Category: Health and Wellness
I thought that title wuld keep the guys away, but who knows. I just after hearing from some people's journals... will not mention... I bought a moon cup by keeper. It looks like a great ulternative, and for the most part I hear wonderful things about it. I did find a place with some nice sales on the cups too. Yay for google! It's called south coast shopping and they had 3 types, and each was atleast $10 off the normal price. I want to know others thoughts on the menstral cups, and just wanted to start a board for questions and other such lovely things. I know I'm excited about it, and I won't miss the bleach and other such yucky things found in pads and tampons.
oh, I so can't wait for rbm to find this!
The only downside I can see to all of this, is the fact of having to get your fingers in there, to fish it out, and to do so without spilling the contents everywhere, but every alternative if thought to be good should be investigated.
Why use a cup when I'm more then willing to lickc every last drop of blood and other fluids out of your pussy? I consider it my duty as a mail to help women with this as often as possible.
hahahahahahahaha Jared, too damn funny!
1. Kev they have a little stem at the bottom of the cup in order to help take it out, and I am told that thismakes it easy to take out and hold on to.
2. Jared dear if you would like to burry your face in my pussy for four days straight take it up with scott, I'm sure it could be arranged. Does this mean you'll move your toungue enough to maybe at one time or another give me a nice orgasm? That would be a nice bonus. I know two other girls who use this device, and what if our period over laps. They're in NewYork and i'm in michigan. Is your tongue long enough for all that work? :P
It's not messy; it's actually way less messy than pads or tampons. The cup forms a seal, so it's pretty difficult to spill the contents during removal until you're ready to empty the cup. As for getting your fingers messy, you'd deal with the same thing with a tampon (except the string holds on to all sorts of bacteria, so it's even more unsanitary), and it's why we use soap and water to wash our hands...
I'm just... gonna choose to ignore post 4.
God, to post four ... I don't think so. not for me. To the rest, I think i'm jsut going to have to tell my mom about these. They seem easy enough to use.
i haven't researched these and have no need to do so, but have a few questions that come to mind. in my opinion, i'm thinking it'd be gross. what happens when you are out at say walmart and it needs changed? are you just going to dump it in the toilet and rinse it in the public sinks? or stick the bloody thing in your purse? same thoughts if you were working and the situation came up. or staying with a friend... from past experience, tampons go in the trash. simple, quick, easy. this just seems like too much grossness in my opinion.
It's not gross at all. Yes, you need to be comfortable with your body and what it does, but in my opinion, this is a good thing. It promotes self-awareness.
Firstly, cups need to be emptied less often than pads or tampons need to be changed. You can wear a cup for up to 12 hours (or longer if you have a light flow). No matter what the situation, you would empty the collected blood into the toilet, so this part of the proceedings wouldn't be any different in a public restroom or at home. As for cleaning in public places, there are several options. If it's one of those single-unit public restrooms, you can certainly rinse the cup in the sink as normal, as no one's in the restroom with you. If it's the more typical type with multiple stalls, you can wipe the residual blood off the cup with toilet paper and do a real rinse when you're back at home. Some women also carry around baby wipes for this purpose, but I don't think it's necessary.
And how is using a menstrual cup when visiting friends more difficult than using tampons? I actually think it's easier. The whole process is much more discreet. You're not filling up a trash can, announcing to the world, "Hey, I have my period!!!" (Not that it's anything to be ashamed of, but still.) Rather, you and you alone are aware of what's going on with your body. Your cup's always with you, so no need of worrying if you have enough pads or tampons to last the duration of your visit, no need to run out to the store in the middle of the night, Etc.
I know it seems a bit squicky at first, but honestly, after using the cup, pads and tampons seem way more gross to me. Hope I answered your questions satisfactorily.
i don't think it's for me either. ewww. i sure as hell don't want to wash my hands in some public sink after someone just rinsed there crotch cup in it. tampons and pads have been used for years and years and years. i'm sure some have issues with it. but most don't. if you clean and change like your supposed to. it's rare to have issues with them.
but to each there own.
shea
Actually, cups were used long before tampons. It's not pads and tampons themselves I (and other cup users) have issues with. It's the way disposable products are made today, with chlorine, carcinogenic materials, dioxines, Etc. Cloth pads are also a good alternative.
what i meant about being at a friend's house for instance is i wouldn't want to be washing my cup in their sink. then i'd feel the need to go ask for cleaner to then clean the sink. and it would be the same way at home. if i were to wash the cup out in my sink, i'd want to sanitize it right away. that's a pain in the ass. and i'm sorry, but sanitized or not, i don't want someone washing their cup out in my sink where i brush my teeth and all. and like shan said above, I don't want to be washing my hands where someone has cleaned their cup out in public. and whether you've wiped it out with toilet paper or whatever, i wouldn't want to be carrying around a cup that still had bits of period on it, in my purse. it all just sounds disgusting and beyond unsanitary to me.
also, if you can leave them in for 12 hours, that can't be on the healthy side. it also sounds like you'd be at a higher risk for toxic shock or something along those lines.
again, no thanks, but to each their own.
I've never even heard about these cups, but I find this discussion interesting.
peepy, i so agree with you! to whoever said it. you can wipe it off and sanatize it later when you get home. um, ok, so your putting a dirty cup back inside you? and if your done, you putting a dirty cup in your purse? That just sounds nasty to me! You would think your would get lots of germs and stuff like that from it. if your using it that way? like i said not for me! I bet if you really got that picky, toilet paper has lots of chemicals and stuff in it too. if you go by the book these days nothing is good for us!
shea
Um... the cup never even touches your sink. it never leaves your hand. The blood (what little there is left of it) washes totally down the drain. I'm not asking you to switch, and neither is the person who created this topic. I think it's just important to be aware of the alternatives. Also, reinserting *your own cup* when it hasn't been rinsed is not dirty. Because, uh, it's your own blood. So. And there is no risk of TSS because the cup is not made of harmful materials (like tampons), and it does not absorb the natural lubricant the vagina provides (like tampons) and it does not wick bacteria into the vagina (like tampons). Just sayin'.
Hey wow, this is an interesting topic. Glad I chose to click on it.
You all failed to mention the price difference, too. I'm sure you only buy one cup, and while you spend a chunk of change all at once (more than you would pay for a box of pads or tampons), you save money in the long run because you only pay once for the cup as opposed to buying box after box of disposable crap.
-- Allie
Oh, and if you don't mind, Candi, sharing the site where you bought it from, that'd be great. I'd like to check it out. Thanks.
-- Allie
I thought I mentioned the great monetary benefits, but I guess I didn't. Lol. It's a great side benefit for me. You spend litterally thousands of dollars in a lifetime on pads and tampons. A cup will last you for ten years, and the most you'll pay for one is about $35. Quite econonomical if you ask me.
Here's where Candicc ordered from. That page has all the cups South Coast carries, and it's definitely a significant discount. The only benefit ordering straight from the company gives you is... Well, there is no benefit. Diva used to offer a year-long warrantee where you could return the cup within a year if it didn't work for you (and before anyone asks, returned cups are destroyed, not resued, obviously) and you could get a full refund. Keeper/Moon Cup by Keeper will still fully refund you if you return the cup within 3 months, so if you want that brand, ordering from the company might appeal to you if you think you might have problems and want the option of returning the cup.
Uh, apparently I lost the ability to type in that last post... Excuse all the typos.:)
yes. This topic is really interesting. When I first read about menstral cups in the diaper board topic, I thought "Wow. Something new and supposedly cheaper and better for you." lol But it was just one of those things I like to be aware of but not get if you know what I mean. I guess I would just rather stick with what I know. But after reading what Pipi and Shea wrote, I am totally disgusted. hehehehe No offense is meant by this but I too would not feel comfortable washing my menstral cup in another person's sink nor do I want to think of them doing so in mine. Also the whole washing it in a public bathroom just doesn't do it for me. Most bathrooms have stalls and a line of sinks and being realistic, I would find it horribly embarrassing if I wasn't the only person in the bathroom. lol Also, what do you do when you pee? Do you take it out and put it back in again? I don't want to be vulgar but I pee like 4 to 5 times a day so taking it out and putting it back in would just seem gross to me. So I guess I'll take my chances with tampons but I will pass on the info to women who might be interested.
Michelle
You don't have to remove the cup when you urinate. SInce there is no string like a tampon, urine will not be wicked into the vagina, compromising the health of the vagina or the absorption of the blood (since cups don't absorb, they collect... But I'm trying to make a sucky analogy here... :) )
Uh, I just need to throw this out here. People hack up phlegm in sinks. They spit in sinks. They're washing their urin-andfeces-covered hands in sinks. No one has a problem with this, but apparently menstrual blood (which is cleaner and more sanitary than all the aforementioned bodily fluids...) is where you have to draw the line? Maybe it's just me, but I don't get it.
