the next couple hours), which does put some uncomfortable pressure on the DivaCup.

I feel the same way about Diva Cups as I would about having a colostomy bag.

Luckily, after spending more than half my life on the pill, my uterine lining has thinned to the point where I have no periods, and haven't for over two years! Before that, I used O.B. tampons, and never fussed about that whole "OMG, I can't wear it overnight or I'll get toxic shock!!!1!"

I had no idea IUDs had strings!

LIZADILLY: Once I emptied my Diva Cup and really had to resist the temptation to go get a camera. =)

ARTISTAFEMINISTA: I'm curious about sea sponges; I've read that they're not approved by the FDA or something, and sometimes can contain particles of sand or little sea-beasties. Where do you get yours?

Regarding the Diva Cup - I've been using one for about four years now, and it made life so much better for me. I like that my crotch doesn't smell like death-and-artificial-flowers, I like that it doesn't hurt to take the Diva Cup out like it did with tampons sometimes, I like that the product itself doesn't come in "feminine" packaging that always made roll my eyes. And I like that I'm not spending money every month. And the whole sustainability thing is cool, too.

For anyone who's worried about size: I got the Size 1 (for women under 30/never had kids). If you can fit a penis in your vagina, you can fit a Diva Cup (exception might be anyone who has a tilted uterus or other issues; I'm afraid I don't have any experience with those).

aw, happy about all the menstrual cup positive comments.

i've been using the keeper for 3 years, and find it amazing. i only have to change it every 12 hours. it took some getting used to, but i have a system worked out. i often forget i am on my period, aside from the pain in the first couple days.

i have used a couple different reusable pads. one is made with fleece, and is very comfortable, but not very breathable. the other has hemp inserts and plastic liner on it. not as comfy, but still more comfortable than disposable.

instead is useful for period sex. but i'll echo all the other comments...not the right shape, leaks, pops out, etc. i had the same issue with the ring...

overall- try the divacup/keeper/whatever and keep it up for awhile. i think its an acquired love.

I just started using my Mooncup (UK) two cycles ago and I love it so much. I think I get through my period quicker since I started using it?

All these comments about using a menstrual cup have inspired me to give it a try. I found a DivaCup online for $20 including shipping (iHerb.com - found thru Google shopping). Now to order some cloth pads... Ooh, I am just going totally eco-friendly periods here!

Am I the only one who just folds up cloth and goes old school? It's so comfy, and as long as my underwear is fitted and I use terry cloth, it stays put:)

I said pads but that's just for now.
Once I learned how to use tampons, I used them and thought they felt much nicer than pads. Except that it's hard to judge what size to use. It's uncomfortable pulling them out when you used a size too big. And when I was heavy I felt like I needed a pad just in case.
So when I get home after being on exchange I plan on buying a DivaCup.

I said pads but that's just for now.
Once I learned how to use tampons, I used them and thought they felt much nicer than pads. Except that it's hard to judge what size to use. It's uncomfortable pulling them out when you used a size too big. And when I was heavy I felt like I needed a pad just in case.
So when I get home after being on exchange I plan on buying a DivaCup.

Diva Cup! Best $35 I ever spent, and I've now converted nine other women to it. I also bought my mom one for Christmas.

I haven't read all these comments, but there's a great livejournal community (you don't have to have LJ to read it) at menstrual_cups.livejournal.com with tons of useful information and questions answered.

I absolutely love my cloth pads too. I started using them about 7 years ago, after I was diagnosed with Endometriosis and had to have several surgeries because of the pain. I was concerned about the chemicals in the disposable products (Endo patients tend to have chemical sensitivities) so I switched to the cloth pads, and to me they feel just like wearing cloth underwear. I really can't even tell I'm wearing anything. They also come with inserts which you can adjust the thickness depending on flow, and I swear even with the inserts, I can't even feel 'em. I wouldn't go back to disposables even if somebody paid me, to me there are so many benefits, including the environmental benefit of not having to throw anything away, they save money because they are reusable, and the don't have any chemicals in them. I also learned to make cloth pads myself which has saved me even more money. I can't say enough about them, they are the best and I recommend them to anyone who is bothered by disposables, has environmental concerns, or just wants to save money.

Although I understand if some people are hesitant at first because, I've recommended them to some of my friends and they are wary of certain things like the washing and the thickness etc. etc. I recommend to anyone who is hesitant to just perhaps buy one package and give them a try. Because everyone I have known that has switched says the same thing...they will never go back to disposables.

There are also patterns on the internet for making your own, if anyone is interested I can let ya know which ones I used, that I think works the best. All you need is a regular sewing machine or needle if you want to hand sew it, some fleece cloth (or some heavy duty cotton cloth) and some snaps or velcro.

Someone mentioned squeezing the blood out of sea sponges... but I find my period to be very little blood and mostly lining. Any ideas how that works?

I'm also curious about the questions Bethany asked above. The idea of carrying around used pads in my bag is pretty weird.

But I must say, I'm really loving this thread (even though I seem to be one of the few who isn't keen on menstrual cups). I don't have a lot of close female friends here so I don't get to talk about periods much. I love my body and think everything it does is fascinating, so it can be a little lonely sometimes to only have guys who act like it's the grossest thing in the world around.

Apparently I live under a rock...I have NEVER heard of this cup business.

Someone please give me some guts to get over my squeamishness and order one.

I love my vagina but hate my period and see the period as just this horrible icky interruption to my relationship with my body. Maybe that needs to change?

Maddy, have you had kids/do you want to? I'm not a big advocate of surgery, but ablation is a life-saver for a lot of people with serious bleeding. But it damages the uterine lining, so generally docs won't do it unless you're done with parenthood.

I'm 4'11" and I never had any problems with the A size keeper. Switched to a B size DivaCup after I had my kiddo.

P.S. I don't have any sense of what a "small" vag is, but mine is certainly not very large (judging from the fact that I have pain during vaginal sex even after 4 years with the same guy). I think a lot of times the DivaCup pain might be due more to putting it in when you need to go #2 (or will need to go in the next couple hours), which does put some uncomfortable pressure on the DivaCup.

Hilary: Vaginas stretch and expand to accommodate quite a bit. Pain during sex is not a sign that you are too small for your partner, but certainly can be a sign of other serious stuff. Especially after 4 years, I would think you should get checked out. I had vulvodynia, and it felt like I was too small or there was too much friction or something, and it only got progressively more painful. Please see a doctor!

This is my first time posting - just found this blog (thanks Em!), but I have found that my IUD has been the most effective period product by far, insofar that it has all but stopped my periods from coming entirely. I've only had it for a couple of months, and not only has my sex life improved (more spontaneous sex is possible), but my periods have turned to a trickle. I know, it's not exactly a period product, but it reduces flow, thereby reducing the need to deal with the flow, and it has completely gotten rid of my cramps. Before the IUD, though, I usually used tampons.

I have an iud and since my insertion I have been using instead and panty liners. After I had mirena iud inserted my periods have been very light so liners work well and for the one or two heavier days I use instead. I might buy some of the reusable pads because I don't like throwing so much stuff away (hardly ever used pads before because of messy/heavy periods).

Before I used a divacup and at first it was really uncomfortable but then I got used to positioning it and I also cut off the entire stem because it would rub against by labia. Unfortunately I was a very tipsy one night and flushed it. I am thinking about buying another one so I don't have to use instead anymore but I would hardly use it now. I also wanted to get past the first 3 months post iud insertion to make sure I don't accidentally take it out.

I tried the diva cup but it didn't work for me - and they let me return it with no questions asked at whole foods. I then ordered the Mooncup UK, which is more flexible and *generally* works better - but I've never really had total success with it. Its so frustrating because I want to give up tampons, but it's so spotty (pun unintended) that I can never relax and trust that it will work.

So, after years and years and years of constant breakthrough bleeding (including a six month long period one time) I am now on Seasonale, and get my period once every three months. I still spot in between, though. So I am fond of pantie liners. I should probably think of getting some cloth ones.

When I do get my period, it's nothing more than a half a dozen tampons. I've literally had the same box for about six or nine months. I second the question about how these alternative methods work with the sloughing off? Mine is quite chunky.

Not going to lie, the Diva cup freaks me out a little.

Oh, and woot woot to the gooey vags in the house!

Regarding the price of the DivaCup, if you go to literally any online comparison shopping site, you'll easily be able to find one for around 20$. Even when you figure in another 5-6$ for shipping you're still paying dramatically less.

That's how I got mine and considering the money I used to spend on pads and liners, the DivaCup paid for itself in three cycles!

call me cheap, but i found a cheap, absorbent solution by rolling my own tampons out of white toilet paper! i just folded as many squares as required by my flow, then rolled it into a self-styled O.B.-type tampon. if you're not squeemish about retrieving it, it works great. i've since had a rollerball ablation that stopped my periods entirely--hallelujiah!! no more hassle.

I haven't tried the DC despite MANY positive reviews from friends-my flow is so light and wacky now, that I don't know if it would be worth the bother...Love my OB's though!

I second the ablation for heavy periods-after my second, I'd bleed so heavy I'd be faint. had the ablation while tying my tubes, and I haven't had any problems since. It's so much nicer to not be clotting the day away, and it's day surgery with minimal pain.