I tried explaining about menstrual cups to my mom, but since English is her second language, it's difficult for her to understand what they are and how they work because she's never even heard of them before. god, if there's a site out there that's in Korean and gives a good explanation about these things, I'll be happy as a clam, because I find talking to my mom about something she and I have never even seen before to be complicated. No, I did not learn Korean as a child. she tried teaching me, but gave up after my brother and I lost interest when we were four and three years old.
I don't know of a site in Korean, but try showing her the websites of the various companies that make the cups. Seeing pictures might help her understand better.
Ooooh, Amanda, you make a good point about people spitting their phlegm into sinks and washing their urine/feces infested hands in those sinks. When I brush my teeth, my toothbrush doesn't come in contact with the sink. Neither do my teeth. When I wash my face, it's not like I start rubbing my face on it. Gross. What do these people do that it's so gross to rinse a moon cup in the sink?
Oh, and about sanitizing ... you want to sanitize the sink every time you wash your hands in it? I mean, the germs, dude! They're everywhere!
-- Allie
Exactly. Even when I wash my hands, they don't touch the basin of the sink. I still fail to see how rinsing a menstrual cup in a sink is this giant public health hazzard.;)
A few things I would like to say here, and you can do with this what you like.
1. As for the purse you have a draw string bag that comes specifically for your cup that it stays in for storage that you can stick in your purse.
2. As for twelve hours leaving in the vagina there are a couple of devices used for contriseption you can leave in for that long as well, and it is rair to get infection unless the person does not clean these devices well.
3. Everywhere I have done my research I have found that 0 cases have been linked to toxxic shock sindrom.
4. People spit in sinks, wash bloody panties in sinks, wash hands after handling bloody pads/tampons,, piss and poop. Not to mention other things such as throw up in sinks. I just honestly keep my hands under the water and not touch the bottom of a sink, but that is me.
5. An advantage to being able to wear it for so long is that basically you'd only have to take it out twice a day or maybe three times to deal with it. It holds over an ounce of blood, and I really doubt you are going to fill that up in any short length of time. If you do, well I suggest you find a doctor. What I'm saying though is that It shouldn't be that difficult to find a simiprivate place to do this, and if i understand it correctly...
You take out the cup.
Empty the contents in the toilett.
Then you wash your hands and I'm not sure if you can use a wipe on the cup or not but I am pretty sure you can.
Then you wash it out in the sink when it's empty. People aren't telling you to dump your blood in the sink.
If you know you are going to a public place you can always carry a small bottle of water with a very gental soap for cleaning it or use feminin wipes to clean it off and reinsert it, and keep the messy business out of public. I know wikkapedia is not always the best place for information but I found ther a list of advantages and disadvantages and I'll post them here, and I'm sure in a few weeks I can, and now Amanda can conferm or deny these.
General
Advantages
list of 11 items
• Can be worn up to twelve hours before emptying. Manufacturers recommend that tampons and pads be worn for no more than eight hours.
• Contain no harmful substances (e.g. dioxin and bleach), unlike many commercial tampons and sanitary napkins.
• Compared to sanitary napkins
list of 4 items nesting level 1
• Can be worn during sports such as swimming. Tampons can also be worn swimming, though they may wick water, become saturated, and then drip dilute bloody
water. Menstrual cups are therefore more reliable menstrual protection for public swimming activities.
• Will not cause
cystitis
by transferring
E. coli
from the anus to the urethra or vagina, as long as proper hygiene is practiced.
• Will not cause the warm, damp conditions around the vulva that favor bacterial growth.
• Will not absorb the natural fluids present in the vagina, which can cause dryness.
list end nesting level 1
• Compared to tampons
list of 6 items nesting level 1
• Do not dry/scratch the vaginal walls or leave fibers behind.
• Do not interfere with the vagina's natural sloughing off of dead cells.
• Do not disrupt the vagina's natural acidity as bleached menstrual products do.
• Have never been linked to
Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).
• Can be inserted at any time of the month. This allows the user to practice inserting the cup or to insert the cup when they are expecting their period,
instead of having to wait for it to begin.
• After urination, leaves no wet string behind.
list end nesting level 1
• Longer-lasting
list of 2 items nesting level 1
• Useful for travel, where access to tampons or sanitary napkins could be limited.
• Cost less than tampons or sanitary napkins, if expenses are added up over the long-term.
list of 1 items nesting level 2
• Some manufacturers, such as The Keeper and Instead, offer a money back guarantee.
list end nesting level 2
list end nesting level 1
• Manufacturing may be less harmful to the environment, as it does not use bleach, wood pulp, or other potentially environmentally damaging substances.
• Require very little storage room, making them ideal for packing in luggage or for those who have very limited living space.
• Menstrua tends to have less odor compared to tampons and pads.
• Allow the user to track the amount of menstrua by visually inspecting the contents of the cup.
• Can be used for a wider range of anatomical structures (ex. with tilted uterus).
• Are ideal for paramenopausal women or women on certain hormonal contraceptives who can have irregular spotting (light bleeding) during much of the month
and for whom using tampons for such long durations is not possible because of dryness, irritation and health risks such as TSS.
list end
Disadvantages
list of 4 items
• Some are uncomfortable with the amount of touching required in the genital area.
• Removal and/or insertion may take some practice, and can be messy if an inappropriate technique is used.
• Requires access to soap and running water, or hand wipes, for cleaning hands before and after removal and insertion.
• Use with an
IUD
must be approved by a health professional.
all taken from wikkapedia as mentioned in the previous post.
For once in its life, wikipedia is spot on. As for needing access to soap and running water for insertion and removal... well, I would hope that one would use soap and running water when changing a pad or tampon, too.:)
You don't necessarily need approval from a health professional to use a cup with an IUD. When you have your IUD inserted, just ask to have the strings trimmed short, and be very careful when inserting and removing the cup, double-checking before removal to see that you don't yank on the strings.
As for uncomfortableness with the amount of touching of the vulva... I think it's a sorry state of affairs that women are so ashamed of their bodies and what they do.
One more thing and I'll go away for a couple posts. They also have desposable versiones of these cups. I don't know much aboutthem but found them in my research, so if one gets used to the cup, and travels to a friend's home who says they could not take a disposable one and chuck it when finished?
The disposable cups are called insteads. If we want to draw yet another analogy so you can understand a little what these things look like, the reusable menstrual cup looks like a larger version of a cervical cap. It's bell shaped and is made of silicon or latex. Insteads look like a larger diaphragm. They're made of polyeurothane (excuse me while I murder the spelling of chemical compounds). They're a neat idea, but are expensive (and since they're disposable, they don't offer the monetary benefits of reusable products) and if you think reusable cups have a steep learning curve, you ain't seen nothin' yet. But Candice is right, in a pinch, Insteads are a good alternative, although they wouldn't be my first choice, personally.
Sorry if I'm coming off as some kind of crazy person or something. I just think it's important that women are a) aware of their bodies, B) not ashamed of what their bodies are capable of, c) are aware of the alternatives for both health and environmental reasons, and d) can make informed decisions for themselves.
Hey there. I haven't read all the posts in this topic yet, because I'm being lazy right now, but I just wanted to say that I'm a proud and happy diva cup user. At first, I thought I'd never be able to use it. I even put it away for about two months. But now, though I still occasionally get frustrated, it works well about 98% of the time and when it's in me, I can't even feel it. I'm so happy that I found out about these. It makes my life so much easier and is convenient to boot. Washing it is not as difficult as I thought and actually doesn't gross me out, which I thought would be an issue. So yeah, I'd definitely recommend these to women who don't mind a little mess for alot of comfort, and no leaks, either in your pants or in your wallet (cost of pads or tampons).
Wow, Wikipedia really does inform about everything! Haha
I've never seen the Instead cups, but have read from several users that they are messier than the reusable ones, so that option seems not a good one, if one is new to this business.
Absolutely, leaving a Mooncup in place for several hours is no different than, say, leaving in a diaphragm over night, and women have been using those since the 1920s!
As for leaving the cup in for 12 hours, I wanted to reitterate that doing so is safe and possible, but not what you'd normally do. Most likely, you'd empty it every 4 to 5 hours. I prefer not to deal with mine when I'm away from home, and I've seldom had to. The public restroom thing where you have no privacy at the sink *is* a problem, though. There's no way that would be comfortable, it's true. That is the biggest drawback.
And following on that, Tunedtochords is right--if there's no way to rinse, and you must re-insert, it won't harm you! But having to do that shouldn't need to be a frequent occurrence.
As with a diaphragm, you should not feel the cup, once it's in place. Nobody's asked about that yet, but I expect someone will.
Do you have to remove it before you ... um ... use the bathroom?
Depends on what's comfortable for you. Standard answer is no, though.
no matter what is said, it can't be good to put a dirty cup back inside you. for those that have said it won't harm you. as soon s the air hits the cup it is full of germs, expecially when it has blood on it and it's wiped and put back in you. that can't be good for you at all@ your bound to get some sort of infection! i'm talking about those that said if you can't wash it it's ok to put it back in you. and no yo don't touch the bottom of the sink when washing or whatever m. but i'm sure rinsing a cup your going to touch the tap on accident. ewww!
and last of all. if someone is sick in my sink or hacking or whatever you said. i sure as hell am going to clean it. i would want to know this just like i would want to know if you changed and rinsed your cup in my sink. i wouldn't want to have to tell my friend, hey i washed my cup in your sink you may want to clean it. no. just not for me. i'm not saying there not good for some , just not me!
I've always wanted to try one of these. How do you know what size to buy? And how exactly do you insert it, if someone doesn't mind explaining? I'll probably have to wait to do this in college, since when I told my mom about it and asked her if I could get one, she hit the freaking roof. Even when I totally explained all the facts. I can't even figure out how to get a tampon in and I hate pads, so if I can get this to work for me, I'd die with glee.
Thanks in advance,
Caitlin
Each company makes two different sizes, one for under 30/no vaginal birth, and one for over 30/vaginal birth. For the Moon Cup/Keeper, Size A is after birth, and size B is before birth. For the Diva, size 1 is before birth and size 2 is after birth.
For people with small anatomies (if you've had trouble inserting a tampon, this means you) the Lunette is a great option. There's a small Lunette and a large Lunette. Obviously, you'd want the small one.
There are several different folds that you can use to insert the cup. The most common one is called the C-fold. You press the sides of the cup together so it's flat. Then you fold the flattened cup in half so it looks like a capital print letter C. Then, angling it toward your tail bone, not straight up, you push it in. Once it's inserted, you give it a twist to make sure it's unfolded all the way. I don't like this fold because I find the top to be too wide. I use one called the punchdown fold. For this fold, press part of the rim of the cup in and down, so the rest of the rim comes together and forms a point. Then insert like you would with the c-fold. I'm really sorry that these explanations probably sucked... There's a Livejournal community with ridiculous amounts of information and very good descriptions of the folds I described as well as others.
Reguarding touching the tap/faucet with dirty hands... You have to touch the faucet with dirty hands after you urinate or defecate or even when you change a tampon or pad. I fail to see how one situation is different from the other.
To Tiffanitsa, thanks for chiming in. I have to disagree with you on one small thing, though. I actually find the cup to be way less messy than either tampons or pads ever were. I've never had a leak with my cup, whereas tampons failed me constantly.
And no, I wouldn't leave my cup in for 12 hours all the time, either, but I don't think you need to change it as often as every 4 or 5 hours unless you have a heavy flow. The sheer fact that you need to empty it less avoids the whole question of dealing with public restrooms.
Thanks, Amanda. Your descriptions were really helpful. You're the bomb. I love how you're so knowledgeable about this and willing to share. Seriously.
XOXOXOOXXX,
Caitlin
these things sound great, i think i'll look into it. how much are they, disposable and the one you carry everywhere..
Prices for reusable cups are quoted above; anywhere from $17 to $40. Disposable ones around $7 for a box containing 14. Which is steep and you don't get as much bang for your buck, but...
my vagina and i prefer tampons. i'm also not saying that the cup isn't good for some but i think i'll take my chances. i mean, what happens if you have a spill while you're trying to empty it out and you're somewhere really important like work, a formal occasion or a friend's house? taking into account the fact that most of us can't see, what would you do? do you clean it up as best you can and then inform the host of the occasion or your boss that "hey, i spilled my cup while i was trying to empty it, wanna make sure i got all the blood up?" no thanks...tampons and pads have zero risk of spilling and like shan said, if you change them frequently, there's no leakage or messiness involved.
danielle
You empty the cup over the toilet, so the chances of spilling the contents everywhere and making a mess are pretty slim.
Wo, holy shit. I just read through this whole thing. Here. we. go. Ok, first of all if you have a problem with touc your own vagina then you have way bigger problems than what to use for your period. You need to wipe after urination, wrinse and clean in the shower, check your self for any medical issues, insert medication such as vaginal sipositories when you have an infection, you touch your vagina when you masterbate, when you trim or shave your pubic hair, when you have sex and when you have a baby. It's unavoidable, so get over it. As for spilling it all over the place. If you can pour drinks, string beeds on to a necklace, push buttons on your telephone and do other such simple dextral tasks then you can empty one of these things with out making a mess. If you do spill it then you are either having a very bad Monday or your hands are shaking because you are over-tired, high on something or not feeling well and have the shakes. It's no different from getting sick at someone's house and accidentally getting some throwup on the rim of the toilet, or losing your grip on a nasty pad or tampon and having it miss the garbage or the toilet or accidentally having a smeer of blood from your hand end up on the basin of the sink after changing your pad. As for having someone see me wrinsing my cup in the sink of a public rest room. First of all they will probably have no idea whatsoever it is and will have no clue if it is some dental appliance, a makeup tool, a really weird mediscine cup or something equally incorrect. Secondly, once you have had kids and of course been pregnant you probably won't care. There's just something about laying on your back on a delivery table with blood and amniotic fluid and urin and even possibly crap on your legs, your bum and the table, with your legs spread wide open and tuns of people standing around to watch you swear like a sailor and screach and sweat and pant like a dog that makes having some old lady in an Apple Bees bathroom watch you wrinsing your Moon Cup seem downright trivial. And, please if you decide not to try it do it because you've heard something negative from someone who has actually used it, rather than simply agreeing with the posts of people who have never even heard of it until now, especially when knolegeable people who do use the cup have already addressed the concerns of those people in later posts. If you have ever used a tampon, a vibrator, a dildo, manually stimulated your self or someone else, helped birth a baby or another mammal, changed a diaper or washed your self then using these should be no problem. And, if you have never done a certain thing on that list, I.E. washing your self then please, please never come anywhere near me. rofl
heather, your an oppinionated fucking cunt how comes you think you can have your oppinion but no1 else can?
Well that was mature... Pretty sure she was saying that one shouldn't form opinions before one has all the facts.
Right, Martin i don't see you needing to care about it anyway so ya... Just go away.
lol martin, me thinks you may need a crotch cup! heheheheh! and to the previous posters, Just because we don't like the idea of cleaning a bloody cup int the sink in front of people. heck i don't want to clean it at all. but anyway, that doesn't mean were not in touch with our bodies. We all have different opinions on this and can all form them on any facts or lack there of. this is the boars and a topic so it's ment to be discussed. were all not going to feel the same. and last of all. just because your having a baby or have had, doesn't make you god's gift to womenhood! There are many people out there that can't have babies, and have been through a lot! So let's not play this i've layed with my legs wide open and whatever. so i'm in touch with my body, you should be too. we don't really care. that has nothing to do with the fact that we do or don't care for the cups.
don't think there for me, and have stated why this is.
oh yeah, and I'm sure there are miss haps emptying the cups now and then, and they don't have to be high or shaking or whatever. we have all spilled something and not been messed up. accidents happen!
smiles shea
Wow, First let me say that this is NOT Thom it is Diana his wife. He found this and knew how much I would like the idea of not leaking. I am fully sighted and have been having a cycle for almost 30 years.(damn that makes me feel my age) I have used pads and tampons, Hell I use them at the same time and still I manage to leak. I have heavy flows and if this product has the ability to help us ladies keep our self cleaner it is worth a shot. I feel terrable when I have to change close every 3-4 hours or less because of a "Flood" and if I dont have to keep a tampon in overnight along with 2 overnight pads then I will be a much happier woman. As to the clean part. Well I know for a fact if you have a heavy flow it doesnt matter how hard you try you will get something on your hands the comode the sink or somewhere. I for one do not mind washing my hands more,because something got on them than my cloths because I leaked. I prefer it. I also think that if you have to wash out at a bathroom sink other than in your home you can use the same soap you use to wash your hands with two seconds prior to that, then wash your hands again. There is a clean sink and clean hands. At least just as clean as it was before you used it if not cleaner. Thanks for letting us know that there was a possible solution to our problems out there.
Diana
Hey Diana,
Glad you're intrigued.:) Lots of women with really heavy flows find the cup to be extremely helpful. They still have to empty the cup a lot, but for the most part, it solves the leaking problem.
I'd caution you about using certain kinds of soap, though, as a lot of soaps are antibacterial, and while they kill off germs, they also kill the bacteria that keep the vagina healthy, which can cause yeast infections, and that's not fun for anyone.:) A mild soap like Dr. Brawner's is what a lot of people use.
If you have an extremely heavy flow, I'd recommend either the Diva Cup or the Keeper/Moon Cup by Keeper. Both of these cups have the greatest capacity. The Mooncup UK holds a significantly less amount of fluid, and the Lunette, Femmecup and Ladycup all fall somewhere in the middle.