Should I try a Diva, even with little to no flow? I find when I use tampons, it's just this weird clear discharge with a little blood, so i don't know what's going on... (I apologize if that was TMI)

A lot of women in my age group hate pads, but I like a specific kind. Always (r) long with wings. I have a bladder disease that causes a little incontinence, so I have to wear them everyday anyway. I had to find the perfect ones - even a different brand feels uncomfortable to me. I'm sure other people would feel like they're wearing a diaper, though. They work just fine when I have my menses - it just means I have to change them more often.

I have really heavy bleeding and nothing seems to really do the trick. I have a DivaCup (actually Mooncup), but my cervex seems to be overly sensitive during my period so it often results in unbearable pain - it always reminds me of child birth. It might not be very messy for someone with a light flow, but I have to change it every 30-45 minutes at the heaviest times, which is just too much blood for me after a few days. But I do really like it and try it again and again.

I've had to stick with disposable pads and tampons - nothing else really keeps me clean and almost-dry enough without looking like a diaper.

I'm a recent convert and a huge lover of sea sponge tampons. You use them just like regular tampons without an applicator. You have to wet them a bit to start out with to get them soft, then scrunch them up and insert them, leave them in about as long as you would leave in a regular tampon. Then rinse and re-insert. The pack comes with two so you can switch back and forth. At the end of your period, you rinse the tampon(s) in hydrogen peroxide to disinfect. You can use each tampon for about 6 cycles. The only downside is finding a discrete place to rinse your tampon when it's time to change. If you spend most of your time in public restrooms with public sinks, this may not be a good choice all the time. One of the biggest positives - you can have penis-in-vagina sex without the mess.

Alas, this is one aspect of womanhood I can never empathize with, as my uterus was surgically removed when I was 7 due to cancer. Bah, what am I saying? Not being able to empathize with a bloody vagina is the one silver lining of that illness!

Hmm, better keep this on topic. I guess you could say that I deal with menstrual problems by paying my misery dues up front instead of going on credit!

Oh how I would love to use The Keeper that I bought a few years ago. Every now and then I try it, and it always pokes me and feels uncomfortable - maybe I cut the little stem in an awkward way?

I've also tried Instead, which I thought was a really cool idea but didn't fit inside me very well (and also seemed even more indestructible, environment-wise, than traditional pads or tampons).

And finally Luna pads - they're very effective (and come in nice colors...) but pretty bulky.

Hooray for SEA SPONGE tampons! I've been using nothing else for almost ten years, and I can't say enough good things about them. Sustainable, organic, and so comfy. I read somewhere that Polynesian women have been using them for ever, so they're traditional too.

Elizaear, I've had the same experience with a sensitive cervix during my crazy-heavy period. The sponges, because they're soft, don't put as much pressure there. And they don't dry out the vaginal walls--no more of that terrible raw feeling when you're pulling out (and tossing) tampon number six.

It's true that the public-restroom sink thing requires stealth sometimes, but on the other hand, I'm all for normalizing that healthy blood.

@anonymous:

I'm rooting for you! And it's awesome that you love your vagina. :) Not everyone (and maybe not even most people...) has a happy lovefest with their periods. To me, a regular period (whatever that means for you) is one sign of good health and, you know, not being knocked up. So personally I would never wish it away. (It also helps to have a partner who doesn't think it's gross when I have my period.)

If you go the reusable product route, just know that you may have to try a couple of different ones before finding one that is suitable for you. Don't give up!

Maddy-

What a funny coincidence that you posted right after I did. Talk to your doctor about endometriomas. These form when the menstrual blood goes inside the abdomen instead of out through the vagina. Once they start, they grow a little more every month and can only be removed via surgery. If you don't remove them, they get huge and start to cause you pain. After they are removed, they will generally grow back unless you use medical or surgical means to prevent it.
I don't think there is any way right now to predict who is at risk for developing endometriomas. To me, if you are already using HBC, taking the next step to menstrual supporession is a no-brainer. Fewer periods = less chance for endometriomas to develop. If you think menstrual suppression is for you, ask your doctor what her reservations are.
I currently use Nuvaring, but I have used monophasic pills in the past. Nuvaring works better for me b/c 1) I am bad at taking pills and 2) using pills means you need extra packs and my insurance only covered 12 packs per year. With Nuvaring, you just leave it in a week longer so you don't need extra packs.

Re: Sea Sponges: The ones marketed as tampons are safe. You can save a lot of money by just buying sea sponges say, from cosmetics suppliers, but those are the kind with the sand and the bacteria. Pay the money for menstrual sponges.