Hope this was helpful, and I'm really glad your husband pointed you to this topic.:)
The first time I heard about these cups was about a month or so ago. I saw them in the natural section on drugstore.com. I was, and still am, intrigued about this product, however, I can see both sides of the issue. I, too, would feel kind of weird about washing the cup in the sink. I guess my main concern would be knowing whether or not there was any residue left behind. As for being out in public and needing a place to put the used cup, I personally wouldn't put the cup back inside of my body without cleaning it first. However, if you are not able to clean the cup, a simple solution would be to put the cup in a Ziploc bag, and take care of it at a better time. If it's possible, you can also use a natural sanitizer on the cup before putting it in the bag, to help disinfect it.
My main reason for wanting to try this product is for the alleged health benifits. I have switched my shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, soap, laundry detergent, etc, to all-natural products, and so when I found out that there was a natural alternative to pads, I became very interested. I'm thinking about trying this product, but I do have some lingering questions about it, so I'm not 100% sure yet.
Yay! Another person who uses all natural products. I love The Natural Store at drugstore.com. Also, you might want to try
http://www.shopnatural.com
Great place, though Drugstore.com offers some Bi-O-Kleen products that shopnatural doesn't have. Anyway, about the cup, I just wipe it with toilet paper before I wash it in the sink, to insure that I won't make a mess. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have, and I'm sure some of the other great people would be willing to answer as well.
OK, all this talk about menstrual cups has prompted me to want to buy one. I'm just a bit confused, though. There are obviously so many to choose from, but I have no idea which to go with. Is there somewhere I can read up on the different models? Pros and cons and stuff like that?
Thanks,
-- Allie
I don't know of a website that lays everything out nicely and neatly ("This is why this cup is good, this is why it's bad..."), but the lj community (livejournal.com/users/menstrual_cups) is awesome. It's a tagged community, so each brand of cup has a tag devoted to it with reviews, tips, tricks, etc. There's also a "comparisons and reviews" tag which you might find helpful. But here are a few general things that might help you decide:
Material: Latex (keeper) or silicon (Diva, Mooncup UK, Moon Cup by Keeper, Femmecup, Ladycup, Lunette)
Size: 2 sizes for either before/after birth or over/under a certain age (Diva, Keeper/Moon Cup by Keeper, Mooncup UK, Lunette, Ladycup) or one size for all (Femmecup)
Place of manufacture: Canada (Diva), U.S. (Keeper/Moon Cup by Keeper) U.k. (Mooncup UK, Femmecup), Czech Republic (Ladycup), Finland (Lunette)
capacity: The Mooncup UK holds about 13-15 ML's of blood, making it the widest cup with the smallest capacity. The Lunette is narrower, but holds more (approximately 20-25 ML's). The Diva and Keeper/Moon Cup by Keeper both hold anywhere from 25-35 ML, depending on the size you get. The other two cups are pretty new and I don't have as much info on them, but it's out there... Like I said, check the LJ comm, there have been several posts on these new cups over the past few weeks.
Hope this was semi-helpful. What kind of info are you looking for? If you let me know, I can dig it up for you.:)
Tiffanitsa, another good all-natural website is Pure Complexions. The website is purebodysolutions.com. I just recently found this site, and have made a purchase with them. Although drugstore.com has quite a few all-natural products on their site, some of those products still have a little bit of detergents, etc, so they can be harsh on skin. If a product contains things such as detergents, I don't understand how it can be classified as natural, but anyway, at Pure Complexions, they put each and every product they sell through rigorous testing. They will not sell anything that has the tiniest bit of chemicals in it. On their site, they explain all about how they test each product. If you haven't already, check them out.
hey everyone. i too have been intreagued by the menstrual cups. i have also looked into the all natural sea sponges. i still am not sure which one to get. the cups i think i might have a hard time inserting, but the sponges would absorb vaginal moisture as well as the menstrual blood.
Yes, but you don't want non-blood moisture to go away. It is there for a reason and it is benificial. The vagina is like other mucus membranes like your eyes or the inside of your nose or mouth. It is supposed to be slightly moist. I am glad that despite the imature squabbling that breaks out occasionally on this board topic that we have been able to get a few people interested enough to at least research the cups and a few interested enough to even consider purchasing them. Oh and Amanda you're doing a great job. I research things, but you capital R E S E A R C H things with a jinormous exclaimation point. coodos.
oh i really do want to purchase either a cup or a sponge. with the sea sponges, you get 2 for $8 or $10. u also get a little bag to go with them. so u have a spare sponge always with you.
The spunges are a good idea, but... you know how you're wary of the cup being messy? (Not the specific you who's interested in sponges, but the collective "you"... Lol)? Sponges are... very messy. And they do not last as long as the cup. And they are also much harder to clean. So, a good idea, but not my first choice. But of course you're the one using them, not me.:) Use the product that you think will work best for you.
I too am now interested...I wasn't going to read this topic, but I'm now glad I did. My reasons for considering it are these: (1) I'm a heavy floer, and often have to double up overnight pads. (2) I can't use tampons do to dryness, changing every hour, ETC. (3) For any woman who is a heavy floer and doesn't make a mess occasionally; Your either lucky or so careful it takes you a half hour+ to do what needs to be done. No matter how careful on occasion there ends up a mess somewhere...my hands, toilet, ETC. So, anything that is easier on the wallet, safer for my body, and maybe easier on me; I'm willing to give it a shot! Mind you, I'm thinking along the lines of carying wipes with...Hmm, a question. What's neater? A cup where you can empty the contents, or blood getting all over ones vagina, butt, ETC? I know which I find cleaner...
To Post 19...Hmm, The following address: "http://www.southcoastshopping.com/?CLSN_2536=12048530022536aeb5289e82782f8625&keyword=menstrual+cup&searchby=keyword&page=shop%2Fbrowse&fsb=1&Search=Search" is what I'm taken to when I try to go and look at the recommended items. Any ideas?
Works for me... it lists the cups that south coast shopping carries. if it doesn't work, just go to south coast's main website and search for "menstrual cup".
No matter which page I go to it's coming up with this...
"This page is parked free, courtesy of GoDaddy.com."
And following is nothing relating to menstral cups...Or even a way to really search, or at least not one that looks like it will actually work. Even if I try going to the site from a search engine the same thing is coming up...
yeah i have trouble with dryness too due to using tampons for a long time and some other things that went on that i will not get into on here. i wish i knew how to cure the dryness.
That's... really weird. It's working fine for me, and I've tried it in multiple browsers on multiple computers. Nonetheless, you can still check the cups out at the various company websites.
That's exactly what I'm doing, and I found another discount site where I can get the Diva one for $20/$24...Not bad when you consider how much one spends in pads, and I'm talking about the cheapest...Plus, an extra bonus for me...No Laytex, no alergies!!! Which means no fighting to find just the right ones at not to bad of a price...
can u link them out here? or not.
Click here for the Keeper and Mooncup web site.
I had the same problem Cattleya did when clicking on the South Coast Shopping link, so I'm just going to go ahead and order from the manufacturer's web site.
-- Allie
Huh. sorry about that. *boggles*
Anyway, the Diva can be found at divacup.com (or a bunch of other online natural health-type stores), the Mooncup UK can be found at mooncup.co.uk, the Lunette can be found at this site, the Femmecup can be found at femmecup.com, and the Ladycup can be found at ladycup.eu.
You can definitely tell that the manufacturers of the Lunette and Ladycup do not have English as their first language, but all the websites are pretty usable and understandable (The Diva can be kind of annoying, with unlabeled links and stuff, but it's decently navigable with a little guesswork and fiddling...)
Oops--Lunette link is broken. Here's the right one.
One more link and then I'll shut up. clothpads.org has ridiculous amounts of information on reusable menstrual products, including cloth pads and menstrual cups, as well as organic alternatives for disposable products. Great place to see lots of info all at once...
Thank you for posting those sites, Amanda. Maybe now my mom can get a picture of what I'm talking about. When I first discussed the cups, she said, "You were scared to insert a tampon. How the heck ar you going to use one of those?" Okay, she has a point; I was a little nervous about ... I just hope this will change her mind ...
Dude, Amanda, you're amazing. Thank you so much for all this info!
Now I really have to do my homework. Heh. I'm psyched to try out some of this stuff.
Ok, here is what I found for bargain prices. The site is called: "The Menstrual Cup - Compare & Buy at the Lowest Price - Pronto.com - Best Prices", and the Web address is:
Menstral Cups
If that link doesn't work properly here is the entire link...But make sure you copy the entire thing...I'll put it between parenthesies to make finding the exact link easier...
(http://www.pronto.com/user/search.do?SEM=true&query=the+menstrual+cup&adid=y-20070712-134428-167810_ys&ref={keyword}&creativeid={creative}&site={placement}&OVRAW=menstral%20cup&OVKEY=menstrual%20cup&OVMTC=advanced&OVADID=7442777512&OVKWID=90010223512&loadingComplete=true)
yay! may disposable products die out! lets all buy menstrual cups!
All of you, thanks for being willing to talk about this, and sharing links, and such!
Amanda, I'm very glad you happened to mention that the Mooncup UK holds less liquid! I didn't know this, and have actually been a bit worried that something was wrong with me...that 4-5 hour thing on the first day.. I guess this explains it. And I suppose I'm in the market for a new cup now. *grin* I bought mine before the Mooncup was available in the U.S.
Nymphadora, tampons *are* scary things! I'm sort of joking, there's probably little you can do that would be harmful. Since I've been using a cup for nearly ten years, I'm now skittish about inserting and removing tampons, if I ever again have to--I have this fear that it would break apart and I couldn't remove it! LOL So it really is all just whatever you get used to.
Can the string actually break off of one of those things?
i have heard of it happening about the string breaking off hyes.
I've had it happen, so, yes, it can actually break off!!! I personally think it has something to do with the string weakening do to moisture, but I've never found out for sure.
wow, do you have to buy them online? i wanna go drop a twenty in cash on the counter of my drug store next week it would save me so much money and god knows i dont give a shit about washing my cup out in public, its natural to have your period and god knows sited women do it all the time
Thanks for posting that link, Cattleya. I'm going to check it out now.
-- Allie
You can get the disposible ones in drug stores I believe, but for one of the ones to reuse jennie I believe you have to order online.
disposable menstrual cups? no thank you.
i only have one question. how long do these cups last until you have to throw them away?
They can last up to about 5 to 10 years. I am using mine currently, and accept for a few minor misshaps... why I practice at home... I love it. It makes me feel allot cleaner,, and as a v pain sufferer it is helping temendously, and i don't have a grbage filling with disposable waist. The only thing i found really anoying was the stem, but I was able to cut that off. It could get a bit polky. To each their own though. I love my mooncup.
Hi!
Remember, Cattleya, how the southcoast shopping link wasn't working when we tried it before? Well, I swear the site must have been down or something because I tried it again last week and ordered a Keeper Moon Cup. It's here now, and I've boiled it and inserted it and everything, and so far so good! The coolest part about it is, I think I actually started my period today. LOL. Just in time! Yay!
I hear you about the stem, Candi. It was poking me and causing a not-so-nice, poking/rubbing uncomfortable feeling. I might trim it to see if it makes a difference. I just don't want to cut the whole thing off. I'm afraid I'll have trouble taking it out then. LOL.
You shouldn't if you bare down with your pelvic muscles a little bit it should be wit in reach. You can squeez the bottom together and slide the fingar tup to break the seal. That's what I do because the stem did end up have to come cfompletely off for me. hth
Candi
Wow. It's both good and disheartening to read this topic. Disheartening because I thought we sort of did away with all this body discomfortyears ago. Good because I'm learning about something I didn't know about and nice to hear there are so many choices.
I started to write, "whatever happened to Our bodies Our Selves" and then did a check and found out that nobody made the darn book accessible. Not in all these years. I thought it must be badly dated but now it seems like it's time to make it accessible.
Well, at the time I read the book which deals with everything from getting to know your body to various leagl and illegal methods of contraception and abortion and beyond, they had stopped selling the cups in the US and the book mentioned using a diaphragm for pretty much the same purpose. I did for years, using tampons when I would have to change them in public places because at the time I was too uncomfortable getting from as stall in a public restroom to the sink with the thing. but considering the body discomfort my mother passed on, the whole process got me comfortable with my body in ways that were more important. I bleed like a faucet the first day or two of my cycle and it was the first time I was ever able to plan a day without having to plan tampon changes every hour or two. You could even put a tampon in along with the diaphragm if you needed more time and doing this I was able to make it on one of those Mexican buses that don't have bathrooms and run for ten hours without a rest stop. and even then without a place to do sanitary washing. I'm remembering cleaning it with vinegar. I think. The sorriest thing I ever did was to throw the diaphragm away when I decided I wouldn't be using it for its theoretical real purpose.
I did try the dispoisable things when I saw them on drugstore.com but they didn't hold nearly as much and seemed a bit pricy because of their disposability.
and sponges are good for really light days, or if you have a very light flow but that's about it.
anyway, I'd be curious if anyone who has used both these cups and a diaphragm can talk to why the cups work better. One thing about the diaphragm is they come in sizes that can be fitted to you pretty exactly.
And for the women who are concerned about peeing while it's in, your urinary track is totally separate and it's a non-issue.
One more thing. I don't know about a cup with a string on it, but for those to whom it's relevant, you can leave them in while having sex.
that sounds dangerous
no it's not. It's not a string. There is a rubber stem at the bottom which i'm sure would make the guy uncomforitable, but I've had sex with mine in and it's fine.
Reusable menstrual cups are not meant to be worn during sex. (Also, how the heck would there be room? lol).
Re: diapragm versus cups. Menstrual cups are deeper and hold more menstrual blood. Some compare reusable menstrual cups to cervical caps and disposable menstrual cups to diaphragms in regards to look and feel.
doesn't that like push it in far making it uncomfortable for everyone lol
Jannelle, i guess it would depend on your vagina shape. When I insert my cup it hugs my cervex where ever it goes. Also when a woman is aroused her vagina loobercates and becomes more open, and almost longer. It is meant to be able to hold up to like 12 inch dicks, and there fore if the tip of the cock presses on it the vagina will just make room. I suppose if you're having really deep sex with a guy who's 13 inches long it could be a problem, but I've never had that problem. *smile*
Yeah, I'm just thinking about the feasibility of this for *everyone*. Lots of women's cups sit low in the vagina (mine does), and sex with a cup in would just... totally not work. lol. I guess that's why the companies don't recommend wearing the cups during intercourse. However, the Instead disposable cups can be worn during sex, and the company uses this as a selling point.
Good Lord, i wouldn't wear one during sex.
My God! I wouldn't try wearing it during sex, that just sounds painful, and entirely unnecessary.
A diaphragm works well, if you're concerned about the mess during your period.
I've had my Mooncup UK for five years...for the person who asked how long these things last.
This Menstrual Cup sounds very interesting. Not sure if it's for me though. Guess I won't know unless I try. Anybody know if they'd work with an IUD? I don't use an IUD, but for those that want to use them with an IUD, I think it's important they know what they're getting in to.
They do work with IUD's. You just have to be very careful to not pull on the strings while removing the cup. Those who use cups and have IUD's often ask their doctors to trim their strings shorter.
Hi everyone,
possibly a very weird question, but for someone who is blind like myself and would just feel a little embarrassed asking my mum for help with insertion how to's, I am afraid i am very clueless with all this sort of thing, like i dont even know where in the vagina you would insert a cup or a tampon for that matter, is there anywhere blind people could go to find this kinda stuff out? thanks
I'll try my best here to explain. Tampon first because it's more common.
If you have your nad between your legs you will feel two layers of lips the outer and inner lips. in order to insert a tampon you and going to want it to go between the iiner lips. It is usually easier to get the tampons with applicators for easier insertion so I will assume that is what you are using.
If yo don't know what an applicator is... It is a plastic or card board thing on the outside. It has two parts a thin part that leads up to the thicker part where the tampon is.
Now put the thick part of the applicator betweein the inner lips, and slide it part way in to the vagina... The vagina would be straight up. You may want to tilt the applicator if it's more comforitable for you once you get it in. Then you bring twi fingars down to hold the think part just above the crease of where it connects to the thinner part of the applicator. You then use anpther fingar or the other hand to push the thing part upward. Hold teh thick part steady so the applicator doesn't go in to the vagina and just let it side in until it is all out of the applicator.
That's the insertion part. Remember never take it out right away. That can be very painfull and leave the vagina very dry and painful. When it is time for removal all you have to do is poll the string that is hanging out of the vagina. Be carefull not to touch the tampon itself because it is covered in blood, and wrap it accordingly before throwing it out. I'd reccomend not flushing it at epeole's homes or your own because it can clog pipes. I can't say I've never done it in public rest rooms how ever.
he menstral cup is a bit different. If you have ever seen a wine glass with a stem that is what this looks like. The are much fatterthan a tampon, but are easier to ajust. If you are a vergin i wreccomend using water or loob the first few times of insertion. There are a few different folds discribed above by amanda, but the one that worked best for me with a little vagina was the dimond fold. You hold the cup with the stem, or if you cut the stem off the bottom facing the floor. You then fod the cup in half si it is collapsed. Then You take one of the top corners and fold it down th the opposite bottom corner. It will ow have two corners, but be much skinnier. You point the pointy part toward the but and slide it in between the inner lips in to the vagins. hth
Candi
Good explanations. Very patient and well-done.
Also, don't be ashamed of your own body. Take some time and do some exploring. It's your body, you should know what is where and how it works.
I feel stupid admitting this, but I quite recently discovered why tampons wouldn't go in all the way and stay in properly. LOL. Don't know about anyone else, but my vagina sorta curves, so I discovered that it's much more helpful to insert a tampon and angle it towards my tailbone. I could push it straight up, but it would always hit something, and I couldn't get it in any further. It's funny that in all these years of using tampons I only just found this out. That was the last time I used tampons, actually. I'm glad I figured out the secret to inserting the cup and making it fit comfortably. :)
-- Allie
Hello,
I am also using the menstrual cup and am also satisfied! Before tampons were my best friends, but since I discovered the cup, I change it for nothing!