To Maddy and others:

I, too, have horrific periods. I bleed through the Keeper/Diva Cup every 15-30 minutes for the first 3 days. (I have fibroids and cysts.) While I haven't had as much luck with the cup as I would have liked, I LOVE sea sponges and cloth pads. I also miss a couple of days of work/school each month due to terrible pain and gushing blood. I haven't used cloth pads in several years, but I swear my periods were less severe and I never dreaded them. I HATE the chemicals in tampons and pads - the pads especially burn my skin. I would strongly suggest trying sponges. I absolutely adore them!

Whoa, sea sponge tampons??

Reading stuff like "Many chemicals are present in tampons, including pesticides used on the cotton and chlorine used to bleach the tampons" turns me off tampons. I know there are natural ones but they are more expensive of course and not everywhere. I will stick with pads for now until I buy a DivaCup.

wooo! Thanks, wonderwoman, for the tip on getting a Diva Cup at a discount. I was completely inspired by this thread to buy one, as I have always found both pads and tampons to be uncomfortable, indiscreet, and bad for the Earth. Now to learn how to sew me some kick-ass cloth pads! I will definitely mention these alternatives at next week's women's group meeting on campus.

I just got my Diva (in fact, I posted about it a few threads back!! :D) and am mucking through how to use it. So far I have been unsuccessful in insertion, but I have high hopes.

Anyway, I know I'm new here and none of you have reason to trust me (unless anyone here is also an LHCer perchance) buuut I can attest to this not being a scam:

http://www.southcoastshopping.com/?CLSN_2536=12059688642536b0e5ac0e36d605f926&keyword=divacup&searchby=keyword&page=shop%2Fbrowse&fsb=1&Search=Search

Yay cuppers! :D

oh my god i LOVE my lunapads. loveloveloveLOVE!

I started using a Divacup a couple years ago and have never looked back! I haven't really had any leakage or discomfort problems that other people have reported but, then again, I have a really awesome vagina.

I also felt way more in touch with my body after using the cup because you can actually see how much you are menstruating and what it looks like and it made me feel sort of in awe of my body.

I used a diaphragm for years, and it was great when I was on my period and wanted to have sex. I stopped using it because I kept getting UTIs. Will I get UTIs again if I use the keeper?
Right now I love my o.b.

getoffmyskittle, check out the livejournal community and their different types of folds for getting the cup in, if you haven't already. Good luck!

I haven't read all these comments so I apologize if this is repetitive, but my fave menstrual product is Depo-Provera. As in, I don't get a period. Whoo-hoo! (Runner-up would be O.B.-style tampons, but the hippie kind, out of organic cotton.)

re: changing/washing reusable pads -- I generally manage not to need to change them at work/in public. If I do, I usually fold them up on themselves and snap them. If they're extra bloody, I might wrap them in some toilet paper, or a plastic bag if I had one, but I've never run into that problem.

At home, if it's a heavy day, I'll rinse them out in the sink and snap them around a towel rod for a day, then fold them into themselves and throw them in the hamper. If it's a light day, I won't bother rinsing. Granted, I don't share a bathroom, but they're small and made of terrycloth, so they'll dry fairly quickly, even if you had to put them somewhere discreet.

I wash them with my towels. They're more absorbent when I don't use dryer sheets, but I usually use them anyway.

I've never really noticed them smelling unless I'm handling them -- they certainly don't smell from my hamper when I'm in my bathroom.

I've occasionally gotten blood on my panties from completely misjudging how thick my pad should be, but I've never gotten blood on anything in the laundry after taking the pad off.

I have the Keeper and LOVE it. It has seriously changed my menstrual life. I use it throughout my period, whether the flow is light or heavy. On my heaviest days I need to empty it only three times. I no longer need to use pantyliners as I have no problems with leaks. The company that makes them does have a guarantee, so if you buy it and don't like it, you can return it. I found it took a few cycles to get used to it and figure out the insertion and removal, so be patient with yourself. I did not need to trim my stem at all. I would highly recommend the Keeper to anyone... It really is worth it!

Can anyone recommend a source for sew-your-own pad patterns? I'd love to reduce my footprint somehow, and I have enough unused fabric in my closet to clothe a small army.

I'm using the Diva Cup for the first time today, actually...it was super-easy to insert, so we'll see how getting it out goes. So far, it already feels better than a tampon. I only use pads as a liner, and I have the resusable flannel kind - they're awesome and don't give you that horrid diaper feeling.

Funny story about the Instead cup: I tried using it about 10 years ago. I was at my then-boyfriend's parents' house for the weekend. I went into the bathroom, sat down on the toilet, pulled out the Instead cup and BAM! Blood ALL over the bathroom, particularly on the shower door in front of me. Good times. So that pretty much put me off Instead.