I encourage you to do the same.
Aleksandra
I currently use tampons but I'm glad this board is here. I'm learning lots of useful things. I wouldn't be ashamed to wash my cup out in the public sink, it's a part of life.
i'm probably one of the last people you ladies would have thought would try the menstral cup but let me tell you a little story...
i only get my period every three months but last month, i found myself waking up in the middle of the night, crying in pain over the soreness that i was feeling in my nether regions due to the constant insertion and removal of tampons. I have a super heavy flow so i had to do this in order to prevent leakage.
well, after reading this board, i knew full well that i had an alternative. i ordered my moon cup today so that i'd have plenty of time to practice with it before the next cursed week and honestly, i'm nervous but more relieved and excited.
just thought i'd share.
danielle
I am very interested in trying the cup out. I hate pads (they feel like diapers), and tampons either try to slip out or they're so big, they hurt when going in. I think people with certain body shapes just have a harder time with them. I will admit, the cup does sound kinda messy and hard to handle, but probably not any different than a full pad or accidentally touching the used tampon as you pull it out of your vagina. Do those of you who use the cup find that you leak more than with pads or tampons? Or, do you leak at all? See, if you find you don't leak, that fact would sell me right there. I always leak when using a tampon, though not as much with pads. I will do some research on this, and see what I can gather.
Well, I just placed my order at The Keeper's website. I ordered a Keeper Mooncup Style B. I did have a baby, but for those of you who are interested, Style B is for those who've had a C-Section birth. I can't wait to try it, so consider me another cup trier/future user. Thank you for the invaluable information, advice and suggestions.
I think i might look in to getting one of these things. Agree with what the last poster said about pads feeling too much like diapers, and I'm a little iffy about using tampons.
ok, appologies for being really really thick here but i have just a few questions.
to start with has anyone ever used the Instead Softcup?
if so, do you know if it still has a stem like the mooncup or ladycup etc. I want to try a disposable one incase I don't get on with the cups. just wanted to know about the stem, and also has anyone experienced problems with getting the cup out? i am very aprehensive about these things but want to have a go as i have quite a heavy flow and pads arn't the cleanest things in the world, and tampons, well lol! thanks for all your help!
To post 107, no, I have never leaked with my cup. I leaked all the time with pads and tampons; it was regularly a disaster. But with the cup, never a leak. To post 110, the instead softcup is radically different from the reusable menstrual cup. In principle, they do the same thing (collect rather than absorb the blood), but the design is quite different. Insteads have no stem and according to many users, the hassle isn't worth it for something you're going to throw away anyway. I have no personal experience with insteads, but I've heard that *they* can be quite messy. The positioning is also more difficult. Granted, like I said, I have no experience with them and this is all via hearsay, but just passing along what I know.
thanks for info. I have avoided them. going to try a deva cup. if its not successful then i may try a mooncup or ladycup.
I decided to get the mooncup because I'm afraid the rubber that the Keeper is made out of might irritate me. That's what made me choose the Mooncup. So, if you're allergic to rubber or think you might have difficulty with it, I recommend the Moon Cup.
Ok, I just received it today, and it looks bigger than I thought it would be. I'm practicing with it, so when the "big day" arrives, I won't be stuck not knowing what to do. So, I have a question: I used lube to help put it in because when I was using it without lube, there was just no way it would go in. It kepunfolding just as I pushed it in, and then it would come out. Anyway, so the lube helped it go in better. but my question is, is it suposed to try to come out? It feels as if it wants to come out. Could it be that I used too much lube? I mean that wouldn't make sense either because whn you're having a period you're pretty moist in there anyway. Well, some thoughts would be very much appreciated. Thanks.
Well It shouldn't want to come out unless you got the smallest cup and have like the world's largist vagina, or something is going wrong. It is supposed to ride low, but the stem should be all the way inside with the cup. Also if you continue having trouble the problem might be the wholes in the side of the cup are being blocked by the loob and are naotable to suction to the walls of your vagina. You should feel a slight suction or more depending on the cup when it's in properly. If you want to stregnthen the muscles for holding the cup put that up here and I'll do my best to explain some kaygel exdersizes.
well, if you have the moon cup by keeper, the stem should definitely not be all the way inside you, unless your vagina leads to the center of the earth or something.:) What part of the cup is coming out, the stem or the whole cup? Is the cup fully open? What size did you get, before or after birth? What fold are you using? Can you feel the cup suctioning when it pops open?
I must have that long ass vagina then beause when I got mine the stem went just inside like... past the lips and inside my vagina... Maybe I should have gotten a deeva? woops... haha
When I read the directions that are posted on the website, it said that you want to fold it up, push it inside you, and make sure that when you twist it after its inside you that you feel a suction. The stim actually has to be hanging out of your vagina, with the bottom of the cup sort of resting against your vagnal opening. When I went to the bathroom to remove the cup after practicing, it was not actually falling out, but the stem seemed to be what was moving and making me think the whole thing was gonna fall out. The funny thing was, when I pulled the stem, it took quite ba bit of sqrength to actually pull it out. This is reassuring to me because it means A. I got a good suction, and B. it wasn't gonna slide out for nothin. Lol. So, I actually thing I did it right, it was the stem that was causing me some worry. I think I'll get used to the stem, now that I know that's all it is, and the whole mess isn't gonna slide outin my uderwear and spill menstrual matter all over my clothing. So, that is the story of my newly acquired cup. We'll see in about two weeks if it actually does its job.
Had my first cycle with my Keeper Moon Cup about two weeks ago and wow... it was the first time since I started having periods that I didn't hate my body. When I did a dry run, the stem didn't bother me but during my period, I ended up cutting most of the stem off; it was hurting me so badly that I couldn't sleep. Anyway, I didn't leak at all, i didn't have any spills and best of all, nobody but my husband and I knew I was on my period. See, part of the reason that I decided to try the cup (even though I was totally against it at first) was that we live with six dogs who like to dig menstral paraphanalia out of the trash can. Sooo, that meant that every cycle, without fail, the entire household was aware that it was my time of the month. Well, now that I have the cup, there's no trash to throw away so I'm able to keep my cycles way more private. I really really love it! Thanks to Candi, Amanda and others who posted the info on cups.
P. S. Thanks to my success with my MC, my mom is interested in getting a cup for herself and one for my younger sister. She also printed a bunch ofinformation off the internet and took it to work to share with her co-workers and patients seeking alternatives to pads and tampons.
I don't even know y i clicked on this topic, but post 44 made me laugh out loud.
To post 119, that's so awesome. Glad your first cycle was a success. If your sister's in her early teens, she might appreciate a smaller cup like the lunette or lady cup; they're much narrower and more accomodating for younger girls. And awesome that your mom's doing some advocacy; the more people who hear about reusable products the better. And I know what you mean about being weirded out at first. I read about menstrual cups five years ago and thought they were pretty weird and gross. But I'd never go back to conventional products now. Congrats again.:)
I am an old lady who had a hysterectomy about 14 years ago. I can't imagine using a menstrual cup if you have really heavy periods like I had. And how do you clean the thing up when blood is stuck to it or clots are stuck to it? Does it actually get inserted like a tampon? It would not be for me but to each his own. When did these cups first come out?
My periods are heavy enough that I sometimes faint due to the blood loss and believe me, my cup can definitely withstand it. You empty the cup based on how heavy your flow is. For example, on my heaviest days, I have to empty it between six and eight times but everyone's different. As far as cleaning goes, you take it out, dump the contents into the camode and then rinse it out in the sink. This eliminates any residual blood left over in/on your cup.
Inserting a tampon is diferent in that you don't have to fold a tampon to get it in but the basic idea is the same.
From what I've read, cups have been around since 1932.
Started my period early this morning but put the cup in last night before I went to bed. I'm so thrilled that when I got up to pee this morning and felt my usual crappy-menstual self, there was no blood on my panties, no messy bed, no jumping in the shower to scrape off the blood that had stuck to my thighs, nothing. I just pulled it out, dumped it, put it back in, and moved on with my day. I am a sold consumer! Thank God for these things!
Yay, glad it's working so well for you.
Menstrual cups have been around since the late nineteenth century in one form or another. (clothpads.org has a nice history of it). The cups are easily cleaned because they are made of either rubber or silicon, so residual blood rinses easily off.
I have very heavy periods and was constantly a mess with pads or tampons. Since switching, not a single article of clothing or set of sheets has been ruined by leaks.
That's it. I'm getting one of these. anyone know if any stores sell them? Or, do I have to get it from an online shop?
If you live near a health food store, either local or chain (whole foods, trader joe's, Etc.), they'll probably have them. Most places only carry the Diva or the Keeper (rubber version), though. If you'd like a different cup, you're better off ordering online.
I actually called the number on the Keeper's site and ordered mine over the phone at 11:00 at night if that tells you anything on how incredibly desperate I was for a better alternative. Believe me, Joanne, it's worth it! Some tips for the less-coordinated like myself:
Use a small piece of toilet paper to help you get good leverage on the stem when you pull the cup out. It will fall out nicely in just the right position, and you just dupp it in with a slight wrist-motion; it's practically done one-handed this way.
2. When putting the cup in your vagina, sit far back on the toilet, so you have plenty of room to maneuver the cup in, without feeling like you're putting a basketball through a vacuum hose.
3. When you do your first dry run,s I got it out of t (I did as soon as I got it home) you may need to use a small dab of lube or Vaseline to help maneuver it in. However, do only use a small bit, as copious amounts can make you feel like it's trying to fall out. It won't fall out without some purposeful maneuvering, so don't worry, it's in there, and more than likely, it'll stay.
Do not use vaseline; please use a water-based lubricant if you need it. Vaseline and other oil-based lubricants are not meant to be used with silicon products. The petrolium in oil-based lubricants degrades the silicon and compromises the integrity of your cup. Same goes for the latex rubber keeper.
Thanks for the warning. I didn't know that, my bad.
No worries, just wanted to let you know so your cup didn't get ruined. That's also why you're supposed to use a water-based lubricant while using condoms; oil-based ones will degrade the condom, lessening its effectiveness.
So, are there specific brands that you guys recommend over other ones?
I like the Moon Cup by Keeper. It's made of silicon so doesn't carry the risk of a latex allergy, holds a good deal of fluid, and has a pretty easy learning curve. Lots of people like the Diva; it's also made of silicon, holds the same amount as the Moon Cup, costs less most of the time, Etc. But it also seems to be harder to figure out for some reason, mostly because the silicon is stiffer, I think. Many prefer the Mooncup UK because it seems to be extremely to use, but one problem is that it's considerably wider than other cups and holds considerably less fluid. The lunette and lady cup both appeal to younger women or smaller women because they are very narrow and made of very flexible silicon and are easier to insert, and hold more fluid than the Mooncup UK but less than the Diva and Moon cup by Keeper. The Femmicup seems to be very similar to the Mooncup UK.
So, it's all a personal preference thing, basically.:) Depends on the structure of your body, the heaviness of your flow, how much you're willing to spend, Etc. Oh, some people also make the decision based on availability. The Diva is manufactured in Canada while the Keeper and Moon Cup by Keeper are made in the US, so they're fairly easy to come by here. The Mooncup UK and Femmicup are both made in England, the Lunette's made in Finland, and the Ladycup's made in the Czech Republic, so you have to deal with pound or euro conversions, international shipping, Etc.
*smiles! I'm happy to hear so many success stories. Honestly it makes me want to use my cup again to brag about it, but ug I haven't had aperiod since april wich is all specialness and makes me not be able to brag. *sad face).
Haven't had one since April? That can't be good ...
Some birth control pills make you not have periods. Especially the hormonal ones. You just gradually stop having them. All different things can make you not have a period, but pregnancy and hormonal birth control methods are the main ones.
Ah, I see.
Actually it wasn't either of them, but strangely enough. I got mine just yesterday. it was after spending only one evening with my new room mates, and a friend. i think it just had to do with stress this past summer, and when it wasn't that. I was surrounded by waaay tooo much testosterone. haha.
Just wanted to add another tip. I've never been able to twist my cup once it's in, perhaps others will encounter this, too, so what I do is just pull the stem forward, then back, to ensure a good seal.
I also recommend the Mooncup UK, to anyone who's still deciding... but if the Lunette or Lady cup can contain more, perhaps that's even a better option. I may switch. *grin* But the Mooncup UK is much more flexible than the Keeper!
Ok, so a bit of further info. I did some reading yesterday, this page was concise, and very helpful:
http://menstrualcups.wordpress.com/category/the-cups/
It appears that the Miacup and Lunette can contain more fluid than the Mooncup UK, which is my reason to consider switching. The Ladycup doesn't hold any more than the Mooncup, but might be a good option as well, because its rim isn't as defined as some of the others, which would make it more comfortable to insert.
But I'm leaning more toward Miacup, since the rim on the Mooncup has been no problem.
Btw, I recently was away from home visiting, and miscalculated days, so in an emergency had to make do with tampons--very foolish of me not to be prepared! There's no excuse, when all you need to pack is one little thing! But it was pure hell! Leakage every hour, I was worried and it was a misery--a misery I've not had to deal with in nine years! I won't make that mistake again. LOL
Wow, there's yet another new cup out there. I haven't heard of the miacup until now. I've heard of the femicup, and that might be a good option for you, too, although I think it holds just as much as the Mooncup UK, so maybe not.
I think the Ladycup and Lunette are good options for young girls, as they're narrower, and as you said, the ladycup's rim isn't as defined. Also, from what I've read, the ladycup seems to be the most flexible of all.
And ugh, I know what you mean, I was in the same situation a few months ago; my period showed up a few days before it should've, and I was at my mom's for the weekend and hadn't packed my cup, as I wasn't expecting to need it. Tampons were pure hell. I hadn't had cramps that bad since, well, since I started using the cup. Ugh.
i've just started my cycle with my deva cup.
i'm still waring a pad though at the moment, as i'm not sure that i have positioned it right. but it doesn't feel uncomfortable and gets a good suction, its just that i still feel a bit . . . well, like its coming out instead of being collected, i know the cup gets at least some of it though.
but i like my deva cup, so want to make it work!
This might sound like a stupid question, but this topic has so many posts, and I'm just walking in. I've got a heavy flow at times, and I'm concerned about leakage. I don't really care about the wideness of the cup, as I don't have a small vagina--anymore. However, I am concerned about the cup sticking out of the opening. I use tampons okay, but I've had to reinsert them because they don't go in all the way. I don't know if it just has to do with hitting my cervix and that the tampon has to curve. In fact, I wonder if Allie and I have the same problem. I haven't been able to insert a tampon straight up in years... I'm just thinking my case is a little different than others. What would you guys suggest as the best cup for me? I've noticed that the narrower cups tend to hold more. So why get the wider ones? I'm confused...
Beyond that, Candy, you are just a gem for posting this. I'm so glad to see that so many women are jumping on the cup band wagon. I've been using tampons ever since I got my period at age twelve, and I've gotten many leaks as a result of having a heavy flow. And when you can't see the blood, well, I don't have to tell you guys how much that blows. You know. I know I'm going to sound like half the other girls that have posted here, but this is seriously awesome. I'm going to have to read back over this topic. So much information!
I used the Moon Cup, and it works very well. It's a wide cup, but it works fine for me. The cup's stem is actually suposed to stick out of your vagina, at least mine does, and it is a bit irritating at first, but I'm used to it. Good luck.
Hello girls,
Well, the cup sounds like a good idea for me, I can think of a million reasons why. On the other hand, I have mixed feelings about it. I feel uncomfortable, with having to clean the cup. I guess, everyone has there own comfort level. The thing that caught my attention about it was that it seems like I am spotting a lot; and I mean to much. I take the pill because of it and I have a problem with cysts so, the pill helps with that but that's what caught my attention on the cup. Talk about freedom hmm, maybe I will give it some thought.
Thanks you for bringing this to our attention out here. I wish we had a board just for women to discuss our stuff. Okay, that wasn't a good choice in words stuff lol...
Sorry for rambling lol.
Patti!!
hey, just wanted to say i think that i think that would b a good idea, having a board just for girls, though i dont know how it would be administered definitely something worth thinking about htough
Hey ladies; glad to see so many cup users!! just a few things that I thought might be helpful.
1. If you want more information about menstrual cups, check out menstrualcups.org (it will link you to a live journal community that's super, super helpful).
2. To those of you who hav had trouble making a tampon/cup go straight up inside you, the problem may not necessarily be your body, but rather the angle you use to insert the cup/tampon. when you insert, push up and back, not just up. Your vagina is actually larger than the opening, so this shouldn't hurt you.
3. I'm not sure if anyone else has tried the lady cup, but I've been using it successfully for quite some time now.
4. If you feel the stem poking out of your outer vaginal lips and that feels uncomfortable, it means that your cup rides low (which is ok-I have a short canal as well), and you can definitely trim it. It isn't supposed to stick out of you or be entirely inside you--it's supposed to be comfortable, so whatever that is for you, go for it. I ended up having to hack the entire stem off of my lady cup because I have the world's shortest canal it seems!!
And now, I have a question. How do you ladies ensure that you haven't left any blood behind in the bathroom? (think floors, toilet seats, walls, toilet-paper holders--yes, believe me, blood can and does get to those places and I have absolutely no idea how!!). Thoughts?
damn the cup seems just to complicated for me, so going ot skip that.
Did you try it? how was it complicated?
walls, how the hell do you manage that?