Too beezneez and others who have a lot of vaginal lubrication - d'you know Lunapads (www.lunapads.com) makes Lunapanties - they basically have a built-in liner. So cool and seems like it would be perfect.

Love my Mirena IUD, haven't had a flow for years... Saves money too. Oh, and no babies either :).

As for painful sex - I have a few friends who had that problem. One said that it hurt for the first 20 times; another said that it hurt for a year; another said about a year. The girls who had long-term painful sex said that their gynaecologists had told them, upon first examination, that they were small and would have some trouble. I would posit about a year as the outside point for smallness-based pain. There can be other biological issues that would cause that.

As for products - I used to use the Playtex slim-fit tampons, as normal-sized tampons are (moderately to incredibly) painful. When those were no longer around, I used pads for a while. I think it was Cara who suggested applicator-less tampons, which - thank you, Cara! :) - have been fantastically helpful. I've used the O.B. version - small, discreet, but sometimes hurt when removing. (The box suggests to widen the base to make insertion easier. Yes, insertion is easier, but removal is harder - especially on heavy days, when the tampon swells up.)

IncredibleKates, I'm with you. Much love for Natracare organic tampons. I switched to them fifteen years ago when _The Village Voice_ ran Karen Houppert's expose on the menstrual product industry that went on to become her book _The Curse_.

I'm not a fan of their pads, though. So I use regular old bad Kotex.

I tried using the Diva Cup a few months ago and had an AWFUL experience with it. I'm not sure if my vajayjay is just shaped weirdly or what, but everything was going smoothly until I went to pull it out... and I couldn't get it out. I was single at the time and didn't have any friends in town who I felt comfortable enough with to ask them to take it out for me. Also, it was a Sunday and my usual clinic was closed. Since I'd had the Cup in for quite a while, I started to panic about the possibility of TSS or other problems.... Long story short, I sat in the ER for 3 hours before seeing an old, male nurse who removed my cup with FORCEPS (too much of a risk involved in touching your patient's cooch I guess) and told me, "Next time be sure to use a tampon." (wtf?!!!)

Have any other women had problems like this? I had trouble both inserting and taking out the smallest size of Cup, but I asked a friend who's the same body type (5 ft., 115 lbs) and she said she's never had any issues...

I love my reuseable pads, they are so much more comfy.

I've also used the diva cup for two periods. I'm having problems with it this time, but I'm pretty sure its just me putting it in wrong because the first time went perfectly. I was impressed. I was also surprised, because I always needed to change my tampons, but with the diva cup I found out I have an even lighter flow than I thought.

For people who want to make your own cloth pads, I've seen a tonne of tutorials on craftster.org . I found this: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=18462.0 but there is more of them of course. If you scroll down a bit, she also made templates for them. Also I am sure there are other places on the net you can find them as well.

Kyle, I had a really hard time getting the cup out the first few times, too. I eventually managed on my own, but I had images of a male nurse with forceps. I don't know if you'd want to try it again, but I found that I have to squat - it's easiest in the shower, but sitting on the toilet with my legs really wide works too - push it out with my muscles, then hold it as far out as it will come by pulling on the tab with my left hand, put my right thumb in (on the anterior wall of my vagina) up to almost the top of the cup, push down until the cup is pressed in half, and then, squeezing my muscles and using my fingers to make it take a C shape, and slide it out. The trick is when you break the seal (pressing it in half). You have to push kinda hard, and sometimes you have to try different spots. Good luck if you try it again, but it's understandable if you don't want to take any chances.

I have been using reusable pads for about a decade now. I love using them because of the minimal environmental impact. I find that these don't last forever and you can only reuse them for so long...but I love them! =)

Tampons. Nothing else never ever.
I hate menstruation with the blaze of thousand suns and flushing the used tampon down the drain feels like some sort of cleansing ritual. I cannot imagine having some washable, reusable stuff around, the idea seems totally gross to me. I know it's not totally sustainable and such but I'll make up for that elsewhere. Recycling clothes or something.
I however noticed that there's less blood and whatever stuff and that the periods are shorter and farther between... and with a bit of calculating I found out that in some 5 years or so I'll be menstruating for 20 minutes once in a year. If only math worked in life that well:D - then it would be a good riddance.

And, no, I'm never ever gonna take any HBC or such to control my period. It would mean to admit publicly that my person and sex have something in common. Now that would be worse than menstruating. For those who are interested, yes, I do hate some aspects concerning my body.

aH!! I love my diva cup so much. It's perfect for both light and heavy days, and it SERIOUSLY gets rid of that awful period smell (I think that smell happens when menstrual fluid is exposed to air). The only problem I've had is that it makes me pee really badly sometimes - I feel like it presses on my bladder. Granted, I also have a tipped uterus, so that might have something to do with it.

Also I cut off the stem thing at the bottom which used to dig in uncomfortably and it feels completely fine. I cannot recommend the diva cup more. It makes me look forward to my period! What a joy to use.

@realityfighter: Feministing has a link for making your own pads.

I have a Mirena IUD, the one that emits a low level of progesterone. I love it b/c it's good for 5 years and also results in NO PERIOD AT ALL. Which I realize is not for everyone, but I love it...no inconvenience, no hormone swings, no PMS, no worries. The progestrone level is low enough that the uptake occurs only in the uterus instead of the higher level of circulating hormones that occur with the Pill (I had a bad time with that). This device has been used in Canada and Europe for quite a long time, and I was able to get it when it was first approved in the US thanks to my wonderful progressive ob/gyn. I've had zero problems with it and I really enjoy having no period!

I make my own cloth pads with really soft absorbent fabric found in free clothes piles or salvation army. I also use a Keeper (much better than the Diva Cup I thought).

I put together a little list for my co-op's blog on the links I thought were best for cloth pads. Enjoy!
http://battenik.wordpress.com/category/menstruation/

I absolutely love my diva cup. I used to HATE my period - it made me uncomfortable, the fear of leaks preyed on my anxiety, and pads were just plain gross. I got a cup two years ago, and at first it was weird in that new sort of way but once I cut the stem off, it was fine. I've never looked back. The idea of putting a tampon in my body is repulsive.

I LOVE talking about my period, but there's so much pressure not to talk about it. I find once you start, other women love gossiping about it.

As a side note, if anyone in Toronto is looking to buy a diva cup, they sell them at the Ryerson Women's Center for $15!!!!!! (Cash only)

Diva Cup all the way!

Though when I have to buy a new cup I might go for the Mooncup UK brand as it's gotten overall better ratings.

Re: the painful sex issue. For me, it is just pain during intial penetration and first 2-3 min, not throughout the activity (and the initial penetration stuff can be significantly less when I'm super-ready-to-go).

I have friends who have this also, especially when it's been a while between, um, sessions. Do most women really feel no pressure during initial penetration?

Sorry to sidetrack things. I didn't mean to with my initial post...

I love this topic so much!

I have tried EVERYTHING. I liked the sponges but found that they leaked too often for me. I have pretty clotty periods and never had a problem with that stuff getting absorbed into the sponge.

Now I have a non hormonal IUD and my period can be quite heavy. I use a diva cup and occasionally the reusable cotton pads. I have to say I hate all pads... cloth, plastic, metal...they all feel like a diaper to me. Plus I have a stinky period and pads seem to always smell bad to me. It is possible that it is in my head but I get self conscious about it so I really only use them at night.

I love my cup. It took me a while to figure out exactly where it needs to be inside of me to not leak. I didn't have to cut the stem but if it isn't in far enough the stem pokes me. I like that though because it helps me to know when I have it in right. I also have to take it out to make poops.

One trick I have found for insertion is to make sure it is completely dry on the inside of the cup when I am putting it in otherwise it suctions together and doesn't make the cup shape and then I leak all over the place. If I am in a public restroom I empty it into the toilet then wipe it clean and dry with toilet paper but I prefer to rinse it in the sink. I find I cannot insert it standing and have it go in right. It works best for me sitting with my legs wide apart and completely relaxed. The more stressed I get about putting it in the harder it becomes to put in.

I have no trouble getting it out. I don't really use the stem at all I grab it by the base, pinch it a little and pull it down while twisting it to help break the seal. It usually comes out no problem. If it is very full sometimes it can get a little messy but I don't care about that. It's my body, my blood, my tissue so nothing it in is going to magically hurt if it hasn't already. (But then again not much grosses me out in terms of bodily fluids.) It is very participatory and that is what I like about it.

On light days I can leave it in for hours and hours and never have that horrible tampons sensation you get when it is too dry to remove and it feels like you are leaving half of the cotton sticking to the inside of your vagina. I hate that...

Plus I sometimes use the blood from my cup to water my plants. It makes a great fertilizer!

Re: kultakutri-
Please don't flush used tampons down the toilet! They should be thrown in the trash because they can clog sewer pipes. and anyway, putting them into the sewer system just means they have to be filtered out and sent to the garbage later.
(This is my civil engineer side speaking).
My personal side says: the Keeper cup is fantastic. It's saved me probably hundreds of dollars already, and it's awesome not having to carry tampons around or fill up the bathroom garbage can. At work, I would empty it in a bathroom stall and wipe it with toilet paper and put it back in. Just give it a good rinse when you get home and there shouldn't be a problem. I paid $30 and it came with a "satisfaction guaranteed or your money back" deal- the company wants people to try it out.