I just bot my first cup online a couple of days ago and I got the Diva 1 for 17.45 I can't wait till it comes in the mail. I have read alot about it before i decided if i wanted to get one. I heard that it sometimes takes up to your third minstrol sycle before you completely figure out all the tricks to getting it in without it leaking or being painful. I am going to keep a detailed journal about it for a few of my friends who wants me to do so before they get theirs so they know more about it for them to decide. I like the idea of it not leaking I think I spend more money on new panties then I do on tampons. I have heard however that sometimes they split. Do any of you know anything about this?
The cups that are having splitting cups are the lady cups that are colored. Some girls need colorful cups for some reason. Something i'm sticking in me to collect blood I don't think i ever was going to show off so the color thing just kind of alludes me, but it seems to be something with the coloring of the lady cups going wrong.
As for the hand problem. I get the flushable wipes from the dolar store, and use one to clean up fingars when done and use a second to clean up anything I've touched. This is harder to do when throwing out a tampon that you hold by the string because even rapped it can be quite drippy. I find that I avoid most mess if I grab the stem with tp wrapped around two fingars, and then hold on tight and tip it while it's still between my legs and shake very lightly to make sure that most of the wet blood has dripped off before even bringing it up for any purpose. It's so nice now though for work. I'm so greatful for it! I'm so mad that my mother threw out my lady cup by accident.
I am worried that when mine comes in tomorrow that the first time or second or tird time to use it it will split and i lost my money for it! Does anyone know if Diva replaces them and if so how long afterwords?
I give you a 98.5 percent garentie that the deva cup won't splitt. i've only ever heard of the lady cups splitting never a deva cup, lannette, moon cup or a keeper.
No, the diva cups won't split. Neither will most lady cups; that was just a bad batch of coloured cups.
And to caribbean_queen, blood is so weird like that. Believe me, that shit can travel.
Just wanted to let you cup owners know that if you're disappointed with the pouch your cup came with, there are some super cute ones at: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=64692
I got a red strawberry!
thanks I was just thinking about makeing a new holder for mine, I think I might look, unless some one on here can make one for me? I might buy?
Hey doe sany one know wear I can get a cleaner for my minstral cup that smells like lemons? Or just know a sight that has some good one?
I'd say see the message I sent you, and if you're bound and determined to have a soap try to find something as gental as possible either at a health foods store or try drugstore,.com. Anti bacterial soaps should be a no no though as I said before.
thanks, I wanted to find one that was mint for the diva and had a nice smell of lemons, but your idea should work. thanks
i heard once in the discovery channel about how all of the stuff we dispose of such as pads and all that disgusting stuff ends up in the ocion.
this is why many animals like fish and other aquatic animals die because of all of the polution.
there was one show i remember that talked about the sea birds who are dying and some thought they were haunted. so they discovered that there were a bunch of stuff including plastic toys that are very very small to bacteria from all of the contaminated water. yeah for reusable cups horray, i would like to try but i don't know how i should tell mom though.
she won't understand as she knows english as a second language.
although she knows english as a second language and can speak well, she has a harder time grasping somethings than others.
I speak spanish as a first language since i was born in ecuador.
plus i am tired of spending 4 dollars on pads every time i get my period.
fortunately, i get my period every 2 months which means that a pack of pads lasts me a whole semester in college even if i change it 4 times a day and i am not a heavy bleader.
thanks.
If you're in college, no offense, but why should your mom's approval be a contingency? I'm assuming you have access to a debit/credit card and can order one over the internet or that you can get to a Whole Foods and pick up a Diva Cup.
my mom's first language is also Spanish but by the time I purchased my first cup, I was living across the country from her. She thinks they're interesting but either way, she knows that using a cup is my choice and as long as I'm happy, she is too.
I just got the divacup in the mail yesterday. I can't wait to try it out! Though I won't get a period till sometime next month, so bleh. If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't think that cup would fit inside me. But it fits nice and snug with the stem at my vaginal opening.
Hi all,
I ordered my DivaCup today. I hope that I can get everything figured out. LOL
I've been interested in these cups for over a year now, and I've been wanting to try them, but for whatever reason, I haven't; but today, all that changes!
For those of you who do not yet have a cup, DivaCup's website has a pretty good FAQ section, as well as other helpful info at:
http://www.divacup.com/
They also have a DivaCup DivaWash, which is made of all-natural stuff, so it's safe to use, and healthy. I imagine that as long as your cup is made of silicone, you should be able to use this wash on other brands as well. They say that the wash is so gentle, that you can use it as a face or body wash as well.
Anyway, I just wanted to share that I finally made the purchase. I'll definitely let you guys know what I think of it.
Thanks for putting up that web site. I'll definitely look in to getting this, because right now, I'm really starting to get sick and tired of changing a pad every few hours.
Hi all,
My DivaCup came in the mail today. I tried it out, and I have a few questions.
How much of the stem is supposed to stick out? It seems that a little bit has to protrude out, that way you have something to grasp when removing the cup, but I'm not sure how much.
When I inserted the cup, I could feel pressure, and feeling as if it were pushing against things. I'm guessing that maybe it was the cervix, but I'm not sure. It kind of felt a little like when you go to the gynecologist for a PAP smear, and you can feel the pressure and whatnot when they are inserting their tools. Is this supposed to happen?
Upon removal, I could tell that there was a suction, but it kind of hurt when I removed it. It wasn't a painful type of hurt; just more of a discomfort. Did you guys have this happen to you when you first started using yours?
While the cup was in, I couldn't feel anything, accept for a little of the original pressure, as well as a little bit of the stem, so I'm hoping that I'm doing this right, but I wanted to ask these questions to those of you who are veteran users.
BTW, I wasn't expecting the cup to be the size that it is. LOL. I thought it was going to be very small. I'm not saying it's huge or anything, but it still surprised me.
To poster #148, no, cup use isn't complicated. It only seems so, when you're reading about it.
Gemini, in response to post #166:
It's been a couple of months, so perhaps you've worked this out, yourself.
If not, as long as you are comfortable, it doesn't matter how much of the stem sticks out. Trim it down with nail scissors, or even all the way off, if necessary, and as long as you can still remove the cup, do what works best for yourself.
I don't like to feel the stem, so mine is trimmed to almost nothing, but there's still enough to pinch to help in removal, if needed.
For removal, have you tried breaking the seal with your fingers? If you're just pulling the cup out by its stem, that's going to hurt! It will be messy, too. I always break the seal by pushing in on the rim/lip of the cup a bit.
Also, I've seen Diva users suggest turning the cup inside out to make it shorter, with the stem trimmed completely off. Could that help? (I don't see how this is even possible, but guess it is.)
and above, someone mentioned the possibility of creating a discussion list. Has anyone done that? Yes, there's the great Livejournal community, but it might benefit some of us to have a discussion group of our own. I have been unable to, and I'd feel slightly stupid asking them to explain in words the various folds, because I can't see the pictures, and I only know one way to fold my cup. (not to mention, Livejournal is tough to deal with. Or is that just me?) Not that anything is wrong with this here thread... LOL
lol, I know this topic hasn't been discussed for over a year, but its what inspired me to switch from tampons to menstrual or moon cups. I got the B size mooncup Hmmm, 'bout 4 months ago, but was unsuccessful when it came to actually using it. Soap and water just wouldn't work and I tried the C fold since it seemed easier, but the cup just wouldn't go in, it was both too wide and too round for er, my back passage, so I think I'll be punch folding it, where you push one edge in so it forms a kind of bent spoon shape, then it seemed to just slip in just fine with the aid of KY jelly. I found it quite itchy at first, having followed instructions I got offline, pushing it right in till the stem was right inside as well, but after just a few minutes its stopped itching and methinks my body's thinking "ok, something new in here, something different which isn't Tampax" but its feeling more comfortable than a tampon ever did now. I think I have to get used to it and I will get used to it.
Jen.
Jen, what do you mean that soap and water didn't work?
Rinse any soap off really well before inserting, or you may get in ainfection!
FYI, some other brands of cups are softer, with smaller rims, that may make insertion and removal more comfortable. Lunette is a very soft cup. If you're still struggling with the Mooncup after several months, maybe it's not the best fit, for you.
Good luck.
Well I'm certainly converted! I will be ordering one straight away! I used to think they were kind of gross when I first heard of them a few years ago-just the idea of cleaning and reinserting something that had contained menstrual blood, but I think like many have pointed out it is no more unhygenic than pads or tampons. I also think it has a lot to do with maturity-it is a little childish to get squeamish and grossed out by the menstrual process-after all it affects all women at some stage so to make a big deal of it does seem a little precious somehow! I'm sure washing and reinserting it when out is easier and more convenient than disposing of pads or tampons-there are times when their are no hygene bins or any other bins around so in that respect the menstrual cup could actually be better. Just a thought-tampons were always tricky to insert before becoming sexually active so just wondering if the menstrual cup would be a problem for younger girls to use. Pads are very bulky and are a constant reminder of the menstrual cycle and tampons are a pain also-the mooncup sounds a lot more discreet in some ways. Now if only it could eleviate pmt then we would be smiling all the way! :)