OMG, ladylovelorn, I do that too, I use the blood for my plants, my roomates think I'm crazy! But I don't care! Nice to know there's others who feed their plants this way too.

I love Love LOVE the Diva Cup! I tell every woman I know about it. I'm 37 and I wish I had found it years ago.
I do use a liner pad on heavy days "just in case." I want to get re-usable ones. That's my next step.
BTW.... blood for plant food... AWESOME. After all, this IS the very stuff of life here.

Cup love!
Me = narrow vagina, redundant tissue, virgin (although I don't know if my hymen is intact or not). And I love my cup.
It hurt to put the cup in the first few times, but now I can get it in no problem, no pain. Use a little lube at first. To get it out, if you bear down on your PC muscles, it pushes the cup forward, then pinch the bottom to break the seal and pull it out. It takes a little practice. I like to sort of re-fold it while it's still in my vagina so it's smaller to pull out.

It's actually less gross to me (a hater of periods) because there's no smell and you don't end up pulling something all weird and slimy and brown out of your vagina - it's just blood. I have become one of those people who think it's pretty - So red! When I used tampons, everything looked brown and sticky.
I also feel like it makes my period shorter.
It's great for travel because you pack one cup, not a week's worth of tampons (nor does a TSA agent then root through your pile of tampons in front of the whole security line)
Light flow/Light days - awesome! You can leave it in for 12 hours and it never feels like you've got something drying up all your juices.
You can find good deals on the internet. Where I live, no stores stock them anyway. Conspiracy!

I switched to the Diva Cup +2 years ago and will never, ever use anything else. Considering I used to spend $8-10 dollars a month on period stuff, it's also saved me hundreds of dollars. Bonus!

For people asking about light flows - I find the cup the best for this. Consider this - you can wear the Diva Cup whether you're bleeding or not. It's not absorbent like tampons so there's no health risk. I wear mine an extra day or two when I'm anticipating my period and never have to worry about accidentally bleeding on myself. And I also love that I can wear it throughout my period, no matter how heavy or light the flow. I used to have to keep an assortment of tampons, pads, and panty liners on hand and guess at what I needed on what day. The cup does away with all of that. This is easily my favorite thing about it. No worry, no stress, no mess. And if I'm on my period or anticipating it, I don't have to pack a pharmacy in my purse or suitcase. Just the lil' cup!

Also - getting it in and out can be awful the first few months. I had a really hard time getting it down and learning when it was in place (and comfortable). I had a lot of trouble getting it out especially, but eventually I realized it was partly because I was so tense and my muscles had it in a death grip. After learning to take a few breaths (and push like you're peeing), I was able to get it low enough to grab it and pull. After you get the hang of removal (few months in, perhaps) I highly recommend cutting off the stem. But certainly wait until you've got the hang of it!

I use Nuvaring. I skip periods for about a year until I feel like having one again just to see if I'm normal. They're just breakthrough bleeding anyway, not real periods.

In between I have a divacup. somewhere.

I use the Keeper, and have consistently for about four years and from the first time I used it, I couldn't imagine ever using commercial tampons and pads ever, ever again. I love it so much, that I try to tell everyone about it. What really pisses me off is that so many girls and women do not even know that menstrual cups exist. I only heard of them because a friend told me about her experience with hers. I was about 25 years old at this point, and was sincerely shocked about this new information. I was so brainwashed about tampons and pads being my only option, that it took some time to process. I finally decided to go for it, and bought mine at www.thekeeper.com It costs $32 on their site.

Here's an idea for women who are concerned about the cost. The Keeper offers bulk pricing. If you buy 10 (to 49) they cost $20.95 each. It would be an empowering experience to purchase yours with 9 other curious women. Not only will it save you money, but you will be able to experience learning about it with your friends. (btw, shipping is only $2 for one keeper, and $3.95 for more than one).

I also use Glad Rags, which I purchased from the same site, which I love love love and highly recommend. They are so much more comfortable than commercial pads and easy to care for.

I would also like share my experience with my gynecologist who was unaware of the Keeper. She looked at me like I was a dirty, disgusting psychopath when I discussed using mine with her. I encouraged her to get informed so she could provide complete information for her patients, and never saw her again. I was so appalled!

I believe it could be such an empowering experience for woman to realize they have other choices than pads and tampons. It really was for me. Our brainwashing about our two choices is extremely ingrained in our brains. I have had a hell of a time convincing even some of my closest friends. Even though the reasons are countless (and my sincere enthusiasm must make them curious.)

Here are some of my favorite reasons:

No bleached cotton to cram in your (often reluctant) vagina

No risk of TSS

They last for at least 10 years, 10 years! Imagine the money you will save.

You never run out of protection. You just have to remember to tuck it into your bag. And believe me, the fear of having to use tampons or pads if you do forget it will lead you to always remember to have it. I have always had it with me when I needed it.

Environmentally friendly, reduces waste

You can accurately keep track of how much you are bleeding each month, and can more easily track changes.

You can even use your blood to feed and provide nutrients to your plants to help them flourish and grow, if you so choose.

It is totally comfortable (at least it always has been for me).

It is liberating and empowering.

It's convenient.

Unbelievably unbeatable for camping, swimming, running, hiking etc.

You can leave it in for up to 12 hours, which can often mean saving dumping it for the privacy and cleanliness of your own bathroom... Yay!

(The only down side I have ever encountered was not having a spare tampon to share with a woman in need of one. However, there is almost always going to be another woman around the corner who does have one to spare.)

I typically have a pretty heavy flow the first two days of my period. So I will use my Keeper & Glad Rags on those days. The remaining days, I only use my Keeper.

It has truly changed my relationship with and feelings about my period in many positive ways.

I would like to share an idea I had with everyone to see if anyone has any suggestions. I recently saw a commercial by Always that discusses that young girls (this example was in Africa) often can't attend school during their periods because they do not have protection. Add up that time, and these girls can really get behind in school. I had never thought of this. And I instantly thought of the Keeper. Because the commercial states that Always donates to some needy communities, which is great. But how much more effective would it be to provide these girls with a Keeper and in doing so, provide them protection at least for the next ten years. It's brilliant! It could be such an amazing and empowering experience for them to no longer have to worry about whether or not they will have protection. I also think it would be great for these young girls and women to experience this together. I would love to raise funds to be able to send enough Keepers for communities of women to distribute all together.

Does anyone have any suggestions about starting a project like this? I have never done anything like this before.

I forgot to mention two very important things about the Keeper.

The Keeper offers a 3 month money back guarantee!

And the Keeper is made and distributed by women.

I highly encourage you to try it out, there is really nothing to lose. And in my experience SO much to gain! Three months should give you enough time to figure out if the Keeper is right for you.

Your idea is a good one; I don't know how it would be done, but probably it's best to learn more about the specific situation. Always will probably have some info about it. For your specific idea, you'd have to make sure the girls have reliable access to enough sterile water for washing the device.

Good luck!

I've been using Instead Cups for years! I love them; can't live without them. I went to my dr. today and was told due to my headaches that I can't be on the pill (or patch or ring) anymore. I have to either be on a prestogen only pill, or an IUD. I'm going to be put on Mirena, but I'm afraid of the Mirena and the cup together. Anyway... I vote for Instead. I only had a leakage problem when I first started using them. With practice, they've become my only period protection. I no longer use pantylines, pads, or tampons. As far as changing Instead, I change it on the shower ever morning, and then after work when I'm at home. Wipes help, but again, with practice there is little to no mess. :)

"Most virgins don't have a hymen anyway, but if you can't insert a tampon, the divacup will be too big for you to use."

Does this apply to all cups or is there still a brand I could try? :/

"Plus I sometimes use the blood from my cup to water my plants. It makes a great fertilizer!"

Whoa, I hadn't thought of that at all. It's very cool. :)

"I would like to share an idea I had with everyone to see if anyone has any suggestions. I recently saw a commercial by Always that discusses that young girls (this example was in Africa) often can't attend school during their periods because they do not have protection..."

I heard about this too. To clarify a bit: they do have protection for the first part of the school day. However, once the pad or tampon she put in at home fills up she's unprotected because there's no school bathroom for her to change it. It's also a problem for women trying to teach at these schools. No wonder a 12-hour method could help!

"...Add up that time, and these girls can really get behind in school. I had never thought of this. And I instantly thought of the Keeper..."

"Your idea is a good one; I don't know how it would be done, but probably it's best to learn more about the specific situation. Always will probably have some info about it. For your specific idea, you'd have to make sure the girls have reliable access to enough sterile water for washing the device."

For the idea to work for all the girls and women involved, maybe they'd also have to be safe from hymen testing (the kind with punishment for "failing," not the kind one can ask her GYN for if she's curious)?

For example, if a 7th grader sometimes put a Keeper on her cervix last week and her chaperone tests her hymen this week, would the kid's body still block the creep's finger enough to convince the creep that she's never had a penis in there?

Meanwhile, even if the unmarried ones are at risk of hymen testing, Keepers could still be very helpful for the married ones. Back to the above example, even if the 7th grader doesn't dare use a Keeper, maybe her math teacher still could...

I'm a total DivaCup fan.games